If you always wanted to try silk painting, print making, mixed media and yes, even an app class in “phonography,” try the 4 Days 4 Ways workshop on Monday evenings in September, taught by resident artists at Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo. Workshop participants can experience and create in four different media during sessions from 6:00-9:00 p.m. on September 8, 15, 22 and 29. Students spend each of the four Mondays with a different artist who introduces them to a new medium, and students take home an art project from each class-and perhaps a new passion.

The cost of the four-week workshop is $225 per student and includes all materials. There is a $30 discount ($195 per student) if signing up with a friend or relative. To register or for information, go to http://www.studiochannelislands.org/education/classes-for-adults/ or contact Studio Channel Islands at 805-383-1368.

The four sessions of the workshop include:
Christine Leong’s Shibori/tie dyeing silk class where students each paint two scarves, learning two different styles of folding and binding, as well as how to apply and set multiple colors on the same scarf.

“Phonography,” where photographer Barbara Pickles teaches how to take artistic pictures with a cell phone camera by applying basic photography ideas and using free and inexpensive apps.

Peggy Pownall’s mixed media class which combines painting, drawing and collage to provide a dialogue between materials and imagination. While exploring what to say with the artwork, words are literally incorporated into the visual expressions.

Printmaking is one of the most recently developed art forms, and artist Gretel Compton’s class allows for experimentation and play. The students use the press for both monoprint and relief printing.

Studio Channel Islands Art Center and Blackboard Gallery are at 2222 Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo. Hours are Tuesday 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Wednesday through Friday 11:00 to 5:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 3:00. For information, visit www.studiochannelislands.org or call 805-383-1368. More than 40 resident artist studios are open to the public every First Saturday of the month from 10:00 to 4:00.

CA State Old Time Fiddlers will meet Sunday 8/24/14 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.

A Spiritual Collective Festival Restoring the Cultural Beauty of the Chumash

DATE: Saturday, September 27, 2014
TIME: 10 am - 8 pm
PLACE: The Pottery Studio ~ 1804 E. Ojai Ave, Ojai, CA
Cost: Adults $5, Children under 12 free

On Saturday, September 27th, 2014, the THIRD ANNUAL Festival of SUKINANIK’OY, a celebration of bringing Chumash History back to life in Ventura County, will be held in Ojai at The Pottery Studio, 1804 E. Ojai Avenue, from 10 am to 8 pm. Sukinanik’oy is a Chumash word meaning, “to bring back to life”. For the Barbareno/Ventureno band of Mission Indians (BVBMI), this is a day of celebrating the first time land has been returned to the original people of Ventura County.

Artifacts and human remains were unearthed on Saticoy property that was being developed. Respectfully, everything was reburied as preservation for this once long ago culture. An easement was created by the owners and developers to preserve the history and artifacts of the Chumash. The easement totals about 6 acres. This will be the first time any land in the Ventura area has been given back to the native Chumash people.

Local potter friend Larry Carnes (Chickasaw,) is once again opening his property to the community for this event. Carnes, a Master Potter and owner of The Pottery Studio in Ojai, consulted with the local tribal group to make sacred spirit stones from clay that are glazed with the Chumash designs as a way to preserve these symbols of great respect and spirit. A portion of all sales from this Chumash line of art go to the local BVBMI Tribe who continue their plans for a NON PROFIT Community Educational and Cultural Center that will include a native plant habitat, a tribal library and a place of honor for Native American Veterans.

Join artists, dance performers, local musicians and healers for this amazing collaborative community celebration and project fund raiser in appreciation of the beauty and history of our Valley. Spend the day and participate in the opening and closing ceremonies and blessings. There will be local musicians and Native American dancers, storytelling by Julie Tumamait-Stenslie, a fire ceremony, raffle and a silent auction. Please watch for the upcoming lists of talented artists and performers. Food by Bliss Yogurt of Ojai, Underground Food Truck and more, will be available for your purchase.

Please call if you are interested in performing or selling your art.

For more information call 805 646-6214 or look for entertainment schedules as updated:www.facebook.com/SukinanikoyFestival

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The Ojai Studio Artists Tour has a rich legacy, from early days that included the celebrated Beatrice Wood, Horace Bristol and Otto and Vivica Heino, to today’s membership of distinguished, award winning artists, each juried in by their peers.

Ojai, California - The 31st annual self-guided Ojai Studio Artists Tour – one of the premier art events in California – is set for Columbus Day weekend, October 11-13. This is the first three-day event in the Tour’s history. Fifty artist studios throughout the breathtaking Ojai Valley will be open each day from 10am to 5pm. The event takes place at the Ojai Center for the Arts, 113 S. Montgomery, Ojai, CA.

The 2014 Tour features the work of six new OSA artists. This year, artist demonstrations will also be a feature at several studios, with the Demonstration Schedule posted in advance on the OSA website and distributed to participants on Tour days.

For locals and early arrivals, there’s a special Pre-Tour program at 7pm on Friday, October 10th. Led by OSA artist Karen Lewis and designed to help people plan their personal Tour schedules, the program provides an introduction to the lives and work of each of the fifty participating Tour artists.

Another popular Tour highlight is Saturday’s Dessert Reception and live music event, open (free) to all Tour artists and ticket-holders. The event also features a raffle of beautiful artist-made “Art Baskets” filled with original art and fine local products, such as Ojai honey, olive oil and lavender.

Proceeds from the Tour and Art Basket raffle fund OSA’s “Artreach Program:” principally the youth art scholarships OSA awards each Spring; also, funding for community needs such as art books for the Library and capital improvements for the Ojai Center for the Arts. To date, OSA Artreach funding totals almost $150,000, making the OSA Tour “the tour with a higher purpose.”

Advanced Tour tickets are $25 adults, $15 for youth 16 and older; youth 15 and under free. Tickets bought on Tour days are $30 adult, $15 youth. A single Tour ticket covers studio visits all three days and admission to Saturday’s Dessert Reception. Tickets and Tour brochures are available at www.ojaistudioartists.org. When a ticket is bought online, purchaser receives a link to the detailed map of studio locations and addresses.

The Ojai Studio Artists Tour has a rich legacy, from early days that included the celebrated Beatrice Wood, Horace Bristol and Otto and Vivica Heino, to today’s membership of distinguished, award winning artists, each juried in by their peers. Leading critics and media describe the Ojai Studio Artists as “world-class,” and the Tour, “a rare experience.” Ojai Studio Artists mission is to create an environment where artists thrive ― professional and student alike — and fulfill the potential of the arts to enrich lives and build community. The Ojai Studio Artists (OSA) are an approved 501 (c) 3 nonprofit.

TOUR DATES:
October 10, Friday: free Pre-Tour program for locals and early arrivals, 7pm Ojai Center for the Arts, 113 S. Montgomery
October 11-13, Saturday-Monday: OSA Studio Tour, 50 artists, 10 am to 5 pm
October 11, Saturday night: Dessert Reception, Live Music, Art Basket Raffle 7 to 8:30

Web: www.ojaistudioartists.org, Phone: 805-646-9892

About Ojai Studio Artists:
Twenty-nine years ago, three nationally recognized Ojai artists, Bert Collins, Marta Nelson, and Gayel Childress, were inspired to invite art lovers and collectors into the studios of Ojai's many fine artists, sharing a weekend in celebration of art and creativity. The first year, 24 artists opened their studios and 20 more held a joint exhibition at the Ojai Art Center. From this core group, the Ojai Studio Artists group formed. OSA today has doubled in size from its beginnings – each new member juried in only after demonstrating the highest standards of professional excellence and achievement. Since then, the prestige of OSA's annual tour has grown. The second weekend in October has become a premier art experience as thousands tour the studios of the renowned Ojai Studio Artists, traveling at their own pace and visiting with Ojai's finest artists. For visitors, it's a unique opportunity to meet artists, develop relationships and expand collections.

Following the Santa Paula Labor Day Parade
Monday, September 1st 2014 10:30am to 1:30pm

The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum will host its Second Annual Vintage Tractor Fair on Monday, September 1st, 2014, following the Santa Paula Labor Day Parade.
More than two dozen classic farm tractors from decades past will be displayed by their proud owners on Railroad Avenue adjacent to the Museum from 10:30am to 1:30p.m. Live music, food trucks, and tractor-themed kids’ activities will add to the fun. Admission to the 2nd Annual Vintage Tractor Fair and to the Agriculture Museum is free. A Kids’ Outdoor Fun Zone, which is $5 per person, will also be featured. The Labor Day Vintage Tractor Fair is sponsored by the Limoneira Co.

Visitors can view rare tractors and talk to the tractors’ owners, who are all members of the Topa Topa Flywheelers club, as well as view a working vintage engine demonstration. Delicious food options will be available for sale from World Famous Franks, selling gourmet hot dogs and grilled cheese sandwiches, and Kona Ice, selling refreshing snow cones. Beer and wine will be sold in the beer garden, with the help of Garman’s Pub of Santa Paula.

With the purchase of a $5 wrist band, visitors can enter the Kids’ Fun Zone, in a secured area adjacent to the tractors. Families can stay in or return to the Kids’ Fun Zone as they wish, with the wrist band. Inside, children can compete in or watch pedal tractor races, or bounce in a supervised, super-sized Jolly Jump. They can also ask for a balloon character from our balloon artist Cookie the Clown. There will also be a chance for kids and adults to get close and personal with several farm animals from chickens to alpacas in petting zoo area by Aloha Animal Experience.

Inside the Museum, visitors can view new exhibits about agriculture and vintage equipment in the air-conditioned historic building. Kids can climb on a real Oliver tractor and visit the Museum’s transparent, real beehive. Also, visit the Museum’s General Store and shop our local vendors for special items.

Santa Paula’s favorite rock and roll band, Cruise Knights, will play classic tunes on stage during the Labor Day Vintage Tractor Fair. Don’t miss the pie eating contest that will be held at 12:00pm, sponsored by Marie Callender’s. For more information, call (805) 525-3100.

Journeys Through Peace is the next exhibition at the Buenaventura Gallery in downtown Ventura, showcasing watercolor paintings by Laura Walter from Aug. 12-Sept. 6.

“I’ve been working on this show for a year,” said the Ventura painter, who also is a symphony flutist and Westmont College music instructor. “In this show I’m exploring the various inner states that people have to find their peaceful place. It can be traveling, being in other cultures, or being in nature.”

Walter will be in the gallery to discuss her work during an opening reception 5-7 p.m. Aug. 16 and during First Fridays Ventura, Sept. 5, 5-8 p.m. She plans to show about 30 recent paintings, from 5 by 7 inches up to 24 by 30.

“I started seriously painting 14 years ago,” she said, adding that favorite subjects are “people, landscapes — anything that tells a story.

“Whether traveling through Israel or hiking in the national parks, I love thinking about the process of calming down,” Walter added. “In these watercolor paintings, I explore color, texture and story.”

And, she said, “In this show I have a lot of rocks. … Rocks appeal to me because they seem to be so permanent and constant. Of course they are not; they are always changing, but so slowly that we are not always aware of it. I am interested in symbols of stability.”

“I love exploring both of these diverse areas,” Walter said of her travels to Israel and southern Utah and how rocks were not the only link. “Once I started painting and choosing subjects, I realized there were further juxtapositions: the Jordan River and the Virgin River; Zion Gate and Zion Canyon; petrified sand dunes and petrified people.”

Her pictorial souvenirs of both regions will be at the Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., which is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

For more about Walter’s show or the Buenaventura Art Association, a nonprofit artists cooperative celebrating its 60th anniversary this year, phone 648-1235 during gallery hours or visit the website www.buenaventuragallery.org.

"Ooti Market" - Photograph by Paul Meyer
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"Packaged Goods Lady" - Photograph by Paul Meyer
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"Kanyakumari" - Photograph by Paul Meyer
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"PanLady" - Photograph by Paul Meyer
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"Spinner" - Photograph by Paul Meyer
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Join us for: “An Insider’s View of Southern India” with Brooks professor and photographer, Paul Meyer, at the August 19th meeting of the Ojai Photography Club. The presentation begins at 7:00 pm at Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana Street, Ojai, CA.

Meyer will present a selection photographs taken during a one-month trip to South India. He states, “I am absolutely enamored with India. This was my 5th and longest trip. I spent an entire month there. I actually stayed with my former photo students that are from there. They took me around and I saw regular tourist stuff, but also “insider" stuff. Going to Mysore for Dasara was definitely more of a “local” thing than a Western tourist thing. The biggest difference, for me, between this trip and the trip before was that his time I didn’t go thinking I was going primarily for photography. I was going for the experience and I’d take pictures along the way. In my mind it wasn’t a “photo trip,” but just a trip. I ended up being more relaxed and getting much better images than I was expecting because I had little or no expectations - almost a “zen” photo trip. This was a different approach for me and I loved it!”

Meyer has been teaching a broad range of subjects at Brooks Institute of Photography, Santa Barbara Campus, for over 24 years. He was ten when he began documenting his family in Hawaii with his first camera. He earned his BA in Art from the University of Hawaii-Manoa in 1977 and continued his education to receive a BA in Industrial Photography from Brooks Institute in 1981 and his MS from Brooks in 2000.

From 1982 to 1990 Meyer worked assisting some of the finest commercial and advertising photographers in New York and Los Angeles. He accepted a full time teaching position with Brooks Institute in 1990. Meyer has traveled extensively doing commercial and personal assignments and has been fortunate enough to go around the world twice with the Semester-At-Sea program.

In addition, Meyer is Director of Academic Affairs for High Sierra Workshops: http://highsierraworkshops.com. For Meyer’s personal work see his website at: http://paulmeyerphoto.com/

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

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/

Applications are Now Available through the Museum of Ventura County for the Bonita C McFarland Scholarship and the Forum of the Arts Endowment Grant

Bonita McFarland Scholarship: The Museum of Ventura County announces the application process for its visual arts scholarship is open. This scholarship is named for Bonita McFarland, a generous benefactor to the arts in Ventura County. The Bonita C. McFarland Scholarship is available to any continuing college level student of the visual arts who is also Ventura County resident.

The total amount awarded will be $2,500. In past years, individual awards have been $500 or more, depending on need and number of scholarships given. Applicants will be selected by a committee consisting of museum personnel and members of the art and academic community.

Forum of the Arts Endowment Grant This grant extends to the performing and literary arts, as well as the visual arts. Total amount awarded is also $2,500. The Forum of the Arts was formed in 1961 and was the first organization to offer grants to the local arts community. In 1987 the Forum of the Arts Endowment was transferred to the custodianship of the Fine Arts Committee of the Museum of Ventura County, which continues to award the Forum of the Arts grants.

Timeline
Applications for each award are due September 30, 2014; they must be postmarked September 30 , 2014 or prior, or delivered to the Museum by Tuesday, September 30 2014, before 5:00 pm.

Applications are available online at www.venturamuseum.org, at the Museum or by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the museum, addressed “Danielle/Bonita McFarland Scholarship 2014” c/o Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura, CA 93001 on the envelope.

CA State Old Time Fiddlers will meet Sunday 8/10/14 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.

Womb with a View:
Selected Works by Sara Thomas
Opens Friday, August 1, 6-9 pm; Part of Downtown Ventura’s
Free First Fridays

What a title for Sara Thomas’ journey--so far--as a woman, mother, wife and daughter. These soft drawings in soft pastels, colored pencils and acrylic ink, carry profound messages. Her first exhibit in Ventura, "Womb with a View" includes a retrospective as well as new works, reflecting her life's journey and the archetypes of birth, death and rebirth. She returns to the womb to heal and rise again. Her recurring theme of the Madonna countered with playful abstracts reflect her spiritual journey.

An Army brat born in 1951, Sara Kendrick Thomas lived her early years in Trieste, Italy and Berlin, Germany, plus on the East Coast of the U.S. Her family settled in Southern California, eventually ending up in Ventura, where she attended Buena High. Sara came late to art after surviving viral encephalitis at age 35. The close brush with death forced her to drop her pre-med studies but serendipitously landed her in the hands of Bay Area portrait artist Jackie Kirk, with whom she studied.

After Sara's husband, Mickey Thomas, of Jefferson Starship fame (yes, she is that 'Sara') survived a brutal beating in late 1989, the couple, along with their young daughter Taylor, moved to Lake Tahoe to heal from the trauma. Here she continued her studies under master sculptor, David Foster, and painter, Phyllis Shafer.

After her divorce, art took a back seat. Sara left her beloved lake, returning to Ventura to be near her family. She began to work again after being inspired by a children's book gifted to her by Museum of Ventura County’s curator Anna Bermúdez.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A series of oil paintings following a mythical man’s journey of self-discovery will be on display in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture at California Lutheran University from Aug. 16 through Oct. 2.

An artist’s reception for “The Journey,” featuring the work of Carolin Peters, will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 6.

The medium- to large-scale paintings follow a soldierly character on his journey through a dreamlike land, telling a story of self-realization through the exploration of nature and the fantastic. The series depicts encounters with characters and places that affect his path. The works are set in open, pristine landscapes and secluded caves where animals provide guidance to the man as he seeks his true self.

“In this visually and generally overstimulated age, which is all too often laced with cynicism and defeatism, I offer up work intended to wrest away a few minutes of quiet joy, creating a mental and physical space in which to start or continue our personal journey,” said Peters.

Peters, of Orange, has received numerous honors including the Best of Show Award from the Pacific Art Foundation, the 2006 Merit Award from The Art Renewal Center, and the Passport to China Scholarship from the Contemporary Chinese Fine Art Gallery. A native of a small town in southern Germany, she moved to Southern California in 2002 and earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fine art from Laguna College of Art and Design. She has participated in numerous shows throughout California.

Admission is free. The gallery is located in the Soiland Humanities Center at 120 Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information, contact curator Michael Pearce of the CLU Art Department at 805-444-7716 or visit callutheran.edu/kwan_fong.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Contemporary abstract paintings by Seyburn Zorthian of the Santa Ynez Valley are on display through Aug. 12 in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture at California Lutheran University.

“In the Rhythm” is a free exhibit of large-scale works in acrylic, oil and metal leaf on canvas. All of the paintings, which were produced over the last two years, are visual expressions of movement inspired by music.

Zorthian’s creative process is informed by her early exposure to jazz and her study of abstract calligraphy in Japan, where Shodou master Shiryu Morita trained her in traditional practices using enormous brushes with ink. She has spent decades refining her approach to composition and her use of color and Western non-ink media within this Eastern framework. In her current series, Zorthian’s first brushstroke usually became the bones of the composition, directing the course and character of each painting.

Zorthian paints from a studio at her family’s Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard, where the labels feature her works.Her paintings have been exhibited at the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, Rutgers University in New Jersey, the Municipal Museum in Kyoto, Shanxi Historical Art Museum in China and Galerie Tendri in Paris. Zorthian attended the San Francisco Art Institute and earned a bachelor’s degree in fine arts from the California Institute of the Arts.

The gallery is located in the Soiland Humanities Center at 120 Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

For more information, contact curator Michael Pearce with the CLU Art Department at 805-444-7716.

"Havana Morning" by Nancy Lehrer
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"Land of the Giants" by Nancy Lehrer
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"Neighbor Envy" by Nancy Lehrer
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"Skate Boy" by Nancy Lehrer
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"Working Hands" by Nancy Lehrer
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Photographer Nancy Lehrer returns to Ojai Photography Club as our July presenter and guest judge. The meeting will begin at 7:00 pm, July 15, at Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana Street, Ojai, CA.

Lehrer’s journey in photography started at the age of nine when she was inspired by her father’s love for picture taking. After a long hiatus to pursue studies in music and a career in Computer Science, she returned to focus on photography in 2006 with an approach that includes observation and the capturing of life's unguarded moments. Her influences include some of the great modern masters of street and documentary “straight” photography: Sam Abell, Jay Maisel, Alex Webb, William Eggelston, JonasBendiksen. Having studied directly with Jay Maisel and Sam Abell, theirimpact on her work are apparent in her use of color and complex layers.

Lehrer’s images have been recognized with a number of local awards from the Ventura County Fair, Westlake Arts Guild, and the Ojai Arts Center. Her image, Cuba Relic, won First Place in the 2014 Ojai Art Center Photography Exhibit for the show’s theme, "Long Lasting" and also received an Honorable Mention for its use of light. Recently she has begun to explore the use of black & white film as a unique medium for capturing tones, geometries, and gestures. Lehrer shoots both digitally and analog with a variety of cameras. You can see her work at inancyimages.com.

Lehrer’s presentation to the photo club will be on Composition.She states, “Unfortunately, in too many discussions, the word composition has become synonymous with rules. Some of the ‘rules of composition’that are most often cited are ‘the rule of thirds’, ‘leading lines,’ ‘don’t put the horizon in the middle of the image’, and ‘simplify.’ Composition, however, is not about rules. Composition is the art of placing the components of the image in such as way as to lead the viewer through the image, to powerfully convey the image’s intent, mood, emotion, and story.”

Monthly presentations are part of the Ojai Photography Club’s community service and education outreach. Visitors are always 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/

CA State Old Time Fiddlers will meet Sunday 7/13/14 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.

Aragna Ker, Heather Scholl and KJ Cooksey all create portraits, but each approaches the nature of identity from a different viewpoint. Their three exhibitions are now open at the Blackboard Gallery of Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo through July 26. The free artists’ reception is on Saturday, July 19 from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

The exhibition “Then and Now” features narrative, often ethereal, portraits by Los Angeles artist Heather Scholl, who paints to capture the essence of people “as timeless reminders of our interconnectedness.” The influence of extensive Asian travels is often reflected in her work. Scholl began her career in Seattle, where she worked as an illustrator and fine artist while teaching at Cornish College of the Arts. Her work has been shown in galleries and publications nationally and internationally since 1994, and her paintings are in private and public collections throughout the western United States.

Aragna Ker’s goal with his playful portraits in “Spirited Away” is to combine intangible similarities to blur individual identity. He fuses cultural symbols and myth to explore a range of hybrid identities, often using unrelated materials such as toothpicks, straws, and newspaper to execute the ambiguity. A native of Cambodia who immigrated to Southern California as a child, Ker holds a master’s in sculpture from Claremont Graduate University. His work has been exhibited throughout Southern California in venues including the Hammer Museum, and has been displayed in the United States Embassy in Cambodia. He currently specializes in artistic instruction to adults with disabilities at First Street Gallery Art Center in Claremont, California.

The “Eve Design” exhibition deals with a very specific element of identity: marketing and the influence celebrities have on the interpretation of women’s roles and expectations. The creation story of Adam and Eve inspired the title of artist KJ Cooksey’s exhibit of paintings which humorously draw upon current women’s magazine covers and other forms of marketing. Cooksey is the gallery manager for the Blackboard Gallery at Studio Channel Islands and will be leaving this fall to pursue her Master of Fine Art degree at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. A four year Fine Arts Merit Scholar at California State University at Bakersfield, she has exhibited throughout Southern California, and received the 2012 Star Award as Best Young Artist from the Ventura County Arts Council.

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

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival will feature “Antony and Cleopatra” for the first time during its 18th annual season.

Shakespeare’s classic historical tragedy will be performed at 8 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from July 18 through August 3 in scenic Kingsmen Park at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks. The festival grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for picnicking and pre-show entertainment begins at 6:25 p.m.

The play focuses on the great love story of the Egyptian queen Cleopatra and the Roman general Marc Antony. The Kingsmen production, under the direction of award-winning director and actor John Slade of Ojai, is set in the fascist world of the 1930s amid the clash of cultures and a treacherous world of shifting alliances.

A Kingsmen festival regular, Slade directed his own adaptation of “King Henry IV” in 2008 and “King Henry V” in 2004. He played the drunken butler in “The Tempest,” Friar Laurence in “Romeo and Juliet” and the title role in “King Lear.” This summer, he is concurrently performing his full-length concert play, “I Sing Walt Whitman,” throughout the country. His theater career began more than 40 years ago as a student at the University of Michigan, where he and classmate Gilda Radner founded a repertory company that juxtaposed drama, comedy and music.

Shad Willingham will return to the festival stage as Antony, having previously appeared in “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Romeo and Juliet.” Willingham has performed with the Idaho, Lake Tahoe, New Orleans and Oregon Shakespeare festivals. He teaches acting at California State University, Northridge.

Cynthia Beckert will make her Kingsmen debut as Cleopatra. She has performed at Laguna Playhouse and with Santa Barbara’s Ensemble Theatre Company, Georgia Shakespeare and the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. She is a member of the all-female Los Angeles Women’s Shakespeare Company.

Justin Michael Terry and Elyse Mirto will both return to the festival stage to play Octavius and Octavia.

The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company is the professional theater company of CLU. In addition to producing one of the area’s most popular outdoor theatrical events, it provides apprentice programs, an educational tour program and summer youth theater camps.

Guests should bring low-back lawn chairs or blankets to sit on and dress warmly. Admission is $20 for adults and free for those under 18. For information or advance lawn box reservations, call 805-493-3014 or visit http://www.kingsmenshakespeare.org.

Camarillo, California June 30, 2014 On Sunday, July 13, from 1 to 3:30 p.m., the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast and Camarillo Hospice will host a “Meet the Artists” reception at the Thousand Oaks Community Gallery. The Gallery is located at 2331 Borchard Road in Newbury Park. The reception will include art demonstrations, food and drinks, gift drawings and fun.

Camarillo Hospice was selected as the “charity of choice” of the Pastel Society of the Gold Coast (PSGC) for its 2014 show.PSGC’s month-long free art exhibit at the Thousand Oaks Community Galleryopens July 1and will run through July 26, 2014 from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (closed Sundays and July 4th). PSGC artists will staff the exhibit, happy to explain pastel painting and show guests around. Ten percent (10%) of each art sale during the exhibit will be contributed by the PSGC artist to Camarillo Hospice.

The Pastel Society of the Gold Coast is a non-profit organization for the specific purpose to provide public exhibitions for its members, to educate the community through collaboration with environmental and other non-profit organizations; and to promote the arts in general. The membership consists of approximately 30 Southern California artists who “utilize the dynamic and diverse application of soft pastels to express the nature and beauty of our Gold Coast region. “

Camarillo Hospice is a volunteer hospice and grief counseling center that provides practical and emotional care, comfort, support and counseling to individuals and families who are facing a life-limiting illness or the grief of losing a loved one and education on end-of-life issues to all. There is no requirement of a doctor’s referral to qualify for the services of Camarillo Hospice, no time limit on services, and all services are free.In 2013 alone Camarillo Hospice provided assistance and support to more than 10,000 community residents.

For more information about PSGC, please visit www.pastelsocietyofthegoldcoast.org.For more information regarding the Art Exhibit, Reception or the programs and services of Camarillo Hospice, please call the Hospice office at 805.389.6870, email info@camarillohospice.org or visit the hospice website at www.camarillohospice.org.

Glynn Washington

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The host of a hit NPR show about people who make life-altering decisions in a matter of moments will bring his brand of raw, musical and mesmerizing storytelling to the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza at 8 p.m. Friday, July 18.

KCLU will present Glynn Washington in the Janet and Ray Scherr Forum Theatre. Washington will give a behind-the-scenes look at “Snap Judgment,” sharing new pieces as well as fresh takes on stories KCLU listeners will find familiar.

Washington defines the show as “storytelling with a beat.” The “beat” refers not only to the program’s pervasive musical accompaniment but also to the cadence and rhythm of the eloquently told tales in the fast-paced show.

“Snap Judgment” took shape in 2007 when Washington, then director of Young Entrepreneurs at Haas at the University of California, Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, entered the Public Radio Talent Quest sponsored by Public Radio Exchange and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. He was one of three contestants out of 1,400 entries to receive $10,000 to produce a pilot of his radio show. Three years later, the pilot premiered, and Washington launched a series of “Snap Judgment” television specials.

Washington, who has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a juris doctorate, has helped create and implement youth policy in Oakland, where he lives with his wife and two children. He was a member of former Oakland Mayor Ronald Dellums’ Youth Services Task Force and served on the grantee committees for both the Fund for Children and Youth and the Oakland Measure Y anti-violence initiative.

As with his nonprofit work, “Snap Judgment” tries to put people in someone else’s shoes.

“How you actually move policy is by getting people to understand the story you’re telling,” Washington told his alma mater, University of Michigan Law School. “One thing I took away from law school is that whoever tells the best story wins.”

The show airs on KCLU Fridays at 9 p.m. and Saturdays at 2 p.m. The award-winning NPR affiliate, a community service of California Lutheran University, serves about 113,000 listeners on 88.3 FM in Ventura County, 102.3 FM and 1340 AM in Santa Barbara County, 89.7 FM on the Central Coast and 92.1 FM in San Luis Obispo.

The Civic Arts Plaza is located at 2100 E. Thousand Oaks Blvd. Tickets are $40, plus applicable service charges. They are available through KCLU, the Civic Arts Plaza box office and Ticketmaster.

SANTA PAULA, Calif. – The California Art Club will showcase more than 60 paintings that highlight the enduring appeal of the Golden State with the exhibition Quintessential California, on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum from June 28 to November 2.

A reception with the exhibiting artists will be held on the opening day from 4 to 6 p.m. Admission to the reception is $15, or $10 for members of the Museum or the Club.

The four-month display spotlights the works of more than 50 contemporary-traditional artists, who present a variety of subjects that define California, ranging from scenic landscapes and seascapes to still lifes and figures. The imagery includes famed beaches and majestic mountainsides, as well as historic sites and abundant agriculture. A section of the exhibition pays tribute to sites and scenes of the city of Santa Paula, known as the “Citrus Capital of the World.”

“We are delighted that Quintessential California features many outstanding landscape paintings of pristine vistas throughout the state, as the California Art Club was founded in 1909 by leading historic plein air landscape painters,” says Madeleine Aguilar, exhibitions coordinator for the fine arts organization. “These artists, who migrated to the state from the Midwest and East Coast, chiefly drawn to its natural beauty and ideal conditions for year-round outdoor painting, influenced California Impressionism, the first artistic movement to be defined as uniquely Californian,” adds Aguilar.

During the exhibition, the president of the California Art Club, Peter Adams, will present a special gallery talk on the “History of California Art: The Four Distinct Styles.” The lecture will take place on Thursday, July 10, at 3 p.m., and admission is $4 for adults and $3 for seniors. There is no charge for students and museum and CAC members.

All of the exhibiting artists are juried Artist Members in the California Art Club. They include Peter Adams, Reza Alhosseini, John Asaro, Bobbie Belvel, Nanette Biers, Betsy Bland, Thomas Breeden, Scottie Brown, L.T. Bunning, Ginny Burdick, Larry Cannon, Raymond Cuevas, Steve Curry, Karl Dempwolf, Rhonda Egan, Esther Engelman, Mark Fehlman, Terri Ford, Marian Fortunati, Bill Gallen, David C. Gallup, Joseph Gyurcsak, Nita Harper, Laurie Hendricks, Carolyn Hesse-Low, Debra Holladay, Pamela Ingwers, Rose Irelan, Wajahat Khan, Chuck Kovacic, Paul Kratter, Patricia Kuebler, Carolyn Lord, Lee MacLeod, Didi Martin, Jennifer Moses, D. Wynne Nixon, Frank Ordaz, Macario Pascual, Gail Pidduck, Robert Porter, Anette Power, Richard Probert, Christina Ramos, John Rasberry, Barbara Reinertson, Rodolfo Rivademar, Cecilia Robertson, Dan Schultz, Frank Serrano, Michael Situ, Jane Thorpe, Robert Tate, Michele Usibelli, Laura Wambsgans, Sharon Weaver, Beverly Wilson, Karen Winters and Chris Zambon.

For more information about Quintessential California, visit www.californiaartclub.org or www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.

ANDRUS PORTRAIT: Mixed Media by Artist Mike Saijo

FIRST GREY GABLES RESIDENTS: Residents of Grey Gables were committed to Dr. Andrus’s vision of the older years as a time of growth and service to others. Courtesy of: The Gables of Ojai Archives
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GREY GABLES MINI VAN: To service the valley’s growing senior population, Gray Gables administrator Dick York proposed several NRTA-AARP outreach programs: meals-on-wheels, a senior center, a retired senior volunteer program, and a mini-van transportation service. Courtesy of: The Gables of Ojai Archives
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OFFICE NRTA-AARP: In 1960, Dr Andrus constructed a new office building across from Grey Gables on Montgomery Street. It operated 24 hours a day with over 200 employees making NRTA-AARP Ojai’s largest employer at the time. Courtesy of: The Gables of Ojai Archives
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DR. ANDRUS AND THE ROBERT YOUNGS: Shows Andrus with her former Lincoln High School student Robert Young and his wife Betty (far right). Courtesy of: AARP Archives
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DR. ETHEL PERCY ANDRUS: Educator, Social Innovator, Humanitarian - Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus, Founder and President of NRTA-AARP, testifying before the Kefauver Committee on Hearing Aids, April 19, 1962. Courtesy of: Ojai Valley Museum Archives
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An original history exhibit, “Ethel Percy Andrus: How One Woman Changed America,” opens June 28th in the Ojai Valley Museum’s Rotating Gallery. This one-person show is the culmination of three year’s of research on Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus by local historian Craig Walker. He has written articles and given lectures on this Ojai woman who created social change for senior citizens in mid-century America. From her office in Ojai at Grey Gables of Ojai she founded the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) in 1958.

Wall texts and accompanying photographs serve to illustrate Dr. Andrus’ impact across America and for retired Americans everywhere. The exhibit tells the story of her life as a social innovator, an educator and a cultural visionary. In addition to archival materials, texts and historic photographs, the exhibit includes mixed media artworks by Los Angeles artist Mike Saijo.

The upcoming show will highlight milestones suchas her distinguished career as a high school principal and her eventual attention to the plight of retired teachers when she discovered a former colleague living in a chicken coop. This particular indignity galvanized her into action; she founded the National Retired Teachers Association (NRTA) in 1947 with three goals: livable pensions, healthcare and affordable housing.

In 1954, Dr. Andrus moved the NRTA to Ojai and founded Grey Gables, a revolutionary retirement community that became a national model. Andrus developed the nation’s first group health plan for retirees. In 1958 she founded AARP and expanded the NRTA health plan to include all retired persons. Her success with the NRTA-AARP helped pave the way for Medicare in 1965.

Championing her path of social change, Dr. Andrus then mounted a relentless legislative campaign to end discriminatory practices against older Americans, including mandatory retirement laws. She also created travel programs, a mail-order prescription drug service, continuing education programs, and widespread discounts for AARP members. Most importantly, she played a key role in transforming retirement into a time of independence, dignity, and purpose.

The exhibition also features her years as an educator. Dr. Andrus served as the first woman principal of a large urban high school in California. In a profession dominated by men, she emerged as a leader, helping to shape the modern comprehensive high school. She was an innovator in the areas of vocational education, student government, elective classes, extracurricular activities and school guidance programs. Dr. Andrus had a lasting impact on her students, many of whom went on to excel in life. Stories about some of her more notable students are also a part of the exhibit.

This groundbreaking historyexhibit is a coordinated effort by researcher Craig Walker, writer Mark Lewis and Museum Exhibit Committee members Laura Crary and Claire Hill. Museum Director, Michele Ellis Pracy, organized and integrated the contributed materials to create the exhibit.

The exhibit is underwritten byThe Gables of Ojai and AARP. Additional sponsors include: Ventura Roofing and AM-PM Rooter and Plumbing.

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

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

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: Ojai Valley Museum.org or find us on Facebook at Ojai Valley Museum