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By Anonymous — Monday, March 11th, 2013
A window seat, discerning eye and digital camera turned into a five-year project for Amy Oliver culminating in “Terrestrial,” her solo exhibition March 26-April 20 at Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery. Landscape and documentary photography are Oliver’s passions and she said this grouping represents 32 airliner trips over the years to visit friends and family members. She will have two-dozen works in the show, all 12-inch-square images printed on watercolor paper using archival pigments (framed to 18 inches square). “I decided to print this size because I want the viewer to come close to each piece to have a more intimate experience with the work,” said Oliver, whose other aerial series include clouds and skies, titled Gray and Blue. Examples can be found at www.amyoliver.net. An opening reception is planned 4-7 p.m. March 30, at which she promises “some delicious beer” brewed especially for the occasion by husband Jared Bishop, “a wonderful home brewer.” Oliver also plans to talk about her work from 7-8 p.m. April 5 during the First Friday Gallery Crawl, which runs from 5-8 p.m. A print of her work will be raffled off that night with name drawing at 7:45p.m. The Ventura photographer and photography teacher got her start in North Carolina, she said, enrolling with her mother in a North Carolina community college class during a summer break from high school in 1996. “I can see elements of my work from that very first class that continue today,” she said. Oliver earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in photography in 2007 at California Institute for the Arts and has taught the subject at community colleges in Pasadena, Los Angeles and Ventura. Major art influences include legendary lensmen William Eggleston, Walker Evans and Henri Cartier-Bresson and other image makers, including 18th-century Japanese printmaker Hokousai and American painters Wayne Thiebaud and Mark Rothko. “My friends, colleagues and students also inspire me all the time,” she added. “Photographs are always specific … taken at a particular place at a particular time of a particular subject. When we see photographs, we expect to know these details,” Oliver said. “I believe these details can take us out of our experience with the image itself. I wondered, how could I make a photograph feel like a Mark Rothko painting? “To do this, I work to create photographs that are timeless and placeless so the mind can wander, open up and experience the image. I aim to inspire wonder in my audience as well as a sense of peace and a quietness of mind,” she said. “The airplane proved to be the perfect place to create these sorts of images.” “Terrestrial” will showcase those peaceful images at the Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., which is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit the nonprofit BAA’s website at www.buenaventuragallery.org. |
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By Anonymous — Monday, March 11th, 2013
Camarillo, CA - The CSU Channel Islands (CI) Art Program is pleased to announce an exhibition of new paintings by Los Angeles artist Kerry Kugelman. “Trackless: New Paintings” runs through Friday, April 5, in the Art Gallery at Napa Hall on the CI campus. A closing reception will be held Saturday, March 30, from 1 to 4 p.m. With his latest exhibition of abstract paintings, Kugelman continues his exploration of atmosphere, light and color. Employing a broad palette, this new body of work teems with forms and textures that evoke a sense of mystery and wonder. Using acrylic mediums, ink and charcoal applied in multiple layers, Kugelman’s paintings have rich, glossy surfaces, abstract details and patterns. Very little of this work is painted with a brush, but is instead poured, splashed, scraped and sanded, creating floating worlds of light and color. “Trackless,” the show’s title, alludes to a place where there are no established routes or ways to go, creating the need to choose our own path. Kerry Kugelman’s paintings have been exhibited throughout Southern California and are in numerous private collections. His writing has appeared in several local art publications, and he has also taught at universities and colleges throughout the Los Angeles area and the Inland Empire, including at CI. The Art Gallery at Napa Hall is located on Ventura Street on the CI campus. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 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 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 from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org. For additional information, contact the CI Art Program at 805-437-8570, email art@csuci.edu, or visit http://art.csuci.edu/gallery. To learn more about the artist, visit http://kerrykugelman.com/. About California State University Channel Islands Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education. CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, March 6th, 2013
March 31 to June 24, 2013
Who: The California Oil Museum What: Exhibit, “Let’s Go to the Moon! The Lunar Missions” Where: 1001 E. Main Street, Santa Paula, CA When: APRIL 7 to JUNE 24, 2013 Why: The Moon is so important to us in many ways- come and find out why! We know more about many aspects of the Moon than we know about any world beyond our own, and yet we have barely begun to solve its countless mysteries. In the decades since the last Apollo landing on the Moon in 1972, there has been a widespread misperception that the Moon has already told us all the important things that it has to tell, that scientifically it is a “been there, done that” world. Nothing could be farther from the truth. Why is the moon important? The Moon is, above all, a witness to 4.5 billion years of solar system history, and it has recorded that history more completely and more clearly than has any other planetary body. Nowhere else can we see back with such clarity to the time when Earth and the other terrestrial planets—Mercury, Venus, and Mars—were formed and life emerged on Earth. Planetary scientists have long understood the Moon’s unique significance as the starting point in the continuum of the evolution of rocky worlds. Many of the processes that have modified the terrestrial planets have been absent on the Moon. The lunar interior retains a record of the initial stages of planetary evolution. Its crust has never been altered by plate tectonics, which continually recycle Earth’s crust; or by planet wide volcanism, which resurfaced Venus only half a billion years ago; or by the action of wind and water, which have transformed the surfaces of both Earth and Mars. The Moon today presents a record of geologic processes of early planetary evolution in the purest form. Its airless surface also provides a continuous record of solar-terrestrial processes. For these reasons, the Moon is priceless to planetary scientists: It remains a cornerstone for deciphering the histories of those more complex worlds. But because of the limitations of current samples and data derived from them, researchers cannot be sure that they have read these histories correctly. Now, thanks to the legacy of the Apollo program, it is possible to pose sophisticated questions that are more relevant and focused than those that could be asked more than three decades ago. Only by returning to the Moon to carry out new scientific explorations can we hope to close the gaps in understanding and learn the secrets that the Moon alone has kept for eons. |
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By Letitia Grimes — Monday, March 4th, 2013
 Gallery Detail: Linda Taylor dress and tapestry by John Nava. Photographer Roger Conrad Enlarge Photo  Visitors Viewing Artist Gerri McMillins “Zooid” Basketry. Photographer Myrna Cambianica Enlarge Photo It’s easy to guess what’s going on inside the Ojai Valley Museum just by glancing at the outside entrance in relation to the banners in the courtyard corners. The Yarn Bombers of Ojai - otherwise known as the Naughty ‘Nitters or Guerilla Grannies - arrived surreptitiously on the night of January 31st and installed a riot of crocheted street art. Yarn bombing, or yarnstorming, is a spontaneous international movement of secretive and anonymous fiber artists. They represent the “outsider art” component of the current exhibit at the museum, “Fiber Art Master Pieces,” which runs through March 31, 2013. The yarn party outside celebrates the occasion. Michele Pracy, Museum Director and curator/designer of the exhibit, had two main criteria in selecting the pieces: “First, each piece must be art, then it must be made of fiber in a masterful technique.” Over 150 years of local fiber arts are represented, from wearable art to soft sculpture, from 19th century quilts to a 21st century large scale tapestry. Pracy has woven a fabric of visual relationships in the exhibit. Her placement of modern fabric art side by side with century-old quilts illuminates the beauty and finesse of each. Her wall texts guide the visitor seamlessly through centuries of technique and innovation. The multiple levels of meaning in the exhibit have to be experienced in person, as there is so much content beyond the visual image. The deepest level is primal, related to the need to survive and to soften the impact of the elements on the human body. Our earliest memories recall the texture of a blanket or sweater. So intimate is this connection that touching the works in the exhibit is an almost irresistible urge - but alas, next to each piece a “Do Not Touch” sign is posted. Curator Pracy explains that the oils in our fingers, although invisible to us, can irreparably damage the fabrics. Another level of meaning is the human need for beauty beyond the practical usefulness of an object. Two “crazy” quilts in the exhibit, on loan from the Thacher and Haggerty families of Ojai, lavishly emphasize beauty over utility. Until the rise of abstract art in the middle of the 20th century, quilts were not taken seriously - after all, they were created by anonymous women in the home rather than in the studios of famous artists with wealthy patrons. But the abstract movement sharpened our eyes and we can now appreciate the mastery of color and design in these amazing fabric artworks. They have what Pracy calls a “push-pull” effect on the visitor. We step back to see the unity of vibrating shapes and saturated colors, and then the intricate web of stitching and patchwork pulls us back in. The quilt maker must hold the seams together with exterior stitches, and she turns this necessity into design. Lines of silk thread flow like phrases of music, forming one surprising shape after another. Closer examination also reveals pictorial elements sewn into the abstract shapes. Look for the spider in the Haggerty quilt: it’s a symbol of the fabric skills of the quilter, and included for good luck! The human need for inspiration has been met in the Western world most often by painting and sculpture. But in Tibet, the fabric arts provide the greatest fulfillment of this need. Leslie Rinchen-Wongmo is a master of the Tibetan thangka, a sacred image created from pieces of hand-loomed silk. Although sometimes referred to as appliqué, a thangka is really a kind of fabric mosaic, stitched with horsehair cords. Rinchen-Wongmo learned this exacting art directly from masters in the Tibetan exile community of Dharamsala, India. She explains, however, that the concept of mastership is different there: the emphasis is on the art itself, rather than on the personality of the individual artist. Tibetan workshops create “master thangkas, not master thangka artists.” This is a deeply tactile art, carrying the touch of the human hand in every thread. The beauty and sensuality of the silk, combined with images of enlightened beings, are designed to draw the viewer closer to the thangka and to encourage spiritual life. The thangka invites and opens up like a flower as one comes closer. The need to experiment and express contemporary consciousness is now being met by the wide range of possibilities found in the fiber arts. Since the middle of the 20th century, artists have ventured into unconventional fibers, multiple layers, and mixed media. Carolyn Ryan’s work uses all of these techniques to create a haunting sense of the isolation people often experience in modern society. In her hands, fabric and thread transform into tactile poetry. Puckered cloth, heavy stitching, superimposed monoprints - all become metaphors of an indefinable loneliness. Gerri McMillin reveals an underwater world of “Zooids,” woven out of screen wire and crochet. These seemingly incompatible elements create a startlingly original cross between a basket and a sea creature. Another unexpected fiber in the exhibit is translucent Japanese paper. Linda Taylor’s lipstick-pink paper dress is layered in monoprints symbolizing cultural expectations of beauty in women from the Renaissance to Hollywood. The 40 pieces in the Ojai Valley Museum’s “Fiber Art Master Pieces” engage the visitor at multiple levels, in a way that painting and sculpture cannot quite fulfill. A painting may be beautiful, but can you take it off the wall and wrap it around yourself on a freezing night? Fiber art involves the whole human being, grounding us as it inspires, delights, and challenges. A special thanks is extended to Ojai Community Bank, sponsor of “Fiber Art Master Pieces.” For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: Ojai Valley Museum.org 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, Rotary Club of Ojai, and the Ojai Civic Association. |
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By Anonymous — Monday, March 4th, 2013
Entries are now being accepted for the annual County Ventura St. Patrick’s Day Parade which will march down Main Street in downtown Ventura for the 24rd time on St. Patrick’s Day, Saturday, March 17 at 10 a.m. Presented by the Ventura Elks Lodge 1430, the parade with some 100 entries begins at the San Buenaventura Mission on Main Street in Downtown Ventura and moves east past the reviewing stand at Chestnut Street and on to the end at Fir Street. The parade's them is “Everyone’s Irish on St. Patrick’s Day” Parade entries are being accepted until March 8. Parade organizers invite businesses, bands, dancers, acrobats, clowns, horses and organizations to participate in the county’s greenest event! Entry forms can be downloaded from the Parade’s website,www.venturastpatricksdayparade.com or obtained by calling Jim Monahan, Parade Co-Chairman at 643-4275. Sponsors for the 2013 parade include Rabobank, Agromin, Dargan's Irish Pub, Georgino Development, Wells Fargo Bank, Ventura County Credit Unit, CSUCI, Crowne Plaza, Slaughter & Reagan and Limoneira. |
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By Ojai Valley Museum — Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
Adult Art Class Co-sponsored by Ojai Valley Museum
 Ukrainian traditional decorated eggs from artist/photographer Bernadette DiPietro's private collection Enlarge Photo The Ojai Valley Museum is offering a new, annual series of Adult Art Classes beginning in February 2013. Collaborating with Ojai artist, Bernadette DiPietro, and using her Blanche Street, “WORKING Artist Gallery” space as an adjunct classroom, the museum is able to offer this new enrichment/educational program to the public. The March 9th class, “Ukrainian Egg Decoration,” is scheduled to coincide with the Easter Holiday. For nearly 2,000 years people from all over the world have been decorating eggs in the spring of the year. Each year with the first of spring, Ukrainians’ begin creating their collection of Pysanky eggs. The symbolic designs represent a meaning to both the designer of the egg and the person who receives them. They are believed to contain special powers. Participants in the workshop will decorate in the traditional manner, combining the legends, customs, symbols, and designs of Ukrainian Pysanky eggs. The fee for this all day workshop is $175.00 with a $30.00 materials fee, which includes all supplies, registration and your own set of tools to take home after the class. Early registration is recommended since each workshop is limited to 8 participants. The Ojai Valley Museum will e-mail a detailed description of the class, with applicable fees, just call (805) 640-1390, ext. 203. Or access the museum facebook page via our website at: www.ojaivalleymuseum.org. Pre-registration of at least one week in advance of the workshop date is preferred. Space is limited to 8 students per class. All registration is taken through the museum by calling the above number. 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, Rotary Club of Ojai, and the Ojai Civic Association. The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA. Admission: free for current 2012 members, adults - $4.00, 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. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 27th, 2013
Author studies effect of crime policies on urban youth
 Victor Rios THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A gang member-turned-college professor will speak at California Lutheran University on Tuesday, March 19. Victor Rios, an associate professor of sociology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, will discuss his experiences growing up on the streets of Oakland and present his research on juvenile justice, masculinity, race and crime at 7 p.m. in the Lundring Events Center. Rios’ most recent book, “Punished: Policing the Lives of Black and Latino Boys,” is based on three years of field research and in-depth interviews with young men in Oakland. The 2011 book analyzes how juvenile crime policies and criminalization affect the everyday lives of urban youth. “Punished” is required reading in Molly George’s criminal justice research methods course at CLU. Rios came to the United States with his mother when he was 2 and grew up in some of the worst projects of Oakland. He dropped out of school for the first time in eighth grade and joined a neighborhood gang for protection at 14, often living in stolen cars for months at a time. The turning point came at 15 when he saw a friend and fellow gang member murdered in a gunfight with rivals. With help from a teacher who believed in him and a police officer who gave him a second chance, Rios graduated on time with his high school class. He went on to college and eventually earned a doctorate from the University of California, Berkeley. How Rios, now 35, was able to escape life on the streets and earn a doctorate is one of the narratives in “Punished.” Another is his account of the dissertation research that took him back to the neighborhoods where he grew up. Rios, who runs a Santa Barbara program for at-risk adolescents, has received many honors including the 2010 New Scholar Award from the American Society of Criminology. “Punished” received the American Sociological Association’s 2012 Latino/a Sociology Section Best Book Award. Rios’ first book, “Street Life: Poverty, Gangs, and a Ph.D.,” was published five months before “Punished.” Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center north of Olsen Road on the Thousand Oaks campus. CLU’s Center for Equality and Justice, Multicultural Programs and International Student Services, Campus Diversity Initiative, ASCLU-G Student Government and departments of communication, criminal justice, languages and cultures, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, educational leadership, and counseling andguidance are sponsoring the free public event. For more information, contact the CEJ at cej@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3694 or Molly George at 805-493-3437. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
Woodwind groups to perform David Maslanka works
THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Highly acclaimed U.S. composer David Maslanka will be the guest of honor at the 11th Annual New Music Concert on Saturday, March 16, in California Lutheran University’s Samuelson Chapel. Maslanka, whose compositions have been performed extensively throughout the United States and the world, will be present for the 7:30 p.m. concert of his music. The CLU Woodwind Ensemble directed by Michael Hart will perform “Mother Earth” and “Traveler.” The faculty Woodwind Quintet with Nancy Marfisi on flute, Dan Geeting on clarinet, Fred Beerstein on oboe, Eric Johnson-Tamai on bassoon and Louise MacGillivray on horn will perform “Quintet for Winds No. 2.” Maslanka’s works for wind and percussion have become standard repertoire for wind band and percussion ensembles. The versatile composer has published more than 100 pieces in a variety of genres including nine symphonies, a Mass, nine concerti and a wide variety of chamber works. His work has been characterized as a blend of lyricism and intense rhythmic drive notable for its poetry, warmth and spiritual qualities. The composer has received five residence fellowships from the MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire as well as multiple grants. He has been honored with the National Endowment for the Arts Composer Award three times and, in 1999, was awarded the National Symphony Orchestra regional composer-in-residence award. He has served as a guest composer formore than 100 universities, music festivals and conferences. Maslanka received his bachelor’s degree in music from the Oberlin Conservatory. He then spent a year at the Mozarteum in Salzburg, Austria, and earned a master’s degree and doctorate in music theory and composition at Michigan State University. He served on the faculty at New York University, Sarah Lawrence College, State University of New York at Geneseo and Kingsborough Community College of the City University of New York. Since 1990 he has been a freelance composer living in Missoula, Mont. The chapel is located off of Campus Drive south of Olsen Road on the Thousand Oaks campus. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu/music. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
Event will include discussion with actor, professor
THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will screen an Abraham Lincoln movie and present a discussion with the featured local actor and a history professor on Thursday, March 14. “Lincoln: The One-Man Show” will be shown at 6 p.m. in Preus-Brandt Forum. A discussion with Camarillo resident Gary Saderup, who portrays Lincoln, and David Nelson, an assistant professor of history at CLU, will follow. Released on DVD in November, Saderup’s two-hour show encapsulates the 16th president’s life, from his folksy frontier humor to the eloquence of his presidential years. The film touches on how his views on politics, slavery and war formed and why he is the president revered most by a majority of Americans today. It features highlights like the Lincoln-Douglas debates, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address as well as his early years as a prairie lawyer, his turbulent marriage to Mary Todd and his determination to preserve the Union. Civil War era photos, music and graphics accompany Saderup’s portrayal of Lincoln. He also gives voice to other characters from the time, including Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee, Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. “It is, in a word, awesome,” Los Angeles Time reviewer Tom Titus said. Saderup read extensively about Lincoln, studied old dialect tapes, consulted costume experts and lost 28 pounds to play the part. Like the 2011 film of Saderup’s one-man show, “Douglas MacArthur: Return to Corregidor,” “Lincoln” was shot at Santa Paula High School. The veteran stage actor has played other historical characters including John Barrymore and Charles Darwin. He has also appeared as Macbeth, Othello and Richard III. He has worked with author Ray Bradbury tocreate leading roles in two original plays. Saderup studied illustration and film at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and is a successful portraitist whose many charcoal drawings of famous people include one of Lincoln. Preus-Brandt Forum is located south of Olsen Road between Mountclef Boulevard and Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. The CLU History Club and University Relations Division are sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Cindy Keitel at 805-493-3958 or ckeitel@callutheran.edu. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 26th, 2013
VENTURA, CA - Members of the Ventura community can listen to live music, learn more about the library’s programs and celebrate at E.P. Foster’s open house on Saturday, March 16. The event will take place directly after the local parade from 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. in the E.P. Foster Library. This is an event for all ages and a chance for families and friends to learn more about everything the library can offer in the coming months. There will be live music, food and much to learn during this community get-together. Stations will be set up throughout the library to inform attendees about upcoming programs, ranging from Children’s Summer Reading to Story Time to Open Mic Nights. “This will be a great time for the community to learn about the exciting programs Foster is offering," said Sara Roberts, Senior City Librarian. “From poetry readings to eAudiobooks, we have a lot to show off.” Attendees over the age of 18 will have the chance to win a Kindle through a raffle by visiting each station, sponsored by Friends of the Library. For more information on E.P. Library visit www.vencolibrary.org/locations/epfoster or the Facebook page www.facebook.com/epfosterlibrary. The mission of the Ventura County Library is to meet the general reading, life-long learning and informational needs of the people of Ventura County, with special focus on children, youth and families. E.P. Foster Library provides books, DVDs, music, programs and more to people of all ages. A free library card can be applied for and used at any Ventura County library location. |
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By Anonymous — Monday, February 25th, 2013
Original play explores the convergence of multiple generations, lives and pivotal moments
Camarillo, Calif., Feb. 21, 2013 – CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to “Thresholds,” a world premiere original performance presented by the Performing Arts Program for its sixth annual spring production. The play explores the intersection of multiple generations and lives and the defining moments of change, or thresholds, that connect them. Five performances will be held at Malibu Hall on the CI campus. Evening performances will be held at 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 7; Friday, March 8; Wednesday, March 13; and Thursday, March 14. One matinee performance will be held at 2 p.m. on Saturday, March 9. Tickets are free for CI students, $5 for all other students, $10 for CI faculty and staff, and $15 for the public. To purchase tickets, call Brown Paper Tickets at 1-800-838-3006 or visit http://performingarts.csuci.edu/events.html. Tickets may also be purchased at the door with cash. Seating is limited, so advance purchase is recommended. A fitting project for CI’s 10-year anniversary, “Thresholds” brings diverse parts of our community together to chronicle shared histories, celebrate common experiences, and discover new perspectives. “Thresholds” was developed by students from Performing Arts 391 Production, Art 499 Capstone, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), in collaboration with Project Lulu artists Lisa McKhann and Karen Keenan and acclaimed performance artist Tim Miller. The play is directed by Associate Professor of Performing Arts Catherine Scott Burriss and produced by Lecturer of Dance Heather Castillo, with musical direction by Lecturer of Music Craig Bickel. “Thresholds” is made possible by funding from CI’s Instructionally Related Activities Fund, the Performing Arts Program, and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Limited complimentary parking is available on campus in designated spaces only. Upon arriving at the campus, please follow event parking signs. 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 VISTA Bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org. Persons who, because of a special need or condition, would like to request an accommodation should contact Disability Resource Programs at 805-437-3331 or email accommodations@csuci.edu as soon as possible, but no later than 10 business days before the event, so that appropriate arrangements can be made. For additional information, contact Dr. Catherine Scott Burriss, Associate Professor of Performing Arts, at 805-437-3126 or catherine.burriss@csuci.edu. About California State University Channel Islands Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education. CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
SANTA PAULA, CA – Inspired by Rose Frantzen's acclaimed “Portrait of Maquoketa”, two artists in Santa Paula, California decided to take on a similar adventure in their own town, calling it the “Santa Paula Portrait Project”. Photographer John Nichols and painter Gail Pidduck have spent part of the past three years making portraits of the people in their community. Since January of 2011, the two have produced over 60 works which will be on display at the Santa Paula Art Museum from February 23 until June 23, 2013. An opening reception will be held Saturday, February 23 from 4 to 6 p.m. Admission to the reception is $10 for SPAM members and $15 for non-members. Like Frantzen, Nichols and Pidduck desired to capture a collective portrait of a community and of humanity rather than isolated images. “The goal in these portraits,” says Nichols, “is to reveal as much of myself, the artist, as I reveal of the sitter.” The project encouraged both artists to open their hearts to their neighbors and strangers on the streets of Santa Paula, the final product of which illustrates both the ordinary and the extraordinary facets of everyday life in a small town. In conjunction with the exhibit, the Santa Paula Art Museum also invited elementary and high school students to try their hand at a number of art projects in portraiture. Students from Santa Clara Elementary School, including Seamus Arentz, Ull Rosten, Patrick and Gregory Haggard, and Mark Goyette, chose an homage project, a technique of copying an artwork to focus on details and gain a fuller appreciation of its visual qualities. The painting they focused on was “Pamela” by Marjorie Murphy, from the Santa Paula Art Collection. Jasmin Ruiz and Marcos Hernandez, students from Santa Paula High School, chose to create portraits that capture the physical likeness of a subject, and explore the potential of hand drawing to capture the distinctive character of both the subject and the artist. The students considered not only physical details, but also light and shadow, gesture, pose, and setting in an attempt to represent the individual. These “Student Portrait Projects” will also be unveiled at the opening of the Santa Paula Portrait Project. Reservations for the opening reception are recommended. Please contact the Museum at (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org. The Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060. The Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM, and Sundays, 12 PM – 4 PM. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
8th Annual event changes name, venue anticipating larger audience; proceeds to benefit Moorpark College Foundation and other charities
MOORPARK, CA - The 8th Annual Ventura County Blues Festival announces this year’s event date and a new location – Saturday, April 27, 2013 at Moorpark College. Tickets are on sale now. Previously known as the Simi Valley Blues Festival and located at a west Simi Valley county park, the festival now is presented by the new Ventura County Blues Society. It was moved to a venue suitable for larger audiences expected to come see the renowned blues artists scheduled to perform. Headlining will be the legendary Johnny Rivers, who had nine Top-10 hits in the 1960s and 1970s, including the No. 1 “Poor Side of Town” and the television series theme “Secret Agent Man.” Overall he has sold more than 30 million records. The festival also will feature Savoy Brown featuring Kim Simmonds; Kenny Neal; Dona Oxford; Preston Smith & the Crocodiles; and Michael John and the Bottom Line. There will be an artist booth for attendees to meet performing artists including the headliners. “We have an exceptional lineup and expect a big crowd, so early ticket purchases are highly recommended,” said Michael John, president of the Ventura County Blues Society. “We are thrilled with the new venue so more people can come and enjoy the blues while raising needed funds for local charities.” Proceeds from the event will benefit the Moorpark College Foundation, a nonprofit organization that raises funds for scholarships and other college needs, as well as the American Diabetes Association and other local charities. Tickets are $25 if purchased in advance via event website www.venturacountyblues.com, or by calling the festival hotline at (805) 501-7122. Tickets at the gate will be $30. Doors open at 10 a.m., musical performances begin at 11 a.m. and last to 7:15 p.m. The festival will feature food and craft vendors, a kids’ area, guitar giveaway and more. Scheduled to emcee is local celebrity Mickey Jones. The Moorpark College Foundation is pleased to host such a significant musical event at the campus. “Our job is to raise funds as well as awareness for everything that Moorpark College has to offer,” said Elad Goren, Foundation president. “The Ventura County Blues Festival should attract visitors from throughout the region and showcase the campus while raising needed funds for our Foundation and other local charities.” The Moorpark Kiwanis Club will assist with event parking, and the event also is supported by generous sponsors including Cal State Site-Services, Inc., Guitar Center, Shock Top Belgian White beer, Holiday Inn Express, Welcome to the Neighborhood magazine, Ventura County Star, Simon Productions, DayInSimiValley.com and SimiValleyNightOut.com. Stage provided by Live Sound Professional Sound Reinforcement. Rivers’ career dates back to the late 1950s and includes the 1960s hits “Poor Side of Town,” “Secret Agent Man” and “Summer Rain.” The singer, guitarist, songwriter and record producer won two Grammy Awards and has 17 Gold records and 29 chart hits. Savoy Brown is one of the earliest British blues bands, helping to launch the late-‘60s blues revival in Britain and America. The band has been called “legendary,” a “blues-rock institution” and “true innovators” by critics and fans the past 40 years. Kenny Neal is an acclaimed multi-instrumentalist known as a modern swamp-blues master. Dona Oxford has performed with legendary performers such as Keith Richards, Bob Weir, Levon Helm, Buddy Guy and Johnnie Johnson. For the festival schedule, map, tickets or more information please visit www.venturacountuyblues.com or call (805) 501-7122. |
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By Anonymous — Wednesday, February 20th, 2013
CLU faculty concert to close out 2012-2013 series
THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Two California Lutheran University music faculty members will present a concert of organ duets and works for two organs at 7 p.m. Friday, March 8, in Samuelson Chapel. Kyle Johnson and Eric Kinsley will perform a concerto for two organs by Antonio Soler, an anonymous 18th-century sonata and concertina for two organs, duets by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach, and a fugue by Mozart. The CLU Honors String Trio will join the organists for two of Mozart’s church sonatas. This is the third and final concert of the Orvil and GloriaFranzen 2012-2013 Organ Program Series. Johnson is coordinator of chapel music, university organist and music lecturer. Shortly after his arrival in 2010, he founded the CLU Chapel Choir, an ensemble of students, faculty, staff, administrators and community members. His choral anthem “Lamb of God,” dedicated to the chapel choir, was published through Augsburg Fortress. Before coming to CLU, Johnson was director of music and community arts at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church of Logan Square in Chicago, where he oversaw the church’s efforts to become a center for community building through the arts. He has served on the music faculties of three Midwestern colleges, including University of Missouri-Kansas City, and has presented solo organ recitals in eight states. The Thousand Oaks resident earned a doctorate of musical arts in organ performance from the UMKC Conservatory of Music and Dance and music degrees from Indiana University and Bethany College in Kansas. Kinsley, who teaches piano at CLU, is a performing artist and writer who earned a doctorate at the Manhattan School of Music. The Thousand Oaks resident has been a member of the New York Contemporary MusicBand, Pacific Classical Winds and the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra. He has received grants in early and contemporary music from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Harpsichord Society and the Sylvia Marlow Foundation. He performed and recorded at the Discoteca Di Stato in Rome and has broadcast on public radio and television. He has worked with and performed premieres of the music of John Cage, Milton Babbitt, Morton Feldman, Miguel del Aguila and others. His book on the innovative chamber music of Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach was released last year. Samuelson Chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit callutheran.edu. |
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By Anonymous — Monday, February 18th, 2013
California State Old Time Fiddlers District 8 will meet Sunday, February 24, 2013 from 1:30-4:30pm at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. Join fiddlers for an afternoon of listening and dancing to Country Western and Bluegrass music. Bring an instrument and play along. Everyone is invited to our workshop by Smitty West and Julija Zonic to strengthen your voice at 12:30. No admission or parking charge. Refreshments available. For more information and to find out about upcoming workshops go to calfiddlers.com or call 797-6563. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Seeing different worlds for the first time
 Shelly Foote, Smithsonian Historian Letters sent home by soldiers during World Wars I and II reveal that service abroad was often an eye-opening experience for Ventura County men. For many, it was the first time they had traveled outside of Southern California. Learn more about their experiences when historian Shelly Foote hosts Letters Home: Wartime Impressions, the latest event in the Second Thursday Gallery Talk series on Thursday, March 14 at 2:00 p.m., at the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula. Visitors attending the talk can also see the museum’s exhibition, When Gardening was Patriotic: Posters of World Wars I & II. Admission to Second Thursday Gallery Talk is included with museum admission and is free for museum members. Foote, who is the former Assistant Chair of Social History at The National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, will share highlights from letters published in local newspapers. A nationally-recognized expert and lecturer on costume history, Foote is a Ventura native who currently volunteers her extensive skills in the Museum of Ventura County’s collections area, and is Chair of the Accessions Committee. She is a past President of the Western Region of the Costume Society of America. Following the event, visitors are encouraged to walk or drive one block to continue the Second Thursday Gallery Talk experience at the Santa Paula Art Museum at 3:00 p.m. The topic for this month will be Santa Paula Portrait Project. Each museum charges its own general admission and members can attend free at their respective museums. Light refreshments are served and no reservations are necessary. For additional information and monthly schedules for the Second Thursday Gallery Talks: go to www.venturamuseum.org and www.santapaulaartmuseum.org or call the Agriculture Museum at 805-525-3100 and the Art Museum at 805-525-5554. The Agriculture Museum is at 926 Railroad Avenue, and the Santa Paula Art Museum is at 117 N. 10th Street, both in downtown Santa Paula, California. Parking is free at both locations. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Saturday, March 23
The Museum of Ventura County begins a year-long observance of its 100-year anniversary on Saturday, March 23 with the opening of two new exhibits, Prized Possessions: A Century of Collecting and Birthday Party! The festivities begin at 7 PM at the Museum’s Ventura location at 100 E. Main Street. Community members are invited to celebrate the opening with an exclusive preview of the new exhibits, hor d’oeuvres, music and the unveiling of the new Museum cookbook. From 9 to midnight guests can enjoy dancing on the Plaza, adult crafts, signature cocktails, a nacho bar and birthday cake! Admission to the event is $50 per person for the entire evening’s festivities or $20 per person from 9:00 – midnight. These events mark 100 years since the Museum first opened in 1913 in the newly built Ventura County Courthouse, now Ventura City Hall. Known then as the Pioneer Museum, its collection of artifacts and curios were the legacy of Dr. Cephas Bard, a Pennsylvania doctor who came to Ventura after the Civil War. A compassionate man with wide-ranging interests, Dr. Bard often accepted historical objects in lieu of cash payment for his services including priceless Chumash, Spanish and Mexican-American objects. Dr. Bard’s collection formed the nucleus of the Museum’s current collection. In 1977, the Museum moved to its present location on Ventura’s Main Street, near historic Mission San Buenaventura. In 2011 the Agriculture Museum was opened in Santa Paula to showcase the extensive collection of agricultural objects. The Museum will continue its centennial celebration throughout 2013, with exhibits on films made in Ventura County, Guy Webster’s celebrity photographs, fashion throughout the century and an exhibit on the history of the Tortilla Flats neighborhood in Ventura, and will include many special events. The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323. |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Ventura County Potters' Guild is proud to present Jenchi Wu, who will be demonstrating the hand building of a teapot along sharing her ceramics story. She will also be showing a powerpoint presentation of her public installations and other work. Wu leads the sculpture and ceramics program at Ventura College and has taught widely in Wu has had her work chosen for various public art installations in Santa Barbara. http://www.jenchiwu.com/About.html |
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By Anonymous — Tuesday, February 12th, 2013
Band director will solo in Tuba Concerto movement
 Michael Hart THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present a free symphony concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, March 3, in Samuelson Chapel. In “The Evolution of a Concert,” the University Symphony will display the progress it has made in the development of the season-long project pieces “Petite Suite” by Claude Debussy, “Elegy in Memoriam” by David Colin Freeman and Symphony No. 5 “Reformation” by Felix Mendelssohn. As movements are added, the students continue to practice, rehearse and add new levels of sophistication. The program will include the first movement of the Tuba Concerto by contemporary composer Edward Gregson featuring CLU band director Michael Hart as the soloist. Hart directs CLU’s Wind Ensemble, Chamber Wind Ensemble and Pep Band, and teaches theory and low brass. As a tubist, the Thousand Oaks resident has performed with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony and The University of Iowa Symphony Band. He competed at the 2008 International Tuba Euphonium Conference Quartet Competition in Cincinnati and appeared as a tubist and conductor at the 2010 International Tuba Euphonium Conference. Music professor Daniel Geeting will conduct. The chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu/music. |