A bushel of lemons once hid the visionary talent of the late Santa Paula folk artist Maura Flores Olney. Learn her story and see her intriguing handmade dolls and other works of art in Revelation:Rediscovering the Art of Maura Flores Olney, opening May 6 at the Museum of Ventura County, and running through June 19.

During her lifetime Olney worked as a lemon grader in the Limoneira packing house and as a nanny for the daughters of Alfrida and Milton Teague. Olney had little formal artistic training, but was admired by family and friends for creating handmade dolls inspired by people she knew, movie stars and the folk art of her native Mexico. Thanks to her benefactress Alfrida Teague, who recognized Olney’s special talent, the artist went on to attend art school in Pasadena and spent time as an artist-in-residence at Padua Hills in Claremont, California.

For the past three years, museum Curator of Collections Anna Bermudez has been researching Olney’s story for this exhibition, which includes dolls from the museum collection, as well as paintings and historical materials from the artist’s family.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.