THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present its annual holiday gift to the community with the free Christmas Festival Concerts slated Dec. 5 through 7.

The choral ensembles and University Symphony will perform “O Great Mystery” at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 5, and at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, and Sunday, Dec. 7, in Samuelson Chapel.

The university’s longest-running annual event will feature a narrated performance of Christmas music. The program will include traditional carols that the audience will be invited to sing and performances of holiday favorites by the Kingsmen and Regals quartets.

The concert will open with a two-piece organ prelude by University Organist Kyle Johnson and W.A. Mozart’s Concerto for Piano and Orchestra, No. 12 in A Major, K. 414 performed by the University Symphony String Ensemble with Eric Kinsley on piano. The ensemble will also perform the “Fantasia on ‘Greensleeves’” by Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The choirs will sing “O Magnum Mysterium” (“O Great Mystery”) by Morten Lauridsen and “The Angels And The Shepherds” arranged by Stephen Paulus, who died this year. They will also perform “Blessed Is The Lord,” “Angels From The Realms Of Glory” and “The First Noel” by the young composer Dan Forrest.

The concert will conclude with the choirs and string ensemble performing “Dona Nobis Pacem” from Mass in B Minor by J.S. Bach.

Music professors Daniel Geeting and Wyant Morton will conduct.

Donations will be accepted.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane near Campus Drive. Additional parking is available in the lots at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard. This is always a popular concert so arrive early for the best seating and parking. Doors open one hour before the concerts.

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

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - More than 1,000 gold sculptures of heroic figures by Santa Paula artist Gerald Zwers will be the centerpiece of an exhibit at California Lutheran University from Dec. 2 through Feb. 4.

A reception for the “A Dream of Utopia” installation, which will also include more than 50 paintings and drawings, will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 6, in Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture.

After reading about the clay warriors and horses buried with China’s first emperor to protect and accompany him in the afterlife, Zwers considered who would populate his perfect world and began to sculpt the “Golden Paladins” featured in the exhibit. In a yearlong artistic flurry, he created the shining gold sculptures and a collection of line drawings. The figures each belong to a family that represents different acts of goodness such as “The Spreader of Joy” and “The Inventor of New Things.” Zwers’ hope is that the figures prompt people to consider what they can do to make the world a better place. His 2011 book, “The Golden Paladins: Neo Spiritual Art for the Heroic Champion Inside All of Us,” offers ideas for producing positive change.

Zwers has found his passion creating what he calls neo-spiritual artwork, which celebrates the amazing richness of the human spirit. The award-winning artist typically generates several hundred works of art each year. They include multimedia pieces that range from postage stamp-sized miniatures to large public murals. His works have been installed in various corporate and municipal venues and include two bus shelter murals in Ventura. Collectors in nearly all 50 states and nine foreign countries have acquired his work.

He has a background in art conservation and has owned several galleries in California. He currently works from multiple studios in Southern California.

In 2013, Zwers received the Artist in the Community Mayor’s Arts Award from the city of Ventura. Committed to community service, he has served on the board of directors of several nonprofit agencies and helped launch a hospice program. He has served in leadership roles for arts organizations and school site councils and has worked with youth groups including Big Brothers/Big Sisters and scouting programs. He was a founding museum board member and was appointed to the Ventura County Arts Commission.

The gallery is located in the Soiland Humanities Center on the south side of Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking is available in the lots on Mountclef Boulevard.

Cal Lutheran’s Art Department is sponsoring the free exhibition and reception. For more information, call Michael Pearce at 805-444-7716 or visit CalLutheran.edu/kwan_fong.

In a joint effort to present the arts and culture to the diverse and myriad communities in Southern California, SoCal Museums announces the tenth annual “Museums Free-For-All” Saturday, January 31, 2015. Over twenty museums— presenting art, cultural heritage, natural history, and science—will open their doors and invite visitors free of charge. This offer is for general museum admission only and does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions. Regular parking fees apply. Consult individual museum websites for hours and other visitor information. For the first-time ever, “Museums Free-For-All” will partner with Metro, encouraging visitors to Go Metro to explore the participating museums, many of which are a short walk away from Metro Bus or Rail. Go Metro to more museum destinations at metro.net/discounts.

Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Annenberg Space for Photography
Armory Center for the Arts
California African American Museum
California Science Center
(Offer valid for general admission only. Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions.
Timed reservations are required for space shuttle Endeavour.)
Chinese American Museum
Craft Folk & Art Museum
Fowler Museum at UCLA
The Getty Center
The Getty Villa
(Timed tickets are required. Visit www.getty.edu.)
Hammer Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
(Offer valid for general admission only. Does not apply to specially ticketed exhibitions.)
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
(Hollywood and San Pedro locations)
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance
(Closed on Saturdays, offering free admission on Sunday, February 1, 2015 as part of Museums Free-for-All.)
The Paley Center for Media
The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Skirball Cultural Center
(Noah’s Ark timed tickets will be available first-come, first-served, subject to availability.)
The Torrance Art Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum
William S. Hart Museum
Zimmer Children’s Museum
(Closed on Saturdays, offering free admission on Sunday, February 1, 2015 as part of Museums Free-for-All.)

When: Saturday, January 31, 2015 / More information: SoCalMuseums.org

SoCal Museums unites the diverse museums of Southern California in joint marketing and communication efforts
to increase visitation and membership in museums in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. SoCal Museums
leverages the museums’ collective strengths, working together to reach current and potential museum goers.

Jacqueline Lyons. Photo credit: Brian Stethem

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A California Lutheran University faculty member will share poems she wrote based on her experiences in southern Africa at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 3.

Jacqueline Lyons, who joined the faculty as an assistant professor of English in 2011, will read and discuss excerpts from her 2004 book “The Way They Say Yes Here” in Ullman Commons 100 on the Thousand Oaks campus. Her three-year stint serving in the Peace Corps in Lesotho inspired the poems.

Lyons has received a National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry, a Nevada Arts Council Fellowship in Nonfiction and a Utah Arts Council Literary Award in Poetry and Nonfiction. The Somis resident wrote the 2009 poetry chapbook “Lost Colony” and has published more than 50 poems and literary essays in national journals including Bellingham Review, Colorado Review, The Journal, Quarter After Eight and Sonora Review.

In addition to poetry, her areas of expertise include literary nonfiction, world literature, literature by women, and critical reading and writing. Lyons previously taught at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and Colorado State University. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English and sociology from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing from Colorado State and a doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Utah.

Ullman Commons is located on the north side of Memorial Parkway between Pioneer and Regent avenues.

The free event, sponsored by the English Department and the Office of Alumni & Parent Relations, is part of Cal Lutheran’s Books and Brew series. Coffee and cookies will be served. The next events in the series will be a book club discussion of “Claire of the Sea Light” by Edwidge Danticat on March 4 and a talk by poet Andrew McFayden-Ketchum on March 18.

To RSVP or for more information, contact Stephanie Hessemer at hessemer@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3161.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The Art program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the public to “Pixels & Plastic,” a student exhibition featuring digital artworks in illustration, portraiture, 3D animation, and 3D printing. The show is on view at the CI Palm Gallery in Camarillo through Thursday, Nov. 20. The artists invite the public to join them for a closing reception at the gallery on Thursday, Nov. 20, from 6 to 8 p.m. to discuss and explore the exciting world of digital art.

“Pixels & Plastic” features more than 50 student artworks created using digital tools, ranging from portraits, movie posters, 3D computer animation, and 3D-printed plastic models, presented in print and on screen throughout the gallery. The works were created by students in Art 316 Digital Illustration & Painting and Art 326 Digital Media Arts: 3D Computer animation, two classes taught by artist and CI Art Program faculty member Aldo Figueroa.

“Pixels & Plastic” is a fascinating student exploration of film, video games and the existence of portraiture in the digital realm,” Figueroa said. “We hope members of the campus and community will join us at the closing reception to see the students’ creativity and share in their excitement for the interplay between art and digital media.”

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/

On November 20, at 7p.m., The Ojai Retreat proudly presents Brian Berman, local sculptor and member of Ojai Studio Artists, and Julie Heyman, peace cultivator. They will share a vision for“HOLOS,” a public artwork for peacethatwill be produced and installedin the City of Ojai on International Peace Day, Sept. 21, 2015.

Berman will give a visual presentation on the evolution and meaning of the “HOLOS” design. Heyman will let us know what it means to be an International City of Peace. David Henderson will perform “Whispers of the Trees,” a piano piece which he composed for International Peace Day.

Audience participation will be welcome in the discussion, as part of the vision of this “two-peace” initiative, and how it can evolve into building a culture of peace for members of the community.

The Ojai Retreat, 160 Besant Rd. Ojai, CA. Suggested donation is $10, but no one will be turned away. For full information call:(805) 640-1142

November 16, 2014
Mozart – Overture to the Impresario
Vivaldi – Winter (Four Seasons)
Vaughan Williams – English Folk Song Suite
Schubert – Symphony No. 8

February 22, 2015
A “Pops” concert featuring American composers,
including works by Bernstein, Copland,
and special original compositions by Mark Gasbarro
a noted local composer.

May 17, 2015
Gould – American Salute
Concerto by the winner of the SCP Student Concerto Competition
Beethoven – Symphony No. 5

All concerts will be performed at the auditorium of the Hart High School
24825 North Newhall Avenue,
Newhall, CA 91321
Concerts will begin at 3PM
*Programs subject to change

SANTA PAULA, CA – On Sunday, November 16, 2014, the Santa Paula Art Museum will host a fun and festive shopping event in the Museum’s gift store from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Guests can treat themselves to a fashion and scarf styling demonstration led by our style expert, and find gifts for everyone on their holiday shopping list! Admission to the event is free for everyone.

The Santa Paula Art Museum gift store offers a wonderful variety of products from books, bags and jewelry to original paintings, pottery and creative gifts for kids. In addition to fresh new merchandise in the museum store, the event will feature products from guest vendors including Kathi Clower Jewelry, Art by Kathy Ikerd, Jalada Lagos Jewelry, Art and Handmade Dolls by Judy McDonald, Nate Pidduck Pottery, and Talia Wunder Jewelry. Plus, every purchase made in the Museum’s gift store supports the Museum and its programs.

Reservations for the event are not required. For more information, call (805) 525-5554, or email info@santapaulaartmuseum.org. The Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060. The Museum gift store’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 – 4:00 p.m.

Pietras Blancas Light House by Photographer Susannah Sofaer Kramer
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San Simeon Bliss by Photographer Susannah Sofaer Kramer
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San Simeon Seals by Photographer Susannah Sofaer Kramer
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Photographer Susannah Sofaer Kramer returns to the Ojai Photography Club as our November presenter and guest judge. The presentationwill begin at 7:00 PM, Tuesday, Nov. 18, at Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana Street, Ojai, CA. Herpresentation will include digital slide show presentations on the PiedrasBlancas Elephant Seal Rookery and information and tips for both visitors and photographers on this seal sanctuary just north of San Simeon, CA.

Sofaer is an award-winning fine art landscape, nature and portrait photographer. She was born in the proverbial trunk of an English theatrical family. Her father, Abraham Sofaer, was a well-known classical actor and her mother was a dancer in London’s West End Theater. Sofaer’sbackground as a dance, singer and actress is extensive. She danced with the Bolshoi Ballet while a member of the Ballet Concerto of Los Angeles, was a dancer/singer in the national touring company of My Fair Lady, appeared in the movie Westside Story, was a principal in the musical The Boy Friend and a member of the New Christy Minstrels – 1963-1964.

She gave up her career to raise a family, but always needed a creative outlet. As her children grew her childhood dream of owning a horse became a reality and she became a competitive dressage rider and started photographing friends and their mounts at horse shows. The magic of seeing a print develop in the darkroom caught her imagination and inspired Sofaer to learn and to further explore what she could do with a camera. Her passion for photography expanded to encompass portraits, both people and animals and later to landscape and nature photography.

In Sofaer’s own words, “I love being in the countryside, not only photographing the beauty and grandeur of nature, but also those small intimate moments that tell the story of a time and place. Composing a shot is like setting the stage, then one only has to patiently wait for the light and the drama to occur.” Visit her website: http://www.sofaerphotography.com

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

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

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University is presenting a free musical theater production on Nov. 18 and 19.

The university’s new Musical Theatre Ensemble will present “Songs for a New World” by Tony Award-winner Jason Robert Brown at 8 p.m. Nov. 18 and 7 p.m. Nov. 19 in Samuelson Chapel on the Thousand Oaks campus.

“Songs for A New World” is an ensemble production featuring a range of popular music styles. The highly theatrical song cycle transports the audience from the deck of a Spanish sailing ship in 1492 to a basketball court in urban America to a ledge featuring an array of fascinating characters 57 stories above Fifth Avenue. It explores the universality of life in transition, including the choices people make and the challenges they face.

Brown wrote the compilation of songs when he was first starting out in New York City and it was originally produced in 1995. He just won Tony Awards for the score and orchestrations of “The Bridges of Madison County.”

Heidi Valencia Vas, an adjunct music faculty member, is directing “Songs for a New World.” A master teacher and recording artist, Vas has numerous opera, recital and oratorio credits, and has been featured in summer stock and regional and off-Broadway theatrical productions. The Thousand Oaks resident has been a soloist with The Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra and made guest appearances with many groups including the Masterworks Chorale.

The chapel is located at 165 Chapel Lane. For more information, call 805-493-3415.

Film Presentation brings attention to the plight of the California Condor

On Sunday, November 9 at 2 pm, the Museum of Ventura County will present a very special event: a screening of The Condor’s Shadow, followed by a Q & A with the filmmakers and a visit from a live condor from the L.A. Zoo, Dolly. See attached photo

The Condor's Shadow profiles the ongoing challenge of bringing the iconic California condor back from the brink of extinction. With vérité footage shot in the ruggedly beautiful nesting habitat of the condor and interviews with those who have lived the story for more than thirty years, this heart-wrenching and beautiful film, set in Southern California, profiles the ongoing recovery of the California condor which early in the modern environmental movement became an important symbol of American wilderness. Get to know the people involved and the passion and hard work required to pull a species back from the brink.

The film runs 55 minutes, followed by a short question-and-answer session with the filmmaker (director and producer Jeff McLoughlin). Then, at approximately 3 pm, guests will go out to the museum to see Dolly, a California condor ‘visiting’ us from the Los Angeles (L.A.) Zoo, accompanied by Michael Clark, zookeeper, California Condor Recovery Program at the L.A. Zoo. Kids can take photos with Dolly and find out more about conservation and wildlife. Admission is free for adults with paid admission, kids 16 and under are admitted free of charge.

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 $5.00 Adults (18 years & older) $3.00 Seniors (65 and older), Students & AAA members with ID, $1.00 Children (17-6 years old) Children 5 years old & younger are FREE. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, and the first Sundays of every month are free general admission for the public. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

CA State Old Time Fiddlers will meet on Sunday 11/09/14 from 1:30-4:30pm at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. The public is invited to play, listen and dance to Country Western and Bluegrass music. Free admission and parking, refreshments available. calfiddlers.com or call 805-797-6563.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Three friends have joined together with “50-70-90,” a photography exhibit at Ojai Coffee Roasting Co., 337 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, CA. The exhibit runs through Nov. 30, 2014.Participating photographers Phil Harvey, Myrna Cambianica and Sally Carless are members of the Ojai Photography Club. Their show, about the beauty of the natural world, is grounded in the beauty of their friendship. The multi-generational photographers—one in her 50s, one in her 70s, and one in his 90s—share their love of photography, nature, and each other. Each has their own style and interests: Harvey focuses on majestic landscapes, Carless creates intimate portraits of wild animals along with documenting Ojai’s bald eagles, and Cambianica gets up close with fine art images and photo montage. Some of their recent exhibits include Ojai City Hall, Ojai Community Bank, Ojai Art Center, and several years exhibiting together at the Art Detour.

Harvey has been an artist and nature photographer for over thirty years. He has an eye for the light of life as he creatively captures the essence of those moments that take one’s breath away. This gifted photographer expresses this essence in his collection of “Mystique of Ojai” images. He founded the Ojai Camera Club in 1984, and this group continues today as the Ojai Photography Club.

A man of many talents, Harvey has a long history as a professional actor/singer in opera, light opera, television and movies. He was the Musical Director at the Ojai Presbyterian Church for 15 years, andfounded the Ojai Community Chorus in 1987. He received the City of Ojai’s “Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award” in 2003, the Rotary Club honored him as an Ojai “Living Treasure” in 2010, and two of his photographs were accepted for the City of Ojai’s permanent collection in 2014.

Carless sees photography as a way to feed the soul; to educate, inspire, and remind us of the beauty that surrounds us in every moment. She will be displaying images from her two most recent projects: “A Year with the Eagles”– photographs and videosdocumenting Ojai’s first bald eagle family in over 90 years and “Portraits as Portals: An Invitation” – intimate soulful portraits of wild animals that provide an opportunity to see and experience the animal world in a new way.

Carless’s photography has been published by organizations such as the U.S. Forest Service, the National Radio Project, the Sacred Land Film Project, the WinnememWintuTribe, and several local nonprofit organizations such as the Ojai Raptor Center and the Ojai World Music Festival. Her work was recently awarded First Place at the Ojai Center for the Arts "Reflect" photographic exhibit. Also an educator, musician, and writer, Carless is the founding director of Global Village School (www.globalvillageschool.org) Visit her website at: www.sallycarless.com/photography.htm

Cambiancia is a former restaurateur. Retirement allowed her time to enroll in photography classes at Ventura College between 1999 and 2002 with professor William Hendricks. She has been an active active member of the Ojai Photography Club for 16 years and Education Chair and mentor for beginning photographers for the past 14 years. From 2004 to 2013 she served under Roger Conrad on the Ojai Art Center Photo Branch Committee. Her images often encompass the cycle of life from birth to death to re-birth and evoke thoughts of fragility, transformation, and impermanence. Her current work has extended into the exploration of photomontage.

The public is invited to stop by, enjoy a coffee or some great food, and view the work of these award-winning photographers. Ojai Coffee Roasting is open from 5:30 am to 6 pm, 7 days a week.

The Santa Paula Society of the Arts is proud to announce that they will host a demonstration by celebrated artist Joe Cibere. Joe Cibere’s painting style and art demonstrates his love of nature and wilderness. His “abstract realism” paintings integrate strong design and balance with a sense of illusion and have appeared in “Watercolor Magazine” and in the International Artists book “The Watercolor Sky and Cloud Techniques of 23 International Artists”. Learn to paint dramatic skies as well as some techniques for waterfalls and cherry blossoms. The event is open to the public at no charge on Sunday, November 9th from 2 pm till 4 pm, at the Santa Paula Society Of the Arts depot gallery, located at 963 Santa Barbara Street, in Santa Paula. If you have any questions, please call Kaye Ford at 805 861-8023.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Classic movies shot in the Conejo Valley will be shown for free at California Lutheran University and the Thousand Oaks Library.

“Little Big Man,” “Davy Crockett” and “Old Yeller” will be shown during Conejo Valley Film Festival III on Nov. 15 and 16.

The Cal Lutheran event will begin at 7 p.m. Nov. 15 in Richter Hall on the Thousand Oaks campus. A short video on actor Ray “Crash” Corrigan and his Simi Valley movie ranch Corriganville will be shown first. Corrigan’s son, Tom Corrigan, will discuss the ranch’s history as a location for Western television shows and movies and a place for families to meet stars like Rin Tin Tin and Chief Thundercloud and watch gun-fighting stuntmen on weekends.

The showing of the 1970 film “Little Big Man” will follow. Dustin Hoffman plays Jack Crabb, who tells of his life as awhite child raised by Cheyenne Indians and fighting with Gen. George Custer in the 19th century. The film is an anti-establishment film of the period and is considered a Revisionist Western, with Native Americans receiving more sympathetic treatment and the United States Calvary depicted as villainous.

Two Walt Disney family films will be shown on Nov. 16 at the Thousand Oaks Library. “Davy Crockett” will begin at 1 p.m. The 1955 live-action adventure film stars Fess Parker. “Old Yeller” will follow at 3 p.m. The 1957 tragedy tells the story of a boy and a stray dog in post-Civil War Texas. At the screenings, experts will provide historical context and answer questions.

Richter Hall is in the Ahmanson Science Center, which is located south of Memorial Parkway near Pioneer Avenue. The Thousand Oaks Library is at 1401 E. Janss Road.

Cal Lutheran’s Multimedia Department and the city of Thousand Oaks are sponsoring the festival. For more information, contact Timothy Hengst at 805-493-3241 or thengst@callutheran.edu or Billy Martin at billymartin@conejovalleyfilmfestival.com.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present the comedy “Sir Patient Fancy” in full Restoration style with extravagant period costumes and seats on the stage.

The Theatre Arts Department Mainstage Production directed by Michael J. Arndt will begin at 8 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays Nov. 13 through 22 and at 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 23, in the Preus-Brandt Forum on the Thousand Oaks campus.

“Sir Patient Fancy” was written in 1678 by Aphra Behn, the first Englishwoman to make a living as a playwright. The bawdy play has a complex plot featuring intrigue, mistaken identity and misunderstandings. The names of characters like Lady Knowell and Sir Credulous Easy give clues to their nature.

The most innovative and provocative element of Restoration Theatre was that women were introduced to the English stage as actresses for the first time. In “Sir Patient Fancy” and other Behn plays, female characters dominate the action and are brighter and wittier than the men.

During this time period, plays were performed primarily for the upper class and nobility, who often sat on stage so they could be seen. In the Cal Lutheran production, audience members will be invited to sit in box seats on the stage and don Restoration clothing.

Costume designer and assistant professor Noelle Raffy assembled authentic-looking Restoration clothing including corsets and huge skirts for the women and high-heeled shoes, shoulder-length wigs and lots of lace for the men. Assistant professor Erik Diaz modeled the stage after a Restoration playhouse complete with a decorative proscenium arch featuring doors. Ailish Riggins provided English dialect coaching and Jeff Wallach created period choreography. Brett Elliott, associate artistic director for the Kingsmen Shakespeare Company of Cal Lutheran, staged combat scenes and composer Christopher Hoag wrote an original baroque score.

The leads are theatre arts major Christopher Clyne of Camarillo; theatre arts major Annika Dybevik of Issaquah, Washington; theatre arts major Maryann Good of Loomis; communication major Mario Granados of Van Nuys; theatre arts major John Marino of West Hills; theatre arts and communication major Kevin Repich of Simi Valley; theatre arts major Seta Wainiqolo of Moorpark; and theatre arts major Alison Waxman of Simi Valley.

Admission is $10 at the door. The forum is located south of Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call 805-493-3415.

California State University Channel Islands

Camarillo, CA - The Art program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to present “Rafael Perea de la Cabada: The Impossibility of Logic,” at the John Spoor Broome Library Gallery, Thursday, Nov. 13, through Friday, Jan. 23. The internationally known Santa Barbara artist’s exhibition will open with a free public reception on Thursday, Nov. 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Recognized for his talents in a wide range of media, Perea de la Cabada’s latest exhibition highlights work from 2008 to 2014 and ranges from two-dimensional paper, collage and canvas works to three-dimensional works in aluminum and clay. Curated by CI Art program faculty member Anette Kubitza, the show is constructed around the concept of giving shape to thoughts and concretizing ideas. As Cabada noted: "Finding the right shape is a never-completed quest. Everything has an illogical component."

Perea de la Cabada was born in Mexico City and has lived in Santa Barbara since 1987. He received a degree from the National School of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking in Mexico City and went on to earn his M.F.A. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

His work has been exhibited at galleries and museums worldwide and is included in numerous public and private collections in the U.S., Mexico, Switzerland, France and Germany.

Perea de la Cabada teaches Advanced Painting and Drawing in the Fine Arts Department at Santa Barbara City College and has served as a Master Artist for mentorship programs, master classes, and mural projects for both the Santa Barbara Museum of Art and The Arts Fund. He recently completed a public art commission with designer Richard Irvine on the West Beach Pedestrian Improvement Project for the City of Santa Barbara.

The gallery is located on the second floor of the John Spoor Broome Library. Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; Friday and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. For additional information, visit http://art.csuci.edu/gallery/librarygallery.html; or contact the Art Program at 805-437-2772. For more information on the artist, please visit http://rafaelperea.com.

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/

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present a free showing of an Italian movie about inmates staging Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar” on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

“Caesar Must Die,” in Italian with subtitles, will be shown at 7 p.m. at the Carmike Thousand Oaks 14 as part of the university’s second annual International Film Festival.

The 2012 film explores the transformative power of art under the most challenging of circumstances. Paolo and Vittorio Taviani filmed the drama-within-a-drama in Rome's Rebibbia Prison, where inmates are preparing to stage “Julius Caesar.” After a competitive casting process, the prisoners begin exploring the text, finding parallels to their own lives in its tale of fraternity, power and betrayal. Hardened criminals, many with links to organized crime, the actors find great motivation in performing the play. During the rehearsals, photographed in nooks and crannies within the prison, the inmates work through their own conflicts.

A unique blend of narrative and documentary, the film follows real-life prison inmates. The film was scripted, but the inmates use their real names and recite their own stories when they are introduced at rehearsals. Most of the film is in black and white.

“Caesar Must Die” won the Golden Bear at the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival and five David di Donatello Awards from The Academy of Italian Cinema including Best Film and Best Director.

Cal Lutheran’s Department of Languages and Cultures is sponsoring the festival.

The doors will open at 6:30 p.m. Carmike Thousand Oaks 14 is located at 166 W. Hillcrest Drive.

For more information, contact Brittany Asaro at basaro@callutheran.edu or Sheridan Wigginton at 805-493-3358.

Heather Winterer

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - An award-winning poet from New Mexico will read her works at California Lutheran University’s next Books and Brew event on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

Heather Winterer’s presentation will run from 4 to 5 p.m. in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art on the Thousand Oaks campus. A reception will follow.

Winterer teaches at Northern New Mexico College. She earned a doctorate in literature and creative writing from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she was a Shaeffer Fellow for poetry. She also holds a master’s in creative writing from Columbia University School of the Arts.

The Colorado Center for Literary Publishing issued her first book of poetry, “The Two Standards,” in 2012 as part of the Mountain West Poetry Series. A series of 10 poems from her manuscript “Art’s Garage” won the Iowa Review Prize for 2010. She has also won the Tusculum Review and Literal Latte prizes for poetry. Her writing has appeared in such national journals as American Poetry Review, Barrow Street, Fence, The Colorado Review and Hotel Amerika.

The English Department is sponsoring the free poetry reading. The next events in the Books and Brew series are book club discussions of “The Way They Say Yes Here” by Jacqueline Lyons on Dec. 3 and “Claire of the Sea Light” by Edwidge Danticat on March 4 and a poetry reading by Andrew McFayden-Ketchum on March 18.

The gallery is located in William Rolland Stadium on the north side of Olsen Road between Campus Drive and Mountclef Boulevard. For more information, contact Jacqueline Lyons at jlyons@callutheran.edu.