a sculpture in the exhibit by Shelly Ann Moore of Thousand Oaks
a sculpture in the exhibit by Shelly Ann Moore of Thousand Oaks
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Cal Lutheran show features variety of works by alumni

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The public is invited to take a free tour of a California Lutheran University art exhibit in Italian from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Brittany Corbucci, an Italian instructor at Pepperdine University, will guide visitors through “Coming Home: Alumni Art Exhibit” in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is part of a series of foreign-language tours of the gallery. Corbucci is the adviser for Pepperdine’s Cultural Italian American Organization (C.I.A.O.), which promotes the study of Italian language, heritage and culture.

The exhibit of art by Cal Lutheran alumni was curated in honor of the 50th reunion of the first two graduating classes. It will be on display through Thursday, Jan. 8.

The show features paintings, ceramics, photography, graphic art, fused and stained glass, sculpture, mixed media, block prints and drawings by alumni who graduated between 1965 and 2009. The exhibitors include professional artists whose works have been shown in museums, galleries and private collections throughout the world as well as alumni who paint in their spare time. The featured artists from Ventura County are Ben Hengst, Timothy C. Hengst, Carol Heyer, Catherine Ferguson Miller, Shelly Ann Moore, Andrea Pappas and Aihua Zhou. Others from California are Michael Lynn Adams of Woodland Hills, Samantha Fried of Calabasas, Craig Fulladosa of Palmdale, James Huchthausen of Cambria, Margaret Knight of Tustin, John Gilbert Luebtow of Chatsworth, Lisa Lindberg-Van Nortwick of Rolling Hills,Glen P. Tarnowski of San Clemente and the Rev. Gregory Uthus of Pasadena. Out-of-state contributors are Christopher Marshall of Brooklyn, Paul Neuhaus of Minneapolis and Carol Virak of Washington.

A giant, winding, interactive tunnel sculpture by Grant Toland of Ventura will be installed outdoors from Nov. 3 through Nov. 8.

The exhibit is dedicated to the memory of the late Jerald “Jerry” Slattum, who was a devoted art professor from 1962 through 2004. One of his self-portraits is on display.

Rachel T. Schmid curated the free exhibit. University Advancement, Alumni and Parent Relations, and the Ann Peppers Foundation Arts Education Series are the sponsors.

The gallery is located in William Rolland Stadium on the north side of Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Mountclef Boulevard. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 805-493-3697 or email rollandgallery@callutheran.edu.

 


 

SANTA PAULA, CA – Celebrate Dia de los Muertos at the Santa Paula Art Museum! The Museum will be hosting a free Family Day Event on Saturday, November 1, 2014 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Admission is free for the whole family. Families can participate in traditional hands-on art activities such as papelpicado, La Catrina and El Catrin puppets, bonnets and sombreros, and decorate sugar skulls. Explore the community altar “Tribute to the Dream” and contribute by bringing an item as an offering or ofrenda in honor of a hero in your life. Enjoy stories that depict the traditions of Dia de Los Muertos.

Visitors will also be able to view the “21st De Colores Art Show: In Search of Magulandia”, an exhibition featuring art by over 30 artists from across Southern California and the Southwest. The show is a tribute to the legacy of visionary Chicano artist Gilbert “Magu” Luján and celebrates Latino heritage, history, and iconography.

The Santa Paula Art Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street in downtown Santa Paula. The Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00a.m. to 4:00p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 to 4:00p.m.Regular admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and is free for museum members and students. For more information, please contact the Museum at (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org

 


 
Wyant Morton and Areté Vocal Ensemble
Wyant Morton and Areté Vocal Ensemble
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Professional vocal artists to perform at Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Areté Vocal Ensemble will kick off its sixth season with a concert of popular American songs at California Lutheran University.

“A Tribute to the American Musical Theater and American Song” will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 9, in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The 29-member professional ensemble will sing tunes from the Broadway stage, the Great American Songbook and some of today’s leading composers. The program will include hits from many musicals including “State Fair,” “Camelot,” “Wicked” and “A Chorus Line.” Songs by Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter and Leonard Bernstein will also be featured.

Music director Wyant Morton will conduct. Jessica Helms, a Cal Lutheran alumna and accompanist for the Music Department, will play piano.

Morton founded Areté, which is based at Cal Lutheran, with the goal of performing the widest possible vocal repertoire, including works from essentially all periods of music. Special attention is given to contemporary, experimental, improvisatory, “cross-over” and ethnic music.

The ensemble, which takes its name from the Greek word for excellence, focuses on performing the new, the unknown and the unconventional with energy, passion, expertise and virtuosity. Through the combined power of words and music, an uncompromising attention to musical detail and a passion for live performance, Areté offers audiences a joyful, moving, educational and soul-nurturing experience.

Morton is director of choral activities and a professor of music at Cal Lutheran. He also maintains an active schedule as a guest conductor, clinician and adjudicator appearing throughout the United States and Canada.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane in Thousand Oaks. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

Tickets purchased online in advance are $15. Tickets purchased at the door are $20. Student tickets are $10 with ID. Admission is free for children younger than 12. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.aretevocalensemble.org.

 
Morten Johannes Lauridsen to visit Cal Lutheran
Morten Johannes Lauridsen
Morten Johannes Lauridsen

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Popular composer and National Medal of Arts recipient Morten Johannes Lauridsen will talk about his music and perform with California Lutheran University students at two free public events culminating the First-Year Experience Program for freshmen.

Lauridsen will discuss his music and why he chose to become a composer at 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus. At both events, he will also perform with the university’s Choir, Women's Chorale and music faculty as well as the professional Areté Vocal Ensemble based on campus. Wyant Morton, director of choral activities, will conduct.

In a new twist on the university’s First-Year Experience Program, all of this year’s freshmen watched online videos of Lauridsen and his music and the award-winning 2012 documentary “Shining Night: A Portrait of Composer Morten Lauridsen.” They also read a companion booklet to the film called “Morten Lauridsen’s Waldron Island Reflections.” In the past, incoming students have all read the same book, discussed it in their freshmen seminar classes and attended a lecture by the author.

The National Endowment for the Arts named Lauridsen an “American Choral Master” in 2006. The following year he received the National Medal of Arts from President George W. Bush “for his composition of radiant choral works combining musical beauty, power and spiritual depth that have thrilled audiences worldwide.”

Lauridsen was the Los Angeles Master Choral composer-in-residence from 1994 to 2001. He has been a professor of composition at the University of Southern California Thornton School of Music for more than 40 years and founded the school’s advanced studies program in film scoring.

He has won numerous grants, prizes, commissions and honorary doctorates and held residencies as a guest composer and lecturer at more than 70 universities. His works have been recorded on more than 200 CDs, five of which have received Grammy Award nominations. Distinguished artists and ensembles throughout the world regularly preform his vocal cycles, collections and instrumental works.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane. Seats will be reserved for Cal Lutheran freshmen, so space for the public is limited and available on a first-come basis. For more information, contact Jim Bond at jabond@callutheran.edu.

 
“Celery Harvest” by Roxie Ray, acrylic on canvas
“Celery Harvest” by Roxie Ray, acrylic on canvas
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The Ag Art Alliance presents The Seventh Annual“Art About Agriculture” Exhibition at the Santa Paula Art Museum and the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum
“Pauly and Hamburger” by Renate Lichter, acrylic on canvas
“Pauly and Hamburger” by Renate Lichter, acrylic on canvas
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“One at a Time” by Beverly Wilson, oil on canvas
“One at a Time” by Beverly Wilson, oil on canvas
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The Seventh Annual “Art About Agriculture”, an agricultural themed art exhibition featuring work by over 65 artists, will be on view November 8, 2014 through January 25, 2015 at the Santa Paula Art Museum. Part of the exhibition will also be on display at the nearby Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum. The purpose of the exhibit is to promote art about agricultureby exploring all of the facets of agriculture from workers to water, machinery to soil, to the food that goes on our plates.

An opening reception will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2014 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Santa Paula Art Museum. The cost of admission is $10.00 for museum members and $15.00 for non-members. The MVC Agriculture Museum willalso be open to guests of the reception from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. with free admission.

The Ag Art Alliance was formed in 2007 by Gail Pidduck and John Nichols to promote a greater appreciation of the place of agriculture in our lives by revealing the many facets of agriculture through the eyes of artists. Art About Agriculture features art by over 65 artists working in both two and three dimensional media who create art that in some way draws its inspiration from our agricultural heritage and/or contemporary agriculture. That inspiration includes, but is not limited to, depictions of rural landscape, farm animals, farm products, rural life, and art that in a more abstract way deals with issues and ideas related to agriculture.All work in the exhibition will be for sale.

The Santa Paula Art Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street in historic downtown Santa Paula. The Museum is open Wednesday-Saturday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm and Sunday from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm. Regular admission is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and free for members and students.Please call (805) 525-5554 for more information. The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum is located within walking distance of the Santa Paula Art Museum at 926 Railroad Avenue in Santa Paula. The MVC Agriculture Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. For more information about the MVC Agriculture Museum please call (805) 525-3100. Be sure to visit both museums to see the entire show.

WHAT: Ag Art Alliance 7th Annual Exhibit “Art About Agriculture”

WHERE: Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 N. 10th St. Santa Paula, CA and
Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum, 926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula, CA

OPENING RECEPTION: Saturday, November 8 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Santa Paula Art Museum, cost of admission is $10.00 for museum members and $15.00 for non-members. The MVC Agriculture Museum will also be open to guests of the reception from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. with free admission.

EXHIBIT DATES: November 8, 2014 through January 25, 2015

 
HOLOS design 3D sculpture for peace
HOLOS design 3D sculpture for peace
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Creating the First HOLOS Public Artwork for Peace in Ojai, CA

“The HOLOS design is a 3D sculpture for peace. Each of its 9 spirals appears to be separate, yet connected, to the whole. Its design transcends language, religion, and political divisions -expressive of our one shared humanity,” said Brian Berman its artist creator. The spirals radiate around the form and return endlessly to the hub, energetically rejuvenating, and offering hope for humanity and joy to those who view it.

The goal is to install the first HOLOS sculpture, in the city of Ojai, by International Peace Day, September 21, 2015.

Berman shares, “Creating the first HOLOS sculpture as a public artwork for peace will benefit the entire community as well as help inspire people around the world to begin building a culture of peace and non-violence.” His vision and plan is to expand peace in Ojai by offering programs in the schools that help students learn conflict resolution skills and foster tolerance around diversity.

To enable creating this first HOLOS sculpture for peace, Berman has a Kickstarter campaign running until November 2nd, where you can learn more about the genesis of the design and the vision for this peace initiative. Ojai residents and visitors will be the first ones to receive the benefits of this public artwork for peace. Imagine the rewards of peace expanding in our and other communities: less crime, less violence, improved education, improved business, and enhanced government performance.

Thank you for clicking on this link: http://kck.st/1s0Rcct

 
Public invited to attend annual event featuring sand mural installation, art exhibitions, speakers, crafts, face painting, and performances

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the campus and community to join in the Sixth Annual Day of the Dead: Celebration of Life, Monday, Oct. 27, at the John Spoor Broome Library. Presented by CI Intercultural Services, the Broome Library, and students of the Art program, the free public event features speakers, dancers, music, face painting, crafts, art exhibitions, and the opportunity to participate in creating a giant sand mural altar on the Library Plaza.

Sand Mural Altar Installation – 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., join celebrated Chicano artist Fabian Debora as he creates and installs a 7-ton, 20-by-10-foot Mixteco-styled sand mural altar on the Broome Library Plaza. Guests may place their own ofrendas (offerings) on the mural throughout the day to celebrate the lives of loved ones.

Multiple altar installations created by CI students in the Art and Spanish programs, as well as altars from student clubs and The Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, will also be on display in the Broome Library Gallery and Alcove through Nov. 9.

Celebration of Life – Speakers, Crafts, Face Painting, and Performances – 5 p.m.
The Celebration of Life begins at 5 p.m., with distinguished community speakers including the Honorable Berenice Díaz Ceballos, Consul de Mexico, Arcenio J. Lopez, Executive Director of Mixteco/Indigena Community Organizing Project, and CI campus administrators and faculty. Craft activities will be provided by the School of Education/Credential office and face painting by CI students. The evening will close with peformances by CI’s mariachi band and Ballet Folklórico. A Mixtec translator will be at the program.

El Día de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) is a Mexican celebration, rooted in ancient ritual worship and the Spanish Christian holiday of “All Soul’s Day.” Mexican families celebrate the lives of deceased family and friends by creating home altars and placing offerings of everyday life such as pan de muertos (sweet bread baked in shapes of skulls and figures), candles, yellow marigolds known as Cempazuchitl/Zempasuchil, and photos of the departed souls on the altar.

Limited parking is available on campus with the purchase of a $6 daily permit; follow signs to the parking permit dispensers. Free parking is available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI Vista Bus to the campus; the cash-only fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes, Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For additional information contact Kirsten Moss, Director of Multi-Access Programs, at 805-437-3156 or kirsten.moss@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

 
Solvang's Founders. The Rev. J.M. Gregersen (far right) stands with (left to right) land agent Mads Frese and fellow founders P.P. Hornsyld and the Rev. Benedict Nordentoft. Courtesy of Elverhoj Museum of History and Art.
Solvang's Founders. The Rev. J.M. Gregersen (far right) stands with (left to right) land agent Mads Frese and fellow founders P.P. Hornsyld and the Rev. Benedict Nordentoft. Courtesy of Elverhoj Museum of History and Art.
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Free presentation slated for Nov. 1 at Cal Lutheran

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The grandson of one of the founders of Solvang will talk about the 103-year-old town’s history at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 1, at California Lutheran University.

Erik Gregersen, a board member of the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang, will give an illustrated presentation titled “Danish Colony in California: Solvang 1911-2014” in the Roth Nelson Room on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Danish-American colony of Solvang began as the dream of Danish immigrants and educators. Followers of a folk school movement in Denmark, the Rev. J.M. Gregersen, the Rev. Benedict Nordentoft and professor P.P. Hornsyld wanted to buy a large tract of land on the West Coast, subdivide it to start a town for Danish immigrants, and use the profits to build a Danish-style folk school.

After an extensive search, the founders purchased 9,000 acres in the Santa Ynez Valley, part of an original Mexican land grant. It was an ideal location with fertile land, a flowing river, oak-dotted hills and a mild climate, and the men gave it the Danish name for “sunny field” upon its founding in 1911.

The folk school opened in November 1911. The young Danish-American adults who attended took English- and Danish-language classes in addition to courses ranging from folk dancing to bookkeeping. In 1914, the school moved to a new three-story building on a hill overlooking town and became Atterdag College, which means “there’ll be another day.”

The settlers strove to preserve their culture while assimilating into the West. Almost all of the early buildings were designed in the western or mission styles. Solvang grew quickly and prospered as Danish entrepreneurs supplied the growing community with goods and services.

In 1947, the Saturday Evening Post magazine published a story and photos about Solvang that prompted a stream of tourists to begin arriving. Residents decided the town’s look should better reflect Danish culture, and they began constructing windmills and new buildings, renovating old structures, and renaming streets. Wild, open rangeland with grazing cattle and sheep gave way to dairies, dry farming and irrigated fields. Today it is home to vast vineyards and horse ranches.

The Roth Nelson Room is located at 3391 Mountclef Boulevard.

The Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation and Cal Lutheran’s History Department are sponsoring the free event as part of the Scandinavian Lecture Series. For more information, contact Howard Rockstad at 805-497-3717.

 
Educators can learn salsa, paint and create music
Ana Maria Alvarez
Ana Maria Alvarez

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A woman who has dedicated her life to activism through dance will be the keynote speaker at the Fifth Annual Arts and Learning Symposium at California Lutheran University on Saturday, Nov. 1.

Ana Maria Alvarez, founder and executive director of Los Angeles–based Contra-Tiempo Urban Latin Dance Theater, will speak on the symposium theme, “Inclusivity Through Creativity.” During a breakout session, Alvarez and two members of the company will teach participants salsa Rueda, a dance in which pairs form a circle and perform moves that are called out.

In other breakout sessions, participants will learn how to paint diverse skin tones, use art with autistic students and create music quickly with Logic Pro software. The event, which will run from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Lundring Events Center, also will feature student performances, a student art exhibit, buffet lunch and continental breakfast.

The public symposium, which is sponsored by the Susan Greiser Price Arts Integration Program in Cal Lutheran’s Graduate School of Education, is designed to build partnerships between educators and community members to strengthen arts access from kindergarten to the university level. It provides free hands-on training to educators for using art, dance, drama and music to teach a variety of subjects. Participants will develop action plans during round-table discussions and leave with a variety of tools and ideas that they can use in their classrooms.

The symposium is offered free to college students, teachers, school administrators, artists, arts educators and others interested in arts education and arts integration.

A Cuban-American choreographer and educator, Alvarez founded Contra-Tiempo in 2005 to transform the world through dance. Rooted in salsa and afro-Cuban dance, the company also draws from hip-hop, urban and contemporary styles in an effort to be accessible to people of all races and classes.

Alvarez received a bachelor’s degree in dance and politics from Oberlin College and a master’s degree in choreography from UCLA’s Department of World Art and Cultures. She trained at the North Carolina School of the Arts and with Urban Bush Women of New York and Narisco Medina in Cuba. She has received grants from many organizations including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Association of Latino Arts and Cultures, and Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs. Her work has been commissioned by St. Joseph’s Ballet, the Tanzmesse Dance Festival in Germany, CounterPulse’s Performing Diaspora Festival and many others.

Reservations are required. To register, go to CalLutheran.edu/artslearning. For more information, contact Clarisse Lincir at lincir@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3423.

 

An inspiring, thoughtful, patriotic music program honoring those who fought for our country will be performed on Sunday November 9, 2014 at 3:00pm at the Ventura High School Auditorium located at 2 N. Catalina, Ventura. FREE. For information call (805) 289-7925.

 
The museum hosts its first car show Sunday October 19, 2014

On Sunday, October 19, from 11 am to 3 pm, the Museum of Ventura County will hold its First Annual Car Show in the parking lot adjacent to its site. There will be live music by Mark MacKay Band, craft-making in the museum courtyard for kids, food provided by Blue Light and World Famous Frank’s Food trucks and of course, over 60 cars from collectors throughout Ventura.

Clubs participating will be Ventura Vintage Rods, the Rodfathers and Roam’N Relics, among others. “A car is a work of art to me; I collect vehicles like someone else might collect sculptures or paintings”, said Gary Entrekin of Ventura, whose maroon 1949 Cadillac convertible will be on display (photo attached). Entrekin’s daughter Jessica helped plan the show when she was an intern at the museum.

There will be prizes awarded at 3 pm, including “People’s Choice” (the most popular card according to visitors and “Best Paint Job”.

Admission to the galleries will be free – guests can see three new exhibitions on view: “Beisbol: From the Barrios to the Big Leagues”, “Cruel Season: Artists Reflecting on Drought and Fire” and “Colossal Efforts – A Behind-the-Scenes look at George Stuart’s Creative Process.”

 

WHAT: Ventura Potters' Guild presents: Kim Myhre Clarke ... From the Beginning
WHERE: The Ventura Avenue Adult Center, 550 N Ventura Avenue, Ventura, 805 648-3035
WHEN: Monday, October 20, 2014
Doors open at 7 pm
Program begins at 8 pm

Clarke grew up in Los Angeles where she attended art classes at Barnsdall Art Center and the Pasadena Asian Museum as a child. She studied ceramics at Glendale College, Los Angeles City College and Moorpark College and has been working on her craft for over 35 years. Over the years, Clarke has developed a unique style of whimsical figures showing influences that tie together with Maurice Sendak, Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and the late Len Poteshman's sketches. Clarke is also skilled in raku and other types of ceramic firings and has taught ceramics at the Simi Valley Adult School since 2006 while maintaining a ceramic studio in Ventura since 2007. She recently began teaching ceramic and mosaic classes at the Ventura Adult Center. Clark will be sharing her path in ceramics along with photos of her work and perhaps a last minute demonstration.

Locally her work is represented at the Guild's Gallery at Ventura Harbor and Human Arts in Ojai. Her work is collected world wide.

The public is welcome. Free.

 

The Ventura College Santa Paula Site is pleased to present the fall art show, Nine Points of View, exhibited by the Artists Guild of Fillmore. The exhibit runs October 13 through December 19, 2014. A Meet The Artist Reception will take place Thursday, October 23, 2014 from 6:00-9:00pm.

The Artists Guild of Fillmore was founded in 2009 to create interest in original work created by local artists. Nine Fillmore artists are featured in the show: Lois Freeman-Fox, Luanne Hebner Perez, Virginia Neuman, Joanne King, Wana Klasen, Lia Verkade, Doris Nichols, Lady Jan Faulkner and Judy Dressler. Nine Points of View showcases nine diverse artistic styles in a variety of media including watercolors, oils, acrylics, pastels, mixed media and more.

The artwork is on display at the Ventura College Santa Paula Site located at 957 Faulkner Road, Suite 106, in Santa Paula. Free parking is available. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

 
Ojai Post Card 1954 – Ojai Valley Museum Archives
Ojai Post Card 1954 – Ojai Valley Museum Archives
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Shirley Temple – David Mason Collection
Shirley Temple – David Mason Collection
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Mary Pickford – Public Domain (FanPop.com)
Mary Pickford – Public Domain (FanPop.com)
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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello – David Mason Collection
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello – David Mason Collection
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June Allyson and James Stewart – David Mason Collection
June Allyson and James Stewart – David Mason Collection
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Charlie Chaplin/Jackie Coogan – Public Domain (imdb.com)
Charlie Chaplin/Jackie Coogan – Public Domain (imdb.com)
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Original History Exhibition
“The Ojai Theater: 100 Years of Movies, 1914 - 2014”
Tuesday, Oct. 21 through Sunday, Dec. 28, 2014
Community Curator: Elise DePuydt

The Ojai Valley Museum
Alcove, Hall, and Rotating Galleries
130 W. Ojai Ave.
Ojai, Calif.

It’s celebration time at the Ojai Valley Museum from Oct. 21 through Dec. 28 with an original history exhibition, “The Ojai Theater: 100 Years of Movies 1914 – 2014.” The Rotating Gallery features the story of Ojai’s only movie house that has existed over the span of a century.

The exhibit has been researched and written by Elise DePuydt, Ojai historian, author of an Ojai guidebook and Office Manager for the Ojai Film Society. As an invited community curator, DePuydt’s wall texts and photo documentation trace the ownership, management and history of the Ojai Theater between 1914 and 2014. The show includes descriptions of the owners, managers, films shown, movie stars, animal stars and films made in Ojai. In addition, celebrity gowns, movie memorabilia, antique camera and projection equipment and facsimiles of vintage movie posters bring pizzazz into the gallery. A mini movie theater will screen films throughout the duration of this show.

DePuydt introduces the exhibit this way: “For 100 years Ojai residents, young and old, have sat in the darkened interior of the building on the southwest corner of Ojai Avenue and Signal Street, watching the past, present and future come to life on the silver screen. They have been entertained, educated, inspired, uplifted and brought to laughter or tears. No one could have predicted when Nordhoff businessman J.J. Burke built his movie theater in 1914 that 100 years later people would still be sitting inside viewing films.”

The purpose of this centennial exhibit is to describe the Ojai Theater’s historical importance as a cultural hub in this community. On the walls of the main Rotating Gallery space, DePuydt structures the history of the theater by highlighting the personalities who owned or leased the facility, and how they used its resources to entertain their audiences. In essence, she uses their stories to trace the theater’s 100-year history in a chronological fashion beginning with J.J. Burke in 1914 and ending with current owner, Khaled Al-Awar in 2014.

In addition to the theater management timeline, DePuydt emphasizes adjunct areas of interest for visitors to the exhibit. One section is devoted to “Ojai Celebrities,” i.e. movie stars who spent time in Ojai, including Loretta Young and June Allyson. “Animal Stars” and “Films Made in Ojai” sections also serve to describe the rich heritage of Ojai’s relationship to Hollywood.

Rare early to mid twentieth century movie cameras and filmmaking equipment are on loan for the exhibit to enrich the textual stories and photographic materials. Visitors will see such items as a vintage Cine Kodak movie camera, rare Bell & Howell Filmo cameras, a wind-up Univex 8mm movie camera and more. Additional loans include small, priceless selections of movie star and film related memorabilia displayed in exhibit cases in the Hallway Gallery.

DePuydt states, “Americans’ love for movies never seems to wane, and thanks to the owners of the Ojai Theater, residents have always had a unique opportunity to view films in one of the oldest single-screen theaters in the country. This original history exhibit tells the story.”

The Alcove Gallery features the history of the Ojai Film Society and the Ojai Film Festival, their beginnings and their importance to the Ojai cultural fabric. Community curator, filmmaker and Ojai Film Society Board Member, George Sandoval, has organized this section of the exhibition space. With texts, photographs and related ephemera he describes the story of these two film-related organizations critical to the variety of Ojai’s art scene.

As an additional enrichment to the physical exhibit, DePuydt will host free movie matinees in the Rotating Gallery’s special mini theater every Saturday at 4 p.m. She has personally selected the family-friendly schedule which includes movies starring Charlie Chaplin, Shirley Temple, Jackie Coogan, Loretta Young, Audrey Hepburn, Judy Garland, June Allyson, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy, to name a few. The matinees begin on Oct. 25 and run every Saturday including Dec. 20. A full schedule is posted on the museum website, ojaivalleymuseum.org,and on the Ojai Valley Museum Facebook page.

Brochures of the free matinees can be picked up at the Ojai Valley Museum Docent desk and the Visitor Center, and will be distributed around the town.

The Ojai Valley Museum, established in 1967, is generously supported in part by museum members, private donors, business sponsors and underwriters, the Smith-Hobson Foundation, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, City of Ojai, Ojai Community Bank, Rotary Club of Ojai, Ojai Civic Association and a grant from the Heritage Fund of Ventura County Community Foundation.

The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Ave., Ojai, Calif. Admission: Free for current 2014 members, adults - $5.00, children 6–18 - $1.00 and children 5 and under – free. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are available by appointment. Free parking is available off Blanche Street at back of museum.

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, email ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: OjaiValleyMuseum.org

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"Cockatoo Fly Over" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
"Cockatoo Fly Over" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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"Homage to Chumash" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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"Quit Squawk'n I'm drive'n" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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"Last Letter Sent" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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"Return to Sender" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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"I Took Victoria to the Movie" by Eclectographer Richard Shirley
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The Ojai Valley Photography Club welcomes Richard Shirley to its October meeting. Join us for his presentation “Digital Collage: Using Spatial Relationships Created with Photoshop Layers.” The presentation will begin at 7 p.m., Tuesday, October 21, at Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana St., Ojai, CA.

Shirley is a master of photographic collage. He considers himself an “eclectographer” (“one who assembles eclectic imagery aesthetically”).His stunning imagery is reflected in his personal artist’s statement, “I believe my art mirrors the spirit of my being. I assemble ancient imagery, transcending time - stained walls, archival deeds, torn stamps, ruffled feathers, canyon rocks, painted objects and surfaces - all creations in my own visual space, colors and brush strokes.”

Shirleywas educated at the Cleveland Institute of Art, Cleveland, Ohio, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a major in graphic design and a minor in sculpture. He was awarded the institute’s Mary C. Page scholarship that allowed him to continue his studies in Europe.

An interest in film began with his first place award in the 16 mm film category at Esquire Film Festival, New York. The film was made in 1969 for his fine art thesis at the Cleveland Institute and it led to his employment as a filmmaker at Denny Harris Films, Inc., where he made television commercials. He then moved on to form his own film production company, Richard Shirley, Inc., with studios in Chicago and Los Angeles. He has produced and directed over 500 national television commercials. He is a current member of the Directors Guild of America and the Canton Art Institute.

Now retiredand living in Ojai, Calif., Shirley is currently a member of the Ojai Center for the Arts, Photography Branch.He was awarded a Second Place and Honorable mention for his images in its recent juried exhibit, “Long Lasting.” He is a member of the Ojai Photography Club and was awarded year-end honors in 2013, including Photo of the Year. More information and images are available for viewing at: http://richardshirley.com

Monthly presentations are part of the Ojai Photography Club’s community service and education outreach. Visitors are welcome to attend.

The club, which is devoted to education, inspiration, and camaraderie, meets on the third Tuesday of each month, February – November. Only members may submit images for critique. More information is available at: www.ojaiphotoclub.com/

 

On Saturday October 25th, The Santa Paula Theater Center presents the last Concert of the 2015 Season, as the sensational Tom Corbett with Bill Knopf (banjo) and Mike Mullins (guitar & mandolin) perform as “The Tom Corbett Band”.

Tom Corbett is a mandolin and guitar playing singer songwriter who has toured and recorded with some of the best musicians in the folk and roots musical world. He toured and recorded with The Acousticats which featured Phil Salazar and Cyrus Clarke (Cache Valley Drifters, worked with John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band) and The String Wizards. During his stint with John he played and recorded with Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Jennifer Warnes, Vassar Clements, Laurie Lewis and John Sebastian. Tom then toured with Robin and Linda Williams from Garrison Keillor’s Prairie Home Companion. He also played mandolin on Mike Ness’s (Social Distortion) solo CD “Cheating At Solitaire.”

Tom has recorded three of his own albums which feature many of his own compositions and a who’s who of guest musicians including Herb Pedersen and Bill Bryson (Chris Hillman, Desert Rose Band) David Hidalgo and Victor Bisetti (Los Lobos), Nina Gerber, David West, Tom Ball and Kenny Sultan, Greg Leisz, Tom Rozum, Claire Holley and Jonathan McEuen. His songs were include in Peter Spirer’s feature film “Dunsmore” from Image Entertainment, and his current CD “Tonight I Ride” has been in the top 10 on the Euro-Americana charts (2011) for several months. He continues to tour as a sideman as well as touring as a singer songwriter, playing concerts and festivals all over the world from America to Spain, Ireland, England, Germany, France, Scandinavia and Japan.

Corbett’s voice is reminiscent of Jimmy Buffett, with a kind of relaxed intimacy that makes you want to kick back in the passenger seat and go on a long road trip across the Mojave.
CS-Sing Out Magazine.

…..a front man with pioneer spirit, lightning fast fingers, and a heart of pure California gold.
Bliss-Pasadena Weekly

Tom Corbett. What a joy. There is good music and laughter left in our troubled world. If we could only dry it into a powder, package it and send it around the globe marked, "just add water."
Bob Stane Coffee Gallery Backstage Los Angeles
Learn more about Tom Corbett at his website http://tomcorbett.net/
Come enjoy a relaxing evening out on Saturday, October 25th, at the Santa Paula Theater Center , 125 S. 7th Street, Santa Paula, Ca. The Reception Room opens at 7:00PM, Performance at 7:30PM. All tickets are $15.00, there is Limited Seating so reserve your tickets now online at santapaualthertheatercenter.org or by phone 805-525-4645.

 
Wyant Morton conducting the Homecoming Choral Concert
Wyant Morton conducting the Homecoming Choral Concert
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Performance celebrates first graduating classes

THOUSAND OAKS - Early alumni of California Lutheran University will perform with the current Choir and Women’s Chorale in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the first two commencements.

The Homecoming Choral Concert will begin at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 19, in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The original Kingsmen Quartet featuring the Rev. Jim Bessey ’66 of Long Beach, Bill Ewing ’65 of San Clemente, Karsten Lundring ’65 of Thousand Oaks and Bryan Spafford ’65 of Mission Viejo will perform alone and with the current Kingsmen Quartet.

Other members of the alumni choir will include Judy Ashmore ’64 of Thousand Oaks, Carma [!@#$] ’66 of Minnesota, Ruthanne England ’65 of Thousand Oaks, John A. Lundblad ’65 of Vista, Kirsten Lundring ’64 of Thousand Oaks, Paul Meyer ’65 of Australia, Sandi Meyer ’66 of Thousand Oaks, Carole Pollard ’64 of Bellflower and Marty Schwalm ’64 of Thousand Oaks.

The eclectic program of innovative choral music will begin with 1994 alumnus Kevin Christiansen performing on trumpet with the Women’s Chorale for Kenneth Leighton’s “An Easter Sequence, Op. 55.” Christiansen currently teaches at the International School in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The concert will continue with music by Morten Lauriden and Felix Mendelssohn sung in French, German and Latin. The Choir will preview music from its tour of Germany slated for May. The program will conclude with a collection of early American hymns and spirituals.

Wyant Morton, director of choral activities, will conduct. Morton has been on the Cal Lutheran faculty since 1992 and received an Honorary Alumni Award at the Undergraduate Commencement in May.

The concert is free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit callutheran.edu.

 
Cal Lutheran Founders Day event slated for Oct. 17
Soloist Antonio Foreman
Soloist Antonio Foreman

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Music from “Schindler’s List” will form the centerpiece of California Lutheran University’s Founders Day Concert on Friday, Oct. 17.

The University Symphony will perform at 7:30 p.m. in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus.

Three pieces composed by John Williams for the Academy Award–winning film about the Holocaust will be featured. Senior music major Antonio Foreman of Agoura Hills will be the violin soloist.

Also on the program are two standard orchestral repertory pieces. They are Schubert’s Symphony No. 8, “Unfinished,” and Sibelius’s “Finlandia.” Schubert’s symphony is the University Symphony project piece for the academic year and will be performed again in March, with longtime faculty member Daniel Geeting conducting both concerts.

One of the first ensembles established at the founding of Cal Lutheran, the University Symphony is a group of about 50 members that performs several times each semester. It has a diverse repertory ranging from the latest in contemporary composition to standards of the symphonic repertory. The symphony is an integral part of the program for music majors and minors, but also includes other Cal Lutheran students and community members.

The concert is free, but donations will be accepted. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit CalLutheran.edu.

 
Brings Children and Seniors Together

Art to Heart, an eight-week intergenerational art program which bring seniors and children together to learn from and inspire each other side-by-side, begins October 15. Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo is now taking applications for their unique program, which was a huge success last spring when it was held for the first time.

“This program, Art to Heart, offers a wonderful opportunity for seniors and children to work on a weekly series of art projects. The materials and instruction are very professional. I saw nothing but smiles until the very end,” said Carol Kivo who signed up for the class for the second time.

Open to seniors age 65 or older and children ages 5 to 12, the program’s projects include sculpting, painting, drawing, and mixed media. The sessions are held on Wednesdays at 3:30- 5:00 p.m. from October 15 to December 10. No class will be held the day before Thanksgiving. Program cost is $80 per student, and space is limited to 20 students. For an application please call the Art Center at 805-383-1368, visit the gallery at 2222 Ventura Boulevard in Camarillo or apply on line at www.studiochannelislands.org/education/art-to-heart/.

The Art to Heart Intergenerational Art Program is supported by the Smith-Hobson Foundation Fund and Ventura County Community Foundation. The art instructor is Karin Geiger, Studio Channel Islands Art Center’s executive director, an artist and accredited elementary school and art teacher. The program is in collaboration with Bernadette Limón, an Elder Care Manager and owner of Senior Partners, who has 25 years of experience working with seniors and holds a master’s degree with emphasis in Family Relations.

Intergenerational programs can help children develop more positive attitudes toward older people, and seniors who interact with children can experience physical and mental health benefits.

The Studio Channel Islands Art Center offices and Blackboard Gallery are at 2222 Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo. They are open Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. As many as 40 resident artist studios at the Center’s campus across from the gallery are open to the public every First Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, go to www.studiochannelislands.org or call 805-383-1368.

 
"Building Blocks," a painted bronze sculpture by Glen Tarnowski.
"Building Blocks," a painted bronze sculpture by Glen Tarnowski.
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Graduates span 5 decades and work in various media

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University is exhibiting a collection of art by alumni in honor of a 50th-reunion celebration for its first two graduating classes.

“Coming Home: Alumni Art Exhibit” opens Thursday, Oct. 16, and continues through Thursday, Jan. 8, in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art on the Thousand Oaks campus.A giant, winding, interactive tunnel sculpture by Grant Toland ’06 of Ventura will be installed outdoors from Oct. 6 through Nov. 8.

Several of the artists will discuss their work during a reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 17. The opening was scheduled to coincide with Homecoming and Family Weekend, when alumni will return to campus and members of the Classes of 1964 and 1965 will celebrate the 50th anniversaries of their commencements.

The exhibit features a variety of works by alumni who graduated between 1965 and 2009. Michael Lynn Adams ’72 of Woodland Hills has exhibited his paintings throughout the world, including at Salon International and Oil Painters of America National.Samantha Fried ’06 of Calabasas paints everyday scenes ranging from children at play to a woman window-shopping.Craig Fulladosa ’79 of Palmdale specializes in ceramics with natural colors and incised decorations and is also a photographer and graphic artist.

Ben Hengst ’07 of Thousand Oaks is a classical figurative painter who earned a Master of Fine Arts degree at the New York Academy of Art. His father, Timothy Hengst ’72 of Thousand Oaks, uses Adobe Photoshop to explore color, texture, transparency and the interplay of images in his original photographs. James Huchthausen ’65 of Cambria works with fused and stained glass, and his pieces can be found in galleries across the United States and in the United Kingdom.

Abstract artist Margaret Knight ’98 of Tustin creates acrylic paintings and photographs in a style she characterizes as chaotic, raw and unedited. The works of glass artist John Luebtow ’67 of Chatsworth have been exhibited in the Detroit Institute of the Arts and the Los Angeles County and Tucson museums of art. Christopher Marshall ’03 received a Master of Fine Arts in painting from the New York Academy of Art and now works out of a studio in Brooklyn.

Catherine Ferguson Miller ’80 of Newbury Park submitted a painting of the view from outside Cal Lutheran’s art building that she created as a student. Shelly Moore ’06, a Thousand Oaks resident whose work has appeared in the American Museum of Ceramic Art, sculpts clay busts with incomplete heads. Mixed media artist Paul Neuhaus ’83, a Minneapolis architect, creates drawings with both two- and three-dimensional appearances and uses architectural materials in art.

Linda Lindberg-Van Nortwick ’83 of Rolling Hills paints horses, flowers and Scandinavian figures on the earthenware platters and bowls she creates. Andrea Pappas ’05 of Thousand Oaks works in a variety of mediums, and the exhibit features several of her block prints. The allegorical works of painter and sculptor Glen Tarnowski ’83 of San Clemente are in many permanent collections including the national galleries of Victoria and Australia.

The Rev. Gregory Uthus ’75, pastor of Hill Avenue Grace Lutheran Church in Pasadena, is a painter and sculptor. Carol Virak ’66, who owns a gallery in Washington, will have a series of acrylic paintings and a graphite-and-pastel drawing featuring swans in the exhibit. Figurative artist Aihua Zhou ’09, who was born in Beijing and now lives in Thousand Oaks, creates plaster and bronze statues and pastel, charcoal and pencil drawings.

Rachel T. Schmid curated the exhibit. University Advancement, Alumni and Parent Relations, and the Ann Peppers Foundation Arts Education Series are sponsoring the free exhibit and reception.

The gallery, which is located in William Rolland Stadium at 160 Overton Court, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, call 805-493-3697 or email rollandgallery@callutheran.edu.