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Ventura Mayor Matt LaVere presented the 15th annual Mayor’s Arts Awards to recipients:

Arts Leader – Denise Sindelar, Creative Entrepreneur – Stephanie Hogue, Artist in the Community – Larissa Strauss, Emerging Artist – Juan Manuel Cisneros and Arts Educator – Mario Boccali at the awards ceremony held at Museum of Ventura County. The reception honored the achievements and contributions of five residents dedicated to the arts community in Ventura.

For more information on the 2019 Mayor’s Arts Awards, please visit www.cityofventura.ca.gov/maa .

Photo by Michael Gordon

BAA introduces new staffers

Aubree Tuschka and Amber Evangelista join the BAA Staff.

BAA is pleased to present their new staffers for the Buenaventura Gallery and the Art Association management. Kitty McGinnis moved away in July, and it was decided to replace her with two people, and divide the job into the areas of gallery management and administrative assistant.

Amber Evangelista: New BAA Gallery Manager

Amber is a full-time mom with a passion for art and fashion. She has worked behind the scenes for celebrity runways, various video productions and exhibitions. Even with her love of fashion she continued painting and designing illustrations. You can always find her at the farmers market, in a thrift store, or spending time with her family. As gallery manager for BAA, she focuses on the set up and operation of the galleries. She wanted to be a part of the BAA because of the community and an appreciation of the association’s values. She looks forward to contributing her best for the growth of the Buenaventura Art Association.

Aubree Tuschka: Administrative Assistant

Aubree is a recent grad from UC Berkeley with a degree in Russian history and has passion for oil painting and watercolor. She is a Ventura native that has always been inspired by the Ventura art community. Aubree enjoys spending her days at the beach, hiking, and painting.

A season of remembrance

Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association’s “Light Up a Life” event provides comfort, solace and an opportunity for those who have lost someone to honor their loved one’s memory. For those we’ve lost near or far, recently departed or long gone, “Light Up a Life” is a thoughtful and heartfelt way to honor their memories and spread some joy this holiday season. And for the first time this year, the Oxnard Community will have their own ceremony, joining annual traditions already established in Ventura, Ojai and Camarillo. Dates and times for Light Up events are:

Camarillo: Constitution Park, Saturday, December 7th from 4:30 – 5:30pm
Ventura: Pacific View Mall, Tuesday, December 10th from 6:30-7:30pm
Ojai: Soule Park Golf Course Clubhouse, Thursday, December 12th from 5:30-6:30pm
Oxnard: Heritage Square, Saturday, December 14th from 4:30-5:30pm

Light Up a Life is for everyone. It’s an opportunity to remember and celebrate the life of someone dear to you. Each event features readings, acts of remembrance and music. All events are free to attend. With your gift of $25 or more, a star with your loved one’s name will be displayed throughout the holiday season on our online memory listing and at the Pacific View Mall. Each fully tax-deductible gift supports and ensures the continuation of our hospice and bereavement programs throughout Ventura County. To purchase a star visit www.lmvna.org/LightUpALife.

Since 1947, Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association & Hospice has provided home health, palliative care, hospice, non-medical home care, and grief and bereavement services to Ventura County residents. They provide equitable and inclusive access to home health and hospice services regardless of a patient’s ability to pay. Learn more at www.lmvna.org.

Focus on the Masters 7th annual Holiday Gift Shop

Fused Glass Pendant by Yvette Franklin will be for purchase.

Focus on the Masters is thrilled to announce their upcoming 7th annual Holiday Gift Shop featuring unique, hand-made and lovingly crafted gifts by local artists on November 23 & 24 at the Museum of Ventura County. An expansive 75-foot interactive FOTM timeline chronicling the last quarter century of local artists will be on display. Come walk down memory lane, enjoy refreshments and artists’ demonstrations while you shop for those special people on your list!

The Holiday Gift Shop will feature a variety of one-of-a-kind items including colorful quilts & totes, jewelry, decorative gourds, unique wearable art, felted wool creatures, ceramics, paintings and much more. All items are produced by FOTM volunteers, staff and outstanding Ventura County artists including Christine Beirne, Aliza Bejarano, Sonya Burke, Linda Carson, Yvette Franklin, Richard Franklin, Aimee French, Donna Granata, Judee Hauer, Camille King, Patty Kreider, Rima Muna, Oats and Ivy Farm, Michael Rohde, Gloria Rupio, Gayle Bentley Swanson, Cassandra Tondro, Elaine Unzicker, Kim Myrhe Clark, Cheri Neal, Members of the Turning Point Foundation Quality of Life Program and others.

Proceeds benefit FOTM’s Learning To See Outreach and other outstanding arts education programs.

To learn more about Focus on the Masters, visit www.FocusOnTheMasters.com or call 805.653.2501.

The Art of Michael O’Kelly Part Two:

His eclectic art/work studio in Ventura is filled with a rich tapestry of different art forms.

by Amy Brown

He is passionate about several important public art projects for which he has been recently commissioned. “I was really pleased when Miriam Schwab wanted me to do her memorial sculpture for Ventura College, which was part of her 13-million-dollar endowment for the college’s Performing Arts center,” he said.  He has since designed the 12’ tall bronze statue of a dancer with a violin in her honor, planned to be unveiled in January. He is also working on a large oil painting and art nouveau installation with alabaster, stone and metal for a local historical building. He says that he is comfortable being versatile, moving from one medium to another. “It’s quite easy. It’s just a matter of problem solving.”

O’Kelly has created many pieces of public art, in addition to his prolific privately commissioned work in Ventura County, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Local public art pieces include a major fountain and mural at Santa Barbara Zoo, the Camarillo Library, Cafe Sauro, and the Watermark, (now Limon y Sol). When asked if creating public art creates additional pressure for him as the artist, versus private commissions, he replied, “Public art is so important, thousands of people see it, but I don’t feel any additional pressure when creating it. I’m pretty confident and know what I can do. I’m just a working artist.” He shared that his friend, the late author Ray Bradbury, rarely wanted to discuss his craft. “If you ever asked Ray about writing, he hated answering. He’d say, ‘You want to write, write—don’t ask me about it. I’ve got nothing to say’. I feel the same way about painting.” O’Kelly is also currently working on a film about Bradbury’s storied life.

When you look around his eclectic art/work studio in Ventura, filled with a rich tapestry of different art forms—both his own and by others—you see styles, eras and mediums juxtaposed beautifully with one another. In the photo, he holds an intricate pen and ink drawing of a stucco Mayan head at the Mexico City Anthropology Museum, part of a series he made for the book, “Encyclopedia Of Ancient Civilizations,” while behind him leers a four sided Mexican dance mask from the early 1900s that represents the coming of Cortez as a wind God, Ehecatl Quetzalcoatl. While he appreciates and collects a wide range of art movements, he reflects that he believes people usually collect art for two reasons: it creates a visceral, immediate response for them, or that people told them it is or might become valuable. “A good painting, you can spend the rest of your life owning and looking at and you’ll always find something new,” said O’Kelly. “The only real criteria for owning art is if there’s enough to keep you interested in it.”

See part 1 in the Nov. 6 Ventura Breeze at www.venturabreeze.com

Todd Mitchell named new business operations manager for port district

Mitchell’s extensive experience will facilitate key project growth.

The Ventura Port District is pleased to announce the recent addition of Todd Mitchell as Business Operations Manager.  Mitchell comes to the Port District with a Bachelor of Science degree, a diploma in surveying, 18 years of project management, and 12 in business development. Mitchell’s extensive experience is anticipated to facilitate key project growth in the years ahead.

“We are very fortunate to have Todd join the Harbor’s leadership team,” states Brian Pendleton, Ventura Port District’s General Manager.  “His education, experience, and skills are proving to be a significant asset to the Port District’s mission and goals.”  Having served as a Board Member of the California Maritime and Navigation Conference (CMANC), an advocacy consortium of California ports and harbors, Mitchell’s continued involvement will play an important role in ensuring that Ventura’s port receives representation and support from federal and state governments.

“I thrive on opportunities that demand self-improvement and anticipate applying my business development and consultancy experience to the Harbor’s commercial real estate, marinas, commercial fishing, and business partnerships,” states Mitchell.

Participating on several committees of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Coasts Oceans Ports and Rivers Institute (COPRI) including the Vice-Chair for Ports and Harbor sub-committee on Sea Level Change for Marine Civil Works, Mitchell also frequently speaks and authors articles to advance the “Blue Economy.”

This expertise compliments the Ventura Harbor’s mission to provide a safe and navigable harbor and a seaside destination that benefits residents, visitors, fisherman, and boaters.  He and his wife, Heather Manheim, reside in Ventura.

Ventura County Potters’ Guild welcomes Ojai artist Caroline Allen

The Ventura County Potters’ Guild is pleased to welcome Ojai artist Caroline Allen. Recently retired from UCSB, Allen is a multi-media artist who’s worked mainly as a painter and writer but has had several intense periods in her life of being a ceramicist. The latest incarnation of her ceramicist self occurred last year after a frightening fall down some stairs and before her last year of working as a literature and creative writing teacher at UCSB’s College of Creative Studies. The work came before the interpretation though and viewers are welcome to see what occurs to them. Please join us for this show and tell of Allen’s journey.

Monday November 25, Doors open at 7 pm

Program begins at 7:30 pm

The Ventura Avenue Adult Center

550 N. Ventura Avenue Contact: Cecile Gurrola-Faulconer 805 754-6380

BMC Window and Door of Ventura grand opening and ribbon cutting

BMC Window and Door of Ventura recently held their grand opening and ribbon cutting at their new location at 3111 E. Main. BMC covers all your window, door, hardware, and millworks needs. From the smallest door hardware to quoting a complete window and door package for your home. They have over 30+ years of experience with both inside and outside sales.
buildwithbmc.com/bmc (805) 648-3667
Photo by Michael Gordon

The Museum of Ventura County announces new board members

The Museum of Ventura County announces the appointment of three new members of its Board of Directors, as well as the full slate of board members for 2019-2020.

Joining the Board of Directors are Jessica Arciniega, Oxnard, David Fukutomi, Camarillo, and Tom Pecht, Oxnard. “We feel incredibly fortunate that Tom, Jessica, and David have chosen to join the Board of Directors. Their combined experience and expertise in building stronger communities will be a tremendous help in the Museum as it works to inspire vibrant communities by connecting the past, present, and future.”  stated Elena Brokaw, Barbara Barnard Smith Executive Director.

Jessica Arciniega, formerly an associate at Wasserman, Comden, Casselman and Esenten, LLP, has now been an Assistant General Counsel at the Agricultural Labor Relations Board since 2012. Jessica is also formerly a board member of MICOP (the Mixteco Indígena Community Organizing Project).

David Fukutomi is a prominent government and private sector consultant specializing in security and emergency management. His government service has included stints with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services. He has served as a consultant to various government agencies including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Defense, U.S Department of Veterans Affairs and State of California.

Tom Pecht is the co-owner and operator of Pecht Ranch, a family business that grows avocados and citrus. He is part of a multi-generational County family. Tom is involved with numerous other regional non-profits. He serves on the board of directors for Livingston Memorial Visiting Nurse Association and the Leadership Advisory Council for Interface

The Museum is also pleased to announce that three board members have committed to remain serving on the board through June 2022: Al Lowe of Camarillo, Mike Sedell of Simi Valley, and Leslie Leavens of Ventura.

The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The Museum has two locations. The main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 and is open Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 805-653-0323. The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, CA 93060 and is open Wednesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 805-525-3100. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org .