Vol. 9, No. 10 – February 17 – March 2, 2016 – Ojai News & Events

The Ojai Art Center will hold open auditions for a staged reading of Christine Rosensteel’s new play, “Clarity,” which is being funded by a grant from the City of Ojai.

Auditions are at 2 p.m. Feb. 20 and 21 and 7 p.m. Feb. 22. Roles include a couple in their 40s, their two boys aged 12 – 15, an aunt in her 60s and a middle-aged hunter. The reading will be April 9. For an appointment, call 816-4099 or email: [email protected]

Ojai Raptor Center is dedicated to the rehabilitation and release of birds of prey and other wildlife, and to providing educational programs to teach communities about wildlife and our shared environment.

Sunday April 10th, 2016, ORC will open its doors to the public for a rare opportunity to meet our non-releasable “ambassador” raptors, and tour the Center which is home to the largest flight aviary in CA.

Hawks, falcons, and owls will be on hand to greet guests along with stage presentations the entire afternoon.  Please visit www.ojairaptorcenter.org for more information.

All current and aspiring gardeners and farmers are invited to the 5th annual Ojai Valley Seed & Plant Swap on Saturday, Feb. 27 from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. at the Chaparral Auditorium, 414 E. Ojai Avenue.  Along with the free sharing of seeds and starts, there will be seeds, plants and garden products from local vendors for sale.

The Ojai Valley Seed & Plant Swap is hosted by the Ojai Valley Green Coalition with Food for Thought Ojai and the Center for Regenerative Agriculture.  There is a $5 suggested donation at the door, if not bringing items to share or sell. For further information contact Deborah at  669-8445 or [email protected].

The Ojai Mardi Gras Wake Up! Krewe is hosting their 26th Mardi Gras celebration on Saturday, March 5th, from 7:30 pm till 1:00 am, at the Ojai Art Center, 113 South Montgomery St. This year’s Mardi Gras will open with a traditional New Orleans Second Line Band Parade beginning at 7:30pm, so don’t be late!

This year’s theme, Psychedelic Neon Nights, embraces the 60’s & 70’s insanity of psychedelic and neon.

On Sunday March 6th from 12-3pm, the party continues with a Fais-Do-Do: Cajun Dance Party, a family oriented musical event with Mark Parsons & Crowfoot.  Admission is $5 adults, kids under 12 free.

Tickets for the Mardi Gras are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.  Advance tickets on-line at www.ojaimardigras.com

Advances in cardiovascular disease will be the focus of a free seminar that Community Memorial Health System is holding on Saturday, Feb. 27. Rishi Patel, M.D., who specializes in interventional cardiology, will lead the discussion during the seminar to be held from 9 to 10:30 a.m. in the banquet room at Soule Park Golf Course, 1033 East Ojai Ave.

Dr. Patel will focus on the advances in cardiovascular care, including cardiac catheterization, transcatheter valve replacement and left ventricular assist devices.

Registration is free but reservations are required. To secure your reservations please visit cmhshealth.org/rsvp or call Brown Paper Tickets at 800-838-3006.

On Saturday, February 27, from 2 to 3 p.m., local authors Joyce W. Magoulas and Jeff Kustal will visit the Ojai Library to read selections of their work. Joyce was born and grew up in the north east of England, in 2015, her book Ojai Impressions was published and is for sale on Amazon.

Starting in March, the Ojai Library will host a series of four coloring events for adults on the first and third Tuesday evenings of the month at 6 p.m. Join for an evening of coloring geared towards adult customers—it’s a great way to de-stress and be creative in a relaxing environment.

On Saturday Feb. 20, 7:30 p.m., The Ojai Art Center will present Epiphany Project, “a unique hybrid of world music, art song, Americana and avant-garde folk.

The band will perform songs from their new recording “The Poet and the Revolution” which celebrates the power of poetry in music with virtuosic vocals, piano improvisations, and percussion bringing texts from around the world to life.

Epiphany Project is based in Berlin and rarely performs in the United States. This is a unique chance to see the band on the West Coast. Catch a glimpse of their work at www.epiphanyrecords.com/epiphany-project-videos

“Escape to Treasure Island” is the theme for this year’s annual auction to celebrate the many treasures at Villanova Preparatory School. Villanova continues to rely on the generosity of businesses, families, alumni, and friends to assist in providing a quality education and programs for the students. This year, the auction fundraising goal is to raise funds to purchase a new school van.

Donors and sponsors will have their names and/or businesses proudly showcased in the printed program and on the school website for all to appreciate. The event will be held in the in the Clark Gymnasium, on the Villanova Prep , with silent auction viewing and appetizers from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m.  Dinner and D.J. (Cover2Cover) will begin at the close of the silent auction viewing after 7:00 p.m.

All inquiries welcome! Please call Tessa Hottinger at Villanova Prep 646-1464 ext. 126.

“Fractured Fairy Tales” and that “Stinky Cheese Man” are two of the tales told by experienced youth actors at Ojai ACT’s Fifth Monday production, 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 29 at the Art Center, 113 S. Montgomery St. No reservations are necessary, but a $5 donation is appreciated because this is a fundraiser for the annual Summer Youth Acting Workshop and Production in July … no child left behind!

“The goal of the Art Commission’s Art Grants program is to promote the artistic enrichment of the citizens of Ojai and encourage a vibrant arts community,” said Arts Commissioner Roger Conrad, who chairs the Arts Grants committee.