An exhibit of original artworks by Linda Peterson’s, titled “Through My Window” will be at the Harbor Village Gallery, from Wednesday, December 16th to Sunday, January 24, 2009. Artist Reception is Thursday, December 17, 2009 from 5 – 8pm.
Come fill your sense of adventure with Linda Peterson’s selection of photographs through out the past twenty years. Whether the subject is from the ordinary or exotic, one can truly feel her excitement and love for life. The photographic equipment and techniques vary throughout the body of work, adapting to each subject matter. Her images stand strong on their own as well as a collective, evolving series. Peterson’s photographs are intrinsic portals that take you into a world full of beauty, character and diversity.
Peterson was born in New York and grew up on Long Island. She attended Adelphi Suffilk, graduating with Bachelors in Social Sciences. Furthermore, she holds a certificate in interior design from the University of California in Los Angeles, and was owner of La Tigh Interiors. Interior design gave her the base of detail, composition, light and color. Her love of the arts further evolved to photography, compelling her to take workshops with field photographers. Recently, she has enjoyed taking classes at the Ventura College with Bill Hendrix.
Her work has been published in “Color Confidence” by Tim Grey, as well as, in wild life photography books, “The Lens and the Land” and “Spirit of the Chaparral”. Peterson has received several recognitions such as, top honors in the “Best Photography Journal” in 2002 and 2003 and was chosen as Feature Artist for the City of Ventura 2005 Summer ArtWalk.
Peterson’s photographs are composed of the roots of America including Texas, the Southwest, Yosemite and Montana. They also expand to locations such as, Africa, Korea, Cuba, Russia and many locations throughout Europe. Life beams in her work, among details and a soft painterly effect, known as Polaroid Manipulation. Peterson openly invites the viewer to share her experiences, look “Through My Window”, and pause for contemplation.
This is Linda Peterson’s first solo exhibition with Buenaventura Art Association
The Harbor Village Gallery is located at 1591 Spinnaker Dr. Suite 117C in the Ventura Harbor Village. Open everyday except Tuesday from 12 to 5 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 805-644-2750 or visit www.harborvillagegallery.com or www.buenaventuragallery.org

OXNARD, Calif.—Channel Islands Harbor kicks off the holidays with its 44th annual holiday Parade of Lights 10 a.m. – 9 p.m., Dec. 12, with the parade beginning at 7 p.m. Everyone is invited to enjoy a full day of holiday activities and then watch a festive display of sparkling lights pass by on decorated boats.

Kids can play in 36 tons of snow falling at the north end of Harborview Park, off Harbor Blvd. near Marine Emporium Landing, beginning at 10 a.m. There will also be a holiday artists’ market, exhibitors, live music, children’s activities, gigantic inflatable fun zone, face painting, and much more.

Santa and his reindeer will ride through the sky to mark the beginning of the parade. The parade starts in front of Peninsula Park and heads to the Main Channel, turns at Hobie Beach, loops in front of the launch ramp then heads back to Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club and repeats the route for second run. The parade can be viewed from parks and walkways that line the route as well as from most Harbor restaurants.

To participate in the parade, download an entry form from www.channelislandsharbor.org, or call (805) 382-3001 for more information. To adopt a boat to be in the parade, contact Bill Conroy at the Ventura County Maritime Museum at (805) 984-6260. Any size boat can register for the Parade of Lights.

All registered boats will receive two tickets to the Parade of Lights Awards Ceremony Brunch at Channel Islands Yacht Club the following morning, 10 a.m., December 13. Additional tickets are available for purchase, and the brunch is open to the public. In addition, parade participants can take part in various decorating contests and compete for awards.

For more information on the Parade of Lights visit www.channelislandsharbor.org.

Channel Islands Harbor serves as a center of recreation, boating, shopping and water sports activities. The harbor is home to three yacht clubs and nine full-service marinas that provide berths for 2,150 boats. It also hosts the Ventura County Maritime Museum. Located at Fisherman’s Wharf, the museum is a cultural center dedicated to the interpretation of maritime history through interactive exhibits and educational outreach.

An exhibit of original artworks by Gwenlyn Norton, titled “Celebration of Life”, will be at the Discovery Gallery from Friday, December 4 through Wednesday, December 30, 2009. The opening reception is on Friday, December 4 from 5-8 pm. during the First Friday Ventura Gallery Crawl.

Bold and exuberant artworks by Gwenlyn Norton literally jump out at you full of animated spirit and life. Dazzling, uniquely cut canvases fill the gallery with various selections of mediums; ranging from oils, modeling pastes and gels, mixed media, pencils and more. Her images are jumping boldly, zestful of texture and wrapped with crisp, chromatic edges. These bright and juicy colors dance along with the ability to transform any subject matter into a party full of excitement.

Even as a child Norton was passionately in want of experimenting with the arts and all its colors, materials, textures, and designs. She has taken classes in graphic design, calligraphy, and decorated letters. However, many of her techniques and theories have been self taught, giving a personal twist to her work. She owned a graphic business in Ventura for seven years and currently manages a calligraphy business. Her adamant desire in the arts is evident accompanied by many studies and interests.

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The Ojai Valley Museum invites you to celebrate an American experience through the lens of internationally known Ojai photographer, Joseph Sohm on Saturday, December 5, 2009. This multi media mosaic, Visions of America, answers the question: How do you photograph democracy?

This benefit event for the Ojai Museum begins at 4:30 pm at the Ojai Theatre, 145 E. Ojai Ave. A celebration party and book signing will follow at 6:00 pm, at the nearby Ojai Center for the Arts, 113 S. Montgomery, featuring catered American fare by The Event Caddy and musical entertainment by Los Angeles musician, Maurice Weiss. Tickets are $55 before November 25 and $65 per person after November 25. Prepaid reservations are required. Seating is limited. Contact the museum at (805) 640-1390 for full information and reservations.

Additional website information available at: http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org/ and http://www.visionsofamerica.com/index.html

An American Dream on the Big Screen

If you read magazines, books, advertisements, newspapers, calendars, surf the web, watch television, or buy CD’s or post cards, you've probably seen images photographed by Sohm. His images appear in National Geographic, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, CNN, ABC, the History Channel, on best-sellers including John Grisham’s King of Torts, Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth, Bill Clinton’s My Life, in American embassies around the world, in the National Archives of the U.S., and in advertisements for most of the Fortune 1000 corporations. His images are published more than 10,000 times a year worldwide.

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THOUSAND OAKS, CA – The CLU Choral Ensembles and University Symphony will combine forces to present the 50th annual CLU Christmas Festival Concerts Dec. 4 through 6.

The performances will be at 8 p.m. Friday, Dec. 4, and Saturday, Dec. 5, and at 4 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 6, in Samuelson Chapel.

The free concerts, the university’s longest-running annual event, will feature a narrated performance of Christmas music. The program will include delightful lesser-known carols as well as familiar favorites sung by the CLU Choir and Women’s Chorale. Additionally, the University Symphony strings will perform Roy Douglas’ “A Nowell Sequence” based on themes from Ralph Vaughan Williams’ unfinished opera “The First Nowell.” Wyant Morton, chair of the music department and director of choral and voice activities, and Daniel Geeting, director of instrumental music, will conduct.

Donations will be accepted.

The chapel is located near the corner of Olsen Road and Campus Drive in Thousand Oaks. This is always a very popular concert so arrive early for convenient parking and the best seating.
For more information, call the Music Department at (805) 493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu/music.

SANTA PAULA, CA – A ten-year dream to establish a permanent home for Santa Paula’s renowned art collection is about to become a reality. The Board of Directors of the Santa Paula Art Museum (SPAM) announced Monday that the doors of the historic Limoneira Building, having been magically transformed into a showcase for great art, will swing open to the public on Sunday, February 13, 2010.

“We are absolutely thrilled”, said a beaming Mary Alice Henderson, Chair of the SPAM Board of Directors, as she announced the Grand Opening date. “We’ve come so far, and overcome so many obstacles to reach this point. None of this would be possible without the vision and support of so many people and organizations, not the least of which is the Limoneira Company, whose historic building will be our new home”.

History is alive as the transformation of the iconic building takes place. Chris Wilson and Chuck Teague, General Contractors on the project, have ties that reach deep into the building’s bones. Chris’ grandfather, Roy Wilson, Sr., designed the building for Limoneira’s headquarters in 1923, and Chuck’s grandfather, C. C. Teague, was Limoneira’s General Manager for over 50 years.

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A public artist’s reception on Thursday, December 10, from 5:00 to7:00 p.m. opens the Museum of Ventura County’s winter exhibition The Magical Realism of the Americas: The Art of Master Painter Omar d’León. Paintings by this internationally recognized artist, one of the most renowned Nicaraguan painters of the last 50 years, will be on exhibition from December 11, 2009 through February 28, 2010. The exhibit includes several recent works never before shown. The free reception and exhibition are at the museum’s 89 S. California Street location in Ventura.

Fusing elements of Impressionism with magical realism, d’León earned critical acclaim at an early age. He is known for his light reflecting colors and surface textures, created by crosshatch scoring through oil and wax sometimes more then 20 layers deep. The exhibition includes photographs of this process, as well as d’León’s tools and sketchbooks.

The artist fled his native country in 1980 and has been a Camarillo CONTINUED »

VENTURA, CA - Ventura College Choir and Symphony Orchestra celebrate the season with a concert on December 12, 2009. Called “End of an Era,” the program marks the last concert to be performed in the old VC Theatre building before it is closed for remodeling. The concert begins at 8 p.m. Tickets may only be purchased at the door the evening of the concert. The cost is $10 general admission and $5 for students, staff and seniors.
The VC Choir sings the lovely Christmas Oratorio by French composer Saint-Saens. Famous for his charming and funny “Carnival of the Animals,” the composer captures the mood of the holidays. Strings, organ and harp accompany the choir.
The VC Symphony Orchestra welcomes brilliant pianist Louise Lofquist in the stirring “First Piano Concerto” by Russian composer Dimitri Shostakovich. This unusual concerto is very lively and includes a rousing trumpet solo in conversation with the piano soloist. Ms. Lofquist is a professor at Pepperdine University and one of the most sought-after collaborative pianists in Western United States.
The Symphony also plays a medley of holiday tunes called “Around the World at Christmas Time.” Added to the program is an atmospheric piece called “Autumn” by the phenomenal American composer Eric Whitacre. His music is making a huge impression all over the world.
Finally, the Symphony’s percussion section will play a “Quartet for Percussion” by William Kraft.
Conductors for the concert are Elizabeth Helms, David Gorospe, and Dr. E. Burns Taft.
For additional information, please contact Dr. E. Burns Taft, Professor of Music, 805-654-6400 ext. 3210, or until November 30, Alisa Sparkia Moore, Esq., Public Information Officer, 654-6462, asmoore@vcccd.edu.

VENTURA: In November and December, the Ventura College Galleries will host:

In Gallery 2, Nov. 12 – Dec.9: Open Monday - Friday, Noon - 4 p.m.:
Robert Lamarche, Ojai artist, brings his exhibit ANCIENT WISDOM IN CLAY to Gallery 2 from November 12th to December 9th. The Artist Reception will be November 12 from 7 pm—9 pm in front of Gallery 2. Robert Lamarche works with clay, poetry, glass, bronze, neon, precious metals, and steel to re-create ancient forms of expression, infusing them with exquisite craftsmanship, depth and emotional impact. His works represent the artist’s “ever pursuing the eternal quest against darkness, against oblivion, towards the light, inner and outward.”

In the New Media Gallery, Nov. 23, 24th and 25th:
STUDENT CERAMICS SALE: All works make terrific holiday gifts!
November 23-25: 9 a.m. – 2 p.m., and November 23 and 24, 7 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Admission is free. Call Gallery Director Kate Martin at 648-8974 or email her at kate@katemartin.com for more information.