Donna Granata’s portraits of Ojai artists, who have been extensively documented for the Focus on the Masters Arts Archive & Library, are part of a group exhibit at the Ojai Valley Museum. The exhibit was curated by Roger Conrad who said, “Not mere picture takers, they are artists. Their chosen subjects are refined to an essence that transcends banality.”
Museum Hours:
Fridays from 1pm to 7pm
Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 4pm
Claudia Patricia Gomez Gonzales Unique Jacquard Tapestry by John Nava.
Opening Event: Saturday, June 12 from 4-7pm., Reservations Required
$10 for non-members. Members free
Exhibit Dates: June 12 – August 14, 2021
Roya Kovensky, Survivor | Unique Jacquard Tapestry | Artist: David Kassan
These artists are holding the world to account. Both by the monumental scale of the tapestries and their exceptional technical prowess, Nava and Kassan command attention to their subject matter whether it be images of people who died while suffering hardships nobody should ever suffer or in the case of Kassan adults who once suffered monstrous hardships yet lived to tell their story; a story held in their bodily stance, a story that speaks of both defiance and dignity.
It is a curious shift in our historical focus that throws these two together. Figurative artworks were once outflanked in importance by a bold new abstraction, but with abstraction the ability to tell stories all but dried up. Instead abstraction often functioned as handy decor for corporations to inoculate their walls and entrances from difficult meanings.
28 West Main Street
Ventura, CA 93001
805-644-9214
2021, Oil on panel, 8 X 10 inches
Water color art from residents of the Ventura Townehouse painted during the water color class offered at the Townehouse.
Twelve-year-old Phoebe Hopp’s wide eyes stared hauntingly out at her grandmother from the self-portrait she’d drawn in art class. Lydia Hopps couldn’t see her granddaughter’s expression. Most of her face was covered by a mask, which she and other students had worn to prevent spread of COVID-19 during the class at Vita Art Center.
Thus began an ambitious community art project at Vita Arts Center called “Through Our Eyes,” organized by the center’s founding director, Mary Perez. The project involves a series of free art workshops for children ages 8 to 18, led by professional artists. Instructors guide students to create a self-portrait of themselves wearing a face mask.
Workshops at Vita Arts Center are already underway, and the center plans to hold several more through the end of the year. An on-site and online exhibit of 100 self-portraits is planned for June. The center will also create a printed catalog of the portraits that will be available to the public.
So far, Perez has enough funding to provide workshops for 100 students. She hopes to secure enough funding to offer workshops to a total of 500 children and teens.
Parents can sign their children up for the workshops online, and registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. Perez is also reaching out to local schools to discuss hosting workshops for their students.
To sign up for a workshop or to donate to the Through Our Eyes Community Art Project and Exhibit, visit www.VitaArtCenter.com Workshop spaces are limited and pre-registration is a must. Vita Art Center is located at 28 W. Main St.
Ventura artist Carrie Vogi is one of the artists on display.
An International Mail Art Exhibition hosted by Joe Cardella’s ARTLIFE Foundation opened April 15, and runs through May 14, in downtown Ventura.
Entitled the “Post” Pandemic Mail Art Exhibit, it called for artists throughout the world, professional, amateur, or beginners, to mail in 6” x 9” postcard size works of art for an exhibition. The show honors artist Joe Cardella, whose ARTLIFE magazine collected mail art over twenty-five years, totaling over 10,000 pages, and reflects dependence on the “post” for sharing art then, now and after the pandemic.
Artists from 22 countries submitted over 237 pieces of art, from the USA, Greece, Japan, Romania, Russia, France, Italy, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Poland, Brazil, Uruguay, Hungary, the UK, Denmark, Macedonia, Spain, Turkey, Serbia, Norway, Belgium, Sicily (Italy).
The live actual exhibit will be on display at two downtown Ventura locations, walkers can view the postcard art in the windows at 47 S. Oak St and around the corner at 365 E. Main St. near Oak St.
All works in the actual exhibit are posted virtually on line at the Foundation website:
https://artlifefoundation.org.
The Foundation dedicates itself to position Ventura as one of the world’s major Mail Art centers and strives to develop the recognition of art as an essential human need and to expand communication among artists in our area and throughout the world.
The artists of Ventura Pottery Gallery in Ventura Harbor invite you to stop by May 8th or 9th from 11-6 to pick up a special token of appreciation for your favorite mother. To show our appreciation we will provide fresh flowers for the first ten purchases (each of the two days) of a hand-made vase from the gallery. While the traditional flower for Mother’s Day is a carnation, all sorts of flowers will be available. The gallery is teaming up with florist Suzan Matsukawa to fill your hand-made vase.
Gallery artist have been busy making one-of-a-kind vases for that one-of-a-kind mother. There will be a special outdoor exhibit of vases or step inside the gallery to explore other ceramic creations.
In addition, there will be demonstrations by potters Rebecca Catterall (Sat 11-2), John Grisafe (Sat 2:30 – 4) and Suzanne Cline (Sun 12-2). Watch the magic as the clay transforms from a lump to an elegant vase!
Register inside the gallery by the end of the day Friday, May 7 to win a hand-made vase by ceramic artist Ellen Wohlstatadter with a faux floral arrangement created by floral designer and artisan, Suzan Matsukawa. Winner does not need to be present to win.
The Ventura Pottery Gallery is located at 1567 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105 in Ventura Harbor. The Gallery is open seven days a week from 11-6. We also have an online store for those who can’t make it to the harbor. For more information visit www.venturapottersguild.org.
Check out the new mural by Ventura based artist, Andrew Rodriguez on the corner of Loma Vista and St. Paul’s Drive. Andrew has combined his love for the ocean, people, and design to bring about a unique style filled with light and positivity in his numerous murals painted locally and around the state of California. Andrew is currently working on a series of children’s books with the help of his wife and kiddos.
If you have questions about the City of Ventura’s Public Art Mural program contact Community Partnerships Supervisor, Kathryn Dippong Lawson at [email protected]
Buenaventura Art Association is creating a new home at Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave., and finding more venues for its member artists as the COVID-19 pandemic gradually ebbs.
The grassroots Ventura arts group, founded in 1954, is moving to Studio 99 at Bell Arts, its base since 2018 where it previously occupied Studio 30. Its other artwork outlets are Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, at Ventura Harbor; and SpiceTopia and Very Ventura, both shops downtown on Main Street.
Studio 99 is large enough for main office operations, special exhibits and Artisan Store displays, has a lobby area for a more professional presentation, offers an outdoor area for First Friday gallery crawls (when they resume) and other public receptions, and keeps BAA connected to other artists at Bell Arts and the other west side Ventura arts centers.
The group aims to have Studio 99 fully open by late May. It is being designed to be a flexible layout that can change according to need, with exhibit space to accommodate up to three solo artists and good natural light. There also is meeting space for artist groups, talks and/or workshops, and association board meetings.
BAA directors, staff and volunteers are continuing to look for additional business partnerships to expand exhibit space and artist exposure in downtown and other popular parts of Ventura.
For more about the 67-year-old nonprofit artists’ cooperative and its programs, visit buenaventuraartassociation.org.
Brian Pendleton, Ellen Wohlstadter, Chris Stephens, Drew Lurie, Wyn Matthews, and Mike Blumenberg at the Gallery.
What started as a three-month summer project to open a ceramic gallery at Ventura Harbor, grew to ten years and is still going strong. We thank the Ventura Port District Commissioners for awarding us a Ten Year Plaque.
Cecile Gurrola-Faulconer led the charge to open the Gallery and rallied eight intrepid potters to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in something other than clay. Cecile now states, “It has been such a joy to see the Ventura Potters’ Gallery artists and their ceramics rise to be seen as a premier art form in our community. Our members shine with both sculptural and functional items reflecting their own individual personalities. We are here to stay!”
Within the first month of being open the number grew to 15 participating artists. Over the ten years, 64 artists have traveled through the Gallery and there currently are 44 affiliated artists. Most have permanent displays, but consignment artists are encouraged to exhibit a few pieces each month.
The backbone is the Ventura County Potters’ Guild, a local non-profit that oversees its master plan while Gallery members join committees for its day-to-day running. Not only do we pull from Ventura County, but the only limit to participation is the distance a member is willing to drive for sitting a shift.
Be sure to stop by the Ventura Potters’ Gallery to view work from 44 local artists and potters. The Gallery is located at 1567 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 105 in Ventura Harbor and is open seven days a week from 11-6. Can’t make it in? Please visit our newly-launched Online Store at venturapotteryonline.com.
More information can be found at http://venturapottersguild.org.
