Category Archives: Ventura Art Scene

De Anza Academy of Technology and Arts (DATA) installs first temporary public art mural, Eyes on the Westside

On June 8th, students from De Anza Academy of Technology and Arts (DATA) installed their first temporary public art mural, Eyes on the Westside, at 481 N. Ventura Ave. The temporary mural showcases the Westside’s diversity and community through portraits of children from the Westside. Five eighth grade students; Ruby, Lukas, Cash, Carina, and Naia, worked on the project. They developed the why, photographed and edited the portraits, participated in the Public Art Commission’s design review process, and supported its installation.

DATA’s mural is part of a larger project by artist JR, titled Inside Out, which is a global platform for people to share their untold stories and transform messages of personal identity into works of public art. Eyes on the Westside, which measures 70 ft. by 30 ft., will be up for approximately six months.

DATA’s project is a community collaboration between the Ventura Unified School District, City of Ventura, Westside Community Development Corporation, and Local 805 Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters. Each INSIDE OUT group action is documented, archived, and exhibited online. The INSIDE OUT project has traveled from Ecuador to Nepal, from Mexico to Palestine, inspiring group actions on varied themes such as hope, diversity, and climate change.

Channel Islands Harbor hosts Fine Art Festival

Channel Islands Harbor will host its Fine Art Festival featuring fine arts and crafts 10 a.m. – 5 p.m., July 13-14, at the Harbor Landing, located at 2810 Harbor Blvd., at the corner of Channel Islands Blvd.

The event features accomplished artists presenting their original work in all mediums of two- and three-dimensional fine art, including paintings in acrylics, oils, watercolors, photography, and sculpture in glass, metal, and wood. Each artist will be present to meet with the public and discuss their work. All work is available for purchase.

This event is produced by West Coast Artists, which has presented fine art shows throughout Southern California, Arizona and Nevada since 1983.
For more information about the Fine Art Festival, visit the Channel Islands Harbor’s website, www.channelislandsharbor.org.

2019 Call to Artists Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival

2019 Call to Artists
Ventura Art & Street Painting Festival
September 7th and 8th 10 am-5 pm
Ventura Harbor Village

Artists of all original fine art and fine craft disciplines may apply. Artists must submit one application per category. All entries will be juried, and digital images of artwork required for jurying.

Booth Fees: $150 for 10×10 booth. Artists must provide own tent and or canopy.

This outdoor event features fine art and crafts, and street painters from around Southern California creating vibrant works of art on the pavement at the Harbor.

Event benefits FOOD Share, Inc. and Kids’ Arts, Inc.

Last year, 14,000 people attended each day!

For more information or an application www.venturaartfestival.com or
[email protected]

Photo by Richard Lieberman

A Conversation with Carlos Grasso at Museum of Ventura County June 16

A Conversation with Carlos Grasso Sunday, June 16, 2019 3 to 4:30 p.m.
Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main Street, Ventura

Ojai based artist Carlos Grasso studied visual arts and music as a child while growing up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. As a “Visionary Artist and Compulsive Visual Explorer” his world has always revolved around art whether drawing, painting, playing music or teaching. He studied figure drawing as well as the piano and flute at the National Conservatory of Music.

Carlos Grasso is interested in philosophy and spirituality, by playing and experimenting with our inner relationship to the outer world he allows himself the freedom of expression to compose pieces that harmonize between the real and the abstract gracefully. His collage-based compositions juxtapose found objects with abstract paintings, creating a dialogue between the tangible and the intangible, the subjective and the material. Grasso exhibits throughout Ventura and Los Angeles and is a member of the prestigious Ojai Studio Artists, who open their studios annually the second weekend in October.

Free to FOTM members, $15 for public; $10 for seniors. To learn more about Carlos, visit www.CarlosGrasso.com

Special invitation to educators and students: The Artist Spotlight is open to students attending as a class assignment free of charge. FOTM is happy to assist with tracking attendance and sign-in sheets. Reservations required. To RSVP visit www.FocusOnTheMasters.com or call 805.653.2501.

AfterGlow Fundraising Event: The public is welcome to join the artist for a celebratory fundraising dinner at the Ventura home of Terri Willison. Paid reservations are required prior to June 10. Maps will be given to paid guests at the interview.

$30 FOTM members, $40 Non-members.

Special Members Only Event: Grasso, along with Peter Fox, will be featured in Actual Reality, a two-person show at the Museum of Ventura County through August 17. FOTM is partnering with the Museum of Ventura County to produce a special walk through the exhibit with Carlos on June 21st at 11a.m. There is a $5 fee for non MVC members. Please RSVP with Michelle Glass at 805-653-2051 or [email protected]. Limited to 20 people. Participants are invited to join the artist for Dutch treat lunch in downtown Ventura following the event.

Nancy Hodge art at the Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts

The wonderful art of Nancy Hodge can be seen at the Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, 1559 Spinnaker Drive, as well as the art of many other wonderful local artists.

The Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts contains affordable gift items made by members. Some members use the space in the gallery as their working studios. To see the artists’ latest work and buy a unique piece of art to decorate your home visit the gallery.

Open seven days a week: (805) 644-2750

11 AM – 6 PM Sunday-Thursday

11 AM – 9 PM Friday & Saturday

Renowned print maker Lev Moross at Studio Channel Islands Art Center June 15

Renowned print maker Lev Moross is a storyteller with an exceptional tale to tell. As a young man, he ran away from his home in Siberia to find his future and wound up in Los Angeles making fine art prints with Roy Lichtenstein and Andy Warhol. Moross will share his stories of art and artists as featured speaker for the Saturday, June 15, Artist Talk series at Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIAC), 2222 E. Ventura Blvd., Camarillo. The talk takes place at 1p.m. in the Blackboard Gallery. Admission is free to SCIART members, $10 for nonmembers.

Actual Reality on display until August 17 at Museum of Ventura County 

Actual Reality, a new exhibit created by local artists Carlos Grasso and Peter Fox that examines the present day disconnect between virtual and actual reality. Grasso and Fox both utilize diverse found objects as ingredients in their art. Grasso considers hand-cut shredded pieces of canvas, rusty sheets of metal, or scraps of wood, the ‘blood and bones’ of his creations. Fox adds the element of humor to help us navigate the ‘complex absurdity of … existence’. Actual Reality is on display until August 17, at the Museum of Ventura County.

Also on display at the Museum is Women Beyond Borders, which has been extended until July 14.

Rotary Club of Ventura announces winners of Perspectives on Peace Scholarship

Jordan Pollock ,Madison Lonis, Shira Zaid, Kamar Hanna and Rachel Chang were honored for their art . Photo by Michael Gordon

The Rotary Club of Ventura has announced the winners of a new Perspectives on Peace Scholarship program. Five high school seniors are being awarded a total of $9,000 in scholarships, based on their outstanding original art. They were honored at Ventura Rotary Club on May 15th, and their artwork is on display at the Museum of Ventura Country until June 2nd.

“We did some research on the types of scholarships available to Ventura-area high schoolers and found that, while there are several competitive essay-based and merit-based scholarships available, there was not an artistic- based scholarship”, said Doug Halter, current Ventura Rotary Club president.

The Perspectives on Peace Scholarship received 20 entries of artwork from high school seniors. Ten judges reviewed each applicant’s artistic rendering of their personal perspective on peace and their recommendations from teachers, guidance counselors, or mentors.

The winners of the Ventura Rotary Club 2019 Perspectives on Peace Scholarship are:

1st prize $5,000 Shira Zaid (Ventura High School)

2nd prize $2,000 Madison Lonis (Buena High School)

3rd prize $1,000 Kamar Hanna (Buena High School)

Honorary mention $500 Jordan Pollock (Ventura High School)

Honorary mention $500 Rachel Chang (Foothill Tech High School)

Buenaventura Art Association (BAA) members at Harbor Village Gallery

An exhibition of artworks by Buenaventura Art Association (BAA) members at Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, the group’s beachfront location, will run until July 14.

On May 18, awards were given at the BAA Juried Memebers Exhibit by Sharon Taylor, Executive Director BAA before a very large enthusiastic crowd of art lovers. The first Outstanding Merit Award was presented to Lisa Ann Mahony for her work “Sailing at Sunset.”

Buenaventura Art Association also operates Buenaventura Gallery in Studio 30 at Bell Arts Factory, 432 N. Ventura Ave. For more about BAA and its programs, visit www.buenaventuragallery.org or call 805-648-1235.

Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts is at 1559 Spinnaker Drive, Suite 106, and is open 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily.