Brand New Day, 2nd Place, BAA’s 34th Annual Open Competition, Lois Bloom.

Call for Entries Now Open! BAA’s 35th Open Competition
A juried show for members and non-members
Exhibiting May 4 – May 29, 2024 at Ojai Art Center
Call for entries is now open on “Entrythingy” on our website!
Deadline: Friday, April 19, midnight

We used to be able to say, ” Annual Open Competition” but the pandemic interfered with that! Our last Open Competition — our 34th Annual — was in 2020. It’s finally here again, not quite “annual” but greatly anticipated!

Awards:

First Place $500,Second Place $350,Third Place $250

Four Honorable Mentions at $100 ea.

All winners also receive a free one-year membership to BAA.

Juror: Chuck Kovacic. Find out more about him at https://cfkovacic.wixsite.com/chuckkovacicarts

Artist Eligibility: Artists must be 18 years or older and may submit up to three (3) works of art for consideration. Open to all professional and amateur artists in the United States. Shipping information given upon acceptance.

Deadline: Midnight, Friday, April 19, 2024. Notification of accepted work will be sent Wednesday, April 24, 2024.

Andres Salazar is having an exhibit of his art work at the WAV Gallery (175 S. Ventura Ave.) with an opening reception on May 3, 6-9pm and on the weekends May 4-25th  from 1-4pm.

This exhibit dances with the raw energy of action painting and landscape expressionism.  Infused with movement and life, the canvas shows the process of making the art.  It is a journey of both spaces and emotions.  Each canvas serves as an open invitation, a playground where viewers can embark on their own journeys through the constellations of my shapes, forging their own connections and narratives. 

Andres has considered Ventura his home for the last 20 years, and is a resident of the WAV community.  Graduated at UCSB, he has always been involved in creative arts and worked in the graphic novel publishing industry. Story and art have always influenced his work and he brings that storytelling to the canvas using vibrant colors and dynamic shapes.

Photos by Patricia Schallert

On March 30th guests were able to step right into a world of artistic talents at an incredible art show hosted at the Seaward Brewery and organized by Thomas Trigo. Local artists Betsy Laban, Summer Vaughn, and Sean Foster displayed captivating paintings, mesmerizing jewelry, and thought-provoking photography. Guests were immersed in a symphony of colors, shapes, and emotions while having a delightful beer. It was a wonderful opportunity to explore the boundless depths of creative expression.

Homeward, Acrylic on canvas, Judy Suzuki

Buenaventura Art Association, a creative force at Ventura Harbor Village since 2005, is proud to add painter Judy Suzuki and photographer Michael Maloney to the roster of talent at its seaside showcase.

Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, a BAA member enterprise, welcomes visitors and art lovers at 1559 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 106. The shop, which moved to its current site in 2016, is open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. seven days a week.

Suzuki, a third-generation Japanese American, lives in Ventura and has spent decades immersed in the local arts community as a graphic artist, muralist and teacher.

“By practicing tuning into my intuitions, I think less and follow the creative journey through expressions of the brush and paint,” she said. “Whether it’s people, animals or nature, I love capturing the essence of life.

“My intention as an artist is to continue practicing seeing from my heart, not from my head, and remember to have fun in the creative process,” Suzuki said.

If Ghosts Could Talk, Photography, Michael Maloney

Maloney is a former newsman now living in Woodland Hills who also pursues art by closely observing nature.

“My background is nearly four decades of photojournalism, mostly with the San Francisco Chronicle,” he said. “With the fast-paced, always-a-deadline world of news and sports photography behind me, I am now retired and enjoying the slower pace of nature photography.

“I am self-taught in photography, starting back in the days of film and darkrooms to currently using the latest in digital cameras and photo processing. I believe that printing in itself is an art form and I take pride in the process,” he said.

Maloney added, “With my images, I hope to encourage you to get out and explore this world we live in with a spirit of curiosity, astonishment and hope.”

BAA, an arts cooperative founded in 1954, also operates Studio 99 in Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave., which is open noon-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, and has members’ artworks on display at SpiceTopia, a retail store at 576 E. Main St., Ventura, that’s open daily, but hours vary.

To learn more about BAA and its programs, phone the gallery at 805-648-1235 or visit buenaventuraartassociation.org.

Enjoy the art of Carrie Bezler.

Our next solo exhibitions in Studio 99, Buenaventura Art Association’s gallery and headquarters at Bell Arts Factory in Ventura, will feature two artists’ viewpoints on the wonder—and increasing volatility—of humanity’s relationship to our world.

Eva Montealegre will present oil paintings on canvas she says draw from “ancient charts and cave drawings and tribal characterizations” to explore “our life’s blood connection to all that is.” “Blood Mandala” is what Montealegre names her show.

Carrie Bezler, who signs her work REY, will display selected pastel drawings in “Returned to the Sea,” a title alluding to her recent California return after a dozen years in Germany. The show will include pieces from her “ocean-inspired … mostly realistic” Sea Creatures series, she said.

Art lovers can meet and talk with the artists during First Friday open gallery receptions from 6-9 p.m. April 5. Exhibit Runs until April 27, 2024.

The Museum of Ventura County is pleased to announce the opening of its newest George Stuart Historical Figures® exhibition, Napoleon: Revolution, Romance, and Rivalries. The exhibition opens Thursday, February 22, 2024, and will be on display through September 15, 2024, inviting visitors to delve into the multifaceted life of Napoleon Bonaparte. 

The exhibition invites visitors to explore the captivating story of Napoleon Bonaparte, from his rise to power in the aftermath of the French Revolution to his entangled relationships with other global leaders. Through meticulously crafted figures by George Stuart, including Napoleon Bonaparte, Marie Antoinette, Maximilien Robespierre, Empress Josephine, and more, visitors will witness the significant impact of Napoleon on the course of history.

A pilot beautification project was recently launched , transforming city trash cans on Seaward Ave. into functional art pieces. Funded by the Pierpont Community Council, this colorful mosaic design by Ventura artist Frank Bauer reflects the beauty of our coastal environment.

February 11, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm free

A quilt display and a new art exhibit at the Olivas Adobe stitch together stories of the Rancho life and how work and play are intertwined.

Featured is wall hanging sized adobe quilt designed by docent Debra Milbourne with an appliqued rendering of the Olivas Adobe at its center with embellishing fabrics used along the border to depict the mission grapes, rose, and herb gardens. The famous great horned owl that nests in the eucalyptus tree near the adobe along with other rancho creatures create a whimsical yard around the adobe . Several other quilts will be on display in the rancho rooms and exhibit spaces featuring different eras and feature different quilting techniques.

Complimenting the quilts and the historic landmark in the small adobe is a new exhibit by the Plein Aire Artists of Ventura County;. Celebrating Animals of the Rancho. An artist reception will be held from 12- 1pm on the 11th, where the public can meet the artists and talk about the inspiration behind the paintings featuring sheep, horses, and cattle. All artwork is for sale and the art exhibit will remain up though the end of May. The Quilt exhibit is one day only. www.cityofventura.ca.gov/OlivasAdobe