Featured next in the Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery is “It’s All About the Hike,” an exhibition of oils on canvas and canvas panels by plein-air painter Sparkle Taylor set to open June 18.

“I’ve always loved the California impressionists — the great paintings done from the late 1800s through the 1940s,” said the Simi Valley artist and graphic designer. “I like the small, jewel-like color sketches that traditionally were done as information-gathering for a large piece. They are so fresh and immediate! … It was my enjoyment of this work that inspired me to attempt this kind of painting.

“My show is named ‘It’s All About the Hike’ because I paint outdoors in the same envelope of light as my subjects,” Taylor said. “It’s work to get there — I carry a pack with everything I need to make my paintings. I go out at dawn, because the early morning light is my favorite, and very special.”

She added, “I think it’s important to put out this effort. It’s my ‘thank you’ to the universe for this world of beauty we are presented with every day.”

The payoff for viewers is bright, colorful and boldly painted glimpses of “our local natural areas and town scenes,” more than 30 of which will be on display in her solo show that runs through July 13. Sizes range from 6 by 8 inches up to 24 by 30 inches. Taylor will attend an opening reception 4-7 p.m. June 22 and will also be available during Ventura’s First Fridays Gallery Crawl July 5, 5-8 p.m.

Examples of her painting and design work can be found at www.sparktaylorartanddesign.com.

The Buenaventura Gallery, at 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open 11am-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. For more information, call the gallery at 648-1235 or visit www.buenaventuragallery.org.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Art Start program for budding young artists returns this summer and is now accepting registrations. The July 8 - 12, 2013 session from 9:00 am to noon is designed for students currently in 3rd through 5th grades, of all artistic abilities and interests. The Art Start program encourages students to have fun discovering different art media and techniques, to learn from guest artists, and to be inspired by the museum’s exhibitions and art collection. The session is limited to 15 participants.

T-shirt, snacks and all art materials are included in the registration fee, which is $85 for the general public, $70 for museum members. Partial scholarships are available. Registration forms may be downloaded under education resources/summer programs, at www.venturamuseum.org, or picked up in the Museum of Ventura County lobby, 100 East Main Street in Ventura, from 11 a.m. to 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. For further information contact education@venturamuseum.org or call (805) 653-0323 ext. 300.

“Daylily variety developed at Greenwood Daylily Gardens” photograph taken by John Schoustra, owner.
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The private gardens of Rancho de las Flores in Somis will be open for a special event to benefit the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum, on Saturday, June 8, 2013. The general public and Museum members are invited, and are asked to make prepaid reservations by May 30th, by calling the Agriculture Museum at (805) 525-3100.

The event begins at 11:00 a.m. in Somis with tours of the gardens of Rancho de las Flores. Roses, fruit trees and California native plants frame views of Las Posas Valley and Conejo Valley. At 12:00 p.m., a buffet lunch catered by Command Performance will be served on a shaded hilltop patio. During dessert, John Schoustra, landscape architect and owner of the Rancho, will talk about varieties of daylilies, irises and pelargoniums he has developed for local gardens. Schoustra was formerly chief horticulturist at Rancho Los Alamitos Historic Site and Gardens in Long Beach and currently owns Greenwood Daylily Gardens, a commercial nursery. From 1:00 to 2:00, those in attendance can shop at Greenwood Daylily Gardens, adjacent to the Rancho. Twenty percent of plant sale proceeds will be donated to the Agriculture Museum.

Admission to all the day’s activities is $35 for Museum members and $40 for the general public. The activities commence in Somis; directions to the site will be given upon reservation. Ample parking will be available.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located in historic downtown Santa Paula at 926 Railroad Avenue. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children ages 6-17. Free for Museum of Ventura County members and children ages 5 and younger. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, the first Sunday of every month is free general admission to the public, and the Second Thursday Gallery Talks are followed by an additional gallery talk at the Santa Paula Art Museum. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.

Santa Paula, CA – Agricultural crops have had a strong influence on the growth of Ventura County. Soon after California became a state, great numbers of farmers began arriving to establish farms and grow a variety of crops. A few towns grew slowly to support the agriculture industry and provide for the needs of farm families. But one crop has the distinction of being the sole reason for a Ventura County town’s birth and boom. According to the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum’s Curator, Anne Graumlich, “without sugar beets, there would be no Oxnard.”

On June 13, 2013 at 2:00 p.m., Graumlich will share the history of “Oxnard’s Sugar Beet Bonanza,” during a Second Thursday Gallery Talk at the Agriculture Museum. How a field in the middle of a fertile plain became the site of the world’s second-largest sugar beet processing factory, and how the County’s soon-to-be fastest growing city grew there, will be illustrated with photographs from the Museum of Ventura County’s Research Library Collection. The agreements between area farmers and the Oxnard brothers, who were American sugar barons from the east coast and France; the construction of the sugar factory; the great human effort required to grow and harvest beets; and the overnight growth of the city that would be named Oxnard; are highlights of the talk. The 30-minute presentation will be followed by time for questions and answers.

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Santa Paula Society of the Arts

Our group has lost 3 members in the last 6 months and we have a “Memorial Display” for Martha Binsley, Cynthia Davis – both of Santa Paula and long time member Dorine Lunceford, recently living in Tehachapi. All three specialized in Water Color and each had their own particular style.

The exhibit can be enjoyed during regular library hours which are Mon., Tues., and Thursday 12 noon to 8 p.m. - - Wed. from 10 to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 to 2 p.m. the library is located at 117 No. 8th. St. Santa Paula. Histories of each are there to be enjoyed.

They will all be missed...

The Museum of Ventura County and the Vita Art Center present a series of unique still life drawing classes for kids (8yrs. and older) and adults of all artistic abilities. On Sunday, June 2 and Sunday, July 7, experienced art instructor Colin Fraser Gray will teach elements of drawing and composition as participants sketch a still life drawing of artifacts chosen from the Museum’s collection.

The classes will take place in the courtyard of the Museum at 100 East Main St. in downtown Ventura. There will be three class sessions each day at 1:00, 2:00 and 3:00 pm. The cost is $10 per person for each class session and participants can register for more than one class each day. Each session is limited to 15 participants. Each participant’s registration fee covers art materials for the class and admission to all galleries for the day.

To make a paid reservation please call the Museum at (805) 653-0323 ext. 7 or come to the Museum of Ventura County lobby, 100 East Main Street in Ventura, from 11 a.m. to 5 pm, Tuesday through Sunday. For further information contact education@venturamuseum.org or call (805) 653-0323 ext. 300.

Santa Paula, CA –The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum will host a free event, Quilt Blocks for Kids!, on Sunday, June 2, 2013, from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. Visitors to the museum can participate in a number of quilting activities. They can learn to work with paper, fabric and art supplies to make quilt blocks which can be taken home. They can sew by hand on a full-size quilt.

Museum volunteers will lead the fun-for-all-ages activities. They will teach visitors how to make one-of-a-kind quilt blocks. They will demonstrate sewing with a needle and thread. Visitors can practice their hand-sewing skills by stitching on a handmade quilt decorated with California scenes.

Quilt Blocks for Kids! is part of the Museum’s ongoing series to encourage agricultural awareness: Free First Sundays. These events take place every first Sunday of the month and include free admission for the general public to all Agriculture Museum exhibits. Visitors on Sunday, June 2 can see the permanent exhibits about Ventura County agriculture in Limoneira Hall and Calavo Hall. They can also see two temporary exhibits: “Farm Fresh Quilts” and “From Field to Factory: Oxnard’s Beet Generation.”

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located in historic downtown Santa Paula at 926 Railroad Avenue. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children ages 6-17. Free for Museum of Ventura County members and children ages 5 and younger. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, the first Sunday of every month is free general admission to the public, and the Second Thursday Gallery Talks are followed by an additional gallery talk at the Santa Paula Art Museum. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.

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SANTA PAULA, CA – On Sunday, May 19, 2013, the Santa Paula Art Museum will host its Third Annual Fine and Decorative Art Auction with works by early and mid-20th century California artists Jessie Arms Botke, Cornelis Botke, Dana Bartlett, Douglas Shively, and Christian Von Schneidau, highlighting the event. Wine and gourmet hors d’oeuvres catered by Mupu Grill will add to what promises to be the most exciting event of the season. Admission to the auction is $15.00 for Museum Members and $20.00 for the general public.

The art auction beings at 3:00 p.m. with a silent auction, followed immediately by a live auction beginning at 4:30 p.m. In all, over 70 works of art, ranging from gorgeous oil paintings in hand carved frames to decorative glass, pottery and porcelain, will be up for bid. Contemporary plein air paintings by artists like Kevin Macpherson and Gina Niebergall will complement the more antique offerings. To see a catalog of all of the items available in the auction, please visit www.SantaPaulaArtMuseum.org/auction.html.

The annual Santa Paula Art Museum auction is a rare opportunity to add to, or start your own art collection. This year, the Museum’s auction committee has gathered together a breathtaking array of objects by truly noteworthy artists. All of the auction items are carefully vetted by the committee for authenticity and provenance, and all of the proceeds benefit the Santa Paula Art Museum, Jeanette Cole Art Center.

The event is graciously supported by sponsors Calavo Growers, Mupu Grill, Rotary Club of Santa Paula, Santa Clara Valley Bank, and Santa Paula Community Bank. The Santa Paula Art Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street in downtown Santa Paula. Contact us by calling (805) 525-5554 or email info@SantaPaulaArtMuseum.org. The Art Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m.

Images attached: Floral Study by Jessie Arms Botke, c. 1950s, watercolor on paper, 26” x 20” (available in the live auction); Bridge Cotswald Countryside by Douglas Shively, 1979, oil on board, 14.25” x 18” (available in the live auction); Foo Dog with Stand, c. 1900, green serpentine on rosewood stand, 15.25” x 9.25” x 14.25” (available in the silent auction).

Ojai, CA - Ojai Photography Club President Dean Zatkowsky will lead a discussion of photographic composition at the organization’s May 21st meeting, 7:00 PM, at Help of Ojai’s Little House, 111 Santa Ana Street, in Ojai. Monthly presentations are part of the Ojai Photography Club’s community service outreach and visitors are welcome to attend.

Using the “Rule of Thirds” and “Golden Section” as points of departure, Zatkowsky will share simple concept illustrations from Welsh photographer Martin Turner, and then display club member photos that further illustrate the concepts.

A longtime marketing executive and current Communications Manager for the Santa Barbara-based Orfalea Foundation, Zatkowsky is an accomplished photographer whose dance and theater work is regularly featured in local publications. His wit, writing and photography may be viewed on a regular basis in his “Camera Club Confidential” blog: http://cameraclubconfidential.com/

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

The 2013 Rebozo Festival will celebrate its 9th year on Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on the beautiful grounds of the historic Adolfo Camarillo Ranch in Camarillo, California. This unique cultural event features a Mexican inspired brunch, a fashion show highlighting the rebozo (shawl), silent and live auctions and a “Tiendita,” where you can purchase exclusive items including rebozos from Oaxaca. This beloved annual event features Mariachi’s and other lively entertainment that you won’t want to miss!

Proceeds from this years’ event will benefit The One Step a la Vez Program, Future Leaders of America and Park Oaks Outreach Program.” This benefit event was established to raise funds for Ventura County non-profit charitable organizations focusing on the cultural, social and educational needs of the community. This unique cultural experience promotes the rich heritage of our area by highlighting the colorful Mexican rebozo (shawl) as our theme.

Thanks to the generosity of many sponsors and supporters, thousands of dollars have been raised each year for numerous worthy non-profit organizations in our local area. Past recipients include the Heart 2 Heart Program, Inlakech Cultural Center, United Farm Workers Freeze Relief Fund, the Oxnard College Women's Re-entry Program, the Ventura County Chapter of Parents of Murdered Children, and the Foundation, Educational and Employment Resources Development/Café on A, Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE), and Centro Mujer. Other notable recipients include the performing arts programs (Mariachi classes) for the Oxnard Union High School District and the United Way Community Action Fund.

Tickets for the festival and brunch are $35 in advance and $45 at the door. Brunch will be served from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. For more information and purchase locations please call 805-500-3292 or visit our website at www.rebozofestival.com and follow Rebozo Festival on Facebook.

The Ventura Botanical Gardens is holding its second annual Garden Festival on Saturday, May 18th from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. behind Ventura City Hall at Grant Park. There will be gardening workshops, children’s gardening activities, raffles, good food, music, and an array of local vendors specializing in plants, garden-related arts, personal items and unique fun things with an emphasis on natural and renewable materials.

Kids will love hands-on projects and a puppeteer and Tinker Bell who will be there at noon to sing and tell stories.

The schedule for the gardening workshops is:
11:15 am - Succulents, Carol Haverty, Camarillo Park & Recreation educator
12:15 pm - Attracting Birds & Butterflies, Lisa Burton, Nature by Design
1:15 pm - Urban Organic Food Production, Randy Ritchie, Malibu Compost, the creator of Bu’s Biodynamic Compost (“fairy dust” for the garden)
2:15 pm - Ocean Friendly Gardens, Renee Roth, Ventura Water
3:15 pm - Biological Pest Control, Kyra Rude, Rincon-Vitova Insectaries

Artist Patricia Kochel, who paints under the name Patricia Harrington, will be there to sign prints of her watercolor, which was commissioned for this event.

Tickets are $15 and children 12 and under are free with adults. Tickets may be purchased online at VenturaBotanicalGardens.com or from a friendly volunteer once you arrive. Park in the lot behind Ventura City Hall at 501 Poli Street and come join the party!

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What can we learn about history from the movies and television? How much of their cinematographic splendor is based on fact and how much is embellished make-believe? The new summer exhibition Fact or Fiction? Stuart Critiques Hollywood features historical personalities who have become the focus of the moving pictures, including Marie Antoinette, Henry VIII, the Borgia family and China’s Last Emperor Pu-Yi. It opens Tuesday, May 14, 2013.

In his accompanying monologues, artist George Stuart will critique Hollywood’s attempts to portray history and share how he avoids the pitfalls of historical inaccuracy when creating his one-quarter life-size Historical Figures®. Known for his theatrical energy and irreverent humor, Stuart will lend commentary to movie classics The Private Life of Henry VIII (1933), Marie Antoinette (1938), more recent productions like Bernando Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor (1987) and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette (2006), as well as prime time television series The Tudors (2007-10) and The Borgias (2011).

Part I, focusing on Henry VIII and the Borgia family, will be held in the Museum’s Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Event Pavilion on Tuesday, June 25, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) as well as on Wednesday, June 26, 2 - 4 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.). Part II, focusing on Marie Antoinette and the Xuantong Emperor, will be held on Tuesday, August 13, from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (doors open at 7 p.m.) as well as on Wednesday, August 14, 2 - 4 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.). Admission to the monologues is $15 for the general public and $10 for museum members, and includes light refreshments during intermission. For reservations call (805) 653-0323 (x 7).

Stuart’s Historical Figures® have gained recognition for their exquisite detail and historical accuracy. The Museum of Ventura County presents rotating exhibits of more than 200 George Stuart Historical Figures® in their permanent collection.

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. For more museum information visit us at www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 653-0323.

Susan Petty

SANTA PAULA, CA – Artist Susan Petty’s new works currently on display at the Santa Paula Art Museum have a lot to say, and she will be encouraging visitors to look beyond their surface at a gallery talk on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 3:00 p.m. The lifelong artist will discuss how her art has been transformed by new inspirations and profound changes in her own life. Admission to the talk is included in the cost of admission to the Museum, which is $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and free for students and SPAM Members.

Petty, who shares the Museum's Old Hands, New Works exhibit with sculptor Michele Chapin, has been long admired in Ventura County for her painted and drawn flowers and landscapes. Her new works, however, are far more abstract and emotional – awash with light, movement and turmoil. Susan will reveal how this new series came to fruition, and where she thinks her art will go from here.

The discussion is part of the Second Thursday Gallery Talk series shared by the Art Museum and the Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum. The Ag Museum will be hosting their own talk at 2:00 p.m. with beekeeper Bill Weinerth who will be explaining what’s happening in the museum’s beehive. No reservations are necessary, light refreshments will be served, and guests are welcome to attend one talk or both. Admission is charged separately at each museum.

The Santa Paula Art Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street in downtown Santa Paula. Contact us by calling (805) 525-5554. The Art Museum’s regular hours are Wednesday through Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday 12 to 4 p.m. The two museums are within walking distance of each other and parking is free at both locations. The Museum of Ventura County Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue in Santa Paula. The Ag Museum may be contacted at (805) 525-3100.

The Orange Pealers, Bardsdale United Methodist Church's handbell choir, are inviting the community to their annual Mother's Day Tea and Fashion Show on Saturday, May 11, at 2 p.m. in LeBard Hall.

There will be a variety of teas and tasty treats to enjoy as super models strut down the runway in "almost fashionable" wardrobe that was culled from the church's recent rummage sale. Laughter and great fellowship will be had by all.

This is an extremely popular event so reservations are a must. Suggested donation is $15.00 per fashionista. Call Marcia at 524-3674, Mimi at 524-1823 or the church at 524-2070 to guarantee your place.

The historic church is located at 1498 Bardsdale Avenue.

“Gardens Above and Below” is the next solo exhibition at the Buenaventura Art Association’s downtown Ventura gallery, featuring paintings by Carol Simson in watercolors on paper and acrylics on canvas.

“It is actually gardens aboveground and underwater scenes from Monterey Bay Aquarium,” she said of the May 21-June 15 show that will include 16 recent works ranging from 15 inches square to 40 by 30 inches.

Simson, a Ventura artist and longtime National Watercolor Society member, will attend an opening reception from 4-7 p.m. May 25 and will be discussing her work during First Fridays gallery crawl, 5-8 p.m. on June 7.

Born in Fargo and raised on a North Dakota farm, she moved to Ventura in 1974 with her husband and two sons. Simson was widowed in 1989 and two years later discovered her talent and passion for art at Ventura College, studying under such noted local artists and educators as Gerd Koch, Hiroko Yoshimoto and Carlyle Cooper, among others. She graduated in 1996 with associate degrees in fine art and general liberal arts.

“I am a representational as well as an abstract artist, “Simson said. “I paint mostly watercolor at this time but I have painted in acrylic, mixed media and oil,” primarily from photos she takes on her travels.

“I enjoy the entire process, especially the layering of one transparent color over another,” said Simson, who said the most challenging aspect is “finishing a painting. I sometimes have four or five pieces going at one time, so it gets hairy at times.”

Her favorite subjects are florals and landscapes, and since 1999 her paintings have been exhibited and earned awards in many prestigious area venues. Simson’s works are in numerous private and corporate collections in the U.S. and Europe.

The Buenaventura Gallery, at 700 E. Santa Clara St., is open noon-5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays. For more information, visit the Buenaventura Art Association website at www.buenaventuragallery.org. The gallery phone number is 648-1235.

Camarillo, CA - The CSU Channel Islands Choir invites the public to “Sounds of Love and Nature,” the group’s spring concert. The performance will be held Saturday, May 11, at 2 p.m., at St. Columba’s Episcopal Church, 1251 Las Posas Road, Camarillo.

The choir will be joined by children of the Pleasant Valley School District Chorus. Artistic Director Dr. KuanFen Liu will conduct. The accompanist will be Fern Fay. Admission is by free-will donation; $20 is suggested. Parking is free.

The CSU Channel Islands Choir is a diverse campus/community group that meets as a weekly class in the University’s Performing Arts Program. Led by Professor KuanFen Liu, the choir offers participants exposure to a wide range of musical genres and periods, as well as the opportunity to perform publicly on campus and throughout Ventura County.

Channel Islands Choral Association (CICA) is the choir’s sponsor. CICA is a 501(c)(3) organization that serves Ventura County, bringing music education and performance to the local schools and community. For more information, call 805-484-6601 or visit the CICA website at www.cicachoir.org. To learn more about the CI class, as well as upcoming events and auditions, visit the choir’s website at http://choir.csuci.edu.

About California State University Channel Islands
CSU Channel Islands (CI) is celebrating 10 years of education, innovation, growth and community enrichment during the 2012/2013 academic year. We salute our faculty, staff, students, alumni, supporters, and partners who continue the CI mission of a student-centered education emphasizing international and multicultural perspectives with interdisciplinary and experiential service-oriented learning.

Together, we are solving the problems of today, preparing the leaders and innovators of tomorrow, and contributing to the vitality of higher education.

CSU Channel Islands – A Decade of Distinction

In deference to Mother’s Day the meeting of the SPSA will take place on Sunday May 19th from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Santa Paula depot, corner of 10th and Santa Barbara Streets. After a brief installation of officers for the next term (2013- 2015) Ms. Kilpatrick will give a demonstration on her procedures when she prepares and completes a painting.

Guests are always welcome and one in the audience will have the opportunity to take home an original painting can be yours with a small donation...

Hilda Kilpatrick’s oil paintings are primarily landscapes: local scenes, places that impress and inspire passion within her, mountains, trees, the ocean, the green of spring and the beautiful California skies. Raised by an artistic family in the cultural city of Trujillo Peru and influenced by the early California painters as well as the Impressionists, her pallet is warm and sunny with nature firmly in the forefront of her work. “Most of my work depicts scenes that I fear may not be here forever,” says the artist. By capturing places on canvas, she hopes these vistas will remain timeless. www.hildakilpatrick.com

Artist Statement
I have been painting since 1998, prior to that I worked in pastels while living in my native Peru. After moving to the United States, I began to seriously develop my skills as a painter. I studied under Marcia Cummings where I honed my abilities in depicting perspective in the scenes I paint. I have recently studied under Glen Orbik learning to incorporate the human figure in my paintings.

I am influenced by the early California painters as well as the impressionists. My pallets are warm and sunny. Nature is at the forefront of all of my work. Most of my work depicts scenes that I fear may not be here forever. I also paint places that speak to my soul, that make me laugh inside and that make my heart jump with excitement. California scenery has been an inspiration to me for years. By capturing places on my canvas they remain timeless. I hope to bring sunshine and happiness to whomever looks at one!
Hilda Kilpatrick

The California Oil Museum is pleased to announce Brian Day and Emily Law to speak at the Museum on Sunday, April 28, at 2pm. The California Oil Museum is located at 1001 E. Main Street in Santa Paula. Admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors, $1 for students ages 6-17. 5 and under are free. Brian is from NASA and Emily is from JPL (Jet Propulsion Lab). Emily will be bringing some interactive displays to the museum to show during their talk on Sunday. The exhibit, “Let’s Go to the Moon! The Lunar Missions”, will be on display and open to the public.

Brian Day is the Director of Communication and Outreach at the NASA Lunar Science Institute. In this role, he coordinates programs with numerous internal and external partnering organizations, focusing on providing opportunities for students and the public to directly participate in lunar science and exploration.

Brian also currently serves as the Education/Public Outreach Lead for NASA’s Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer (LADEE) mission to the Moon, scheduled for launch in 2013. From 2007-2010 he served as the E/PO Lead for NASA’s LCROSS lunar impactor mission which discovered deposits of water ice at the Moon’s South Pole. He has also participated in producing the Education/Public Outreach sections for numerous NASA mission proposals. Brian has played key roles in various NASA Mars Analog Field Studies, providing technical support in the field for webcasts and robotic rover tests in extreme environments here on Earth. In 2007, he flew on the Aurigid-MAC mission to record fragments of comet Kiess entering Earth’s upper atmosphere.

Brian is a frequently-requested speaker at local schools and community organizations. As a member of NASA’s Speakers Bureau, he is sent by NASA to give talks on a wide range of NASA missions and research topics.

Brian has worked as an instructor in San Jose State University’s Internet Business Specialist program, and has taught astronomy through the Metropolitan Education District in San Jose and as part of Project Astro. He is very active in the amateur astronomy community and served as the chairman of the Foothill College Observatory for 16 years. Brian earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of California Los Angeles, a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from the University of San Francisco, and a Master’s degree in Astronomy from the University of Western Sydney.

Ms. Emily Law has over twenty years of experience in the research, development and management of complex information systems. Ms. Law has worked for both large and small organizations having served on a diverse set of projects during her career. Since 1996, Ms. Law has been working at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory where she has provided leadership and management in the architecture, development and operations of highly distributed ground data systems for planetary exploration and earth science. She currently serves as a deputy program manager and development manager to two separate directorates covering data systems in solar system research and earth science. In 2005, she was the recipient of the NASA Exceptional Achievement Medal in recognition of outstanding contributions to the NASA Deep Space Network. She currently leads operations for NASA’s Planetary Data System, NASA’s official archive to manage results from solar system research; and leads development of the Lunar Mapping and Modeling Project data management infrastructure and portal in support of Lunar Exploration activities. Ms. Law has B.S. degrees in Math and Computer Science from Cal State Long Beach and is a graduate of University of Southern California where she holds a M.S. degree in Computer Engineering.

Who: Brian Day and Emily Law
What: Speakers on the subject of Lunar Science
Where: Santa Paula’s California Oil Museum
When: Sunday, April 28, at 2 PM.
Why: To learn more about the Moon!

Santa Paula, CA – The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum will be hosting Second Thursday Gallery Talk on Thursday, May 9, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. Guest speaker Bill Weinerth, a veteran beekeeper of over 50 years, will explain some of the intricate activities that take place inside the Museum’s working beehive. Topics will include the roles and related tasks of each member of the bee colony, from workers, to the queen bee, and colony collapse disorder in Ventura County. Audience members will have an opportunity to see where eggs have been laid and where young bees are emerging. Admission to the talk is free for Museum members, $4.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors, and $1 for children ages 6-17. No RSVP necessary.

Weinerth has been a friend of the Agriculture Museum’s since its start and provided the first family of bees that were introduced to the beehive in September of 2011. He takes great care in raising docile queen bees and works to prevent the introduction of aggressive bees.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located in historic downtown Santa Paula at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, California. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. General admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children ages 6-17. Free for Museum of Ventura County members and children ages 5 and younger. Paid events include free admission to the galleries, and the first Sunday of every month is free general admission to the public. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The Ball State University Chamber Choir from Muncie, Ind., will perform in California Lutheran University’s Samuelson Chapel at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11.

The program will feature Randall Thompson’s “Alleluia,” Aaron Copland’s “Four Motets” and Johannes Brahms’ “Messe” and “Warum ist das Licht gegeben?”

The Ball State University Chamber Choir is the college’s primary touring and performance choral ensemble. Several campus performances each semester are augmented with an ongoing series of performances with theMuncie Symphony Orchestra and Ball State Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble has performed throughout the United States and in Europe.

Duane R. Karna will conduct. The associate professor of music performance and director of choral activities oversees the choral program and conducts the Chamber Choir and the Women’s Choir and coordinates the graduate program in choral music. He earned a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance at the University of Puget Sound and master’s degrees in vocal performance and choral conducting at Southern Methodist University. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in choral conducting with a minor in vocal performance from the University of Arizona in Tucson where he worked with Maurice Skones.

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.

CLU’s Music Department issponsoring the free event. Donations will be accepted. For more information, call 805-493-3306 or visit callutheran.edu.