Camarillo, CA - The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to announce the opening of “Back to School: Inside the Artist’s/Art Historian’s Studio.” This first exhibition of the academic year in the Broome Art Gallery is on view now through Thursday, Oct. 24. The gallery, located on the second floor of the John Spoor Broome Library, will host a free public reception and artists’ talk on Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5:30 to 7 p.m., at the close of the show.

The exhibition is an innovative exposé of the artists’ creative processes. Instead of highlighting finished works, the exhibition documents and makes visible the lengthy, progressive path from initial ambiguous ideas to tangible outcomes. CI Art faculty generously consented to display works that are unfinished, in progress, or that served as preparatory material. By daring to share these private creative moments with the public, they are allowing a rare glimpse into the visual, conceptual and practical processes at the core of their creative work. The exhibition explores concepts ranging from solar power as an art tool to the immediacy of local events and from found objects to visual narratives.

“Most artists and art historians are reluctant, for many different reasons, including perhaps the concern of revealing some of their ‘trade secrets,’ to present works that are unfinished,” said CI Art History Professor Irina D. Costache, the show’s curator. “This exhibition reveals the broad sources, innovative technologies and inventive devices used by artists and art historians to transform their thoughts, impressions and emotions into lines, shapes and words.”

CI Art faculty represented in the show include Christophe Bourély, Beverly Decker, Matt Furmanski, Liz King, Beth Leister, Leslie Lloyd, Kate Martin, Alison Perchuk, and Kathleen Quaife.

John Spoor Broome Art Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 5p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact the Art Program, at 805‐437-2772 or art@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Randy Cohen

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University is bringing arts leaders, advocates and policymakers together on Thursday, Nov. 7, to discuss ways to make the arts more visible and accessible in the community.

The Arts and Culture Symposium will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. in CLU’s Lundring Events Center. The event, which is part of All About the Arts Week at the university, is designed to encourage discussion and partnership among institutions and provide them with the latest techniques for engaging audiences in the creative process.

Randy Cohen, vice president of research and policy at Americans for the Arts, and Jerry Yoshitomi, an independent cultural facilitator and consultant, will give the keynote addresses.

Cohen is one of the most noted experts in arts funding, research and policy as well as the use of arts to address community-development issues. He publishes the National Arts Index, an annual measure of the vitality of the arts, and the two premier economic studies of the arts industry. He led the development of the National Arts Policy Roundtable, collaborated on a White House report on arts programs for at-risk youths, and worked with the U.S. Department of Justice to produce the YouthARTS Project study.

Yoshitomi has led many discussions about innovation in the arts for foundations, public agencies and artists. The Oxnard resident assisted with a national initiative to improve the lives of artists, helped the Wallace Foundation launch a program to encourage broader participation in the arts, and chaired a national task force for the Association of Performing Arts Presenters. He served on the policy-setting council of the California Arts Council for four years and is the former executive director of the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center in Los Angeles.

The symposium will include two breakout sessions, an overview of arts opportunities, breakfast, lunch and a reception in the William Rolland Gallery of Fine Art.

CLU is sponsoring the event in partnership with regional arts organizations. It is part of the university’s effort to promote arts education and cultural opportunities in the region. All About the Arts Week kicks off Nov. 2 with the 2013 Arts and Learning Symposium organized by CLU’s Graduate School of Education. Other events include a theatre arts department production of “As You Like It,” the “Southland: Drawings from Southern California” show in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture, and the “Resonating Images II” exhibit in the Rolland Gallery.

Admission is $25. RSVP by Nov. 1 to Sharon Nelson at 805-493-3150 or smnelso@callutheran.edu.

Jim Meskimen

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A keynote speech by a celebrity impressionist and breakout sessions featuring salsa dancing, drumming and Japanese ink painting will be part of a California Lutheran University symposium designed to improve access to arts education.

The 2013 Arts and Learning Symposium: Conversations, Connections, Critical Thinking will be held from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2, in CLU’s Lundring Events Center. This is the fourth year that CLU’s Graduate School of Education has provided the free hands-on training to educators for using art, dance, drama and music to teach a variety of subjects.

The event, which is partially sponsored by CLU’s Susan Greiser Price Arts Integration Program, will kick off All About the Arts Week at the university.

Keynote speaker Jim Meskimen is a comedian, actor, impressionist, artist, arts educator and arts advocate. This summer he received a standing ovation for his impressions at Radio City Music Hall as a semi-finalist on “America’s Got Talent.” His video “Shakespeare in Celebrity Voices” topped 750,000 views in 2011, and subsequent impressions videos have cemented him as a major YouTube talent. JibJab showcased his impressions of political figures in the 2004 election in animated cartoons that also became Internet hits. The Australian “Today” show dubbed him “The World’s Greatest Impressionist.”

Meskimen’s many credits include films “Apollo 13,” “The Grinch” and “Frost/Nixon” and TV shows “Friends,” “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” and “Rules of Engagement.” The son of actress Marion Ross, he had a thriving career in the ‘80s and ‘90s as a man-on-the-street interviewer for improvised TV and radio campaigns for products such as bank cards, coffee makers and grocery stores that won several major advertising awards.

Meskimen and others will lead interactive sessions in visual art, dance, theater and music. Presenters include salsa dancer Alina Canal, sumi-e painter Tomi Ito Levin, Carnegie Art Museum Curator of Education Martha Jimenez, CLU associate professor of education and Project ACT Director Michael McCambridge, drummer Jennifer Merlich, The Acting Center Director Tamra Meskimen and musician James Swing.

Participants will develop action plans during round-table discussions and leave with a variety of tools and ideas that they can use in their classrooms. The program will also feature a continental breakfast, lunch, a student art show and performances by students from Santa Susana and Thousand Oaks high schools.

Registration is requested by Oct. 25. To RSVP, go to http://www.callutheran.edu/artslearning. For more information, contact Maureen Lorimer at mlorimer@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3836.

Ojai, CA — More than 20 local restaurants as well as local wineries and breweries will join together to share the fruits of their labor on Sunday October 27 from 2 to 5 p.m. at the thirteenth annual “Taste of Ojai.”

This yearly Rotary event will be held on the beautiful 10th green at the Ojai Valley Inn & Spa. The festivities include local wines and beers, fantastic food from Ojai’s finest restaurants, and great music and dancing from the sounds of the Ventura Jazz Orchestra Sextet.

Proceeds from this event support 22 local non-profit organizations serving Ojai Valley families, seniors and youths, schools and nonprofits. Rotary Club of Ojai and its Educational Foundation award scholarships and grants to Community Service, Education and “Fit Kids” programs.

A Sponsor/VIP tent that will be available for sponsors and VIPs serving exclusively specialty foods of the Ojai Valley Inn with wines specially chosen for the occasion.

The participating restaurants & wineries and breweries share their ‘Best Of’ menu favorites with attendees — who are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes, and expanding belts! Save the date and join friends.

“With the support of friends and businesses, we can help support our Ojai Valley nonprofit organizations, local businesses and help the Ojai Valley be an ever better place to live, work and visit,” said Taste of Ojai co-chair Janet Mahon.

Tickets are available at Attitude Adjustment of Ojai, Ojai Beverage Company, The Ojai Chamber of Commerce, Down Home Furnishings, andonline at www.tasteofojai.com.
Tickets: General Admission $75 - Sponsor/VIP $150
For more information, call –
Mike Malone at 805-646-0426 or,
Janet Mahon at 805-798-2515

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The public is invited to celebrate Día de los Muertos at California Lutheran University on Wednesday, Oct. 30.

The Latin American Student Organization (LASO) will present a program featuring entertainment, face painting and light refreshments from 6 to 8 p.m. on the lawn of the Swenson Center for Social and Behavioral Sciences as part of the Latin celebration of All Saints Day.

A traditional Day of the Dead altar will be built on the lawn. Starting at 10 a.m. and continuing throughout the day, everyone is welcome to place items on the altar in honor of their deceased loved ones.

LASO and CLU’s Office of Multicultural Programs and International Student Services are sponsoring the free event.

The Swenson Center is located on Faculty Street near Pioneer Avenue on the Thousand Oaks campus. Visitor parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call the Office of Multicultural Programs at 805-493-3489.

The Nanas and the Papas, a musical review, comes to the main stage of the Santa Paula Theater Center for one night only on Saturday, October 26 at 7:30pm.

Having recently played to sold-out audiences in Ojai, this talented group of performers explore and celebrate the vital connections between grandparents and grandchildren through music, storytelling, humor and dance.

“It’s a message of legacy,” according to Director Candace Delbo. “It’s all about what we received from our grandparents and what we want to pass along to the coming generations.”

The aim of the show is raising grandparents’ consciousness about their rightful place as stewards of future generations. Delbo added, “It’s about the elders teaching and equipping their children and grandchildren so we all can make the world a better place for those who come after us.”

The Nanas and the Papas were founded by Carol and Dr. Arthur Kornhaber as an outreach arm of the Foundation for Grandparenting. The foundation’s not-for-profit mission is to educate and inform the public of the crucial role grandparents play in the lives of children.

“Certain themes come to the fore,” Delbo explained. “It’s a show about memories and tradition, love and courage, hope and fun. But most importantly, it’s a message of “saying yes” to life”.

All members of The Nanas and the Papas contribute vocally to the show including Candace Delbo and Connie Woodson. Featured instrumentalists include Jimmy Calire on keyboards and saxophone, Fern Barishman on keyboards and accordion, Patricia Cardinali on guitar, JB White on bass, and Ken Delbo on drums. Carol Kornhaber, the founding creative force behind the group, will also make a special guest appearance.

The Nanas and the Papas is the fourth and final show of the 2013 Concert Series at the Santa Paula Theater Center. For more information about the band, visit their website at www.thenanasandthepapasshow.com.

The door opens at 7pm on Saturday, October 26 with show time at 7:30pm. All tickets are $15 and can be purchased online at www.santapaulatheatercenter.org or by phone at 805-525-4645.

"Emily" Photo by David Baker.
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"Pixel" Photo by David Baker.
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"Future Fashonistas" Photo by David Baker.
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"Sunset Saint George Island FL" Photo by David Baker.
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The Ojai Photography Club welcomes Ojai based photographer David Baker to their October 15 meeting. The program begins at 7:00 PM, at Kent Hall, located at Help of Ojai’s Little House, 111 Santa Ana Street, in Ojai.

Baker will lead the group in an interactive discussion regarding “The Ever Changing World of Photography.” He will examine the changes he has seen in photography since the digital revolution of the 1970’s.

Baker is internationally known for his creative web site and graphic designs. He is best known in the United States as the designer of web sites for the 1995 Academy Awards, Super Bowl XXX, Microsoft Windows NT site, and the California State Legislature.

In the early 1970s, after seven years as a deputy sheriff for the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, Baker worked as a professional photographer for the Monterey Park Progress newspaper. In 1980 he left the photography profession to become a successful software engineer and graphic designer.

He was founder and President of Real Time Computer Science, the first firm to install Intel’s iRMX Multitasking opening system on the IBM Personal Computer. Later, he founded Beverly Hills Software, an internationally known web site design firm. He has served as Director of Development for Symantec/Peter Norton and as Computer Architecture Specialist at Intel Corporation.

In 1998 Baker relocated to Ojai, California, and rekindled his lifelong passion for photography. Then In 2004 he took a four-month assignment in Arkansas to modify a web site for the RV industry. That assignment turned into five new web sites taking five years to complete. Now back in Ojai, he is semi-retired and enjoys doing photography his way. He was recently selected as new chair of the Photography Branch at the Ojai Art Center, where he taught photography ten years ago. Visit his website for images and extended information: http://www.ojaiimages.com/

After his presentation, Baker will critique images submitted by club members.
Monthly presentations are part of the Ojai Photography Club’s community service outreach. Visitors are welcome to attend.

The Ojai Photography Club, which is devoted to education, inspiration, and camaraderie, meets on the third Tuesday of each month, February through November. Only members may submit images for critique. For additional information please visit: http://ojaiphotoclub.com/

Celebrate 50 years with Ventura's own band! The Ventura County Concert Band - all volunteer musicians from the community - and conductor, Ms. Julie Judd, present an entertaining 4-concert season of amazing band music and special guests. In honor of Veterans Day, the season opens with a very special patriotic concert. Bring a friend. Sunday, Nov. 10, 3:00pm; VHS Auditorium at 2 N Catalina, Ventura; FREE. Contact: friends.of.vccb@gmail.com.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens runs on volunteer energy and the generous donations of time and professional expertise from its members and the community.

We're currently seeking to fill important volunteer positions:
1. Contact Volunteers
2. Spring Garden Tour Chair
3. Spring Garden Tour Raffle Coordinator
4. Coordinator of Volunteers

1. Contact Volunteers
Ventura Botanical Gardens is looking for personable volunteers for a one-time project to complete membership records. It includes placing calls to VBG members with missing email addresses and reporting the new address provided. The process will include leaving phone messages and doing follow-up. Calls can be made during weekday hours of 10am-7pm and on weekends from 10am-5pm. VBG will provide call lists and an easy script to follow. If you would like to volunteer, please contact us with your availability to membership@venturabotanicalgardens.com

2. Spring Garden Tour Chair
We are currently seeking a Chair for our Spring Garden Tour 2014. This is a prestigious and exciting opportunity. The Garden Tour is scheduled for April 26, 2014 from 10am-4pm, with seven home gardens open to the public on a self-guided tour. There will be monthly meetings beginning in late September/early October. Responsibilities for this position include identifying house captains in conjunction with the house captain coordinator, assisting house captains in identifying volunteers to work at each house, oversight of ticket sales, raffle and food sales and involvement in the advertising and marketing. To be considered for this great position, please email your qualifications to
madhu@venturabotanicalgardens.com

3. Spring Garden Tour Raffle Coordinator
We also need a Raffle Coordinator for the Spring Garden Tour 2014. The Garden Tour 2014 is scheduled for April 26, 2014 from 10am-4pm. There will be monthly meetings beginning in late September/early October. Responsibilities for this position include coordination of donated items, setting up raffle items, monitoring ticket sales, and oversight of winning tickets and notification to winners. The Raffle Coordinator will break down raffle and deliver items to a central location for winner pick up. To be considered for the Garden Tour Raffle Coordinator please email your experience to madhu@venturabotanicalgardens.com

4. Coordinator of Volunteers
Ventura Botanical Gardens seeks a friendly and reliable Coordinator of Volunteers. The Coordinator will help to develop our volunteer program. The ideal candidate will be available to volunteer starting mid-October and will make a commitment through December 2014. We have hundreds of volunteers who support our mission throughout the year. We have a lot of interest from volunteers with very specific expertise who need to be connected to the right volunteer opportunity. Responsibilities include:
• Volunteer recruiting, outreach, online postings
• Building and maintaining relationships with volunteers
• Developing volunteer job descriptions
• Developing volunteer orientation
• Volunteer management, scheduling, training
• Tracking volunteer hours
• Maintaining volunteer database
• Writing thank you notes to volunteers
• Creating volunteer program materials, such as handbooks and policies
• Volunteer recognition
• Volunteer evaluations
To be considered for the Coordinator of Volunteers, please email your qualifications to madhu@venturabotanicalgardens.com

Heidi Valencia Vas

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Music faculty members Angela Hicks and Heidi Valencia Vas will present a free concert at California Lutheran University on Saturday, Oct. 26.

“From Sea to Shining Sea: A celebration of our musical heritage” will be presented at 7:30 p.m. in Samuelson Chapel.

The program will explore music of the American experience featuring compositions by Aaron Copland, Jake Heggie, Libby Larsen and Andre Previn along with patriotic favorites. This celebration of the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” features texts by American poets, Wild West heroines and Civil War soldiers. Jessica Helms and Kevin Stoller will accompany on piano.

Vas will sing “America,” which appears on her new studio album, “Shades,” which will be available on iTunes later this month. Her new vocal technique textbook titled “Finding your Voice: A Guidebook for Singers” is due out on iBooks at the end of the year.

A master teacher and recording artist, Vas has numerous opera, recital and oratorio credits, and has been featured in summer stock and regional and off-Broadway theatrical productions. The Thousand Oaks resident has been a soloist with The Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra and made guest appearances with many groups including the Masterworks Chorale. She currently tours with her ensemble and is music director at La Reina High School in Thousand Oaks.

Vas and Hicks are co-founding directors of the CLU Summer Vocal Institute. Both are members of Areté Vocal Ensemble, a professional ensemble in residence at CLU.

Hicks has performed many leading and secondary roles in opera and musical theater both in the United States and abroad. The mezzo-soprano is an avid recitalist in the Southern California area, and can be heard in various film projects. When not on stage, the Canyon Country resident shares her love of singing through teaching. She is the founding director of the CLU Opera Scenes Program and is the vocal music director for the musical theater program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Pepperdine University and a master’s degree in music from the University of Southern California.

Donations will be accepted.

The chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu.

Senchal Hatton will be exhibiting her newest kiln load of ceramic sculptures as the featured artist of the Ventura County Potters' Guild Gallery through October 31, 2013. As a native Californian, Senchal has always felt a strong sense of connection to animals, nature, and the spiritual which binds all. She enjoys the arts, and has worked as a make-up/hair and special effects artist in the movie industry, face painter, and also a professional belly dancer. Hatton is also a poet and muralist and enjoys playing guitar. Hatton says "I like to employ a bit of twisted humour which shows in my one of a kind Chili Pepper designs and other works. I often strive for realism, but then I will go in the opposite direction towards fantasy as a balance. I hope you enjoy my work, and may you be inspired to find your own creativity in this mystical experience we call life."

Hatton will greet guests on Tuesday, October 22nd from 11 am - 6 pm.

Gallery artists are from Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and including Ojai Valley.

California State Old Time Fiddlers District 8 will meet Sunday October 25, 2013 from 1:30-4:30pm at the Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. Come out for an afternoon of playing, listening and dancing to Country Western and Bluegrass music. No admission or parking charge. Refreshments available. For more information and to find out about upcoming workshops go to calfiddlers.com or call 805-797-6563.

Treat yourself to a docent - led tour any Saturday in October. Note we will have special tour hours this month. We will be open for tours starting at 11:00 AM. Last tour starts at 2:00 PM.

On Sunday, October 6, the California Mission Ride (www.thecaliforniamissionride.org), “a 600 mile horseback journey through the past and for the future” comes to Rancho Camulos. Join us at 10:00 as we welcome the team of horse riders who are riding from mission to mission “to discover life and land of current communities in their mission era context”. Learn about their journey and experiences. Museum tours will also be available for the usual $5 tour donation. Children are free.

And for some special tricks, don’t miss the 2:00 PM show, featuring leading stuntmen from Hollywood’s film industry and starring the one-and-only Silver, the white Quarter Horse who stole the show in Johnny Depp’s latest film: The Lone Ranger. This event will go behind the scenes to show spectators how horse stunts are done by professionals. Visitors will be able to meet real stuntmen and ask them about their work. Children will be invited to paint Indian Ponies and learn how to apply traditional war paint patterns. This event is included with your $5 museum admission. It is sponsored by Movin’ On Livestock and famous stuntmen Jack Lilley, Clint Lilley, and Rod Rondeaux, among others will participate.

On Saturday, October 12, we have a unique treat for NCIS fans, the “Zeva Farewell tour”. Rancho Camulos Museum was one of the settings for the shooting of this year’s NCIS season premier, “Zeva’s Farewell.” Join a docent led tour at Noon to learn about the Zeva Farewell shoot and see the locations used. Reservations are recommended as space is limited. A $5 donation applies. Stay for a regular tour of Rancho Camulos Museum if you choose.

On October 19th, tricks and treats abound as we welcome back the Napoleonic War re-enactors for a Trafalgar Day event. Come and watch the military reenactments and see the beautiful period costumes from 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM. Our $5 donation applies to watch this unique pageant of history. Children are free. Regular museum tours will also be available from 11-3.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A movie about girls throughout the world who have overcome great difficulties will be shown at California Lutheran University to mark International Day of the Girl.

“Girl Rising” will be screened at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 10, in Lundring Events Center. A short presentation by Kiera Murphy, a CLU senior and U.S. representative for VOICE 4 Girls, will follow. VOICE 4 Girls was launched in India in 2011 to address the educational and employment challenges facing girls from low-income communities. The free CLU event, which will conclude with a discussion, commemorates the United Nation’s International Day of the Girl, which is Oct. 11.

Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins wanted to showcase the strength of the human spirit and the power of education in “Girl Rising.” Released in March, the PG-13 movie spotlights nine girls from nine countries in stories penned by nine renowned writers from the girls’ countries. Nine well-known actresses narrate the stories.

Real girls play themselves in slightly fictionalized accounts of stories from their own lives. Sokha is an orphan who rises from life in a garbage dump in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, to become a star student and accomplished dancer. Suma writes songs that help her endure forced servitude in Nepal and today crusades to free others. Ruksana is an Indian “pavement-dweller” whose father sacrifices his own basic needs for his daughter’s dreams.

Education can break the cycle of poverty, but girls around the world face barriers to schooling that boys do not. There are 33 million fewer girls than boys in primary school, according to Education First.

The film is the centerpiece of a global campaign by 10x10 to educate and empower girls to transform communities. Founded by journalists at The Documentary Group and Vulcan Productions, 10x10 is working with corporations, policymakers and grassroots organizations to remove barriers to girls’ education including forced marriages, domestic slavery and sex trafficking.

CLU’s Gender & Women’s Studies Program and the Thousand Oaks branch of the American Association of University Women are presenting the free screening.

Lundring Events Center is located in the Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is north of Olsen Road near Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus.

For more information, contact Peter Carlson at pcarlson@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3435.

DeWayne Boccali’s Father and Grandfather, c. 1951, Boccali Family Archive
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Jim and Ned Clark, c. 1984, Jim and Bambi Clark Archive
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Jim Clark, Jim and Bambi Clark Archive
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Jim Clark and Son Ned, Jim and Bambi Clark Archive
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Packing House, c. 1910, Ojai Orange Grove Association Archive
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Almond Harvest Upper Ojai, c. 1910, OVM Archive
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Bill And Helen Lucking, C.1942, Lucking Family Archives
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Bob C Davis, Sr., Rancheros Visitadores, c 1960, Bob Davis, Jr. Archive
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Nick Noce’s Walnut Ranch, OVMuseum Archive
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Opening Reception: Saturday, October 5th - 5 to 7 p.m.

The Ojai Valley Museum mounts one original history exhibit each year focusing on a topic significant to the Ojai community. This year’s exhibit is an historical perspective on ranching in the Ojai Valley.

Six local ranch families who have worked their land for at least two generations are featured in the show, with family photographs, historical texts, and objects borrowed from their ranch houses and outbuildings. The exhibit is a rich exploration of these stalwart, experimental, and determined families who ranch in the Ojai Valley. Their stories illustrate the reasons any of us choose to live in such a beautiful place.

A group of prominent Ojai ranchers met and selected the six ranches that make up the scope of this exhibit: Crooked Creek Ranch – established 1937, Clark Ranch – est. 1947, Boccali Ranch – est. 1951, Matilija Canyon Ranch – est. 1956, Topa Topa Ranch - est. 1959, and Haley Ranch - est. 1972.

The families include John E. Anderson; Dewayne and Marilyn Boccali; Jim and Bambi Clark, Leslie Clark, Linda Clark, Patricia Clark Doerner; Robert Calder Davis Jr.; Carly Lucking and Ernie Ford; and Roger Haley.

The museum director and members of the museum exhibition committee visited each ranch and selected the personal objects represented in the exhibit. Everything from saddles to a kitchen table, from paintings to smudge pots, from Navajo rugs to field boxes, have been gathered for the exhibit.

Photographs from each family were chosen to tell their story in pictures spanning dates between the early 19th century and today. Wedding portraits, baby pictures, ranch vistas, vintage farm equipment, wildlife, crops, and a myriad of other images serve to describe their generations and the reality of Ojai ranch living.

The intimate Alcove and Hall Galleries introduce visitors to the history of ranching in the Ojai Valley beginning with the 19th century Rancho Ojai Mexican land grant and Fernando Tico. Over-sized photographs from the museum’s Archive and Permanent Collection describe in pictures the variety of 19th century Ojai farms, how they were tended, who the work crews were, and how the produce, grain or citrus was transported. Wall texts enhance the archival visuals with scholarly research or excerpted published articles.

Each historic family and their ranch has a place in the main Rotating Gallery, immersing visitors in the individual stories told with text, objects, and personal photos. Looked upon as a whole, the gallery is a rich array of the lifestyle and lives intrinsic to ranching as a chosen profession.

Owner of historic Friends’ Ranches and Ojai Valley Museum Board member, Tony Thacher, was instrumental in bringing the idea for this exhibit to the museum. He corralled ranchers to early strategy meetings and helped focus the direction of the show. One of his ideas was to produce a feature length video of interviews conducted with the ranching families in the exhibit. This has been accomplished, pro bono, by local videographer Chris Ritke. The video will play looped in the gallery as an adjunct media element to the main exhibition.

In addition, Thacher has arranged for each family to host a special event on their ranch between mid-October and December. The events include picnics, a wine tasting, a gala museum fundraiser and more. The public is invited. Museum members will receive invitations, and the website and Facebook page will preview each event in a timely manner.

The Opening Reception is Saturday, October 5th from 5 to 7 p.m. in the galleries of the Ojai Valley Museum. All of the ranchers represented will be attending. Members are free and non-members are $5.00 at the door. No-host bar.

The exhibit has been made possible by a grant received from the Heritage Fund through the Ventura County Community Foundation, as well as general donations and income from the companion special events.

The Ojai Valley Museum, established in 1967, is generously supported in part by museum members, private donors, business sponsors and underwriters, the Smith-Hobson Foundation, Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, City of Ojai, Rotary Club of Ojai, and the Ojai Civic Association.

The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA. Admission: free for current 2013 members, adults - $5.00, children 6–18 - $1.00 and children 5 and under – free. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. Tours are available by appointment. Free parking is available off Blanche Street at back of museum.

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at: Ojai Valley Museum.org Find us on Facebook Ojai Valley Museum.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The California Lutheran University Choir and Women’s Chorale will open their seasons with an eclectic Homecoming Choral Concert at 2 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 20, in Samuelson Chapel.

The program will begin with the Women’s Chorale singing “Laudate Pueri” by Italian composer Giovanni Battista Gajani. The women will also perform Minnesota composer Stephen Paulus’ “The Earth Sings” for piano and percussion based on aboriginal Australian and Iglulik Eskimo texts.

The CLU Choir will perform “Make Music Sweet.” Jenni Brandon of Los Angeles composed the piece based on poems by James Joyce. Also featured will be “Forever Young,” original music by award-winning composer John Corigliano to Bob Dylan's lyrics.

“Jubilate Deo” by British composer William Walton, “Ngana” by Australian composer Stephen Leek and Carly Simon’s “Let The River Run” arranged by Craig Hella Johnson will also be performed.

CLU faculty member Heidi Valencia Vas will be the featured soloist. The Thousand Oaks resident has numerous opera, recital and oratorio credits and has been a featured soloist with The Los Angeles Baroque Orchestra.

Wyant Morton, director of choral and vocal activities, will conduct. The chair of the Music Department is in his 22nd year at CLU and has conducted the CLU choir for performances at the Lincoln Center and in England, Italy, Norway and Sweden.

The CLU Choir is the premiere choral ensemble at CLU. While dedicated to performing works that represent the university’s Lutheran heritage, it also embraces innovative new music as well as pieces expressing a multicultural perspective.

The CLU Women’s Chorale is comprised primarily of freshmen and sophomores. It draws its repertoire from the wealth of choral music for female voices from a range of historical periods from classical to modern.

Donations will be accepted.

The chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu.

Camarillo, CA - The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to present Victoria Reynolds – The Way of the Flesh in the Art Gallery at Napa Hall. This exhibition of paintings by the prominent Los Angeles-based artist opens with a free public reception on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., and runs through Friday, Nov. 1.

For over a decade, Reynolds has rendered sensual paintings of various meats, addressing “temptations of the flesh” and our suspicion of the beautiful images. Often set in ornate, rococo or baroque-style frames, her meat paintings allude to the Venetian art of painting flesh, Dutch vanitas, kitchen and butcher stall scenes, divine sacrifice, and humans’ exploitation of fellow creatures. The fleshy textures, transparencies and shapes frequently resemble floral arrangements. Her fruit, vegetables and flowers, drenched in cream, visually recall her meat compositions. These ultra close-up views, which can become organic abstractions, present a compelling visual representation of excess, overabundance and fecundity.

Reynolds’ work has been included in more than 100 exhibitions internationally and has been featured in such publications as Art in America, Frieze, Artforum, Harper's Magazine, Meatpaper, KryptonIt, Art Ltd., Vision, The New York Times Style Magazine, NRC Handelsblad, and Dagens Nyheter.

The Art Gallery at Napa Hall, the University’s premier art exhibition venue, is located on Ventura Street on the CI campus. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact the CI Art Program at 805-437-2772, email art@csuci.edu, or visit http://art.csuci.edu/gallery.

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About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - Romantic opera and ballet music will be featured in California Lutheran University’s Founders Day Concert at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 18, in Samuelson Chapel.

The “Symphonic Romance” program performed by the University Symphony will include selections from the Italian, Russian and French repertory including Verdi’s overture to the opera “La Forza del Destino,” the ballet suite from Faure’s “Pelléas et Mélisande,” the adagio from Khachaturian’s ballet “Spartacus”and the “RákóczyMarch”by Berlioz.

Veteran faculty member Daniel Geeting will direct.

One of the first ensembles established at the founding of CLU, the University Symphony is a 50- to 60-member ensemble that performs several times each semester and has a diverse repertory ranging from the latest in contemporary composition to standards of the symphonic repertory. While the symphony is an integral part of the program for music majors and minors, it is open to all CLU students and also includes community members.

Donations will be accepted.

Samuelson Chapel is located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus. Additional parking is available at the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard.

For more information, call the Music Department at 805-493-3306 or visit callutheran.edu/music.

Camarillo, CA - The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to announce Crude Spirits: Oil and Awareness, the first solo student exhibition to appear at the University’s new Grad Wall Gallery in Napa Hall, Room 1154, on the CI campus.

Created by CI senior Ryan Alexander, Crude Spirits examines the consequences of fossil fuel use in modern society. Using photography and illustration to create a chilling metaphor, Alexander places the viewer in a world inhabited by the specter of oil dependency and its inherent effect on the environment.

Crude Spirits will run from Thursday, Oct. 3, through Friday, Nov. 1, with an opening reception on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 8:00 p.m.

The Grad Wall is a new exhibition space intended to show off the work of some of the Art Program’s finest graduating seniors. Each semester, CI Art Program faculty members nominate the top students in their respective medium. The final three solo exhibiting artists are chosen through a lottery system. Grad Wall exhibitions will run concurrently with the shows in Napa Hall's main gallery.

The Grad Wall is located in Napa Hall, Room 1154, on Ventura Street on the CI campus. Regular gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional information, contact the CI Art Program at 805-437-2772, email art@csuci.edu, or visit http://art.csuci.edu/gallery.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.

Camarillo, CA - The Art Program at CSU Channel Islands (CI) is pleased to present The Portrait Gallery Show, an exhibition of contemporary portraiture by CI students and faculty. The show runs Thursday, Oct. 3, through Friday, Nov. 1, in the CI Exhibitions Gallery, located at 92 Palm Dr. in Old Town Camarillo. A free public reception will be held on Thursday, Oct. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. The exhibition showcases a wide array of works in two- and three-dimensional and digital media.

CI Exhibitions, Camarillo (also known as the "Palm Gallery") is a cultural outreach partnership between CI’s Art Program and Camarillo dentist Dr. Michael Czubiak, who has provided a gallery space in his building in historic Old Town Camarillo. In addition to affording CI students the opportunity to exhibit their art, the gallery also presents curated shows of regional artists – allowing the campus and surrounding community to come together in the appreciation of art.

Regular gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Friday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, visit http://art.csuci.edu/, or contact the Art Program at 805-437-2772 or art@csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is the only four-year, public university in Ventura County and is known for its interdisciplinary, multicultural and international perspectives, and its emphasis on experiential and service learning. CI’s strong academic programs focus on business, sciences, liberal studies, teaching credentials, and innovative master’s degrees. Students benefit from individual attention, up-to-date technology, and classroom instruction augmented by outstanding faculty research. CI has been designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic-Serving Institution and is committed to serving students of all backgrounds from the region and beyond. Connect with and learn more about CI by visiting CI’s Social Media.