Lattanzio is an executive who has held leadership roles with top caliber companies such as NBC Universal, Westfield, Sun Capital/Osaka Management, as well as his own business consulting firm, Lattanzio Affiliated, Inc., which he founded in 2010.

As Chief Executive Officer, Lattanzio will oversee the strategic vision, day-to-day operations, and the future development of the organization that serves to promote and preserve the visual arts in the community by providing unique and diverse artistic encounters for all ages, and incredible opportunities for artists.

Studio Channel Islands continues to make a name for itself in the local market since its inception in 1998 showcasing a diverse range of art forms, styles, and techniques.

Studio Channel Islands is a non-profit organization that provides the community with a cultural hub for working artists with over 40 studios, first-class art exhibitions of both local as well as national artists featured in galleries. For additional information about Studio Channel Islands, visit the website at

http://www.studiochannelislands.org.

Photography exhibit entitled Furusato, by Tomi Murphy will be at the Harbor Village Gallery until December 4. Including Himeji Castle, Japan. Photographer Tomi Murphy is showing her collection of photographs taken earlier this year in Japan when she was visiting her Furusato (birth place) in her favorite time of the year – May.

Gallery Hours: 11am-6pm, Tuesday thru Sunday
Ventura Harbor Village
1591 Spinnaker Dr., Suite 117C
(next to the Main Lawn)
644-2750

Daggi Wallace and Lynn Byrne Simon will display their art in the show “Purely Pastels” at Fox Fine Jewelry from November 5 – January 17, 2016. The Artist Reception at Fox is on Saturday, November 14 from 6 – 9pm.

Joint Artist Reception: Buenaventura Art Association will present 50 pieces from their National Encaustic Open Competition from November 3 – November 28. The Artist Reception at BAA is on November 14 from 5 – 7pm.

Born and raised in Berlin, Germany, and now living in Ventura County, CA, Daggi Wallace specializes in contemporary realism.

In 2004 Wallace was one of 15 internationally selected artists to participate in the Atelier D’Artista, an International Art Symposium in Tuscany, Italy. In May of 2011 she was juried into the Pastel International Exhibition by Art du Pastel en France in Giverny, France.

Lynn Byrne Simon grew up in a small town near Philadelphia, PA and was inspired to paint when she received a set of “Paint by Numbers” at age seven. Simon worked in oils for years until 2008, when she discovered the joy of pastels.

Fox Fine Jewelry, 560 East Main Street, 652-1800 [email protected]

Photo by George Robertson

On Sunday, November 1, more than a dozen artists affiliated with the California Art Club and other arts organizations throughout the country set up their easels on and around the Ventura Pier to create paintings that captured sweeping vistas of the landmark and its surrounding coastline. With this “paint-out,” the artists continued a rich tradition of the Club – to create artwork that highlights the state’s natural beauty “en plein air” or “in the open air.” This genre of painting is known today as California Plein Air or California Impressionism, and was inspired by founding artists of the century-old arts organization.

The California Art Club coordinated this paint-out as the opening event for The Representational Art Conference 2015 (TRAC2015), one of the premier international art conferences focused on contemporary-traditional fine arts held in Ventura. The Club is one of the partners of the conference, which has been held annually in Ventura since 2012.

Michael O’Kelly , Anna Rios Bermudez, Andrea Landin, Mayor Cheryl Heitmann, Miranda Mize, and Leslie Luciani  , President representing the New West Symphony League were all smiles at the Mayor’s Arts Awards.
Photo by John Ferritto

The eleventh annual Mayor’s Arts Awards, held on Thursday, Nov. 5 at the Museum of Ventura County honored five of the top leaders, patrons, educators and artists dedicated to nurturing our city’s lively arts community and vital cultural life.

Those honored were:

• New West Symphony League – Arts Patrons
• Michael O’Kelly – Artist in the Community
• Andrea Landin – Arts Educator
• Anna Rios Bermudez – Arts Leader
• Miranda Mize – Emerging Artist

“These annual awards are an important tradition for everyone who loves the arts and Ventura,” said Mayor Cheryl Heitmann. “They cultivate a greater visibility and understanding of the value of the arts to the public at large and are one small way to say ‘well done’ and ‘thank you’ to all participants in our creative community–for their contributions, their dedication and their passion to serve our city through the arts.”

Music by Jill Martini Soiree and refreshments from Seasons Catering preceded presentations by Cultural Affairs Commission Chair Marie Lakin, Public Art Commission Chair Daniel Saltee, Ventura County Arts Council Executive Director Margaret Travers, Ventura Unified School District Board of Education President Debbie Golden and Associate Producer/Director of Education and Outreach for the Rubicon Theatre Company Brian McDonald.

Each honoree received “Mark of Excellence,” a special edition work on paper created by artist Lis Schwitters.

The event is presented by the City Manager’s Office and the Parks, Recreation and Community Partnerships Department.

A selection panel convened earlier this year to review nominations made by the public and to make recommendations forwarded to the Mayor and the City’s Cultural Affairs Commission for their approval. They were Debbie Golden, Board of Education and Ventura Educational Partnership Board Member, Kathy Asher, Cultural Affairs Commissioner, Retired Assistant Superintendent of VUSD Schools, and Meredith Hart, Downtown Ventura Organization Project Manager.

The beat goes on for the “Arts For Earth Foundation,” continuing weekends with their “Earth Spirit” art exhibit and presentations by environmental activists such as Sierra Club and Food Co-op. The final event is Sunday Oct 25, 12-6 pm with an Artists Panel, Ventura Poets, and closing ceremonies. Free to the public at WAV, 175 S. Ventura Ave. For details see www.artsforearth.org .

Paint Ventura’s Holiday Art Festival Nov 21, from  10am-4pm at the Telemark Plaza on the corner of Market and Telephone.

Get a jump on your holiday shopping and select original art pieces make by local artists.

Spend the day enjoying local arts and craft vendors as you watch them create in their artisan booths at the Telemark Plaza on the corner of Telephone and Market in Ventura.  More than 100 fine artists and crafts persons display and sell their original work amid a street festival atmosphere filled with holiday flair and more. This is the first year of the holiday festival after 10 successful Spring events and we hope to make it the must see holiday event.

Coming from throughout the western portion of the country the Festival artists’ original works cover the gamut of creative visual categories including painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry, ceramics, folk craft, glass, leather, metalwork, wearable art, woodwork, mixed media (2 and 3 dimensional).  Paint Ventura features only original work and our original artists are all present on-site to greet festival attendees.

Fun food trucks, holiday music and warm friends make this Saturday a fun day for everyone.

Watch as the artists create their work in their booths.  Artists will be working to create paintings from scratch throughout the day,  giving the public the opportunity to see who an artist bringing a blank canvas to life.

Bring your little ones and have them join in the fun and paint their own holiday card or ornament. Lots of fun patterns and ideas to start with.

Bring your new and used pet products (toys, beds, food and more) for our collection where you can help the dogs of CARL and CABOdogz.

Help build a can tree for FOOD Share.  Any and all cans are great, bring one by the booth and get a free gift as a thank you for helping reach the goal of 400+ cans.

Paintings, Drawings, and Tapestries by John Nava at the Vita Art Center, 432 North Ventura Ave. Studio 30. www.vitaartcenter.com

Opening reception November 6 from 6-9 p.m. exhibit dates: November 6 – 30

Gallery hours: M-F 10-4 pm Sat. & Sun. by appointment

A small selection of drawings, paintings and a tapestry done from the model. Few of the works on view have ever been shown previously, They reflect an ongoing effort to present and evoke the figure in all its humanity and in a most direct way without mythological or symbolic pretext.

John Nava studied art at UC Santa Barbara and did his graduate work in Florence, Italy. His work is found in numerous private, corporate and public collections throughout the United States, Europe and Japan including the National Museum of American Art in Washington D.C.

Nava has done large-scale public works including projects for the Tokyo Grain Exchange in Japan, the Seattle Symphony Benaroya Hall and Westmont College. In 1999 Nava was commissioned by the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to create three major cycles of tapestries for the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles.

Focus on the Masters Volunteers present their annual Holiday Gift Shop located at the FOTM Archive & Library, 505 Poli Street, Suite 405 (right behind City Hall).  For four days only The Holiday Gift Shop will carry unique, hand-made and lovingly crafted gifts.  New this year is our Wine, Gifts and Wish Lists Happy Hour on Friday, November 20th from 5:00 – 7:00.  This is a great chance to wind down from the work week, meet with artists and friends, and shop for those special people on your list.

Shoppers can select from a variety of one-of-a-kind items including colorful quilts, dazzling jewelry, unique clothing, meticulously crafted wood pens, handmade paper lanterns, charming felted wool creatures, ceramics, photography and much more.  All items are produced by FOTM volunteers, staff, and outstanding Ventura County artists including Greta Lovina, Christine Beirne, Linda Carson, Alan Dante, Meg Easton, Cecile Faulconer, Aimee French, Mary Galbraith, Donna Granata, Maribel Hernandez, Judee Hauer, Mike Horwitz, Trisha Johnson, JoEllen Lee, Joyce Lombard, Deborah O’Brien, Michael Rohde, Gloria Rupio, Gayle Bentley Swanson, Genie Thomsen, Elaine Unzicker and more!

A portion of the proceeds benefits FOTM acclaimed Learning To See art education outreach programs.

To learn more about Focus on the Masters, visit www.FocusOnTheMasters.com or call 653.2501.