The Westlake Village Art Guild will present Connie Tunick demonstrating Mixed Media technique at the dinner meeting on Tues., Feb.3, at Los Robles Greens Golf Course, West Ballroom, 299 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. and demonstration from 7 to 9 p.m.

The all-inclusive price is $25 for guild members and $30 for guests.

Reservations are due by Jan. 27 by calling (805) 379-5655. For more information, visit www.wvartguild.org.

About Connie Tunick
Prolific artist and Thousand Oaks’ Hillcrest Galleria Co-Curator, Connie Tunick’s art ranges from experimental paintings with collage and mixed media to printmaking. Tunick has worked as a professional artist for many years, and is well known in the art publishing world. She spends much of her time working and teaching at her industrial studio in Newbury Park.

Seeking space for local artists to exhibit, she became a Charter Board Member of the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery. Connie belongs to the Thousand Oaks Art Association and Women Painters West, both juried art organizations. She is a Board Member of the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley.

A Northwestern University graduate from Illinois, Tunick is an educator and children's art specialist with a teaching credential and MA degree in Education from California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks, California.

Tunick has won numerous awards, and her work is in private and corporate collections worldwide. Some corporate commissions include Princess Cruise Lines; Marriott Marquis Hotel, New York City, and Crown Plaza Hotel, White Plains, New York; Los Robles Hospital and Medical Center, Thousand Oaks, and Clear Channel Communications, Burbank, California. Showing in galleries and participating in juried shows make for a busy and creative life.

Artist’s Statement
Art is my way of communicating, and through familiar imagery I am able to “speak" a common language with the viewer. Symbols that represent the common threads and relationships of our lives are prevalent in my art. I am a painter, a mixed media collage artist, and a printmaker. Color and texture are always at the heart of my work.

My work is very material driven. I love experimenting with new and improved art supplies and techniques, often surprising myself in the creative process. Working this way gives me the freedom to play with concepts and imagery, while reinventing my art. The process of making art is as important to me as the finished product, and I am never in a hurry to finish a painting. It is a joy to be immersed in my work.

Building up a painting with layers is my way of working. Because my work is always textural, I can’t always tell if a painting includes collage or if other materials were used. My art has an overlap of printmaking and painting techniques, and I like to use torn pieces of original etchings for collage.

Many of my paintings are thematic and done in series, allowing me to explore a subject in depth. Repeated themes in my paintings are time, space, and the connection between life and nature. References to nature are incorporated through the use of leaves, bark, pods, and relevant imagery; recycled and found objects are used, as are numbers, words, photographs, and parts of old letters. The passion of creating is what I live for. “If I hadn’t started doing what comes from my heart, I wouldn’t be doing anything. It’s a creative journey. I don’t know always know where I am going, but I seem to find my way.”

Visit Tunick’s web site http://connietunick.com/ for more information.

Camarillo, CA - The CSU Channel Islands (CI) Choir will be holding auditions for its combination university-community choir. Auditions will be held by appointment the week of Jan. 12-18. At this time, the Choir is specifically looking for tenors, baritones and basses. Contact the Choir’s choral director, KuanFen Liu at 805-278-0375 or downbeatplus@gmail.com to schedule an audition.

The Choir is made up of CI students and faculty, as well as members of the community. Offered as part of the University’s Performing Arts program, the Choir is a weekly class that meets every Monday evening from 7 to 9:30 p.m. in Malibu Hall 140. Each semester, the curriculum covers a wide range of musical genres and periods from Medieval to the present time, and offers members the chance to perform publicly throughout Ventura County as well as on the CI campus.

For 2015, concerts will be performed in May and December. The highlight of the May concert will be the performance of Haydn’s “Creation” oratorio, accompanied by the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra and professional soloists. Inspired by Haydn’s trips to England, where he first heard Handel’s oratorios, “The Creation” is widely considered Haydn’s crowning masterpiece. Based on both the biblical Genesis and Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” the oratorio depicts and celebrates the creation of the world.

The Choir is led by KuanFen Liu. Liu holds a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, a Master of Music in conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in voice performance from Tunghai University in Taiwan. She has conducted the Choir since its inception in 2004.

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) is the sponsor of the Choir. CICA is a 501(c)3 organization that serves Ventura County, bringing music education and performance to local schools and community. For more information visit the CICA website at: www.cicachoir.org

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.

SANTA PAULA, CA – Opening January 31, 2015, the Santa Paula Art Museum will present Dos Del Sur (Two from the South), a two person exhibition featuring work by Ojai artists Carlos Grasso and Sylvia Raz. The two artists are brought together through their origins in South America where passion was conceived of through the Tango, political dictatorships were prevalent, and art was everywhere. The exhibition will open with a reception on Saturday, January 31, 2015 from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. Admission is $10.00 for museum members and $15.00 for the general public.

Buenos Aires born artist Carlos Grasso is an artist of many talents. He studied graphic arts, painting and music in Buenos Aires, Paris and Los Angeles. His apprenticeship started with still-life and portraiture under the guidance of master painter David A. Leffel. Later on, Grasso’s artwork evolved towards pure abstraction. His most recent work is an exploration of the relationship between the psychological inner worlds of the mind and the outer manifestation of the physical. Grasso defines himself as a visually insatiable experimental artist. His work takes many forms from the surreal to the abstract, the figurative to conceptual.

Sylvia Raz is an Uruguayan artist creating sculptural assemblages with found objects. She studied art at Bezalel Institute in Jerusalem and UCLA. Raz’s work is confrontational and challenges viewers to a meditation on human responsibility, to become more sensitive to our society and what we are doing to it, to minorities, to the poor, to outsiders. Her work resists categorization in genre or style, and is fueled by a fascination with process and reinvention. She likes to create images that are creepy and telling, with social and political statements slipping into the mix.

Both Grasso and Raz create abstract and expressionistic art that is insightful and thought-provoking. Their works are evocative and communicate larger ideas about life, society, nature, and the interconnectedness of it all. “Language is built of abstract sounds and forms, it’s imprecise -- but it’s what we have,” says Grasso. “Art is a language, too.” And these “two from the south” have much to say. Dos Del Sur (Two from the South) runs through June 14, 2015.

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 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Sundays from 12:00 to 4:00 p.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.

Thursday, January 8, 2015 at 3:00 p.m.

Join us on Thursday, January 8 for a film screening and gallery talk with award-winning film and television director Jesus Trevino. Trevino will be showing his documentary "Visions of Aztlan" and will speak about what motivated a generation of artists to forgo traditional art styles and instead dedicate their lives to making art about the Chicano community. The documentary features 23 Chicano artists including Gilbert "Magu" Lujan, to whom our current exhibition "The 21st De Colores Art Show" is dedicated.

Jesus Trevino began his career in film and television as a student activist documenting the 1960s Chicano Civil Rights Movement with a super-8 camera. His more recent work includes several national PBS documentary series exploring the Chicano experience.

ADMISSION
$4.00 Adults
$3.00 Seniors
Free for SPAM Members and Students

Michael Hart

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Two California Lutheran University faculty members will present a recital at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 23, in Samuelson Chapel.

“Borrowed Gems” will feature Michael Hart performing works that were originally intended for other instruments on the tuba and euphonium. Eric Kinsley will play piano. The program includes Antonio Capuzzi’s Concerto for Double Bass, Richard Strauss’s Horn Concerto and Johann Hummel’s Trumpet Concerto.

As director of bands at Cal Lutheran, Hart conducts the Wind Ensemble, the Pep Band and the Chamber Winds Ensemble, which he founded. The Moorpark resident also teaches courses on music theory and ear training and provides lessons in trombone, euphonium and tuba. He has initiated several community outreach concerts and commissioned several new works for band since coming to Cal Lutheran and is active throughout Southern California as a guest conductor and adjudicator. He holds a doctorate in conducting with a secondary concentration in tuba performance from the University of Iowa.

Kinsley, who teaches piano at Cal Lutheran, 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 Music Band, 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 has broadcast on public radio and television and has worked with John Cage, Miguel del Aguila and other prominent composers.

Donations will be accepted.

Samuelson Chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit CalLutheran.edu.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Paintings and drawings by seven contemporary Chinese figurative artists will be on exhibit in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art at California Lutheran University from Jan. 22 through April 9.

An artists’ reception for “Chinese Figurative Realism in the 21st Century” will be held from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10. Six of the artists, including Xu Weixin of China, will participate in “A Chinese New Year Residency” from Feb. 10 through Feb. 20 in the university’s Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture. The free events coincide with Cal Lutheran’s Chinese New Year celebration on Feb. 12.

Figurative realism has a long tradition in Chinese art, especially in ink painting, sculpture and ceramics. In the past 100 years, many Chinese artists have also been influenced by Western studio practices, adapting oil painting and drawing techniques to new styles with classical and contemporary elements.

The exhibit features work by Chinese-born figurative artists, six of them immigrants to the United States, on subjects from their native and adopted cultures.

Z.S. Liang began focusing on Native American Indian cultures while studying and painting the Wampanoag Indians in Massachusetts. His award-winning paintings are in the permanent collections of the Autry National Center and Harvard University.

Nan Liu began to study Chinese brush painting and calligraphy as a child and continued his education in the U.S. He has won several juried exhibitions for his still lifes, figures and landscapes and is an associate professor at Florida A&M University.

Mian Situ immigrated after completing his formal art training. This California Art Club Signature Artist’s oil paintings depict Chinese villages, American landscapes and early 20th-century Chinese immigrants in San Francisco.

After immigrating, Jove Wang began a career that has won him worldwide recognition. The California Art Club Signature Artist painted commissioned portraits of former Gov. Pete Wilson and others before focusing on China’s indigenous cultures.

Zhaoming Wu worked as a graphic artist for an advertising company before earning degrees in painting in China and San Francisco. His award-winning landscapes and portraits incorporate elements of contemporary graphic design.

A professor at the School of Arts at Renmin University of China, Xu has won many Chinese national awards, and his works are exhibited internationally. His series “Chinese Historical Figures 1966–1976” was featured in Beijing’s Today Art Museum.

While laboring in a remote mountain village during China’s Cultural Revolution, Yu Ji studied privately with respected painters. He later studied drawing and painting at universities in Beijing and New York. His works explore contemporary urban life.

Cal Lutheran alumna Aihua Zhou, a Beijing-born classical figurative artist living in Thousand Oaks, is the guest curator of the show. The Ventura County Community Foundation provided a $2,500 grant for the exhibit.

The gallery is located in William Rolland Stadium on the north side of Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus. Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For information, contact Rachel T. Schmid at 805-493-3697 or rollandgallery@callutheran.edu or visit CalLutheran.edu/rolland.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens invites you to its fourth annual Sow in the New Year. Celebrate with us and help create our gardens by sowing California native wildflower seeds along the trail.

Sow in the New Year is family-friendly and free. It is a great opportunity to appreciate the outdoors, walk the trail, enjoy our gorgeous coastal views, and scatter the hillsides with California native wildflower seeds. With a bit of rain, the seeds promise a colorful display of spring flowers. Participants will also have the chance to learn about California native plants and the future of the Ventura Botanical Gardens.

Parking is available at the BBQ area off of Brakey Drive or you can park in the upper parking lot above City Hall and hike the trail to the BBQ area. Gardener’s gloves, a water bottle, comfortable clothing/shoes are recommended. For more information, www.venturabotanicalgardens.com or contact jcahill@venturabotanicalgardens.com.

We look forward to seeing you there.

The Humane Society of Ventura County’s new investigations van is designed to provide maximum safety and comfort for rescued animals.
Enlarge Photo

Humane Society of Ventura County’s Board of Directors has surprised the Humane Society officers and staff with an early holiday gift that will help the animals throughout the county. They announced the addition of a new, specially-equipped investigations vehicle, a Chevrolet Cargo van, purchased from Paradise Chevrolet in Ventura.

The van was converted for investigations of animals that have been neglected and abused. Ojai resident Bill Brothers, owner of Humane Services International, specializes in converting all types of vehicles for use by animal welfare agencies to benefit their animal protection work. HSI has been up-fitting vehicles for animal care and control agencies for over 25 years.

The new vehicle will be used by Humane Society officers in their work to investigate possible cases of cruelty as well as the rescue of animals during disasters. It is designed to provide maximum safety and comfort by providing individual housing units for safety and to reduce disease transmission. The van is completely climate-controlled with individual air ducts into each cage. It also features emergency safety lighting as well as “scene lights” for night rescues.

HSVC Director of Investigations Jeff Hoffman realized the nonprofit’s aging fleet needed to be upgraded and board members agreed. Hoffman contacted Scott Luttenberger, Ojai resident and fleet manager at Paradise Chevrolet, who has adopted from the HSVC and offered to provide favorable pricing for the vehicle.

Hoffman and the board wanted a new look to their vehicles to best represent the Society. They turned to Heather Balaam, who worked at the HSVC for many years and who now specializes in graphic design.

Jolene Hoffman, shelter director of the Humane Society, was thrilled by the new, upgraded vehicle. “We’re really excited about what this vehicle will do for our investigations division and the animals our officers protect,” she said. “It’s a huge step forward for us.”

Jeff Hoffman stressed that having the right equipment can reduce costs to the Humane Society as well as provide a more humane experience for the animals. “For example, the new vehicle can be completely disinfected quickly and easily after potentially sick animals are transported,” he said.

Funds for this vehicle have been raised in part through HSVC’s vehicle donation program. Jeff Kroll has been instrumental in helping HSVC for 10 years with donations of cars, trucks, recreational vehicles, boats and motorcycles. To donate a vehicle, call Jeff Kroll at (805) 640-8128 or 890-1486, or visit www.hsvc.org.

The Westlake Village Art Guild will present Wyllis Heaton demonstrating plein air painting technique at the dinner meeting on Tues., Jan. 6, at Los Robles Greens Golf Course, West Ballroom, 299 S. Moorpark Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91361.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., with dinner at 6 p.m. and demonstration from 7 to 9 p.m.

The all-inclusive price is $25 for guild members and $30 for guests.

Reservations are due by Dec. 30 by calling (805) 379-5655. For more information, visit www.wvartguild.org.

About Wyllis Heaton
Wyllis Heaton (born 1976 in Pasadena, Calif.) is an award-winning Plein Air landscape painter, as well as a licensed landscaping designer based in Santa Barbara, Calif.

Growing up in Pasadena, Heaton was influenced by William Stout, a famous illustrator who lived nearby and whose art studio he often visited. After graduating from high school, he studied at the University of California Santa Barbara where he developed a love for the Santa Barbara region and a passion for its wide range of iconic landscapes.

In 2002, Heaton earned an illustration degree from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He went on to teach for six years at the California Art Academy in San Gabriel where his weekend classes were very well attended.

Despite travelling extensively to paint landscapes in other locales, Santa Barbara has been his permanent home since 2007. He is currently building his portfolio of original artworks while also designing gardens, fountains, and exterior details in Santa Barbara.

Heaton can often be found at art shows creating and exhibiting his art. He enjoys the Plein Air setting for painting and the challenge of capturing the ephemeral beauty of rapidly changing landscapes.

Visit Heaton’s web site http://wyllisheaton.wordpress.com for more information.

The Museum of Ventura County’s “Ag Museum” in Santa Paula has two upcoming events, which are open to the public

1. Music at the Ag – Friday, December 5 will feature singer-songwriter Alan Thornhill performing in Limoneira Hall. 7:30 pm

2. Gallery Talk: “Ventura County Agricultural Practices: Water Conservation and Environmental Protection,” by soil and water scientist Jamie Whiteford, Ph.D.

Details:
MUSIC at the AG, Dec. 5, 7:30 pm
Alan Thornhill’s unpretentious nature could be misleading. You might think upon meeting him that he’s simply the modest legendary finish carpenter from the artist colony of Ojai, CA. That myth evaporates when he picks up a guitar and beautiful hands reveal what they were born to do. Long recognized as a notably brilliant player ( winner of the prestigious Telluride Fingerstyle Guitar Championship,) his distinctive sound has been featured on numerous recordings (Kate Wolfe, Chris Hillman, Hoyt Axton, The Rincon Ramblers and more.) While his melodic playing captivates audiences of all ages, from concert halls to festival stages, it is simply a stunning accompaniment to what is called by many “one of the most beautiful voices ever heard.” Alan’s a singer admired by his peers and beloved by devoted fans and mesmerized first timers.

Admission to Music at the Ag is $10 general public; $2 kids with an adult; $5 MVC museum members. Food trucks will be on hand with dinner or snacks for purchase from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. Doors open at 7:00 p.m.; seating is first come first seated; and tables and chairs are provided in Limoneira Hall where the band will perform.

GALLERY TALK, Dec. 11, 2 pm
Soil and water scientist Jamie Whiteford, PhD, will give an illustrated talk about farm management practices and water use efficiency in a presentation called “Ventura County Agricultural Practices: Water Conservation and Environmental Protection,” at the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula, on Thursday, December 11, 2014, at 2:00 p.m. Dr. Whiteford’s talk is held in conjunction with the Agriculture Museum’s current temporary exhibition“In the Same Boat: Challenges for Ventura County Water Users.” The exhibition and program are sponsored in part by a grant from the Thelma Hansen Endowment.

As an Irrigation Technician for the Ventura County Resource Conservation District, Dr. Whiteford is responsible for assessing the efficiency of farm irrigation systems, surveying farm management practices, coordinating invasive plant removal, and organizing agricultural outreach and education events. He earned a BS (Biochemistry) and MS (Oceanography) from Old Dominion University in Virginia. At UC Riverside he received a PhD in Soil and Water Science. In 2008 he began teaching agriculture and water science at Ventura College, and in 2011 took his current position with the Resource Conservation District.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, California, in their historic downtown. Hours are 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $5 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, free for children ages 5 and under, and for Museum of Ventura County members. The first Sundays of every month is free to the public. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.

Camarillo, CA - Associated Students Incorporated (ASI) at CSU Channel Islands recently won two first-place awards for yearbook and poster design from the Association of College Unions International (ACUI) at the ACUI’s Region 1 Conference, held at the University of LaVerne on Nov. 6.

ASI received a first-place ribbon in the multipage document category for graphic design work on The Nautical yearbook. It also won first place in the four-color poster category for its design for Dolphinpalooza, an annual festival organized by CI students for the campus and community. Winners of the ACUI Steal This Idea Contest were selected from Region 1 universities in Arizona, California, Hawaii, New Mexico, Australia and the territory of Guam. The annual contest allows colleges to show off the talent of staff and student graphic designers, as well as “steal” and swap ideas.

Both winning designs were the work of CI senior Benjamin Blanchard. Blanchard created the designs as a student assistant for ASI and was recently hired as their full-time graphic designer. He will graduate from CI’s Art program in December.

“Winning these two awards is a great accomplishment for ASI,” Blanchard said. “It’s encouraging to know that we are not only producing effective marketing for campus events and publications, but we also are creating design that is well-received in the graphic design community.”

The winning yearbook design was inspired by its theme, “Rediscovered.” The design invites readers to rediscover the campus through innovative use of photos, layouts and features, such as the cover photo of the newly renovated Central Mall fountain and front- and back-cover flaps that open to reveal photos of the John Spoor Broome Library and Bell Tower.

The winning Dolphinpalooza poster design captures a carnival feel and showcases the many activities hosted at the event in playful illustrations, fun typefaces and bold colors.

“My skill as an artist truly blossomed at CI, thanks to my classes and work experiences,” Blanchard said. “The faculty and staff have provided the support and encouragement to help me find my personal style and my place as an artist. I’m thrilled to continue working with ASI to create a product that reflects the creative spirit and innovation that thrives on the CI campus.”

Associated Students Incorporated is a non-profit auxiliary that exists to support the educational mission of CSU Channel Islands. ASI facilitates learning and development through integrative and co-curricular approaches and identifies and responds to major student issues and initiatives. In addition, ASI implements sound business practices which uphold the fiduciary responsibility associated with the management of student fees, and funds the operation and facility of the CI Student Union.

For more information on the ACUI awards, contact Benjamin Blanchard at 805-437-2042 or benjamin.blanchard656@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.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world’s largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

All American Ballet presents stage and real-life partners Haley Henderson and Easton Smith in Dec. 20 and 21 Nutcracker

Haley is a native Ventura County resident, an All American Ballet alumna and current principal dancer at Salt Lake City’s Ballet West

Ventura, Calif. All American Ballet (AAB) of Ventura will present its annual production of The Nutcracker on Saturday, December 20 at 2:00 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 21 at 2:00 p.m. at Ventura College Performing Arts Center, 4700 Loma Vista Rd. in Ventura .

This year’s production will highlight Ballet West principal dancer and AAB alumna Haley Henderson Smith, who will perform the role of Sugar Plum Fairy. She will partner with her husband and recent Ballet West soloist, Easton Smith, who will dance the role of the Prince. Ballet West is the company that was featured on TV’s 2013 “Breaking Pointe” series.

Haley Henderson grew up in Oxnard, Calif. and trained from age 8-16 with AAB’s founder and Artistic Director, Clarissa Boeriu. Haley’s professional credits include dancing with world-class companies, Royal Danish Ballet of Denmark and American Ballet Theatre of New York City. Haley danced with Royal Danish Ballet as a company member for seven years and was guest artist for an entire season with American Ballet Theatre. She met her husband, Easton Smith, while they were dancing principal roles at Ballet San Jose.

This year’s cast also features guest artists Nikki and Ethan White, former dancers with the Smuin Ballet in San Francisco and one of the top three finalists on the CBS Show, Live to Dance. They will be performing the roles of Snow Queen and King as well as the Arabian dancers.

“We are very excited to have these accomplished guest artists in our show this year,” states Camille Wallace, AAB President. “It’s an honor to have such outstanding professionals share our stage, and they are lovely people off stage , too!”

“The entire show will delight audiences with Clarissa Boeriu’s original choreography. The Party Scene is uniquely captivating - each year is a fresh surprise.”

The Nutcracker is directed by Clarissa Boeriu in conjunction with Denise Renaldi, Director of Santa Barbara Festival Ballet. The cast includes student dancers from All American Ballet and Santa Barbara Festival Ballet.

Advanced All American Ballet students in the show this year include Katrin Frantz, 16, of Ojai, performing the role of Clara and Genae Matthews, 17, of Ventura, as Fritz, Rat Capitaine and Solo Russian Dancer; Lindsay Cortes, 13, of Oxnard, as Clara’s Friend and Miss Lollypop and Christy Guglielmo, 13, of Camarillo, as Clara’s Friend and Lead Chinese Dancer.

Tickets are $30, $25, $20 and $10 for children 10 and under. Senior and group discounts are available. To order tickets, visit AAB’s website at www.aaballet.org or call 805-650-6316.

AAB’s The Nutcracker is sponsored in part by the generous contributions of the City of Ventura Cultural Affairs Department and the Ventura County Star.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The CSU Channel Islands Choir invites the public to two holiday concerts that present traditional Latin mass songs with a modern twist. The first concert is on Sunday, Dec. 7, at 3 p.m. at St. Columba's Episcopal Church, 1251 Las Posas Rd., in Camarillo. A second concert will be held on the CI campus Monday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in Malibu Hall. Both performances are free; however, a $20 free-will donation to support Channel Islands Choral Association’s musical education programs in Ventura County is recommended.

“Traditionally, when you think of music in Latin, you think of music written centuries ago,” said Choir Director KuanFen Liu. “This concert is a real twist on that preconception. All the pieces in Latin are by modern composers, and most were written in the last 20 years. While the lyrics are derived mostly from Latin mass, the tunes are fresh and recognizable.”

The central piece of the concerts, “A Little Jazz Mass,” was written in 2006 for the Crescent City Festival in New Orleans, and features a variety of jazz styles.

In addition to Latin, the choir will present songs in Hebrew and Swahili. “Babu Yetu” is a Swahili adaptation of the Lord’s Prayer. Gamers might recognize the tune; it was featured in the video game “Civilization IV” and became the first video game song ever to win a Grammy Award in 2011.

The CSU Channel Islands Choir is a diverse singing group open to members of the campus and community. Led by instructor KuanFen Liu, the choir meets weekly as a class in the University’s Performing Arts Program. It offers participants exposure to a wide range of musical genres and periods, as well as the opportunity to perform publicly on campus and throughout Ventura County. The next auditions will take place in January 2015. To learn more, visit the choir’s website at http://choir.csuci.edu.

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) is the choir’s sponsor. CICA is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves Ventura County, bringing music education and performance to the local schools and community. For more information, visit the CICA website at www.cicachoir.org.

# # #

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.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world’s largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

SANTA PAULA, CA – In celebration of the season and the community’s generous support throughout the year, the Santa Paula Art Museum will host a holiday party on Sunday, December 7 from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. Guests will enjoy a fun and festive afternoon of holiday music and treats inside the Museum’s beautifully decorated galleries. The event will also feature musical performances by students of the Museum’s “Strings of De Colores” music program led by Xavier Montes, as well as the Isbell Middle School Chorus led by Donna Nelson. Admission to the event is free for everyone.

“We have a lot to be thankful for here at the Museum, and we are especially grateful for all of our wonderful supporters, volunteers and visitors,” says Museum Director Jennifer Heighton. “This event is a special opportunity for us to say thank you and to celebrate the holidays with all of our friends and neighbors.”

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

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University’s annual Kwanzaa celebration will feature food, performances and a ceremony from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13, in Gilbert Arena.

Cal Lutheran students will perform a Kwanzaa ceremony and NAACP Saturday School students will make presentations. The celebration will include authentic African and African-American food, gospel music, dance and vendors selling arts and crafts.
Millions of African Americans observe Kwanzaa from Dec. 26 to Jan. 1 each year. It is a special time when families and friends unite to strengthen and encourage one another.

Gilbert Arena is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center at 130 Overton Court on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The NAACP Saturday School, the Afro-Centric Committee of Ventura County, and Cal Lutheran’s Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services and Black Student Union are sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Daniel Lawrence at lawrenc@callutheran.edu.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University students and staff will join with community members to re-enact the Christmas story in the Mexican tradition of Las Posadas from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7.

In the university’s annual event, students representing Mary and Joseph will travel by donkey through campus seeking shelter for the birth of their son. Other students, staff and visitors holding candles will walk with them from the Ahmanson Science Center to the Lundring Events Center. The evening will conclude with a piñata and refreshments of hot chocolate and pan dulce (sweet bread). This festive Mexican tradition dates back to the 16th century.

The Ahmanson Science Center is located south of Memorial Parkway near Pioneer Avenue on the Thousand Oaks campus.

CLU’s Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services, the Latin American Student Organization and the Department of Languages and Cultures are sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Daniel Lawrence at lawrenc@callutheran.edu.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The Art program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to present “The Art of the Book,” an exhibition of student work at the CI Palm Gallery in downtown Camarillo, on view Monday, Dec. 1, through Monday, Jan. 19. The artists invite the public to join them for an opening reception at the gallery on Thursday, Dec. 4, from 6 to 8 p.m.

The exhibition showcases books made in artist/faculty member Beverly Decker’s Special Topics Art 490 class, as well as the final projects of students in the Art 106 Color and Design course. Featured works explore different mediums including sculpted, altered, fabricated and deconstructed books, as well as mixed media images, text, handmade paper, and more.

Located at 92 Palm Drive in Old Town Camarillo, the CI Palm Gallery is open and free to the public Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For additional information, contact the Art program at 805-437-2772 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. 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.

The California State University (CSU) will reach a significant milestone of 3 million alumni during commencement in spring 2015 and has launched the world’s largest yearbook. The Class of 3 Million online yearbook is an interactive platform where alumni can create a profile and connect with the millions of other alumni from the 23 CSU campuses across the state. Alumni who sign up for the yearbook will also be entered into a special contest to win one of three $10,000 scholarships for a current or future student, sponsored by Herff Jones. For more information about the yearbook and the Class of 3 Million, visit https://classof3million.calstate.edu/

Ventura's First Friday, December 5th, 3 pm - 9 pm
December 6th, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The Bell Arts Factory Community Room
432 N. Ventura Avenue, Ventura

If you're driving along North Ventura Avenue, it's easy to miss the old Bell Mattress Factory building. But if you were to stop and go into this unassuming old place, you'd be in for a surprise during this Holiday Season, on December 5th and 6th. For it is on these two days the Ventura County Potters’ Guild arrives with the 7th annual Members' Sale, in the festive front gallery of this historical site.

Once a maker of quality mattresses, the place in recent years has become an important center for the arts, as well as a hub of community cultural activities. The VCPG this year will display some of their best wares; an amazing variety of styles, colors, and types of hand-made functional and decorative works in clay and many whimsical sculptural pieces. Not only is this a great place to select gifts, but you'll get a chance to meet the artists, ask questions about their work, and perhaps learn what else goes on in this labyrinth of galleries and studios.

Friday's opening coincides with "Ventura’s First Friday", and with the B.A.F.'s open studios event from 3pm until 9 p.m. Saturday's hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., but plan to arrive early, if you'd like to have the widest selection. The potter’s work is all hand-made, stoneware and porcelain, offering a multitude of uniquely creative pieces.

Why come? Because the Holidays are fast approaching, and because the Bell Arts Factory supports our local artists that live in Ojai, Santa Barbara and all over Ventura County.

Ojai resident, Scott Chatenever will be the speaker for November and will show his work following chronological threads to illustrate the development of ideas and themes. He will touch on influences and mentors, the interplay between concept and process, important/liberating/defining questions, and future plans.

“I remember being five years old and looking at the fossils in my backyard. At that age I was convinced I would find a dinosaur. But what captured my imagination was that I was literally holding a chunk of life millions of years old. I wondered, “What more than a speck of fossil could I possibly hope to produce in my short life when viewed from 40 million years in the future?” Maybe it’s ironic then, that I live in a time when humans will make such a huge impact, both biologic and geologic.

“I believe our perception is profoundly and relentlessly impacted by mass media, and as a result our experience becomes ever more symbolic, iconographic, and virtualized. Humans no longer determine value without symbols, and more disturbingly, we rarely experience our senses directly without our conditioning getting in the way. Our food and almost every other aspect of our lives is not experienced, but consumed as a commodity. Its value is determined not by ripeness, freshness or wholesomeness, but implied by a familiar brand, color or shape. My art attempts to once again engage the viewer’s primary senses, if only for a moment, by appealing to the hunter-gatherer still in all of us and forcing the question, “Is it good?”

Chatenever makes sculpture, pottery, and custom tile at his new studio in Ojai. An area resident since 1976, he has worked in clay for almost 20 years. He has taught workshops at the Mendocino Art Center, Hui No’Eau Visual Arts Center, and Black Mountain Center for the Arts, and he has studied and collaborated with other artists at the Archie Bray Foundation, and at Penland, Haystack, and Arrowmont Schools of Craft. He earned a BS in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at San Diego. He also enjoys gardening, cooking, surfing, and raising chickens. Some of Scott's work will be available for sale.

All ages are welcome!

Who: Ventura County Potters' Guild
WHAT: Pottery Talk with Scott Chatenever
WHERE: Ventura Avenue Adult Center - 50 No 550 N Ventura Ave, Ventura, CA 93001 (805) 648-2829
WHEN: Monday, November 24, 2014

The City of Oxnard Recreation & Community Services Department and Oxnard College is proudly presenting this year’s seventh annual Oxnard Tamale Festival taking place inside Oxnard’s historic Plaza Park located at 500 South C Street, Oxnard, CA 93030

This event will be open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. The event is admission free.

Event participants will be able to choose from various tamale vendors offering the best mouth-watering tamales on the central coast including authentic Filipino and Oaxacan tamales to red pork and chocolate.

Activities include corn husk art for kids hosted by Carnegie Art Museum and Oxnard College, cooking demonstrations hosted by the Oxnard College Culinary Arts Program and an arts & crafts demonstration by Arte Yolteotl, arts & craft booths, amusement rides including the Oxnard City Corps Train, and photo opportunities with Santa Claus.

The Oxnard Tamale Festival will be headlined by local favorites including:

Band Ignition, In Stone, Myst, and Oxnard High School Mariachi & Vocal Ensemble

Proceeds from the Oxnard will go to support Oxnard City Corps and other recreation programs.

For more information, please contact the event at (805) 766-4906 or visit our website at www.oxnardtamalefest.com