After three years of construction, the Ventura College Art Department is proud to announce the grand opening of the remodeled Studio Arts Building (SAB) and the newly constructed New Media Gallery on Thursday, December 1, 2016, from 6-8:30 pm (4667 Telegraph Road, Ventura, CA). Opening ceremonies will take place across from the New Media Gallery followed by studio class demonstrations, faculty and student displays, and a closing reception with light refreshments for the exhibition, Innovation and a Rejection of the Past: The Artistic Avant-Garde. The event is free and open to the public.

In March 2002, citizens of Ventura County voted to authorize a $356 million general obligation bond to renovate and expand all three Ventura County Community College campuses. The bond funds allocated for Ventura College supported the construction of the Library and Learning Resources Center (2005), Student Services Center (2008) and the Sportsplex (2009). Later, construction continued with the Advanced Technology Center (2011), General Purposes Classroom Building (2011), Ventura College Performing Arts Center (2012) and the Applied Science Center (2015).

“On behalf of the Board of Trustees, Chancellor Bernard Luskin and Ventura College President Greg Gillespie, I would like to thank the residents of Ventura County for approving the funds to support these projects,” said VCCCD Board Chair Larry Kennedy. “We are proud of the work that has gone into constructing the Studio Arts Building and New Media Gallery and look forward to presenting these 21st century facilities to our students and the community.”

The Ventura College Art Department offers beginning and intermediate courses in Color and Design, Drawing, Life Drawing, Painting, Sculpture, Ceramics, Digital Media, Photography, and Art History to assist students in gaining insight into creative and critical thinking. The Ventura College Art program has a long tradition of producing many of the region’s most accomplished artists and continuing education students who have forged advanced skills and careers as exhibiting artists, educators, graphic designers, photographers, illustrators, art technicians, art historians, commercial artists, and gallery/museum professionals.

The Art Department maintains two galleries: Gallery 2, a student-run gallery and art lab, and the New Media Gallery exhibiting work by historically significant and nationally known artists. Additionally, these exhibition spaces provide students with hands-on experience in gallery and museum management.

After six decades of providing quality community college education at the 4667 Telegraph location, Ventura College, with the support of the voters, will celebrate its history and look towards the future as it prepares to serve a new generation of Ventura County students. For more information on art classes or to obtain notices of upcoming art events, lectures, and exhibitions, please contact the Ventura College Art Department, Gwendolyn Huddleston, Ed.D., Dean of Academics, gklewishuddleston@vcccd.edu, 805-289-6388.

Ventura College, an accredited two-year institution of higher education, has been a part of the beautiful seaside community of Ventura, California, since 1925. It is conveniently located approximately 60 miles north of Los Angeles and 30 miles south of Santa Barbara. The 112-acre campus, set in the rolling hills of Ventura, has an enrollment of 14,500 students. Ventura College offers Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences Degrees in 33 majors, and Certificates of Completion and Proficiency Awards in 61 areas of study. Ventura College also has Transfer Guarantee Agreements with CSUCI, CSUN, UC Davis, UC Santa Barbara, and UC Santa Cruz. Class schedules are posted at www.venturacollege.edu. For more information, contact the Ventura College Welcome Center at 805.289.6420.