The winners of the Ventura County Fair poster contest were unveiled by James Lockwood at a presentation at the fairgrounds.
First place went to 12-year-old Vita Jolie Vasquez from Fillmore. Who stated “I’ve always been interested in art in the different forms of it, including the process and stages. That includes drawing and painting, video games and fashion. My ultimate goal would be to make a living out of my art. I’ve been drawing ever since I could hold a pen which was before I could walk.
The second place winner is 17-year-old Amy Midence from Oxnard. Who said “I’m an incoming senior at Channel Islands High School. I would like to become an orthodontist. My interests are painting, drawing, crafting, baking and cooking and taking my dogs on walks. This was my first time entering the poster contest. On my poster I used acrylic paint and paint markers.
Three area women will present widely diverse painting styles and subjects in an exhibition Aug. 5-Oct. 1 in Buenaventura Art Association’s Studio 99 at Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave.
They are Bonnie Quan of Ojai, with “Tiny Paintings: A Mini-retrospective”; Tamiko Jordan of Ventura, who titled her show “Ebb and Flow”; and Michelle Nosco of Ventura, who chose the theme, “Portals: Sacred Sites and the Circle of Life.”
An opening-night reception for their joint show will be 6-9 p.m. Aug. 5, in conjunction with Ventura’s First Friday gallery crawl. A second First Friday reception will be held the same hours on Sept. 2. Studio 99’s regular hours are noon-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
The grassroots Ventura arts group, founded in 1954, also has an outlet at Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts at Ventura Harbor, and artwork displays at SpiceTopia and Very Ventura. BAA directors, staff and volunteers are seeking additional business partnerships to expand exhibit space and artist exposure.
For more information about BAA and its programs, call the gallery at 805-648-1235 or visit buenaventuraartassociation.org.
Congresswoman Julia Brownley (D-CA) announced Lily Strange, a senior at Buena High School, as the winner of the 2022 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 26th Congressional District. Lily’s piece is entitled “Liberty Forever,” and her artwork will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for one year.
“Each year, I am in awe of the young talent of artists across our district who participate in the Congressional Art Competition,” said Congresswoman Julia Brownley. “Art is an important outlet for students to express their emotions, channel their creativity, and advocate for the causes they care about.”
“I am honored to have my artwork recognized, especially a piece so meaningful to me,” said Lily Strange, 2022 Congressional Art Competition Winner. “Communication is essential, whether between countries or between people, stamps to me honor this. The foundation of our liberty is built from community.”
The new mural is a combined 32 feet long, oil on canvas, on five panels, and fills the back wall of the downstairs reception room, below the theatre hall and stage at the Rubicon Theatre Company on Main. The room is a speakeasy like venue for music and art and the design is intended to feel like an animated party is taking place, filled with costumed actors and musical performers, all of whom have played on the Rubicon stage. They include Carl Anderson, Ted Neeley, Jennifer Leigh Warren, Linda Purl, Melissa Manchester, Lisa Minelli and many more. The venue has been renamed the Rose Room, after the song “The Rose” written by actor Amanda McBroom. Amanda and her husband, actor George Ball, are central to the mural. Renowned artist Michael O’Kelly will be painting there almost everyday, the mural is expected to be finished by October.
Some of the faces are temporary waiting for your portrait to be added. Opportunities for inclusion in the mural range from $20,000-$30,000. Take your permanent place on the mural by contacting Bev Ward at [email protected] or 805-667-2912 x,280.
More exciting news from Rubicon Theatre Company as the organization officially opens a show of fine art by internationally renowned artist Michael O’Kelly.
During the pandemic, leadership at Rubicon sought to reimagine underutilized spaces at the Main and Laurel location. Board President Doug Halter shares, “For 24 years, Rubicon has been key to Ventura’s cultural vitality, but we want to invite new people into this wonderful space.” After assessing every inch of the building, Sandra and Jordan Laby Hall was re-envisioned as a gallery, allowing the company to fold visual arts into its programming.
With the idea in place, the first call was to Michael O’Kelly, who makes Ventura his home. The artist advised on how to best present and hang fine art, and then promised to provide 24 stunning works for the premier show in the Sandra and Jordan Laby Hall gallery.
Both Halter, a City Council member, and Rubicon Co-founder and Producing Artistic Director Karyl Lynn Burns are big O’Kelly fans. “What a treasure Michael is!” says Burns, citing his work worldwide as well as his local projects: the Miriam Schwab bronze at Ventura College, the facade designs for Limon ‘Y Sol and Star Lounge, and of course, his monumental ceramic mural at the Mission. “Collaborating with Michael has been an utter joy. We anticipate many future ventures with him, but those plans are under wraps.” this last said with a smile.
O’Kelly has a long and storied history in the art world. A prodigy, Michael sold his first work of art at the age of nine. By 13, he was studying with the infamous British forger Thomas Keating. Much later, in Mexico City, O’Kelly worked under the great Maestro Rufino Tamayo. Michael has exhibited in over forty-nine art galleries and museums on three continents, including the Commonwealth Institute, the Centro Iberoamericano in Madrid, and the Santa Barbara Museum.
He’s curated significant collections of ethnographic art for the Museum of Mankind (British Museum), the Binche Museum in Belgium, and the Brighton Museum in England and co-produced major international exhibitions at the Plastic Arts Museum in Moscow, the Hermitage in Russia, and the Edvard Munch Museum in Oslo. Additionally, O’Kelly has illustrated several history reference books. His exquisite handmade ceramic murals adorn the walls of Disneyland/World, along with many public buildings in Vegas, Nevada, and California.
This partnership between one of the largest arts organizations in Ventura and a freelance artist shows how the creative sector might evolve post-pandemic. “There’s enormous undeveloped potential in Ventura.” Burns bubbles, “We must think big and find innovative ways to grow our creative economy. The status quo won’t do.” If left to Rubicon and O’Kelly, the future will be rich with partnerships such as theirs.
The official opening of O’Kelly’s show is at 6:30 p.m. on July 21. O’Kelly will be on hand to chat about his process, with music, wine, and light snacks provided for attendees.
On Saturday, July 9th, 2022, The Ventura Land Trust sponsored it’s first artist-led Plein Air painting workshop at Harmon Canyon Preserve. The event began with an introduction to Harmon Canyon Preserve by Outreach director, Leslie Velez and three professional Plein-Air artists. artists. It concluded with artist participants showing their final projects.
Painting en plein air, the French expression for “in the open air,” is the act of leaving the walls of a studio and painting in the outdoors. Artists explore how to paint form and light, with its changing, ephemeral qualities, with portable paints and easel.
The presentation included Harmon Canyon Preserves’ cultural and natural history. Led by professional artists, participants used acrylic, water colors or oil paint to capture the beauty of Harmon Canyon Preserve. Public programs like this one enable participants to connect with nature and with community.
Helle Urban
If you have any questions regarding this program or others like it, please contact Leslie Velez Outreach Director for Ventura land trust.
805 6438044
Buenaventura Art Association:
A Members Show at
Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts
New show ends July 19, 2022
Featuring the artwork and artisan crafts of 10 resident member artists, Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts also exhibits the works of over a dozen other BAA members!
Green Mansions – watercolor – Lorna Amundson
The wonderful water colors of Leavitt Dudley can be seen at the Dudley House. Leavitt Dudley, Miriam and Oscar’s son, was an artist. His artwork includes the Rancho Maps of Ventura, Santa Barbara, and Los Angeles, sketches and models for Ventura County Fair, set designs for Paramount Studios, and illustrations for books and magazines.
FOTM is proud to present two
Learning To See Outreach
student exhibits at local libraries:
The Ojai Library
Through August 31, 2022
111 East Ojai Avenue, Ojai
Hill Road Library
June 13 – August 15, 2022
1070 South Hill Road, Ventura
Mama Bird and Baby by Fletcher
Grade 5, Topa Topa Elementary
The creative spirit is on display!
Learning To See Outreach (LTS) professional artists taught students in lessons that focused on creative individuals whose indigenous roots inform their artwork with special attention to inspiration from the Earth.
The Ojai Library is hosting an exhibit of Meiners Oaks and Topa Topa Elementary students. Middle school students from Anacapa, Isbell and Rio del Valle are exhibiting at Hill Road Library.
