by Veronica Johnson
The Ojai Valley Museum reopened April 2, 2021 and invites all to view the new original exhibition “Ojai Eye: Master Photographers” in person.
The museum will be open every Friday from 1-7pm, and from 10am-4pm on Saturdays and Sundays.
“Ojai Eye: Master Photographers” is an exploration of the work for six local, professional photographers. Examine images from J.C. Brewster, Horace Bristol, Guy Webster, Cindy Pitou, Joe Sohm, and Donna Granata.
The exhibit can be viewed online at OjaiValleyMuseum.org. However, the large size of many of the photographs makes an in-person visit a much richer experience. There are also additional elements to enjoy in person, that are not available online.
The exhibition will be on view through the end of June.
In addition to “Ojai Eye: Master Photographers”, small exhibitions on a range of topics related to the history of the valley and a diorama of the Sespe Wilderness are always on view at the museum.
The Ojai Valley Museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Free parking is available behind the museum, off Blanche Street. The Museum is open Friday from 1-7pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 4 pm. Suggested admission is $5 per adult, $1 children 5-18. Facemasks required.
For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 201, email [email protected] or visit the museum website at OjaiValleyMuseum.org.
Beginning Sunday, April 11, 2021, Ojai author and naturalist Lanny Kaufer will lead a series of two-hour Ojai Urban Herb Walks in downtown Ojai on Sunday mornings in April and May. Meetup locations and itineraries will vary. All walks will start at 10 a.m. and end at 12 noon. Groups will walk less than a mile total distance and visit useful native and non-native plants in and around the downtown area. The April 11 and May 16 walks will start and end in Libbey Park. The walks on April 25 and May 30 will visit Cluff Vista Park and the Chumash Garden at the Ojai Valley Museum. Registrants will receive parking directions by email.
Libbey Park and Stewart Creek, which runs through the park, have been replanted with native California plants over the years. Renovations are ongoing. The park provides an easy-to-access place to see how these native plants do in urban landscapes. Kaufer also will discuss useful non-native plants such as rosemary and eucalyptus that are often found in Southern California’s urban and suburban areas. He will focus on how to identify these plants and discuss their edible and medicinal uses.
Cluff Vista Park is a native plant demonstration garden designed by the late Thomas Bostrom and maintained by the City of Ojai with assistance from the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy. Kaufer was a consultant on the design and plant selection for the Chumash Garden at Ojai Valley Museum.
Until such time as they are no longer needed, safeguards will be in place to prevent possible transmission of the COVID-19 virus. Attendance will be limited to 12 participants. Temperatures will be checked digitally on arrival, face coverings will be required, and the group will maintain 6 feet of physical distance at all times.
The cost for these walks is $25/person. Registration is required. Please visit HerbWalks.com or call (805) 646-6281 for more information and registration. No dogs or smoking, please.
