Category Archives: Ventura Art Scene

BAA presents Ventura Mandala (new Artwalk Feature)

Thursday and Friday, September 19 and 20, 10am – 5pm
by Ojai Mandala Artists and Mandala Medicine Movement

Volunteers Needed

BAA is a major sponsor of this new-to-ArtWalk feature, a 40-foot mandala, to be painted on Ventura’s Main St. in front of the San Buenaventura Mission. It will be finished before ArtWalk commences and will be left on the street for one month.

A mandala is a geometric set of patterns, colors, and shapes, usually in the form of a circle. It is used in many faith traditions and represents wholeness, totality, infinity, timelessness, and unity.

Mandala painting has been a long-standing tradition for Ojai Day for more than 30 years with an emphasis on bringing together artists and community members. Foundational to its creation is that it is free and involves people of all ages and all artistic abilities. And now it is coming to Ventura!

Volunteers NeededYou are invited to join the artists and community builders by volunteering to help create the mandala. All ages and all abilities are welcome. You don’t have to be an artist to participate. You are invited to paint but you can also be involved by:

  • Manning the paint table, where you will welcome participants and organize and hand out paints and supplies
  • Setting up and tearing down the prep areas

River Sauvageau, founder of Mandala Medicine Movement, says the biggest need right now is at the paint table. “I am asking for help at the paint table, that is where we need help the most. This does not mean [volunteers] cannot paint, if they want to.”

If you would like to be involved in creating this piece of timeless beauty, whether as a painter with family and friends or a support organizer, please contact River at (805) 669-8058 (text is best) or email at [email protected].

Most of all, just show up, participate, or support the participants on Thursday and Friday, 10am to 5pm or see the finished product during ArtWalk, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 21 and 22, noon to 5pm on Saturday and 11am to 4pm on Sunday!

Little Hands Art Studio

Join VitaArt or a fun-filled weekly art class designed for young artists. Children from 3-5 years-old will explore hands-on, age-appropriate art projects that spark imagination and creativity. Each class will feature exciting activities like painting, sculpting, and crafting, along with story time and playtime to keep little ones engaged and inspired.

  • Mondays, October 7 – November 4, 5 weeks
  • Time: 9-10:30am
  • Fees: $165.
  • Instructor: Kathleen Kaller
  • Materials provided
  • Classes are held outside in our patio

Potty-trained kiddos can be dropped off for independent art-making fun, while all other children are welcome to participate with a parent or guardian. Of course, all parents are encouraged to stay and enjoy the creative process with their child if they wish. www.vitaartcenter.com/fall-2024/little-hands-art-studio.

Ventura Art & Chalk Festival

Artists transformed the Ventura Harbor Village promenade during last weekend’s Ventura Art & Chalk Festival. This year’s festival was dedicated to co-founder Randy Hinton of Ventura, who passed away last year after battling cancer. Proceeds from the event support local charities, free art programs, and scholarships. venturaartfestival.com. Photo by Sheldon Brown.

Call to Artists: Beautifying Trash Bins Public Art Project

The City invites artists and artistic teams to participate in the Beautifying Trash Bins Public Art Project, an initiative to transform four new “bear box” style trash receptacles into vibrant works of art. This project aims to deter vandalism, enhance the visitor experience at the beach, pier, and promenade, promote cleanliness, and celebrate Ventura’s natural beauty and historical coastal landmarks. It also seeks to foster a sense of community and environmental stewardship.

This project is a collaboration between the City’s Environmental Sustainability Division and the Arts & Culture section.

Key Dates:

  • Call to Artists Opens: Tuesday, August 27, 2024
  • Application Submission Deadline: Friday, September 13, 2024, by 5:00 p.m.
  • Panel Review of Applications: Mid to Late September 2024
  • Arts & Culture Commission Shortlist Review & Selection: October 10, 2024
  • Project Execution: TBD

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to contribute to Ventura’s public art landscape!

https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/2537/Public-Art-Opportunities

Fantastical Blues

Solo Show by Deborah Paulsen

Longtime artist and art instructor Deborah Paulsen will present her first Buenaventura Art Association solo exhibition Sept. 6 – Oct. 26 in Studio 99, BAA’s Ventura headquarters in Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave.

Using hot beeswax and damar resin with added shellac, oil paints and pigment sticks, she creates encaustic paintings on cradled wooden panels and will display about 18 works in a show titled “Fantastical Blues.”

Paulsen will be on hand to discuss her art and the encaustic process at First Friday receptions 6 – 9 p.m. Sept. 6 and Oct. 4 and during Ventura’s annual weekend ArtWalk, noon-5 p.m. Sept. 21 and 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Sept. 22. https://www.buenaventuraartassociation.org.

Ventura Artwalk Sept. 21-22

Ventura Artwalk: Sat, Sept. 21, 12 – 5 pm and Sun, Sept. 22, 11 am – 4 pm. Downtown.

The family-friendly event will feature hundreds of artists in local galleries, businesses, restaurants and on the grounds of Mission Park and the Albinger Museum. Artist booths, popular local bands, aerialists, poetry, dance, a film festival, street painting, puppetry and a children’s area will all be a part of this event run by an enthusiastic all-volunteer team. Live painting and pottery demonstrations will also be featured. This huge, free event unites Ventura’s west side neighborhoods, businesses and arts community in a two-day celebration of the creative spirit. Transit to ArtWalk Ventura and along the route will again be at no cost through the generosity of Gold Coast Transit. Register to participate at www.artwalkventura.org.

Uniting Ventura Through Art: The Ventura Mandala Project

The Ventura Mandala Project is set to transform the intersection of Main St. and Figueroa St. during the upcoming ArtWalk Ventura festival, creating a lasting legacy for the city. This collaborative endeavor, led by Ojai community artist River Sauvageau, is designed to captivate hearts and minds while fostering connection, inclusivity, and pride within Ventura.

What is the Ventura Mandala Project?

Inspired by the ancient tradition of mandala-making and the 30+ years of Ojai Day Mandalas, the Ventura Mandala Project invites residents of all ages and backgrounds to come together to co-create a stunning 40-foot diameter mandala on the streets of downtown Ventura.

Key Features:

  • Location: Main St. at Figueroa St., a bustling intersection that anchors Ventura’s vibrant arts scene.
  • Timing: Painting will take place on Thursday and Friday, September 19 & 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., coinciding with the ArtWalk Ventura Festival 2024 and tapping into the event’s energy and excitement.
  • Collaboration: Residents, artists, visitors, community leaders, and festival-goers will join forces to paint the mandala, infusing it with diverse perspectives, stories, and symbols.
  • Symbolism: The mandala will symbolize unity, diversity, and shared identity, reflecting Ventura’s rich cultural heritage.

Why Participate?

  • Community Engagement: Connect with fellow residents through a meaningful and collaborative art-making experience.
  • Cultural Celebration: Honor Ventura’s diversity and heritage by contributing to a visual masterpiece that represents our collective story.
  • Artistic Expression: Unleash your creativity and leave your mark on the city’s streetscape, turning ordinary pavement into a vibrant work of art. All abilities are welcome, and local artists are especially encouraged to participate.
  • Legacy Building: Create a lasting legacy for future generations, embodying the spirit of unity and creativity that defines our community.
  • Family Unity: Bring your family to paint together, continuing a tradition where multiple generations collaborate on the mandala.

How to Get Involved:

  1. Join Our Team: Email River at [email protected] or text 805-669-8058 to contribute your unique vision to Ventura’s Mandala Project. Whether you want to paint, assist at the paint table, or support the team with your presence, there’s a role for everyone.
  2. Spread the Word: Invite friends, family, and neighbors to join in, amplifying the impact of this community-driven initiative.
  3. Check In: On the day of the event, visit the paint table to be welcomed and guided into the painting process.

For more information, visit https://studio-sauvageau.myshopify.com/pages/mandala-movement

Interested in Painting a Public Art Mural? Here’s How to Get Started

Ventura’s vibrant public art scene is constantly evolving, with more murals being added each year. If you’re planning to install a mural, you’ll need to obtain a City permit in the following cases:

  • The mural will be on private property and visible from public areas (e.g., sidewalks, streets).
  • The mural will be on or inside City-owned property.
  • The mural will be in a Historic District or on a Historic Landmark.

The permitting process is outlined in the Public Art Mural Application Packet, which you can access below. The Community Partnerships Division within the Parks & Recreation Department is also available to assist you through the review and approval process.

Learn more and get started by completing the online form: https://www.cityofventura.ca.gov/1778/Public-Art-Murals

Vita Art Center announces Three New Exhibitions

Michael Deragon, Collage, Complicated Creator, 18×24, 2024

Vita Art Center is proud to present three new exhibits opening on Saturday, August 31 running through October 26. The exhibits feature WATER, Benjamin Provo: Ceramics, and Collage. Each exhibit explores distinct themes through various artistic mediums, offering visitors a rich and immersive experience in contemporary art.

WATER brings together six artists – Rick Stich, Colin Fraser Gray, Cheryl Ann Thomas, Maria Adela Diaz, Bill Dewey, and Marie McKenzie – who delve into the multifaceted essence of water. Stich’s drawings, inspired by Leonardo Da Vinci’s “A Deluge,” capture the dramatic beauty of water’s turbulence, while Gray’s work, influenced by a near-drowning experience, conveys its dynamic movement. McKenzie’s kelp oil paintings highlight environmental concerns, emphasizing the fragile balance of marine ecosystems. Diaz’s video art addresses the Latin American diaspora, shedding light on the often-invisible roles of women. Thomas’s ceramics evoke life’s transience, and Dewey’s close-up wave photography offers an intimate view of water’s power and grace. Together, these artists create a cohesive narrative celebrating water’s profound impact on life and art.

Benjamin Provo makes a compelling return to his artistic roots with an exhibition that reflects his journey from the business side of the art world to a deeply personal exploration of material, surface, and self-expression. As a self-taught artist with a background in ceramics, painting, and mixed media, Provo’s work is informed by his studies of archaic Greek, Judaic, and Levantine pottery. His recent creations use traditional vessel forms to explore mark-making, poetry, and texture, aiming for direct engagement with viewers. This body of work is Provo’s heartfelt expression of love, loss, and the joys of life, presented with unfiltered authenticity.

Collage showcases the works of ten Southern California artists—Mike Blaha, Michael Deragon, Scott Gordon, Colleen M. Kelly, Dan Levin, Gail Pine, Paddy Reynolds, Ilene Segalove, Jacqueline Woods, and Wren Stepan—who utilize collage as a central component of their studio practice. This exhibition traces the history of collage from its revolutionary origins with Cubists like Picasso and Braque to its evolution through the Dada movement and beyond. The featured artists build on this storied tradition, pushing the boundaries of collage with contemporary techniques and themes, resulting in a vibrant exploration of identity, culture, and abstraction.

Vita Art Center, 28 West Main Street. For more information visit, www.vitaartcenter.com or call 805-901-4677.

Focus on the Masters For the Love of Art 30th Anniversary Celebration! 

Focus on the Masters Benefit for Arts Education

FOTM Education Director Aimee French teaching Learning to See 3D Assemblage lesson at Elmhurst Elementary.

Point Broadcasting presents, Focus on the Masters (FOTM) Arts Archive & Library, For the Love of Art 30th Anniversary Celebration Benefit for the Arts Education on Sunday, September 15, from 3 pm to 6 pm, at The Victorian House, 211 E. Main Street. The Garden Party celebration will begin with an art preview gathering of event sponsors and FOTM members from 2 to 3 p.m.  All proceeds benefit FOTM’s award-winning arts education programs including the Learning To See Outreach, a sequential in-school and community outreach art program for at-risk youth and Title 1 schools.

“Our 30th Anniversary is such a tremendous milestone!” exclaims Founder and Executive Director Donna Granata. “Our gathering will be celebration all of the extraordinary artists, volunteers, patrons, collaborators, Board members and staff who have played an important role in developing our rare resource library and archive.”

The FUNdraising garden party will be full of “art for all” including FOTM’s famed $30 Mystery Boxes filled with all kinds of art related treasures worth at least $50, a fine art raffle, silent auction, and fun activities including a photo booth, hat decorating contest, scavenger hunt, quick draw, and more!

FOTM has served the community for over thirty years through their educational arts programming. Since that time, their Learning To See program has brought compelling lessons to over 275,000 students throughout Ventura County.  The integrative lessons are inspired by the artwork and life stories of extraordinary FOTM documented artists.

Program director Aimee French explains, “The local artists featured in every Learning To See lesson serve as strong role models.  Students learn that every artist has their own story and that they persevered in pursuit of their passions.  As our students dive into each hands-on lesson, they gain confidence in their own and others’ unique expression.”

“The arts must be incorporated into our daily lives – now more than ever.” Comments, FOTM Founder, Donna Granata.  “Art builds empathy and understanding of our fellow human beings.  No two artistic expressions are alike – just as no two human beings are alike.”

“Each artists’ documentation culminates with the Artist Spotlight interview held in front of a live audience.” Granata adds. “The Spotlight gives the public an opportunity to hear the artist’s story firsthand, as they share their evolution and development. Sharing and listening to personal stories is so inspiring!”

FOTM Tickets for the event are available at www.FocusOnTheMasters.com or by calling 805.653.2501. Members $150, non-members $175.

The FOTM Archive & Library houses a rare collection of resource materials chronicling our cultural community including over 2,500 hours of oral histories, videotaped interviews, a digital library of the artists’ work, publications, and ephemera.  FOTM’s resources are available to the museum community, scholars, historians, and the media. The FOTM Archive & Library is open to the public Monday through Thursday 10am to 4pm and by appointment. Library services are available by appointment only.

Major sponsors of For the Love of Art include Point Broadcasting, the Ruth & Joseph C. Reed Foundation for the Arts, James & Mary Galbraith, The Victorian House, and Stirred Event Planning.   For a complete list of sponsors and donors please visit www.FocusOnTheMasters.com.