THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A Kansas City organist and teacher is presenting a free concert and master class at California Lutheran University.

John Ditto, music director and organist at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Kansas City for almost 30 years, will lead the organ master class at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.

Ditto will perform at 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12, in the third and final concert in the Orvil and Gloria Franzen 2011-2012 Organ Program Series celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Borg Petersen Memorial Organ in CLU’s Samuelson Chapel.

The organist is an associate professor emeritus of the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory of Music and Dance, where he spent 29 years. Previously, he was an associate professor of music at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.

Ditto earned a bachelor’s degree in music from Drake University, a master’s degree from the University of Michigan, and a doctorate in musical arts from the Eastman School of Music, where he was awarded the prestigious Performer’s Certificate. He has served as organist and choirmaster for churches in Iowa, Michigan, Indiana, Missouri and New York.

The Ventura County Chapter of the American Guild of Organists is sponsoring the master class. Organists interested in playing for Ditto may contact CLU’s University Organist Kyle Johnson, who studied with Ditto at the conservatory, at 805-493-3332 or kejohns@callutheran.edu.

Both events will be held in Samuelson Chapel, located south of Olsen Road near Campus Drive on the Thousand Oaks campus.

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

Rex Kochel’s “Eclectic Adventure Continues” will be at the Buenaventura Gallery from January 31 – Feb. 25 with an opening reception on Saturday, Feb. 4 from 4 – 7 pm. Kochel’s “Eclectic Adventure” includes watercolors, watercolor/collage and some mixed media pieces as well as several drawings.

When asked exactly what “Eclectic Adventure Continues” means, Kochel laughed and commented, “People have wondered if the same artist painted all these paintings because they look so different…it truly is an eclectic adventure.” Kochel continued, “Of course, it can also refer to the fact that a number of the paintings were drawn without looking at the paper: a blind continuous line. This definitely creates interesting details and unusual shapes.” Kochel's interests and approach continues to evolve, as patrons will notice in his exhibit. His eclectic approach and appreciation of diverse styles will no doubt continue throughout his career.

Kochel's evolution as an artist began late in life. As a high school and college athlete (he attended Oregon State University on a basketball scholarship) it was nearly impossible to include art into his course of study. He was well into his 30's when he first enrolled in an art class at Ventura College. Several years later, at the urging of the administration at Ventura High School, Rex agreed to head the Girls' Basketball Program if his teaching assignment included teaching art classes. From that beginning, Rex eventually became a full time art instructor at the high school. Upon retirement in 2004 Rex was commissioned by Remax in Ventura to provide painting (54 in all) for their new office building. In 2005 Rex was juried into the Ojai Studio Artists.

The Buenaventura Gallery is located at 700 E. Santa Clara St. in downtown Ventura. Hours are Tuesday through Friday from 12 to 5 pm and Saturday from 11 am to 5 pm. For more information, call the gallery at 805-648-1235 or visit their website at www.BuenaventuraGallery.org.

Zypora Spaisman

Discover the funny, poignant, and larger-than-life world of Holocaust survivor and actress Zypora Spaisman, when the Museum of Ventura County presents “Yiddish Theater: A Love Story,” a documentary screening on Thursday, February 9, at 6:30 p.m. A question and answer session with filmmaker/producer Ravit Markus follows. Admission is $10, museum members $5, and includes entry to all museum galleries beforehand.

The documentary was shot in real time, during a crucial week when the 84-year-old Spaisman’s theater company was struggling for financial survival despite its excellent critical reviews. The film includes scenes with many of the last remaining stars of the Yiddish stage as well as leading experts from the Yiddish world, including Seymour Rexite, Shifra Lerer, Zalmen Mlotek, Nahma Sandrow and many more. “Yiddish Theater: A Love Story” has been screened at the Jerusalem and the Santa Barbara International Film Festivals, among others.

Spaisman was an actress on the Yiddish stage from an early age in her native Poland. When the Nazis invaded Poland, she and her husband fled toward Russia, but were later sent to a Soviet labor camp. Spaisman used her midwife training to deliver more than 1,000 babies born there. After the war she learned she was the only one in her family to escape death. She continued as an actress, and once in New York, became an important force in the fight to keep Yiddish theater viable in America. She had a long association with the Folksbiene, the nation’s oldest Yiddish speaking theater, where she was executive producer before she left to start her own company, Yiddish Public Theater. During her career she won an Obie Award, a Drama Desk award, and a New York City People’s Choice Award.

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 to the exhibitions 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.

Backstage at SPTC (Santa Paula Theater Center) announces its third annual production of original one act plays. Full Frontal Humanity opens June 1 and runs through June 17 for eleven performances. Like its predecessors, Acts2Grind and Quills & Keys, Full Frontal Humanity will consist of original one act plays written exclusively by Ventura County residents.

Submission Guidelines
Plays will be considered only from Ventura County residents.
Plays must be previously unproduced and run 10 to 30 minutes in length.
There is no submission fee. Likewise, there is no pay or prize money.
Each writer may submit up to three plays, but no more than 45 pages total.
Submissions will only be accepted electronically. Send pdf or Word files to SPTCBackstage@yahoo.com.
Include a list of characters with any relevant description either on the title page or the 2nd page.
Including a bio or list of credits is optional, however you must include your name, street address and phone number in your email.
Submissions must be received by Friday, March 30, 2012.
Writers will be notified by email prior to April 15 as to the reading panel’s decision.

Important Information

· Backstage at SPTC is a “black box” theater. Plays are simply staged with minimal set pieces, props and set dressing. Think along the lines of simple furniture that can be reconfigured, redressed, or easily moved on and off stage quickly.

· Backstage at SPTC is a forum for new, original works. Strong language and adult situations are common.

· Writers of selected plays are required to sign a release granting rights of performance without monetary compensation including audio and visual recording for promotion and possible sale as a fundraiser.

· Writers of plays selected for production are invited to the opening night performance, along with a guest, and will receive two complimentary tickets to another performance during its run.

Please do not call the SPTC Box Office with questions regarding Full Frontal Humanity. Instead, send your inquiries to SPTCbackstage@yahoo.com. You may also visit www.santapaulatheatercenter.org for additional information regarding events.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The 16th season of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival will feature performances of “Romeo and Juliet” and “Much Ado About Nothing” at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks.

“Much Ado About Nothing” will be performed June 29 through July 1, July 6 through 8, and July 13 through 15. “Romeo and Juliet” will be staged July 20 through 22, July 27 through July 29, and Aug. 3 through 5. All shows begin at 8 p.m. in scenic Kingsmen Park.

The Kingsmen Shakespeare Company has not performed “Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare’s famous tragedy of young love, since 2000. “Much Ado About Nothing,” one of the Bard’s best-loved comedies, was last presented in 2002. The previous shows were among the most popular in the history of the festival.

Company veterans Kevin P. Kern, artistic director of the Pensacola Shakespeare Festival, and Brett Elliott, associate artistic director of the Kingsmen Shakespeare Festival, will return to direct “Much Ado About Nothing” and “Romeo and Juliet,” respectively. Both men have been involved in the festival since its beginning and have directed productions in recent seasons.

The festival is one of the area’s most popular outdoor theatrical events. Visitors are immersed in the Shakespeare experience as the festival grounds open at 5:30 p.m. for pre-show picnicking and entertainment.

Kingsmen Shakespeare Company is the professional theater company of California Lutheran University. The nonprofit organization also coordinates apprentice programs for professional and aspiring Shakespearean actors, an educational tour program in local schools, and summer theater camps for youth.

General admission is $20 for adults and free for those under 18. For more information, visit http://kingsmenshakespeare.org or call 805-493-3014.

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February 25 – May 27, 2012

The rich textile tradition of Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec community in Oaxaca, Mexico, is on exhibition February 25 through May 27, when the Museum of Ventura County presents Hilos de la Vida / Threads of Life, featuring woven pieces from the Bii Daüü Zapotec Arts Center. Work by local Zapotec weaver and artist Porfirio Gutierrez of Ventura is also featured. Gutierrez uses traditional methods but applies a more modern interpretation to Zapotec-inspired designs. Included with the exhibit is a demonstration of the techniques of the foot loom and a look at how textiles are used in everyday life.

The opening reception is Friday, February 24th from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Admission to the event is $5 for the general public, free for museum members, and includes admission to all galleries. For reservations, call (805) 653-0323 x 7.

Established in 2004, the Bii Daüü Zapotec Arts Center is a cooperative dedicated to the production of textiles using only natural dyes and original designs. It makes a commitment to cultural sustainability by teaching young people in Teotitlán del Valle traditional methods, in order to preserve the ancient Zapotec techniques.

Other exhibits opening at the Museum during the same time period include Music before Columbus: the Collection of Luis Perez, featuring Pre-Columbian musical instruments from Mesoamerica, and The White Instruments: Recent Creations by Luis Perez.

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 to the exhibitions 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.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The 2011 Nordic Spirit Symposium at California Lutheran University will explore life in the post-Viking era, from architecture to magic to politics.

“After the Vikings - Before the Reformation: Scandinavia in Transition” will be held Feb. 10 and 11 on the Thousand Oaks campus. The public is invited to join in the spirit of a symposium, which blends music, dining and the free exchange of ideas to enhance the pleasure of learning.

Several authorities from the United States and Europe will discuss Nordic culture and religion on Feb. 10 and 11 in the Preus-Brandt Forum.

On Feb. 10, Tracey Sands, a former Ventura County resident who now works for the Centre for the Study of the Cultural Heritage of Medieval Rituals at the University of Copenhagen, and clothing historian Michelle Nordtorp-Madsen of the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota will give presentations. Sands will speak about how saints were called upon in support of various political causes during the contentious period of the Kalmar Union. Nordtorp-Madsen will share images of Scandinavian garments and accessories.

On Feb. 11, Harvard University professor Stephen Mitchell will discuss word magic and its role as a survival tool for those living in early northern Europe.
Other presentations will cover wooden statues, the development of Christian kingdoms from pagan Viking principalities, and the evolution of the construction of Christian churches.

A reception will kick off the event at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 10 in the Scandinavian Center. The symposium will conclude with dinner and a performance of bassoon, accordion and piano music at 7 p.m. Feb. 11 in Lundring Events Center.

CLU and the Scandinavian American Cultural and Historical Foundation are sponsoring the symposium. Barbro Osher Pro Suecia Foundation, the Royal Norwegian Consulate General in San Francisco, the Norway House Foundation and the Consulate General of Finland in Los Angeles provided grants.

For prices, schedules and registration, call 805-778-0162 or email seeallan@hotmail.com. Discounts are available until Jan. 19.

Camarillo, CA - CSU Channel Islands (CI) invites the community to celebrate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by attending a performance of the civil rights leader’s most beloved speeches.

Educator/performer Steven Loewenstein will present his one-man show, “Montgomery to Memphis,” Thursday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. in Malibu Hall 100 on the CI campus. The event is free and open to the public.

Loewenstein, a Texas teacher, has traveled the country performing the show for audiences ranging from schools and universities to churches, civic groups and corporations. He takes the audience through the life and times of Dr. King by narrating and dramatically interpreting excerpts of eight powerful speeches over a photo slideshow.

The evening will also feature performances by members of CI’s Usawa Student Union. Their theatrical monologues will honor other important African American leaders who inspired and worked alongside Dr. King in his fight for equality.

Limited parking is available with the purchase of a $6 daily permit. Please follow signs to the parking permit dispenser. Free parking is also available at the Camarillo Metrolink Station/Lewis Road parking lot in Camarillo with bus service to and from the campus. Riders should board the CI VISTA bus to the campus; the fare is $1.25 each way. Buses arrive and depart from the Camarillo Metrolink Station every 30 minutes from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday through Friday. For exact times, check the schedule at www.goventura.org.

For additional information contact Jennifer Chapman, Coordinator of Multicultural Programs, at 805-437-3243 or jennifer.chapman@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.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will host its popular Chinese New celebration from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 2, in Soiland Recreation Center.

The festive event will celebrate the Year of the Dragon, the mightiest of the signs, with a traditional lion dance, Chinese acrobats and gong fu demonstrations. There will be dancing, singing and Chinese music. Authentic Chinese food will be served, vendors will sell items ranging from jewelry to plants, and volunteers will write people’s names in Chinese. The event will also feature exhibits on history and art, including Chinese brush paintings and other works by local artists. Door prizes and traditional red envelopes will be distributed.

China will enter the 4,709th year on Jan. 23. A creature of legend, the dragon is the ultimate symbol of success and happiness. It represents power and wealth and the Chinese are eager to have children during the Year of the Dragon.

Chinese New Year is the most important of the Chinese holidays. The holiday lasts 15 days and focuses on bringing good luck for the new year.

According to legend, Chinese New Year started with the fight against a mythical beast called the Nian. To protect themselves, villagers put out food to satisfy the Nian. Later, finding that the beast feared the color red, they hung red lanterns and red spring scrolls on windows and doors. Today, adults give red envelopes, often containing money, to children to symbolize wealth and prosperity in the coming year. Lanterns symbolize the brightness of spring. In dragon and lion dances, a group of dancers parade under elaborately decorated dragon or lion costumes to scare away bad luck.

CLU’s Languages and Cultures Department and Multicultural Programs are sponsoring the free event.

Soiland Recreation Center is located in Gilbert Sports and Fitness Center, which is near the corner of Olsen Road and Mountclef Boulevard on the Thousand Oaks campus. For more information, contact Daniel Lawrence at 805-493-3489 or lawrenc@callutheran.edu.

California State Old Time Fiddlers District 8 will meet Sunday, January 22, 2012 1:30-4:30pm at Oak View Community Center, 18 Valley Road, Oak View. Join fiddlers for an afternoon of listening and dancing to Country Western and Bluegrass music. No admission or parking charge. Refreshments available. For more information go to calfiddlers.com or call 797-6563.

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University multimedia students will display some of their work from Wednesday, Feb. 1, through Tuesday, May 15, in Soiland Humanities Center.

“Project 24: One Day in the Life” features photography, documentary video and graphic design selections depicting 24-hour periods at CLU, in Thousand Oaks and in Los Angeles. The students documented intriguing stories on three separate days in a project that is repeated each year.

“Creative Concepts” features visual presentations by the sophomore multimedia class. The students created ideas for engaging stories along with logos and merchandise.

Soiland Humanities Center is on the south side of Memorial Parkway at Regent Avenue on the Thousand Oaks campus.

The Multimedia Department is sponsoring both free exhibits. For more information, contact Dan Restuccio at 805-493-3459.

Sister Helen Prejean

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - The Catholic nun whose relationship with a death row inmate was the basis for the movie “Dead Man Walking” will speak at California Lutheran University at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 31.

Sister Helen Prejean will present “Dead Man Walking: The Journey Continues” in Samuelson Chapel.

Prejean, 72, has been instrumental in sparking national dialogue on the death penalty and helping to shape the Roman Catholic Church’s newly vigorous opposition to state executions. The Louisiana native travels around the world giving talks about her ministry and considers herself a Southern storyteller.

As a member of the Congregation of St. Joseph, a community of nuns, Prejean first taught religion to junior high school students. Realizing that being on the side of poor people is an essential part of the Gospel, she moved into the St. Thomas Housing Project in New Orleans and worked at Hope House from 1984 to 1986. During this time, she began corresponding with death row inmate Patrick Sonnier, who had been convicted of killing two teenagers, and became his spiritual adviser. After witnessing his execution, she wrote “Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States.” It was nominated for a 1993 Pulitzer Prize, spent 31 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list and was translated into 10 languages.

The book was developed into a 1995 motion picture starring Sean Penn and Susan Sarandon as well as an opera and a play for high schools and colleges.

Prejean has continued to counsel death row prisoners while advocating for a moratorium on capital punishment. She has accompanied six men to their deaths. Suspicions that some of them were not guilty inspired her second book, “The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions,” which was released in 2004. She is currently working on her third book, “River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey.”

Prejean earned a bachelor’s degree in English and education from St. Mary’s Dominican College in New Orleans and a master’s degree in religious education from St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada.

CLU’s Artists and Speakers Committee is sponsoring the free event. For more information, contact Amanda Whealon at awhealo@callutheran.edu or 805-493-3950.

A long tradition of music returns when the Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum presents the Catterwailers trio on Friday, February 10, from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m.

In years past, The Mill, an 1888 building now restored to house the new Agriculture Museum, was a favorite site for local musicians' jam sessions and performances. So enjoy the sounds again, when the Catterwailers bring fun and good times with folk, bluegrass and sea shanties. Admission is $5, free for museum members. Refreshments available. To RSVP call (805) 525-3100.

The Catterwailers include Marc Boomer (bass and vocals), Bob Bartosh (banjo, guitar, mandolin, and vocals), and Dana Teague (guitar and vocals). The popular group has entertained at Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days Fiesta, The Ventura County Fair, The Watermark, and the Underwood Family Farms Harvest Festival, among other venues.

The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, California, in their historic downtown, near the Depot and next to the railroad tracks. Hours are 10 a.m.– 4 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Admission is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, free for Museum of Ventura County members, and for children ages 5 and younger. For more information, go to www.venturamuseum.org or call (805) 525-3100.

“Peter and the Wolf,” the traditional Russian folk tale set to music, will be presented in the Museum of Ventura County’s Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion on Saturday, February 4, at 3:00 p.m. The beloved classic, an introduction for young audiences into the world of theater and musical instruments, will be performed by the Pushcart Players. Admission to the performance, suited best to children ages four and older, is $15 for adults, $10 for children. Museum of Ventura County members’ price is $10, and $5 for accompanying children. For reservations, call (805) 653-0323 x. 7. Admission includes free entry to all museum galleries.

In “Peter and the Wolf,” composer Sergei Prokofiev’s music animates a tale of growing up, friendship, and survival in a hostile world. The presentation is the first of three in the Museum of Ventura County’s new Family Fun At The Museum program. On Saturday, April 21, at 3:00 p.m., comedians and master jugglers Gizmo Guys will perform, and on Friday, May 25 at 7:00 p.m., the Oregon Shadow Theatre will present “Thumbelina,” using shadow puppets, live music, and narration to bring the Hans Christian Andersen story to life.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura, and is open 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.

“Boone Bingo,” a mixed media work by Dan Welden
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THOUSAND OAKS, CA - A master printmaker from New York will work with students and community members as an artist-in-residence from Jan. 30 through Feb. 28 at California Lutheran University.

The work of Dan Welden, the originator of the safe and green printmaking technique called the Solarplate method, will be exhibited in the Kwan Fong Gallery of Art and Culture from Monday, Jan. 30, through Wednesday, March 7, as part of the 2011-2012 Artists and Speakers Series. He will create prints in the gallery from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Jan. 30 through Tuesday, Feb. 28. The community is invited to visit, and possibly help create art, during these times.

Welden will also present two Solarplate workshops for students and community members at CLU. The first, from Feb. 10 through 12, is full. A second workshop will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 24, 25 and 26. The total cost is $425.

The artist, who is also a painter, is an innovator at the forefront of the alternative health- and safety-oriented movement of printmaking. As a teacher, he has inspired students around the world with demonstrations of how to make prints, including the use of both intaglio and relief plates, without the use of acids or other dangerous chemicals. He is co-author of “Printmaking in the Sun,” the comprehensive manual of Solarplate techniques, and is currently working on an updated edition.

Welden has been making prints and works on paper for more than 40 years. His work has been shown in more than 65 solo exhibitions and 500 group shows throughout the world. His pieces are in many public and private collections including the Amity Art Foundation in Connecticut, the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Portland Museum of Art. He is a past president of the Society of American Graphic Artists.

He has led month-long summer workshops for students from Europe, Australia and the United States at the Santa Reparata International School of Art in Florence, Italy. He has also taught printmaking at several colleges in the New York area.

The Kwan Fong Gallery is located in Soiland Humanities Center, which is on the south side of Memorial Parkway on the Thousand Oaks campus. It is open to the public from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

CLU’s Artists and Speakers Committee and Art Department are sponsoring the residency and free exhibit. For more information, call Michael Pearce at 805-444-7716 or visit http://www.callutheran.edu. To sign up for the workshop, contact Kristi Colell at 805-797-3018 or cluprinter@yahoo.com.

Join Ventura artist and publisher Joe Cardella at the Museum of Ventura County on Saturday, January 28 from 4:00-6:00 p.m., as he and artists who contributed to his celebrated Art/Life Magazine reveal behind-the-scenes anecdotes about the longest continually published artists' periodical of the 20th century. Visitors to the free reception are invited to look through specially selected issues of this unique magazine whose pages are almost all original art. Local artists joining Cardella include Bob Chianese, MB Hanrahan, Steve Knauff, Friday Lubina, Ines Monguió, Michael Row, Lis Schwitters, and Kevin & Patty Sullivan. Admission to all the museum's galleries is free during the event. To RSVP call 805-653-0323 x 7.

Published for 25 years, from 1981 through 2005, each issue of Art/Life Magazine included original art from 40 different artists. Those invited to contribute were asked to make 200 pieces of art, one for each of that month's copies. The magazine presented a diverse array of art, from collages, original prints, photos, and dimensional objects, to written works and poems.

The Museum of Ventura County is the only museum worldwide to own the entire 25 years of Art/Life Magazine, and issues from its collection are now on exhibit through February 12. Other institutions collecting Art/Life Magazine include The Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Getty Trust, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, as well as other museums throughout the United States, Europe and Japan, and private collections and archives.

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 to the exhibitions 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.

SANTA PAULA, CA – Xavier Montes, founder of the De Colores Art Show, will celebrate his final De Colores show and recognize his successor at a closing reception at the Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 N. 10th Street, Santa Paula, on Friday, January 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. The cost is $5 for members and $10 for non-members. Students of all ages are free. Delicious appetizers will be served and musical entertainment will be provided by the incredible all-female group “Angels on Harps”.

For each of the last 18 years, Xavier has presented an exhibit of contemporary art created by Latinos which expresses the Latino experience, culture and history through art, including its traditions, pain and sorrow, and controversies. After careful consideration, Xavier decided that the current 18th De Colores Art Show would be his last. However, the annual show will continue under the new and capable leadership of Santa Paula artist Andrea Vargas who will be presented during the closing reception.

Montes regards the change as a “new beginning” for the art show as Vargas will undoubtedly bring fresh vision to the project. Vargas has exhibited her work in Oakland, Oaxaca and Ventura County. She has been an active contributor to the De Colores Art Show for a number of years and has described her own art as being “most importantly about color”. Vargas’ passion for color will serve her well in her new position.

De Colores will remain dedicated to its mission of depicting the dynamism of Latino culture, bringing together the community of professional artists, promoting Santa Paula, and recognizing diversity. The 19th De Colores Art Show is set to open at the Santa Paula Art Museum on October 27, 2012.

The current exhibit will run until January 29th, 2012 and may be viewed during regular Museum hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 4 PM, and Sundays, 12 PM – 4 PM. The Museum is located at 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, CA 93060. For more information call 805-525-5554 or email info@SantaPaulaArtMuseum.org.

Camarillo, CA - Members of the community, students, faculty and staff are invited to audition for the CSU Channel Islands Choir – a diverse group with a common interest in singing. Auditions will be held by appointment through Jan. 23 and can be arranged by contacting the choir’s artistic director, Dr. KuanFen Liu, at 805-278-0375 or downbeatplus@gmail.com.

The choir meets Monday nights from 7 to 9:50 p.m. in Malibu Hall 140 on the CI campus. The first class meeting of the spring semester is Monday, Jan. 23. The fee for community participants is $75 per semester, which includes campus parking.

Offered as part of the University’s Performing Arts Program, the choir encompasses all ages and backgrounds and requires some basic musical training. Community members compose more than two-thirds of the group. The choir covers a wide range of musical selections, from classical arrangements to spirituals and folk songs. Members will have the opportunity to perform in concert with Grammy Award-winning mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor and the Channel Islands Chamber Orchestra. Due to the choir’s concert program this spring, male voices (tenors and basses) are strongly encouraged to audition.

The choir is led by Professor KuanFen Liu. Dr. Liu holds a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from the Thornton School of Music at the University of Southern California, a Master of Music in conducting from the Eastman School of Music, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in voice performance from Tunghai University in Taiwan. She has conducted the choir since its inception in 2004.

Visit the choir’s website at http://choir.csuci.edu/ for additional information.

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.

"Pro Rata Lyricism Screen" by Artist Susan Stinsmuehlen Amend
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"Genesis 212" by Artist Brian Berman
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"Azurite" by Artist Doug Lochner
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"Particles" by Artist Helle Scharling Todd
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"Wearable Art/Untitled" by Artist Teal Rowe
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The first exhibition at the Ojai Valley Museum in 2012 highlights the museum’s Libbey Glass Collection juxtaposed with contemporary glass works by seven regional artists: Brian Berman, Teal Rowe, Susan Stinsmuehlen-Amend (Ojai); Doug Lochner (Oak View); Robert Eyberg, Helle Scharling-Todd, Michael Zelcer (Ventura). In addition, a private collection of antique American glass will be on view in an adjacent gallery.

“American Glass Works” is an original exhibition organized and curated by Museum Director Michele Pracy and supported by the Exhibitions Committee of the Ojai Valley Museum. It is the first time in 44 years the museum has mounted an exhibition of glass works. The show pays homage to Edward Drummond Libbey, turn-of-the-century industrial glass mogul and Ojai developer. It also heralds the excellence of studio glass currently created by selected Ventura County artists.

Fortuitously, the exhibition debuts on the 50th anniversary of the Studio Art Glass Movement in the United States, which was born in a garage on the grounds of the Toledo Art Museum in 1962. In celebration of this seminal, modern American art movement the museum will also debut its extensive collection of Libbey Glass donated to its Permanent Collection in 2010. The exhibited regional art glass will contrast with the industrially produced, utilitarian Libbey glass and will visually describe the myriad techniques of modern glass manipulation.

This show is both an education on the history, properties, uses, and techniques relative to glass made in this country over several centuries and a visual delight. The Rotating Gallery will be alive with color, transparency, surface texture, and pattern; presenting two and three-dimensional pieces all fabricated with glass. Cut, beveled, stamped, molded, cast, fused, blown, leaded, solid core, and painted glass techniques will be on display with accompanying descriptive texts.

The scope of objects displayed include: 19th and 20th century Libbey Glass produced in factories on the east coast as souvenirs, or for utilitarian and decorative purposes and more than twenty contemporary glass pieces that are one-of-a-kind works of art. Wall texts throughout the show serve to compare, contrast, and illuminate the marvels of this medium, whatever the purpose of the object displayed.

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, and the Rotary Club of Ojai.

The museum is located at 130 W. Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA. Admission: free for current 2012 members, adults - $4.00, students - 18 and under - $1.00, children 6–18 - $1.00 and children 5 and under – free. Gallery Hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 to 4 pm; Sunday, noon to 4 pm. Tours are available by appointment.

For more information, call the museum at (805) 640-1390, ext. 203, e-mail ojaimuseum@sbcglobal.net or visit the museum website at http://www.ojaivalleymuseum.org/

Michael D. Hart

THOUSAND OAKS, CA - California Lutheran University will present its first faculty tuba recital at 8 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27.

Music instructor Michael D. Hart will play the tuba and lecturer Eric Kinsley will perform on piano at the concert in Samuelson Chapel. The program will feature original works for the tuba as well as transcriptions. Compositions include Paul Hindemith’s landmark work for tuba, Sonata for Bass Tuba and Piano, Bruce Broughton’s Sonata for Tuba and Piano, Mozart’s Horn Concerto No. 4 in E flat major, K. 495, and Bach’s Sonata No. 1 in G major, BWV 1027, which was originally for viola da gamba and harpsichord.

Hart directs CLU’s Wind Ensemble, Chamber Wind Ensemble and Pep Band and teaches theory and low brass. As a tubist, the Thousand Oaks resident has performed with the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony and The University of Iowa Symphony Band. In 2008, he competed at the International Tuba Euphonium Conference Quartet Competition in Cincinnati. Most recently, he appeared as both a tubist and conductor at the 2010 International Tuba Euphonium Conference.

Kinsley, who teaches piano, is a performing artist, writer, and educator who earned a doctorate at the Manhattan School of Music. The Thousand Oaks resident has been a member of Pacific Classical Winds and the Manhattan Chamber Orchestra and has received grants in early and contemporary music from the National Endowment for the Arts, the New York Harpsichord Society and the Sylvia Marlow Foundation.

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