Mary Winder will visit the Ojai Library at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 11, to deliver a talk entitled “Ancient Mystery Cults of Greece and Rome.” Ms. Winder comes to us via the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Community Speakers Program.

This presentation will cover Ancient Mystery Cults—one of the most intriguing but least understood aspects of Greek and Roman religion. These cults were an important part of life in the ancient Mediterranean world, but their actual practices were shrouded in secrecy, and many of their features have remained unclear until recently. Mystery cults flourished in the ancient world for roughly a thousand years, from the sixth century B.C.E. to late antiquity. The Santa Barbara Museum of Art owns an impressive collection of Greco-Roman sculpture and artifacts; this presentation will illustrate one of the many facets of why this art was so very important to the Ancient Greeks and Romans.

This event is free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, City Librarian, at 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Ave. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, June 11, and Saturday, June 18 Peachtree Theater Company will hold auditions at the Ojai Library for children who wish to be a part of their July production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. This event is a part of “Ojai Celebrates Shakespeare,” a festival commemorating the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s legacy. Please bring a poem or song for the audition.

The Ojai Shakespeare Festival will include additional performances and events; for more information about the Festival, call 272-3882, or visit www.peachtreetheatercompany.com.

These auditions are free and open to the public.

Ojai Valley Museum is pleased to announce their participation this summer as a Blue Star Museum. The museum joins more than 2,000 museums across American offering free admission to military personnel and their families from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

“We are happy to provide an interesting, free experience for military families as a small way to express our gratitude to the men and women serving our country,” said museum director Wendy Barker.

The Blue Star Museum program is a collaboration among the National Endowment of the Arts, Blue Star Families, and the Department of Defense. The program provides military families an opportunity to enjoy the nation’s cultural and artistic heritage. Museums of all types, in all 50 states, participate in the initiative.

The Ojai Valley Museum highlights the history, art and culture of the Ojai Valley in their museum located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue in Ojai. The museum is housed in a beautiful National Register building. Free parking is available behind the museum, off Blanche Street. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 am to 4 pm and Sunday noon to 4 pm. Group or school tours available by appointment.

For more information, call the museum at  640-1390, ext. 203, email [email protected] or visit the museum website at OjaiValleyMuseum.org.

William Hendricks, Professor of Photography at Ventura College, will share his images and speak about life in Cuba over the last 23 years in his presentation, “Cuba: Then and Now,” on June 21. Since 1993, Hendricks has made 62 trips to the Caribbean island.

Driven by an unsettled curiosity, Hendricks views photography as a way of reducing daily chaos into a few organized and meaningful moments. As both a photographer and educator, his work has taken him around the world with an array of clients and personalities. His images have been exhibited throughout the United States and in Havana, Cuba.

The free event starts at 7:00 p.m. at Help of Ojai’s Kent Hall, 111 Santa Ana St. The Ojai Photography Club is devoted to education, inspiration, and camaraderie and hosts presentations as part of its community service outreach. For additional information please visit: www.ojaiphotoclub.com/.

After a three-month hiatus for knee surgery, Rev. Karen S. Wylie will again offer her Mid-Month Devotional Retreat at Meditation Mount on the morning of Saturday, June 18th from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m..  The topic will be “Living in Grace.” The retreat is by donation; $10 is suggested.

“Grace comes from letting go of false beliefs and limitations and stepping into the Divine Flow that is always happening,” Rev. Karen says. Licensed Religious Science practitioner Randee Vasilakos will also be available for prayer all morning.

Meditation Mount is located at 10340 Reeves Road. For more information, contact Rev. Karen at 310-968-8928, or register online at www.karenswylie.com.