Performing and visual artist David Oliver at Under the Bed.
by Susan Torne
Art City Gallery and Studios, established in 1983, is a think-tank for experimental sculpture, installation, multi-media, assemblage, painting, film, performance, poetry, and theater. Founded by Paul Lindhard, artist, sculptor, studio builder, producer and patron of the arts for 50 years; Art City spans 31 years of art history in Ventura.
There are four components to Art City’s new expanded creative cluster. The first two components are Art City Gallery and Art City Studios (Art City’s oldest and most continuous component). Art City Gallery hosts curated exhibits and events. A community resource for culture and education, the gallery reflects Art City’s reason for being: Art 24/7; supporting collaboration, empowerment and no-holds barred exploration and implementation of ideas; from traditional gallery exhibits, to poetry readings, performances, lectures, talks, and cinema. Additionally it will be home to the San Buenaventura Artists’ Union for 4 exhibitions in 2018.
Over thirty years in the making, Art City Studios has evolved into a dynamic environment allowing artists to create in a supportive atmosphere. Throughout 22 studio spaces, stone sculptors represent the bulk of Art City Studio artists, existing side by side with film makers, playwrights, poets, performance artists, painters, wood-carvers, photographers.
A third component of Art City is Avant Garden. Referred to for the first years of its development as Art City Stone Garden, this sculpture park was given the name Avant Garden in 2017, casting light upon generations of Ventura’s avant-garde collaborating with Art City since the mid-1980’s. Paul Lindhard waited two years to get the bigger of the garden’s two main stones, intended as part of public art installation Dos Metates. The lead piece is a piece of imperial blue granite he obtained from San Marcos, California. The other, slightly smaller stone, is a beautiful sample of academy black granite from north of Fresno, California. Dos Metates is intended for the Mission Lawn between China Alley and Museum of Ventura County.
Lastly, Art City’s most recent fourth component is Under the Bed (UTB), a production space for contributing artists to create, share and expand their personal vision through music, film, digital media production, theater and performing arts. UTB is affiliated with Art City as an extension of the city’s cultural past, present, and future.
