The Harbor Village Gallery is pleased to present “A Matter of Time”, a show of new works by Jeffrey Zatlin showing from May 18th – June 27th, 2011. Artist’s reception will be on Friday, May 20th, 5-8 pm

In this solo exhibit, the Los Angeles native presents an honest and humorous look at how change really comes about, and how our culture and lifestyle help to create a future that is not quite what we thought it would be. Through his paintings, Zatlin hopes to lead the viewer to consider whether innocence and optimism can still prevail in a world that no longer hides it’s darker side.

“I want to say something when I stand before a canvas. I want to get a point across with that work. We’re all trying to make things better for ourselves in a world that gets more and more complicated, polluted, congested, less dignified, more insensitive, more shocking, less private, and not at all what Disney thought it would be in ‘Tomorrowland’. And somehow we are still able to identify our innocence and curiosity. And cherish who we are.”

A graduate of UCLA, his recent group exhibitions include the Harbor Village Art Gallery in Ventura, Tarfest 2010 at the Korean Cultural Center, Happy Los Angeles, the Women’s Club of Hollywood, Cal State University Channel Islands and the LA Municipal Art Gallery.

This is Jeffrey Zatlin’s first solo show with Buenaventura Art Association.

The Harbor Village Gallery is located at 1591 Spinnaker Drive, Entrance #3 in the Ventura Harbor Village. Open every day except Tuesday from 12 – 5 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 805.644.2750 or visit www.harborvillagegallery.com or www.buenaventuragallery.org.

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The 250-year ascent and descent of the French Bourbon dynasty is traced through the personalities depicted in the George Stuart Historical Figures® exhibition How Sweet Power Went Sour: The Bourbon Dynasty, opening at the Museum of Ventura County on May 17 and running through September 11.

The exhibit of one-quarter life-size sculptures highlights personalities such as Louis XIV, the personification of royal grandeur, and later rulers Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, symbols of excess and corruption, executed during the French Revolution. Other featured figures include Madame de Pompadour, Marie de Medici, Napoleon Bonaparte, Louis XVIII and Charles X.

Stuart’s accompanying monologues will be presented as three Tuesday lectures at 1:30 p.m. in the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion. Out with the Old - In with the New will be presented on June 7, The Age of the Sun King on July 5, and After Us, the Deluge on August 16. Each monologue is $15 for the general public, $10 for museum members, and includes admission to all museum galleries. For reservations, call (805) 653-0323 x 315.

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.

Camarillo, CA. - The CSU Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) will present its second spring concert entitled "Ain't Necessarily So" on Sunday, May 15 at St. Columba's Episcopal Church in Camarillo, 1251 Las Posas Road. The performance will begin at 3 p.m. and will also include children from the Los Primeros Elementary School in Camarillo.

The concert will feature a broad spectrum of musical selections. Classical selections will include music by Mozart, Puccini, Verdi, Johann Strauss and Bizet. The children from Los Primeros will do selections from different musicals such as ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, ‘Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ from the Wizard of Oz and others. As a special treat the choir will do a medley from Gershwin Portrait.

The event is free and open to the public and includes complimentary parking. The concert is sponsored by the Channel Islands Choral Association. Donations to support the choir will be accepted at the door.

The CSU Channel Islands Choir is a class at the University that is open to students, faculty and community members. Auditions for community members are held twice per year with the next audition taking place in August. For additional information, contact the instructor, Professor KuanFen Liu at 805-278-0375 or kuanfen.liu@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.

Exotic and Exuberant World Music is coming to Santa Paula Saturday June 4, 2011 at 8:00 p.m.
with the SK NEAR EAST MUSIC ENSEMBLE. Souhail Kaspar, Master Percussionist, Afif Taian, Musical Director, Michelle Jubilee Gonzalez, Vocalist.

Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula
740 E. Main Street, Santa Paula

Ticket donation $20 at the door or call 805-524-4050 or 805-525-5561. Proceeds benefit the Universalist Unitarian Church Historic Preservation Fund. The Universalist Unitarian Church of Santa Paula is a Registered Historic Landmark.

Reception for the Ensemble to Follow.

Led by 2008 Grammy Award Nominee Souhail Kaspar, the SK Near East Music Ensemble provides a full program of traditional and modern concert level music from Egypt, Lebanon, Syria and North Africa. Comprised of an international assortment of musicians performing on traditional ethnic instruments combined with violins and cello, the Ensemble presents innovative and “firey” compositions. Musical sets vary with classical Egyptian pieces by Farid al-Atrash, Mohamed ‘Abd al-Wahab and Umm Kulthum, as well as popular and folkloric songs. The SK Near East Music Ensemble is known for delighting audiences with stellar entertainment while preserving the cultural integrity, historical richness and art of the music.
For live performance video clips go to www.youtube.com
Type in the search box: "Souhail Kaspar Promotional Video."
To learn more about the SK Near East Music Ensemble
visit Souhail Kaspar www.neareastmusic.com
(818) 400-0531 mastersouhail@aol.com
PO Box 260691, Encino, CA 91426

Come and join the Ojai Community Chorus as it explores America’s rich history of music in its Spring Concert, “An American Patchwork.” Led by popular director Connie Woodson, and backed by a live band, the concert offers a fun and exciting program, as ensemble groups and soloists present uniquely American songs in a variety of musical styles. Remember the old western classics that we still love to hear and sing, such as “Cool Water” and “Ghost Riders in the Sky,” patriotic songs such as “America the Beautiful,” and spirituals such as “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho”? You’ll have fun singing along to these and more, and some will even get your toes tapping. Through music, American composers have contributed a rich history of our country’s past, handed down through many generations. Hearing these songs again brings back fond memories of former times.

Refreshments will be served following the concert and a bake sale and boutique will also be held.

Performances will be held on Saturday, May 21 at 3:00 and 7:00 at the Ojai Presbyterian Church, 304 Foothill Rd. in Ojai. Tickets are available from Angela’s Flowers, chorus members, and at the door. The suggested donation is: general admission, $15; students and seniors 65 and better, $10; children 6 through 11, $5. Children under 5 are admitted free. For more information, call 640-0468.

Hollywood's world famous magic emporium will present an exclusive one-night only show at Ojai's Matilija Auditorium on May 22. Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy illusions, conjuring, and sleight of hand performed by magicians from around the world.

Produced by the Ojai Performing Arts Theater Foundation (OPAT) in support of the theater, music and dance programs of the Ojai Unified School District.

Date: Sunday, May 22, 2011
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Phone: (800) 838-3006 (ref. Magic Castle in Ojai)
Location: Matilija Auditorium, 703 El Paseo Road, Ojai
Website: www.ojaitheater.org

For tickets visit our website, or call (800) 838-3006 (ref. The Magic Castle in Ojai)

The 20th Annual Cinco de Mayo Festival is a local event staged in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara in de la Guerra Plaza. This festival is a two-day celebration of the rich ethnic, cultural and historical diversity of the Latino community. The community is invited to hear a variety of live music on the main stage throughout the weekend, ranging from local youth performances to nationally known Latino artist.

The center of the celebration is the open-air Mercado. The Mercado will feature numerous food booths guaranteed to tempt anyone’s appetite. In addition, merchandise and a mixture of local businesses and non-profit organizations will display their goods.

A “Kid’s Corner” area will be available with bouncing toys, face painting and various other games manned by the Santa Barbara High School Cheerleaders.

Local youth entertainment includes: Youth Mariachi Group, The Family Sound, Peabody Charter School Folkloric Group, ProyectoJarocho and many more. One of Santa Barbara’s favorite musical groups the Redfish will also be performing.

This year’s event is co-sponsored with the Santa Barbara Police Activities League (PAL), a county-wide program that provides outreach to local youth designed to build relationships between youth, the police department and the community.

This is a free community event, sponsored in part by the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, MarBorg Ind, University of California Santa Barbara, Cottage Health Systems, Pacific Beverage, Radio Lazer, Cox Media and Univision 38.

DATE: Saturday, May 7 & Sunday, May 8, 2011

TIME: 11:00 AM – 10:00 PM

PLACE: Heart of Downtown Santa Barbara – de la Guerra Plaza
Between State & Anacapa Street, East De La Guerra Street

More information: www.cincodemayosb.com or call (805) 680-2163

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The Oxnard College Ballet Folklórico Mestizo will present their annual spring dance concert, May 6 & 7, in the new Oxnard College Performing Arts Center. Under the direction of Oxnard College English Professor, Matilde “Mati” Sanchez, the Ballet Folklórico Mestizo will celebrate their 30th anniversary this year. Colorful & authentic costuming, intricate choreography, and lively toe-tapping, captivating music await concertgoers as this dance troupe performs dances from various regions of Mexico.

This is quite a historical event as the 32-member strong dance troupe comprised of Oxnard College students, alumna, faculty and staff will be the first group to ever present a live performance in the newly constructed state-of-the-art facility. The Oxnard College Performing Arts Center was constructed under the Ventura County Community College District’s Measure S Bond construction program made possible by the Ventura County voters in 2002.

While unique to the Ventura County Community Colleges, the Ballet Folklórico Mestizo, are considered Ambassadors of Oxnard College. They enthusiastically perform at various community events, schools and venues throughout Ventura County. Their mission is to educate, motivate, and inspire the community to develop an appreciation of the music and dances of Mexico by way of the Performing Arts.

The festivities will begin with a pre-performance reception in the Oxnard College Performing Arts Black Box Theatre, May 6 & 7, at 5:30 p.m. Live entertainment on Friday provided by Mariachi Águilas de México and on Saturday by Mariachi Estrellas de Jalisco. The concert will begin at 7 p.m.

Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at the Oxnard College Bookstore, 986-5826 and the Oxnard College Student Business Office, 986-5811. $12 general. Box Office opens at 5:30 p.m. For more information, call 986-5800, ext. 1944, or email msanchez@vcccd.edu. Free event parking after 5:00 p.m.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - Tom Ashbrook, the host of National Public Radio’s “On Point,” will tape his show during an appearance at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza presented by local station KCLU.

The award-winning journalist will interview the Rev. Gregory Boyle, founder of Homeboy Industries, and two Homeboys at 8 p.m. Friday, May 13, in the Fred Kavli Theatre. The show will be taped to air nationally on May 16. After the recorded portion of the show, the audience will have the opportunity to ask Ashbrook questions.

Ashbrook’s career in journalism spans more than 20 years as a foreign correspondent, newspaper editor and author. He spent 10 years in Asia, starting at the South China Morning Post and then working as a correspondent for The Boston Globe. He was based in India, Hong Kong and Japan.

Millions of NPR listeners across the country now listen to Ashbrook. “On Point” unites distinct and provocative voices with passionate discussion as it confronts important stories.

KCLU, the first station on the West Coast to carry “On Point,” airs Ashbrook’s show from 9 to 11 a.m. weekdays. The award-winning NPR affiliate, a community service of California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, serves more than 70,000 listeners on 88.3 FM in Ventura County and on 102.3 FM and 1340 AM in Santa Barbara County. A new KCLU Broadcast Center will be dedicated on the CLU campus on May 20.

Tickets for the Ashbrook’s appearance are $19 to $44, plus any applicable service charges. They are available at the Civic Arts Plaza box office and through Ticketmaster. For information, please call (805) 493-3900 or visit http://www.kclu.org.

A free reception for Dr. William Hart, author of a recently published history of Community Memorial Hospital in Ventura, will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 22, at the Museum of Ventura County’s event pavilion. Signed copies of “The Hospital of Choice: Community Memorial Hospital: A History,” will be available in the museum bookstore, in both hard and soft cover. Hart will donate all proceeds from sales of the book to the museum.

Hart was the first Board Certified cardiologist in Ventura County, the first procedural cardiologist in the Tri-Counties, and he founded the first Coronary Care Unit/Intensive Care Unit in Ventura County. His book chronicles Community Memorial Hospital’s 109 years of growth since opening in 1902 as the Elizabeth Bard Memorial Hospital, founded by brothers Cephas and Thomas Bard.

The present Museum of Ventura County shares some founding history with the hospital. Dr. Cephas Bard’s collection of artifacts, often given him in lieu of payment for medical services, formed the original exhibition with which the museum began in 1913.

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. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

SANTA PAULA, CA – The Santa Paula Art Museum will present its 1st annual Fine & Decorative Arts Auction at 3:00pm on Sunday, May 15th. The Auction will be staged in the Grand Hall at the sparkling new Museum, located at 117 N. 10th Street, in Santa Paula. Tickets are $45 for members, $65 for non members, and wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Museum.

A wonderfully eclectic collection of over seventy pieces of fine and decorative art will be sold to the highest bidder. “I so appreciate all of the people who have donated to the Museum auction”, said Jennifer Heighton, Museum Executive Director. “What an amazing line-up of items we have…for example an 1850’s–era chiming clock, a solid mahogany Pembroke drop leaf table, an 1880’s carved walnut rocking chair…all will be up for auction, and every penny raised at the event will directly benefit the Museum’s operations and programs .” Heighton added “if you are interested in pre-viewing all of the auction items, they are displayed on our website: www.SantaPaulaArtMueum.org”.

“I’m especially grateful to many of our prominent local artists who have donated their valuable paintings for this Auction”, added Heighton. “We heartily thank Susan Petty, Norman Kirk, Bert Collins and Virginia Beale, among others, who are showing their support for the Museum’s mission and goals by donating one of their paintings.”

All of the items up for bid will be displayed for the Silent Auction, which will begin at 3:00pm, followed at 4:30pm by the special Live Auction where a select few “Special” items will find new homes.

Museum Board members Bill Orcutt and Mike Hause are serving as co-chairs of the Auction, and both spoke warmly about their hopes for of the event. “This is a real win-win” said Orcutt. “The Auction will be a very enjoyable opportunity to add to your personal collection at well below market prices, and your winning bid will directly benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum.”

“Santa Paula has a great art history”, added Hause, “and this Auction will be a celebration of that history. We’re hopeful that this will be the start of an annual tradition.”

For more information, or to request an invitation, please call 805-525-5554, or email the Museum at info@santapaulaartmuseum.org.

The "Hot Summer Jazz and Art" was a tremendous success last year. Sale and artist exposure exceeded everyone's expectation. Hot Summer Jazz and Art is a free jazz concert and art exhibit in Historic Downtown Santa Paula on July 9 and August 13 from 6 to 10 pm. In addition to the display of works by local artists, there will be free jazz music. Food and beverages are available from local restaurants. Lots of-fun is had by all.

The Santa Paula Downtown Merchants' Association invites local artists to submit an entry for possible selection by the Artist Selection Committee. Each selected artist will be allowed a 10 by 10 foot space on the closed Main Street in front of the Mupu Grill and South Paseo. Electricity will be provided but not extension cords. Each artist is responsible for their own set up. Booth space is free, but all work must be for sale with a 20 commission on all sales will be charged. Sales will be handled and sales tax collected by the Downtown Merchants Assn. Selected artists must attend their exhibits. All work must be created by the artist. Decorative and functional arts of all types will be considered.

Each entry should include the name, address, phone number and email of the artist. Also, include up to 3 images of your work via PDF. So the overall art exhibit will be well balanced, please indicate the general category your work fits into.

All entries must be emailed to dorights@yahoo.com. For additional information you can call Dianne Davis 805-407-4696 or Debbie Johnson 805-525-1890.

Artists will abide by the decision of the committee. Artists agree to release the Santa Paula Downtown Merchants' Association, participating organizations, and sponsors from any responsibility, personal liability, claims, loss or damage arising out of their participation in the Hot Summer Jazz and Art Show. Deadline for applications is June 15, 2011 for July and July 15 for the August date.

VENTURA, CA. – If you only had one wish, what would you it be? Find out when you enter an enchanted forest inhabited by elves, fairies, water nymphs and mortals during a special Mother’s Day Gala Reception and performance of “One Wish.”

Performance Theatre for Young Artists will hold the gala reception, with some magical surprises, from 4 to 5 p.m. May 8 at the Poinsettia Pavilion, 3451 Foothill Road in Ventura. The performance will begin at 5 p.m. Tickets cost $15 for adults, and $12 for seniors, students and children 17 and younger. They are available on line at www.ptya.org or at the door.

“One Wish” is an original production, written by PTYA Director Marta Dewey, and conceived by Dewey and Assistant Director Linda Dumont. Performances will also be held at 2 and 7 p.m. May 7 and May 14, and 5 p.m. May 15.

A California Nonprofit Organization, PTYA provides education, training and experience to young Ventura County artists by offering workshops, as well as community theater and other performance activities. For more information, go to www.ptya.org or call (805) 653-1962.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA. - The California Lutheran University Symphony will present a free Mother’s Day Weekend Pops Concert from 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 7, at Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks.

The 50-piece orchestra and student soloists will perform popular selections from the Broadway musicals “South Pacific” and “Les Miserables.” The program will also include the rarely heard suite from the Academy Award-winning composer Erich Korngold’s score to the film “The Adventures of Robin Hood” starring Errol Flynn. Daniel Geeting, a CLU music professor, will conduct.

There will be a special tribute to mothers at this first-time event.

The concert will take place in the bandstand. Seating will be on the lawn so guests should bring blankets or lawn chairs. The gates will open at 1 p.m.

Gardens of the World is located at 2001 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. across from the Civic Arts Plaza. Parking is available on the street and at the Civic Arts Plaza. If it rains, the concert will be held in Samuelson Chapel at California Lutheran University.

For more information, call the Music Department at (805) 493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu/music.

Camarillo, CA. - CSU Channel Islands’ School of Education will be providing an opportunity to have a timely forum regarding the current state of affairs in public education via a screening of the film “Race to Nowhere” on Thursday, April 28, at 7:30 p.m. in the Aliso Hall Auditorium on the CI campus. Following the film, a town-hall style discussion will be facilitated to allow students, parents, P-12 educators, CI faculty and staff, and members of the public to engage with each other over the critical questions the film raises.

Utilizing the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do what’s best for their kids, “Race to Nowhere” points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become disengaged, stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.

“Race to Nowhere” is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

In a grassroots effort already feeding a groundswell for change, hundreds of theaters, schools and organizations nationwide are hosting community screenings during a six month campaign to screen the film nationwide. Tens of thousands of people are coming together, using the film as the centerpiece for raising awareness, radically changing the national dialogue on education and galvanizing change. Featured in the film:

Dr. Madeline Levine, Clinical Psychologist and author of the best-seller, The Price of Privilege
Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Blessing of a Skinned Knee
Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University
Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder, Challenge Success, Stanford University
Sara Bennett, Founder, Stop Homework

Tickets are $10 per person and can be purchased online at: http://rtncsuci.eventbrite.com/. For additional information contact Dr. Gary Kinsey, Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, School of Education, at 805-437-2002 or gary.kinsey@csuci.edu; or Dr. Kaia Tollefson, Associate Professor of Education, at 805-437-3125 or kaia.tollefson@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.

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Camarillo, CA. – The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) has announced an exhibition of new work by Jody Baral entitled “Did you know? I’m Sure, Maybe” to be on exhibit through May 9 in the John Spoor Library Exhibition Gallery.

Jody Baral received his MFA from Cranbrook Academy of Art in Bloomfield Hills, MI. He is currently the Chair of the Art Department and curator of the Jose Drudis-Biada Gallery at Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles. His work has been reviewed in journals and magazines including Architectural Review and Ceramics Monthly. His unique sculptures are regularly exhibited at galleries and museums throughout the United States.

Baral states about his own work: “Artifices have always acted as support to authority much the same way ornament has brought wonder to art. Artifices, ornament, and authority are all empowered by content although authority, or as I like to say, lack of authority has always used artifice and ornament to support it. In the end it’s the content of anything or issue that is sustaining and the rest is interesting or amusing at best.”

CSU Channel Islands is located at One University Drive, Camarillo. Library Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact the CI Art Program at 805-437-8570 or art@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.

Rare historic books and photographs, as well as work by the late renowned artists Robert Graham and Vivika & Otto Heino, are on exhibition in Museum of Ventura County’s Building the Collection: Recent Acquisitions, opening May 6 and running through June 19. The exhibition honors the donors and supporters who have made possible the growth of the museum’s collection, which now includes more than 700 pieces of art and more than 30,000 artifacts, as well as 140,000 historical maps, documents, publications, and photographs held in the non-lending public Research Library.

Research Librarian Charles Johnson and Curator of Collections Anna Bermudez personally chose the wide variety of newly acquired pieces on exhibit. A photo of the 1937 Dingman Thanksgiving family dinner is historically important because Waldo Dingman was an early photographer in Ventura County, but it also reveals an engaging reality: the family is dining inside his photography studio, with props moved aside for the holiday meal. The hand printed photo is a gift of the Dingman family. The small female bronze nude by Robert Graham echoes his monumental bronze figures seen on buildings throughout the country, including the 1984 Olympic Gateway at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and the Great Bronze Doors and Statue of Mary at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The Graham sculpture was a gift from the collection of the Lisnek family of Florence, Kentucky, once residents of Ventura County. A ceramic pot by the late and beloved Ojai potters Vivika & Otto Heino is also on display, also recently donated by Margaret Lisnek.

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. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

Virginia Beale believes that paintings area form of language. She brings this language to a “Recent Works” solo exhibit at the Buenaventura Art Gallery from April 26 – May 21, 2011. Opening reception is Saturday, April 30 from 4 – 7 pm.

She can be quoted “When looking at a painting, it can elicit a dialogue between itself and the one looking at it, and with that language, the viewer does not need to know what the artist was thinking or feeling when the painting was created. The painting itself has formed the dialogue, and has taken the viewer to their own experiences and memories. That is what I believe makes art so powerful.”

Painting the natural beauty that surrounds us and the freedom of putting a small twist to it with colors is the key to her impressionist work. The richness and texture of oil as a medium has always been the best compliment to what she is trying to put down on the canvas. Local vistas and scenes are brought to us as viewers with a touch of her passion for color. Color speaks to Beale and she shall continue to listen.

This is Virginia Beale’s second solo show with Buenaventura Art Association.

The Buenaventura Art Gallery is located at 700 E. Santa Clara Street, Ventura, CA 93001. Hours are Tuesday-Friday from noon-5pm and Saturday from 11am to 5 pm. Please call 805.648.1235 or visit www.buenaventuragallery.org.

Ventura, CA - Plein air painters from Buenaventura Art Association and Ventura County are painting at Grant Park on April 23 from 9 am – 4 pm. The purpose of the paint-out is to increase awareness of the Botanical Gardens that will be planted at Grant Park and ultimately, to have a fundraiser that benefits the Ventura Botanical Gardens as well as Buenaventura Art Association.

The driving force behind the paint-out is Ron Zolkover. Zolkover is a Buenaventua Art Association board member, plein air painter and Ventura Botanical Garden supporter “We’ve been talking about fundraisers and how to reach out to our community, this event seemed like a perfect fit for both parties,” said Zolkover.

In a future exhibit (to be determined), the artists will display their works and the proceeds will be divided between the two non-profit organizations. All the artists participating have agreed to donate one piece for the event.

The artists that have signed up so far are: Merilee Allen, Lorna Amundson, Christine Beirne, Marilyn Cahill, Lee Hodges, Nancy Raymond, Paul Robinson, Pong, Patty VanDyke, Kristy VanTrease, Kay Zetlmaier and Ron Zolkover.
Buenaventura Art Association welcomes any artists who would like to participate to join us on Saturday, April 23 and invite the public to watch the artists in action. For more information visit their website at: www.BuenaventuraGallery.org/BotanicalGarden.html

The Buenaventura Art Gallery is located at 700 E. Santa Clara Street, Ventura, CA 93001. Hours are Tuesday-Friday from noon-5pm and Saturday from 11am to 5 pm. Please call 805.648.1235 or visit www.buenaventuragallery.org.