Focus on the Masters Arts Archive & Library’s kicks off its 30th Anniversary year with an Artist Spotlight interview featuring Carmen Abelleira on Sunday, January 21, 3 to 4:30 p.m.

At Namba Performing Art Center – 47 S. Oak Street, Ventura.

Abelleira immigrated from Cuba with her family when she was nine years old. Carmen grew up in Los Angeles and after working as a bilingual teacher, moved to Ojai in 1989.

FREE to FOTM members, $20 for public; $15 for seniors.

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 home of Dennis Mitchell and Richard Sanders located in Ventura. Paid reservations are required prior to January 17. We expect this AfterGlow to sell out

AfterGLOW: $30 FOTM members, $40 Non-members.

The stark contrast in genres reflects Gocong’s multifaceted identity.

Chris was an NFL football player before retiring in an effort to preserve his health from the long term effects of the CTE associated with the sport.

Christopher Gocong (1983), emerges as a captivating individual, seamlessly blending his illustrious past as an NFL linebacker with a burgeoning career as a visual artist. Renowned for his impactful contributions to the Philadelphia Eagles and Cleveland Browns, Gocong has embarked on a remarkable journey, gracefully transitioning from the adrenaline-fueled gridiron to the nuanced canvas of contemporary art.

While his inherent talent shines through in his adept portraiture, Gocong’s artistic repertoire stretches beyond, exploring realms from dreamy abstractions to lively pop art, showcasing a versatility that defies categorization. As an accomplished painter, his work has garnered significant recognition, earning him a place at the forefront of the contemporary art scene.

Dama Gallery is pleased to premier our first exhibition of 2024 with a solo immersion into the zenith of Chris Gocong’s multidimensional artistry. A luminary straddling the worlds of contemporary art and elite athleticism, Gocong’s artistic opus navigates the complex interplay between his illustrious career as a professional athlete and the nuanced depths of his burgeoning identity as an artist. In a symphony of mediums ranging from dramatic wearable art, evocative and familiar figurative pieces to his most recent abstract paintings that brilliantly showcase his talent for controlled chaos on canvas; Gocong elegantly unravels the dichotomies that have sculpted his remarkable journey.

This collection serves as a visual testament to his optimistic magnanimity as an artist, interwoven with the intricate tension stemming from his formidable achievements in the NFL. The stark contrast in genres and mediums reflects Gocong’s multifaceted identity – a life lived on the field intricately entwined with the profound fulfillment found within the sanctuary of the studio.

Exhibition Dates: January 27 – April 30, 2024
Opening Reception: Saturday, January 27th, Time: 6 to 8p
Location: Dama Gallery, 1793 E Main St. Ventura
Curated by Gallerist Yessíca Torres

Dear Buenaventura Art Enthusiasts,

You, yes, you, are an important part of our art association jamboree! Our members are the life of our party, creating beautiful art for the world to enjoy, but we can’t do what we do without you, the belle of the ball, and your dazzling support.

Are we taking the party metaphor too far?

Well, we do feel like celebrating! That’s because, as 2023 wraps up, your donations are helping to launch us into a new year of artistic revelry.

Did you know that 2024 will mark Buenaventura Art Association’s 70th anniversary?

And, 2024 will also mark the return of BAA’s Annual Open Competition, not held since February 2020, right before the world shut down. It will be our 35th prestige exhibition.

Please join the jubilee and consider a tax-deductible donation to BAA, or include BAA in your Charitable Trust planning.

Here’s a few reasons your generosity will steal the soiree:

Workshops: We have just launched “Art Studio Live” for artists to hone their skills in Life Drawing and the public to participate in all kinds of artsy endeavors from Paint ‘N Sip to medium-specific workshops. Look for class line-ups in early 2024!

Nonprofit Partnerships: BAA will continue to welcome partnerships and render assistance to other worthy causes where art is an important element in their practice, like the upcoming

Autistic Minds art show with the Autism Society or the recent Nature Journaling class we held with Channel Islands National Park Service.

Ready to be the belle of the ball? Visit BuenaventuraArtAssociation.org and click “Donate Now” to join the art party!

Become another Rembrandt.

Weekly Life Drawing Sessions & Monthly Workshops beginning in 2024.

Buenaventura Art Association is excited to share some good news with our patrons, friends, collectors and fellow artists!

We are adding a fourth BAA location — joining Studio 99 @ The Bell Arts Factory, Harbor Village Gallery & Gifts, and SpiceTopia — at H Gallery & Studios, 1793 E. Main St. in midtown Ventura!

We will continue to have art exhibits at our other three locations but now we can forge ahead with our mission of connecting artists with each other, the community with artists, and learning and growing as artists ourselves, by launching art education programs for the public.

To start, we will be hosting weekly Life Drawing Sessions with live models on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings starting Tuesday, January 9th for $20 each session (pre-registered). But you can preview these sessions in December for the low cost of $15 each session (pre-registered)!

H Gallery + Studios is a 10,000 square foot vintage 1930’s building completely dedicated to creatives and entrepreneurs. It includes a 2000 square foot contemporary art gallery, a 2700 cubic foot suspended installation area and 22 work studios for individuals to nurture their creative endeavors. We will hold our sessions in Studio #14, just inside the building entrance on the right.

Friday, January 12, 2024 is the deadline to enter and submit artwork for the 38th Annual California Strawberry Festival Artwork Contest. The artist with the winning strawberry-themed design will receive $2,000 and VIP tickets to the Festival, which takes place May 18-19, 2024 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

Entries will be evaluated by a judging panel looking for creativity and the best use of a strawberry design. The winning design may be used in printed and digital advertising collateral as well as on souvenir merchandise. Artists should keep in mind that judges may give preference to artwork that will print well on promotional items like t-shirts.

Artists can create their designs in a variety of mediums–digital, oils, watercolors, inks, pencil, photograph, and mixed media. Entries must be 16-1/2 inches wide by 17 inches high. Artwork should be scanned or photographed and submitted digitally through the Festival website. Uploaded files should be of the highest quality possible in jpg or png format. Artists may be contacted by the Festival for access to the original work. Multiple entries by a single artist will be accepted. There is no fee to enter.

The winner will be notified around the second week of February and will be the guest of honor at a March luncheon when the design will be revealed to media, dignitaries, and festival sponsors. The winning original design and all rights of the winning design will become the property of the California Strawberry Festival.

Visit www.castrawberryfestival.org (click on Interactive Events) for artwork contest rules and entry form.

At Studio 99 @ The Bell Arts Factory
Our Solo Artists Endless Energy – Maxine Apke
Ebb & Flow – Darlene Roker
Plus new works from New Members

Exhibit Runs until December 23, 2023

A BAA member since 2013, Darlene Roker has had prior solo shows in BAA venues, showing the work from her many years in fine art photography.

Her title choice describes her painting habits, said Roker, who lives in Ventura. “My painting times follow the ebb and flow of my busy life. When I’m busy with other activities, I spend time thinking about images to paint. When life slows down, I put those images on canvas.”

On Sunday, November 12, the Ventura Marina Community presented Art in the Marina. It was a huge success with over a hundred artists represented from throughout Southern California. Art from water colors, oil, ceramics, wood carvings and many more art forms were on display.

Spotlight on Endless Energy – Maxine Apke

Buenaventura Art Association at Studio 99 @ The Bell Arts Factory

Our Solo Artists
Endless Energy – Maxine Apke
Ebb & Flow – Darlene Roker
New works from New Members

Exhibit runs until December 23, 2023

Apke’s show features more than a dozen framed examples of her handmade paper collage art, about half of which are 24 by 30 in.; some small, unframed pieces; and a dozen “eco-dyed scarves,” she said.

Titled “Endless Energy,” its theme is “energy from the sun,” said Apke, a Santa Barbara resident who’s been making art about 40 years. “The larger works are 3D collages and are interpretations of the sun; the smaller works are related to our natural world.”

Her website, homesteadmill.com, gives insight into Apke’s papermaking process and contains a gallery of her works, including previews of some pieces in the “Energy” show.

If you haven’t seen the murals at the downtown library, it is worth the visit. The subject matter, created by depression era artist Gordon K. Grant, is “Agriculture and Industries of Ventura” – the style of art American Scene or Regionalist painting. Depicted are cattle, horses, fields and laborers of many different types including men milking cows and women packing citrus. They were created to celebrate the virtues of small town or rural life and advance an overt narrative favoring labor and the nationalist, pro-labor politics of the era. The murals, renovated in 1966, date from 1936-37 and were funded by the Federal Arts Project, under the New Deal WPA. They are very reminiscent of the murals of Diego Rivera and were painted around the same time of many of his murals.