Ventana October 2022

VENTURA COUNTY POTTERS’ GUILD

Feel Great in

own Skin

Prevention and Early Detection is Key

are a variety of environmental factors that affect our health. One of the most commonly neglected aspects is proper sun protection. Despite the fact that sun exposure is the leading cause of skin cancer, most of us forget to apply sunscreen daily and take other necessary steps to care for our skin.

Dr. Kaplan specializes in MOHS Microscopic surgery, a unique process which allows for the total removal of skin cancer by using superior technology, providing the ability to pinpoint areas of cancer that would otherwise be invisible to the eye.

Store Is A

EDWIN

PHOTO BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

ARABLE LAND

EveryOctober, when I put together the annual Arts Issue for Ventana Monthly, I am struck by the level of talent that flourishes in Ven tura County. From ceramicist and “Mama of Dada” Beatrice Wood to contemporary artist Hiroko Yoshimoto; world class composers and musicians such as John Biggs, Yue Deng and Miguel del Aguila; Ventura County Ballet; Gerd Koch; Rubicon Theatre Company… The list of local luminaries and institutions just goes on and on, and all have left a lasting impact on our cultural landscape.

And on our community, too, as seen with the members of the Ventura County Potters’ Guild (Cover Story). This decades-old institution attracts members from across the Central Coast and Southern California, all of whom share a love for this most tactile and earthbound art form. One of their most anticipated events is the Bowl of Thanks fundraiser, taking place this year Nov. 5-6 in Downtown Ventura. These clay artists donate hand-crafted pottery that can be purchased along with a punch card for food samples at area restaurants. It’s a fun endeavor, linking participants with local business owners and cuisine, and helps raise money for a good cause. This year’s proceeds will support Ventura’s Family Reconnect Program, which serves the local homeless population.

Another long-standing arts organization is Ojai Studio Artists, whose contributions to the Ojai Valley’s artistic legacy is impossible to overstate. The studio tours

are legendary, bringing considerable attention to this vast network of creatives and solidifying the area’s reputa tion as an arts enclave. The OSA does a lot to foster the next generation of artists, too, through a robust mentor ship program, scholarships and involvement with local schools. We spotlight three of the artists adding to OSA’s prestige in Profile.

Ventura College is tending to the future of classical music with its preeminent Miriam and Henry Schwab Music Academy (About Town). This three-week summer program, established in 2019, has quickly become one of the most prestigious of its kind, bringing in renowned faculty to help aspiring performers from all walks of life grow in their musicianship.

Finally, we have an insightful interview with Donna Granata, founder of Focus on the Masters. As an archi vist, historian and photographer, she has spent years carefully documenting the area’s most notable artists – painters, sculptors, photographers, playwrights, you name it. She discusses her deep and abiding love for art in all its forms, and the value it holds for the individual and society, in Conversation.

Powerful stuff, this. I remain in awe of the many talents that have “roused the muse,” as Granata likes to say, in this environment. Just as strawberries and lemons thrive in our fields, so too have artists found spectacularly fertile ground.

– Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer nancy@ventanamonthly.com

PRESIDENT

VIKTOR BUDNIK

TASTE OF LOCAL FESTIVAL

VENTURA COUNTY CREDIT UNION, VENTURA

On Sunday, Sept. 11, the lawn of the corporate offices of the Ventura County Credit Union on Vista Del Mar in Ventura was the site of an afternoon of eating, drinking and making merry. Totally Local VC’s Fourth Annual Taste of Local Festival featured more than 60 local food purveyors and professionals – chefs, caterers, brewers, winemakers and more – who served up tasty cuisine and fine beverages for attendees to sample. Live music (by Dan Grimm, the Rose Valley Thorns and Spencer the Gardener) and presentations (by Shawn Pritchett of Ragamuffin Coffee Roasters, Chef Julia San Bartolome of Sweet Arleen’s and Andy Carter, president of the California Homebrewers Association) kept the crowd entertained. This year featured a special Mixology Throwdown, giving local bartenders a chance to shine by creating craft cocktails using liquors made by Ventura Spirits Company. The winning entry was a beautiful yellow-hued concoction mixed up by Graham Harris of Decker Kitchen in Thousand Oaks. Made with Ventura Spirits Wilder Gin and Angeleno Amaro, lemon juice, triple sec and Saint Germain, it was dubbed the “22 Venturan” and will be available for purchase at select restaurants.

Proceeds from the Taste of Local Festival benefited the Totally Local VC Agricultural Education Foundation.

1. Liz Niles of Balcom Canyon Cider. Photo by Mariah Green 2. Attendees enjoyed eating, drinking and making merry. Photo by John Foronda 3. Chef Alex Montoya of Water’s Edge Restaurant and Bar, Taste and Tales Catering and Honey Cup Coffeehouse and Creamery. Photo by Mariah Green

4. Graham Harris pours out samples of his “22 Venturan,” which won the Mixology Throwdown.

Photo by Kat Merrick 5. Ivumi Hamagaki of Winchester’s prepares her cocktail at the Mixology Throwdown competition. Photo by Mariah Green 6. Shannon Vasquez, Vasquez Float Reiki. Photo by Mariah Green 7. The “22 Venturan.” Photo by Kat Merrick 8. Strawberry shortcake cones at the California Strawberry Commission booth. Photo by Mariah Green

Cindy Brooks

MAKING BEAUTIFUL MUSIC, AND MEMORIES, TOGETHER

The Miriam and Henry Schwab Music Academy at Ventura College returns with a crescendo.

T

BY MIKE NELSON PHOTOS BY BRANDON KING/THEOTUS MEDIA

ears on Monday. Cheers on Tuesday. Lessons, memories and more to treasure for a lifetime.

Such is the experience for those — students and teachers alike — who participate in the Miriam and Henry Schwab Music Academy at Ventura College, a learning opportu nity designed to advance music education and promote stronger connections among the fine arts community.

Launched in 2019 with a $12 million donation from a local music lover who wanted to offer an affordable opportunity to those wishing to develop their musical gifts, the Schwab Music Academy last July hosted dozens of music students of all ages, who spent three weeks of their summer learning music, improving their musicianship, and embrac ing the collaborative experience.

“Music education teaches students more than just music,” says Ashley Walters, music director and conductor for the Schwab Academy. “It teaches students to develop a strong work ethic, how to work as a team player, how to communicate — verbally and non-verbally — through their instrument, how to make goals and how to meet them by organizing bigger goals into smaller tasks. Music provides students, of all ages, with an incredible community that can offer support and guidance as they discover and pursue their own dreams.”

Or, as Academy founder and director Robert Lawson says, “The students and faculty become a family — working together daily and developing their skills in music communication with their ensembles, as well as presenting the performance to the com munity. And all are amazed at how well they progress.”

Students from pre-teens to the Medicare-eligible feel exactly the same way.

“It’s an opportunity to push yourself and learn in a safe environment with teachers who have your best interests in mind,” says Sophia Holdorf, a 20-year-old Venturan and former winner of the Henry Schwab Violin and Viola Competition that is now part of the Academy program. “Yeah, you need to be prepared to work really hard; it’s not a walk in the park by any means. But it’s a non-competitive and open environment. We cheer each other on, we welcome each other’s experience, and we build connections that we’d never have any other way.”

This year marked the second summer session for the Schwab Music Academy, the first after a two-year coronavirus-mandated interruption, and, in the words of its partici pants, a success on every level. Just as its founding mother had hoped.

GENESIS

Miriam Emily Schwab was a successful real estate entrepreneur and violin enthusi ast who enjoyed playing with various ensembles, including the Ventura College Sympho ny. When her husband Henry — a concert violinist and teacher of international renown — died in 2006 at age 99, Miriam asked Lawson, as Ventura College Music Department chair, if she could create a violin competition at Ventura College in Henry’s memory.

“By that time,” says Lawson, “I had been reaching out to arts programs and donors

DONOVAN RUTLEDGE playing bass during the 2022 Miriam and Henry Schwab Music Academy.

for generous donations and endowments to the Ventura College Music Depart ment, which led to the Helen Yunker Endowment in 2003. And when Miriam brought forth the idea of a competition, it just made sense.”

The Henry Schwab Violin/Viola Competition began in 2008, with annual $10,000 donations from his widow. It was open to young musicians up to the age of 25 in order to provide encouragement and financial assistance to fund their arts education. “Because of Miriam’s generosity,” says Lawson, “children who are aspiring virtuosos have a path to achieve their dreams.”

But Miriam Schwab’s music philanthropy had only begun. In 2012 she and Lawson — whose musical career includes many years developing and lead ing youth music programs — began regular conversations about creating an endowment gift to establish a year-round academy to support the instrumental music classes, and a three-week intensive summer program.

Those conversations took on new urgency in 2017, shortly before Miriam died on Dec. 24 at age 89. “Near the end of Miriam’s life, she and I had many conversations concerning her wishes for the endowment gift,” recalls Lawson. “She wanted to see chamber music and orchestra classes that were affordable for everyone, and the continuation of the Henry Schwab Violin/Viola Com petition. The Miriam and Henry Schwab Academy of Music is the visionary conception that is now the reality.”

Lawson and the Ventura College Foundation worked more than a year with Schwab’s estate lawyer to establish Miriam’s gift to the college’s Music Department. Most of her $12 million endowment ($10.2 million) actually went to establishing the academy; the remaining $1.8 million went to the college’s aquatics program (no surprise, since Schwab was also an active swimmer and hiker who put in many laps at the Ventura College pool).

“The academy’s three weeks of performances aspires to honor her won derful generosity and love of classical genre that she consistently lobbied for as a committed supporter of the instrumental program at Ventura College,” says Lawson. “Her gift will continue to develop the academy each year for generations to come.”

A SOLID BEGINNING

The academy’s first summer, in July 2019, began with Lawson as music director and conduc tor, 85 students and 15 academy faculty, with three-hour classes each day (in chamber music) and night (in orchestral music), plus rehearsals and performances on Saturdays and Sundays. The students who attended classes in their respective instrumental specialties (strings, woodwinds, brass, keyboards, classical guitar and percussion) found the experi ence intense, yet exhilarating.

“I love playing violin, espe cially for hours on end, so I really enjoyed the high intensity of prac ticing within the three weeks of the academy,” says Laura Liang of Ventura, who was 15 and attending Foothill Technology High School when she participated in that first academy. “The community I was in provided a space that fostered creativity, musicality and fun. I’d end those days with my shoulders and back sore, but it was worth it knowing I wasn’t alone. This physical fatigue was a tradeoff for the euphoric emotional energy I fed into the music.”

The faculty, many of whom regularly teach at Ventura College, came away feeling the same.

“I thought the students handled the challenges really well,” says Nick Ak dag, bassoon instructor. “Obviously there was a learning period, but if you give people hard music and expect them to do well, they will do it well; expect great things and they rise to occasion. There was no babying or hand-holding, and they really rose to the challenge.”

John Hester, string bass instructor and event coordinator for the academy, cites the importance of offering encouragement as well as challenge.

“My fellow teachers and I have a huge advantage, because we have experi enced the joy of creating beauty many times with other musicians that helps us encourage doubtful students,” he explains. “This motivates us in patiently help ing, teaching and encouraging . . . A good metaphor, perhaps, is an experienced mountain guide who patiently helps hikers in the Sierra Nevada Mountains because the guide knows what beautiful vistas the hikers are about to experi ence, if they can just make it up that next hill.”

INTERRUPTION, AND RETURN

The momentum from that first successful academy was stymied the following year when the coronavirus outbreak restricted on-campus classes and forced cancellation of the 2020 summer academy. That fall, with COVID-19 restrictions, classes were offered online with limited faculty teaching.

In spring 2021, with pandemic restrictions still in place, limited rehears als and performances were held outdoors and online, and in the summer the Henry Schwab Violin/Viola Competition resumed with piano accompaniment rather than live orchestra. At the same time, says Lawson, “we began building up our course enrollment and developing academy faculty to return. In spring

ASHLEY WALTERS, music conductor and director.

2022, our academy faculty began limited instruction for rehearsals and perfor mance, and the enrollment of students increased.”

In summer 2022, the intensive three-week Miriam and Henry Schwab Academy of Music with full faculty returned — by this time, with a new instructor/director of instrumental music in Walters, an acclaimed cellist who came to Ventura College in 2015 as the cello instructor and participated in the first 2019 summer academy as a chamber music/cello coach.

“It is an honor,” she says, “to now stand on the podium of this exceptional program that was created by Robert Lawson.”

STRUGGLES AND SUCCESSES

As academy music director, it is Walters’ role to audition students, place them into chamber music ensembles with other students who play at a similar level, work with the faculty coaches to assign repertoire to each group, select the repertoire and conduct each rehearsal and concert.

“But the very rewarding part,” she says, “is seeing students make prog ress on their instruments, learn new skills, and expand their knowledge of the artform. Because the summer academy is so intense — six hours of music making a day for 21 straight days — students make progress every single day, sometimes making as much progress in three weeks as they would in an entire semester. It is incredible to see students struggling with something on a Mon day and conquering the very same challenge on Tuesday.”

Hester finds that while many students are initially “apprehensive, because they only see the busy schedule planned and the amount of music that has been set as a goal for them to learn and perform in front of an audience,” that changes as the academy progresses, with friendships and musical collabora tions formed and strengthened.

“They experience the shared success of creating beautiful music,” he says. “They also experience the camaraderie of that shared understanding and cre ative process with their fellow musicians. Everyone works hard and frequently goes home tired at the end of the day, but it’s that kind of work and fatigue that leaves one smiling, wishing perhaps that all of life’s work could be as pleasant.”

“A DIFFERENT DYNAMIC”

That includes Sophia Holdorf, home-schooled much of her life and a violinist since she was 5. Currently she is pursuing a degree in music education at The Masters University in Santa Clarita.

“I found myself a lot more energized playing with people from a variety of ages and backgrounds,” she says. “I found it helpful to feed off others, a different dynamic involved than doing solo work. Schwab was the most intensive orchestral experience I’ve had, and it was phenomenal. Yeah, there were tears on Monday, but by Tuesday we’d get it together and wonder why we struggled so much.”

Holdorf, who has participated in other music camps and programs in cluding Santa Barbara’s Westmont Academy and the Chloé Trevor Academy in Texas, admits she underestimated the quality of music, musicians and teachers that are involved in the Schwab Academy.

“The faculty is really outstanding,” she affirms. “And Ashley Walters is just an incredible musician and woman. She has a deep insight and passion for modern music, and a clear vision of what she wants for her students. She gave wonderful guidance and direction to us.”

Holdorf also served as concertmaster for orchestral performances. “I grew a lot in my leadership and ensemble skills, and I learned a lot about humility,” she notes, smiling. “Having actual professional musicians fill in behind me for

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orchestral performances, people who could suggest even little things like fingering and phrasing, as well as help me decide and communicate, was so important and helpful in my growth as a musician.”

EVERYONE LEARNS

Although she did not participate in this year’s academy, Liang — now an 18-year-old human biology major at University of California, San Diego — made sure to tune into the livestream performances of the violin/viola compe tition and the orchestra.

“I still felt connected to VC’s music even though I wasn’t actively part of making it,” she says. “And the things I learned at the Schwab Academy have translated into the non-musical aspects of my life. Discussing how to phrase notes, for example, practice communicating effectively with the people I work closely with, and figuring out bowings and fingerings exercised problem solving and analytical thinking. I believe the Schwab Academy has overall made me a well-rounded musician, student and person as it drew me closer to my peers and to violin.”

The Schwab Academy faculty, all noted professional musicians in their own right, find that they often learn from their students, who enter the academy at different levels of skill. Some may not absorb the music or techniques as quickly as others, for example, and yet such challenges are not insurmountable.

“The pace at which the academy moves makes me recognize that people can learn things very quickly,” says Akdag, who filled in the fifth (bassoon) slot in the woodwind quintet sessions he taught. “In the college semester, things are spread out too much because there’s a lot of time to learn. But by recognizing students’ capability for quick learning, you can increase the turnover rate in how much you’re able to teach, and keep the pace going. That energy from the summer carries over into the new school year.”

“And we as teachers also learn from each other,” adds Hester. “Someone is always coming up with an inno vative way of teaching a difficult concept and the camaraderie we experience among each other is very similar to the students.”

Such camaraderie, participants agree, is perhaps the best feature of the academy.

“Our academy has students that range in age from 11 to 83,” says Walters, “and the community aspect, in addi tion to the great music, is one of the things that keeps our musicians involved in our ensembles for many years.”

“It’s great to have the mix of younger and older students,” adds Akdag. “These are people who are really into music, some of whom have been playing their entire lives and are still wanting to learn.”

SOPHIA HOLDORF is a former winner of the Henry Schwab Violin/Viola Competition.

DUSTIN DONAHUE, percussion faculty.

MELISSA FLORES on flute, awaiting the conductor’s cue.

Wine Auction Gala

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

18+ audiences only

18+

18+

audiences only

18+ audiences only

18+ audiences only

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GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly.

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly.

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Wordsread by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store inter nally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss.

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words-read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventual ly he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss.

GENRE: Magical Realism Fictional Memoir

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss.

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The

As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the

As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally

Excerpts from this novel--The Pollinator In His Own Words--read by the author, exemplify the intimate relationship between two art forms: painting and writing. The protagonist of this tale, through the mystic art of surfing, slowly develops the ability to fly. As the story evolves, he discovers that he can, during flight, by way of olfactory engendered clairvoyance, accumulate and store internally essential love; eventually he is able to bestow this love. The following excerpts, inspired by the paintings of Edward Hopper, occur in the story when the protagonist is beginning to collect such essences of primal bliss.

FIND EXCERPTS on YouTube

on YouTube

THE FUTURE

As the Schwab Academy moves forward, Lawson hopes to expand the program by pro viding “more advanced levels” for middle school, high school and college students, as well as more beginning student ensemble courses. While the academy has initially targeted stu dents in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, he hopes to develop and expand enrollment throughout the state, as well as offer an “artist in residence” component, a week where an international ensemble visits, performs, presents master classes, and works with students.

“I would also like to have internationally known guest conductors work with our orchestra,” he says, adding that he wants Ventura College to be “one of the nation’s major music schools, enriching our community through the college.”

In addition to program expansion, music director Walters plans to continue to pro gram “exciting repertoire” and above all maintain its accessibility and affordability.

“My goal is to support each and every musician that walks into our rehearsals,” she says. “Most music festivals today are prohibitive for many students, but thanks to the gen erous support of Miriam Schwab, our festival costs less than $200 for the three weeks and students receive college credit for enrolling. I hope to see our numbers grow and for this

program to be an important part of the musical landscape for the musicians of Ventura and beyond.”

For more information on the Miriam and Henry Schwab Academy of Music, contact the Ventura College Admissions Office, 805.289.6457, or visit www.venturacollege.edu/departments/academic/ music/schwab-academy-of-music. v

A COMPETITION TO CELEBRATE

The 2022 Schwab Summer Academy concluded on July 23-24 with the 12th Annual Henry Schwab Violin/Viola Competi tion, in which the talented young soloists were accompanied by the Schwab Summer Symphony Orchestra, composed of many of the academy’s students and teachers.

The competition winners:

—CATEGORY A: Skyler Lee (first place), Zephan Bornfreund (second), Bryan Huang (third).

—CATEGORY B: William Chen (first), Kyler Chu (second), Karl Baumgartner (third).

The competition was judged by Andrew McIntosh and Mar tin Chalifour, Concertmaster of the Los Angeles Philharmon ic. John Hester, academy event coordinator and string bass instructor, served as master of ceremonies and listened to each soloist perform with the Academy Orchestra.

“I was amazed at the level of beauty and detail at which the orchestra performed,” says Hester. “I honestly could not tell the difference between the performance that I was hearing and that of a professional, regional level orchestra some where in Los Angeles. This was a direct result of the incred ible leadership and work of our amazing conductor and music director, Ashley Walters.”

2022 SCHWAB SUMMER ACADEMY SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA rehearsing for a performance.

KARISSA YOO (right) playing French horn with instructor John Titmus.

VALLEY WIDE, VALLEY DEEP

Three members of Ojai Studio Artists show the breadth and depth of talent that thrives in the Ojai Valley.

F

BY MADELINE NATHAUS

or more than 35 years, the organization known as Ojai Studio Artists has brought together creatives from across the Ojai Valley who are actively engaged in bringing their work into the community. Through a mix of public outreach (via regular studio tours), education (through art scholarships and mentorships) and other endeavors, OSA and its mem bers have helped establish Ojai’s legacy as an arts enclave.

Dozens of extraordinary artists in every medium are affiliated with OSA. And while it would be impossible to showcase each and every one, Ventana Monthly took the opportunity to turn the spotlight on three – two recent addi tions and one 25-year veteran – who each bring a distinctive perspective to their work, and give a sense of the profound and diverse talent that has flourished in the Ojai Valley’s creatively fertile substrate.

ROBERT LARKIN: COLLAGE V. CHAOS

“I’m a big fan of not completely knowing what I’m doing,” said conceptual artist Robert Larkin. “My work kinda tells me what I’m doing as I go along.”

A proud New Jersey native, Larkin, known for satirical collages, became a member of the Ojai Studio Artists earlier this year. He exhibited during the 2022 Ojai Studio Artists for the first time since 2010 at SFMOMA.

“The work I’ll be showing is definitely the most honest work I’ve made since I was a kid,” Larkin said.

Larkin’s collages, which mainly feature easily identifi able classical and modern works overlayed with humorous clippings, aren’t made with the goal of pushing his opinions on the viewer.

“You can call it political, and people have, but not the politics of Democrat and Republican,” Larkin said. “I’m not trying to be didactic with anything.”

He said he rather aims to merely create a platform where the viewer can see whatever makes sense to them, especially when they see something in his art that he doesn’t.

“Bob is a true visionary with a sharp and incisive style that’s quite unlike anything else in these parts,” said Chris Noxon, fellow OSA artist. “His digital collages are striking and unforgettable. He makes work that freezes a chaotic

world in crazy, cheerful order.”

Larkin began his artistic journey as a painter when he was a young boy. Self-taught for the first 20 years of his career, he later received bachelor’s and master’s degrees in artistic studies in his 40s. Although he was always interested in collage, it wasn’t until he saw paintings based on collages at a museum in London in his late 20s that he truly felt motivated to start doing collages as his primary medium.

After that experience, he went to his studio and started exper imenting more with the craft. He considers these pieces, that he was able to exhibit and sell, his first success with collages. He even added that he’s recently had a fun time making Internet memes.

“I went through periods where it gets a little embarrassing to tell people I’m a middle-aged man who makes collages,” Larkin said with a laugh. “People are saving the planet, and I’m cutting out little paper dolls and dancing around with them in my studio.”

Regardless, Larkin said he loves his art and couldn’t be more grateful for his family. He finds great pride in his wife, an attorney for Native American children, and three brilliant children ages 16 to 30.

And they couldn’t be more supportive of his art.

“I’m inspired by everything,” Larkin said. “I can honestly say I’ve never in my life had a creative block, there’s always something batting around in my head.”

Robert Larkin

www.robertlarkin.com

MARIE MCKENZIE: DEEP SEA DIVING

“I’ve been inspired by nature for as long as I can remember, and I’ve been creating art for as long as I can remember,” said Marie McKenzie, a woodworker and painter known for her representa tions of kelp and sea life.

It wasn’t until just five years ago, however, that McKenzie, orig inally from landlocked Kansas, moved to Northern California and became truly inspired by the ocean.

Though this doesn’t mean she didn’t depict the ocean prior to coming to the coast. A few months before moving, McKenzie paint ed sea dreamscapes of scenes she could only imagine at the time.

“Dreams and the subconscious are so interesting to me,” McKenzie said. “These visions would just come to me of places I’d never been.”

After her move to California, she described this serendip itous feeling of recognizing her paintings from her visions in real life. Two and a half years later, she moved to Ojai and earli er this year became a resident with Ojai Studio Artists (OSA).

“A maker of evocative paintings and elegant wood construc tions, Marie creates artwork meant to be savored and lived with,” said Chris Noxon, fellow OSA artist. “Her images of kelp and other sea life are rapturous. Her gestural sculptures are otherworldly. McKenzie is an artist of impeccable taste and deep sensitivity.”

And McKenzie’s work with the ocean continues in a big way.

“The more I learn about kelp and the ecosystem, I only fall more in love and become more impassioned with it,” McKenzie said. “I want to find ways to bring more awareness.”

Her collaboration with Sea Trees, a nonprofit ocean restoration group, has ignited a new body of work. Ten percent of the profits from her kelp-inspired pieces goes to Sea Trees.

MARIE MCKENZIE in her Ojai studio. Photo submitted

A big proponent of sustainable practices through her materials and methods, McKenzie has been putting a lot of focus on creating kelp forest sculptures through steam-bending. To do this, McKen zie puts rattan, a bamboo relative, or reclaimed wood into a steam chamber and forms and molds the wood while it’s hot then lets it cool in that shape. After everything is assembled, the result is a kelp forest above the sea the viewer can literally walk through.

“Time spent by and in the water inspires me to keep creating,” McKenzie said. “I really treasure being so close to the coast.”

She’s also currently working on a two-story-tall kelp forest sculpture for the Channel Islands Maritime Museum that will show in 2024.

McKenzie added that she feels she’s right where needs to be and is ready for wherever her career takes her.

“I feel like I’m on the path,” McKenzie said. “I believe that the more you listen and live intuitively, it will take you where you need to go.”

Marie McKenzie

www.mariemckenzie.com

marie@mariemckenzie.com

SYLVIA RAZ: THE PROVOCATEUR

“Every time I do something new I’m in love with it, it’s like my best piece,” said Sylvia Raz, a political artist who focuses on women’s issues. “And then a new piece comes and takes over.”

Born 1939 in Uruguay from Jewish descent, Raz has spent her life creating stimulating pieces that she describes as both “ugly” and “beautiful.” Her work aims to invoke a visceral response, good or bad.

“I just like to present work and confront the viewer and let them deal with it and decide how they feel,” Raz said. “Some peo ple have a hard time with this work, it’s not work that people like to put in their living room.”

Living in Ojai for more than 30 years now and a member of Ojai Studio Artists for 25 years, her art spans across mediums — from stone to clay to yarn to canvas. She even turns trash into treasure.

“I fell in love with finding objects that were going to go to the garbage and giving them a new life,” Raz said.

Raz began her journey with sketching when she was only 10, inspired by the beautiful drawings of a fellow girl in her class. Though she never had formal schooling until later in life, she started painting while she and her husband were working at a psy chiatric hospital during the 11 years she lived in Jerusalem.

Looking back on her career, Raz referred to herself as a real-life “Nurse Ratched.” Though she saw horrific sides of human nature during this time, the spectrum of human emotion she witnessed enthralled her to start creating pieces that explore and comment on the human experience.

“Sylvia’s playful, provocative constructions are delight ful, ingenious and thought-provoking,” said Chris Noxon, fellow OSA artist. “She’s really an overlooked icon, a pio neering maker of dolls, sculptures and whole worlds over flowing with wit and wonder.”

Currently, Raz is working on a piece that com

ments on the recent decision to revoke abortion rights. While Raz recognizes her work and their themes may not be what sells, she finds the concern for women’s issues far more important.

“You may hate me or love me, but I want a response to the problems or situations about women or life or the world,” Raz said. “There’s no end to it, it’s there for us to work on.”

She said this work makes her life worth it. She is excited by people’s reaction to her work, and sees her art as her contribution to humanity. She knows she will continue to create for the rest of her life.

“I feel that when I die I’ll still have a million ideas that I wanted to create,” Raz said. “But that’s the fun of the process — the dreaming, the planning, the getting excited. Going on the trip is more important, in many ways, than arriving.”

Sylvia Raz

SYLVIA RAZ with “The second coming of Eve.”

ART OF THE EARTH

Ventura County Potters’ Guild is grounded in tradition and community.

SBY MARINA DUNBAR | PHOTOS BY VIKTOR BUDNIK

ince the group’s inception over sixty years ago, the Ventura County Potters’ Guild has been the county’s premiere organiza tion for artists who wield the Earth’s most fundamental material. Attracting potters from far beyond Ventura, the Guild is one of only three in all of California and includes members who range from those with a budding interest in ceramics to seasoned experts in molding clay. This November, VCPG is inviting local residents to view, learn about and purchase pieces made by local potters to support both the Guild and the homeless popula tion of Ventura.

The Bowl of Thanks event will take place Nov. 5-6 on Main Street in Downtown Ventura. There, visitors will be able to browse a collection of oneof-a-kind, handmade art. In collaboration with the Guild’s Pottery Market, customers can purchase a bowl for $25. Each bowl has been uniquely hand crafted and donated by a VCPG artist. With the pur chase of a bowl, customers will receive a punch card to receive free food samples from over 15 restaurants and pubs downtown.

Bowl of Thanks is one of the group’s most visible fundraising projects: As artists whose very medium is of the earth, they make sure that they give back to it.

“There’s an organization called [Downtown Ventura Part ners] and they do all these types of events and so forth,” explains Ellen Wohlstadter, the Guild’s Marketing Chair. “All the stores on Main Street, all the owners pay into a fund. I was introduced to Kevin [Clerici] of the [Downtown Ventura Partners]. He has

CERAMIC BOWL (above) made by Ellen Wohlstadter to be included in the offerings for sale at Bowl of Thanks, Nov. 5-6.

BEHIND THE WHEEL Rebecca Catterall forming a bowl by hand.

a charity that works with homeless people in Ventura who want to go back home. We thought it was a very good cause and we wanted to participate.”

Proceeds from the Bowl of Thanks event will go to Ventura’s Family Re connect Program. This program serves the homeless population of Ventura and provides free transportation to vulnerable and impoverished individuals who are seeking a way to reconnect with a family member or support group.

THE GUILD’S MISSION

VCPG also hopes that this event will bring more attention to the gallery and perhaps even inspire a deeper appreciation for pottery in the hearts of Ventura residents. The county is a hotspot for creativity and artistic expression, but many locals have yet to take full advantage of the originality that their hometown has to offer.

“I was really surprised when I did the Bowl of Thanks a few years ago that a lot of people have not been to our gallery before,” says Wohlstadter. “So, a part of it [the fundraiser] is just bringing awareness. We also have the pottery market which is meant to bring awareness to the gallery we have.”

It has always been the goal of the Guild to spread awareness. Aware ness about the history, benefits and process of pottery is a core curriculum for VCPG members. They aim not only to teach the steps necessary to create a competent piece of art, but also to make sure potters understand the significance of wielding clay.

“We occasionally did, pre-COVID, one or two workshops a year, that were available not just to members but were open to anyone who was interested in clay,” explains Guild President Wyn Matthews. “We’ve been going on for over 60 years. It was started by a group of eight or nine pot ters and the original purpose of them coming together was to do a show every year in Ojai at the same time as the music festival, and we’ve done that every year since then.”

Member Rebecca Catterall can attest to the group’s commitment to their mission. “The Guild is more active than probably any other clay group I’ve been in,” she says. “Their monthly meetings are great because it’s not just talking, it’s always about learning something else, so there was always some sort of workshop and we’ve been able to continue that through Zoom. Although I look forward to getting back in person be cause it is really a social thing as well.”

VCPG also offers its members the opportunity to make money off of their art, an often overlooked aspect of arts-oriented organizations. Though the enjoyment may come from the creative process, at the end of the day, artists still must be able to fund their craft, something the Guild

REBECCA CATTERALL “The Guild is more active than probably any other clay group I’ve been in.”

ELLEN WOHLSTADTER “[Ventura County Potters’ Guild] is just a wonderful community of people.”

recognizes and encourages.

“I got involved because I was living in Sherman Oaks and I was beginning to teach ceramics,” says Wohlstadter. “I joined because I wanted to learn more about pottery and it’s just a wonderful commu nity of people, and it was also a way of touching your foot into selling. So, there was the educational part of it and also the opportunity to sell and grow as a potter.”

The Guild has taken every opportunity to help its community grow as potters, including taking unfortunate circumstances and flipping them into a positive. For most artistic communities, the pan demic has been a time of devastation for both funds and collaboration between individuals. For the Guild, however, it has been a chance to expand its reach beyond what members previously thought feasible.

“Our meetings all went onto Zoom,” says Matthews. “We all thought it was a problem initially and it turned out to also be a blessing in that people could participate with us who were all over the country. We had guests and presentations that never would’ve happened in person. So, it totally opened up what we had access to in terms of information.”

THE OLDEST ARTFORM

Though they are proud of their ability to reach all corners of the country, VCPG’s home remains in Ventura County, for good reason. The area stands out amongst its neighbors as a sanctuary for those whose passions lie in the arts. The county’s support for its artists is unmatched by other suburban communities, a truth for which local artists will vouch.

“I’ve been involved with a lot of arts organizations and research, and I chose Ventura,” says Catterall. “One of the things that was out standing to me is that they have a building called The WAV which is an artists’ workspace and living space. I thought, ‘Gee, a community that gets behind and supports its artists is something I need to look into.’ I ended up thinking that Ventura would be an arts-rich commu nity where I’d be happy.”

Pottery is one of the world’s oldest inventions and artforms. Serv ing both beauty and utility, potters take great pride and appreciation in their craft. In the mind of an artist, there is perhaps no greater honor than to take material from the earth and mold it into an object that provides sustenance and emotion to other humans.

“It’s part of what we do as potters,” says Matthews. “It’s dirt, it’s just dirt. The people who buy our pots have a sense of that while they use them. There’s sort of a grounding that happens. Having handmade things that you touch and you use, it’s a grounding experience. And I think that’s a big part of what we provide.” v

Ventura Pottery Market and Bowl of Thanks

a.m.-6 p.m., Nov. 5-6

Park, Santa Clara and Chestnut Streets, Ventura Ventura County Potters’ Guild venturapottersguild.org

Drive,

Pottery

WYN

HANDCRAFTED BOWL by Guild President Wyn Matthews.

“INSPIRATION STRIKES FROM THE BROAD DEPTHS OF EMOTION”

Donna Granata on the power of creativity and documenting an artistic legacy.

ABY NANCY D. LACKEY SHAFFER

rts archive and library Focus on the Masters has been the steward for Ventura County’s artistic legacy since its founding in 1994. Through extensive research and documentation – interviews, photographs, record ings, magazine articles, reviews and more – it has amassed an invaluable collection of materials on many of the notable artists (in all disciplines and mediums) that call this area home. Few people live and breathe art so profoundly as FOTM founder Donna Granata.

Ventana Monthly had the opportunity to speak with Granata, who discussed the creation of the organization, the challenges it has faced, the value of art in society and more. (NOTE: This interview has been edited and condensed for space and clarity.)

VENTANA MONTHLY: Are you from Ventura County originally?

DONNA GRANATA: I was born in Encino, and spent a short period of my childhood in Garden Grove. My family moved to Camarillo while I was in the fourth grade. From there, at age 13, our family moved to Oak View. I fell in love with Ojai and Ventura and have remained here ever since.

What originally inspired you to found Focus on the Masters?

From my family to my closest friends, I have had the good fortune to be surrounded by artists my entire life. I studied art, art history and photography at Ventura College before transferring to the Brooks Institute of Photography to complete my undergraduate degree in

commercial photography.

As I built a life as a photographer, I worked several odd jobs, teaching art classes, lecturing and waiting tables. One night in August 1994, while working at the Hungry Hunter in Ventura, I fell down a flight of stairs. During my year of convalescence, I tried to stay positive, focusing on what I could do within my physical limitations. I started organizing my pho tographs I had taken, as a student, of my friends that were noted artists including Beatrice Wood, David Leffel, Gerd Koch and Sergio Aragones, realizing they were more than simple portraits – they were historic doc uments. The more I pondered the images, I realized that they should be accessible historically. I thought to myself, why not start my own nonprofit arts archive and library?

Who was your first documented artist?

I started with photographer Horace Bristol because I was familiar with his work. He was an original LIFE photographer from 1937 to 1941. Among his seminal work are his Grapes of Wrath Series, World War II photographs (working under the great Edward Steichen) and images of post-war Asia. He lived in Ojai, and I hoped he would un derstand the concept of FOTM even though it still wasn’t fully formed in my mind. What began as a one-hour lunch meeting at his home turned into an all-day submersion into his history that lasted through a wonderful dinner. He and his wife Masako were so gracious and remained dear lifelong friends.

What was FOTM like in the early days?

In the early days, the documentation was quite simple, starting with cassette tapes and recording equipment I bought at a local thrift store. I enlisted friends and family to volunteer their talents, and our board mem bers were very active in the day-to-day operations. The video recordings of the public interviews were recorded by Rex McBroom . . . These early recordings have since been digitized.

Prior to applying for our own non-profit 501(C)3, FOTM part nered with the Ojai Valley Museum as our fiscal sponsor. I converted my entire home in Casitas Springs into offices, a reading room and storage. In those early days, I sought the advice of Paul Karlstrom, for mer regional director of the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art and his staff. At the time the Archives of American Art had an office at the Huntington Library where one could make an appointment and

DONNA GRANATA (left), founder of Focus on the Masters, with Aimee French, Learning To See Education Director. Photo by Viktor Budnik

study the files. FOTM’s collection methodology is modeled after the Smith sonian’s approach to documenting artists.

I joke, but it is true — when the files hit the ceiling, I hit the wall. After over 10 years operating from my home, FOTM moved to a suite of offices on Main Street in Ventura. From that point forward we grew exponentially.

In 2017, FOTM was headquartered at the Nonprofit Sustainability Center near Ventura City Hall – which put you right next to the flames of the Thomas Fire. How was FOTM affected?

The Thomas Fire affected us in so many ways — personally, emotionally and physically. My heart still aches for those who lost so much. FOTM’s offices have north-facing windows with a beautiful view of the Ventura Botanical Gardens. The fire devastated the gardens and burned across the city parking lot with flames licking our building and City Hall. FOTM suffered tremendous smoke damage. The air was so toxic in our offices that your eyes would water as soon as you entered the building. In addition to a professional cleaning crew, the City of Ventura provided two huge air purifiers to suck the pollutants out of the air. Each was the size of a refrigerator and sounded like a jet engine when they were turned on. It took several months to clean our offices. The only evidence the Thomas Fire left us is a crack in one of our windows.

Following the fire, FOTM assisted artists who lost their studios and work by providing “evidence of their worth” required for insurance claims. Among the ephemera we collect are digital libraries of the artists’ work, price sheets, ex hibition history and a list of collections in which they belong. Priceless records for those who lost everything.

FOTM is in a new space now.

We have a very generous invitation from the Ventura County Community Foundation. We are still exploring the possibilities. FOTM has been working on succession and long-term planning for quite some time. It is one thing to be the founder of an archive and library, it is another to plan for it to flourish long after I am gone. The transition will be gradual, ensuring long-term stability. One of the most important aspects to our sustainability is a permanent home suitable to house our ever-expanding collection. We need a facility with proper storage, climate control, research space, offices and programming space. We need a facility that can expand as the archive expands and assist in partnerships to help disseminate our unique collection. VCCF is a promising facility and offers a bright and sustainable future.

How was FOTM affected by the pandemic?

FOTM implemented an emer gency operating procedure right away. We froze all the expenses that we could and shifted our resources to our Learning To See Outreach in support of the schools and remote learning. Our Education Director, Aimee French, did a herculean job converting lessons to a Zoom format, developing art projects that can be downloaded from our website, and distributing individual art supply packets to the schools for parent pickup. The first year was very difficult as the schools tried to hold the students’ attention at the computer. In fact, the art lessons were an incentive for the students to

tune in. By the end of the first year, teachers realized the importance of LTS as part of the curriculum.

As things have opened up more, has the organization been able to get back to its usual programming?

We are planning to be back to full programming in January 2023. Most of our volunteers are older and several are immune compromised. Our audience and our artists are mostly older as well. We have been very cautious trying to do our part to get past the pandemic.

Did FOTM stay in touch with its artists during the pandemic? What kinds of concerns were expressed during that time?

We did. The artists’ response to the pandemic varied. Some were extremely productive and grateful for the isolated time in the studio. Others had a com plete creative block. Most devastating was the cancellation of exhibitions and performances. It is hard for people to imagine the work and the expense that goes into the production of a major show. It is devastating for those who could not reschedule. In many cases, artists prepare for years for a major exhibition. When they lose an exhibit, they lose more than prospective sales and the con siderable expenses involved. They lose momentum and precious time preparing for the exhibit. They miss the joy of sharing their work with the public. In addi tion, the ripple effect goes out to all the supporting businesses as well.

Was FOTM able to document artists’ work during the pandemic?

Yes. For a visual artist, isola tion is often a way of life. From the solitude of the studio masterpieces are born. Those who rouse the muse during challenging times can chan nel that energy and thrive creatively. But, there is more to the creative process than simply having the time to produce. It takes mind, body and soul. Inspiration strikes from the broad depths of emotion, from despair to great joy.

LGBTQ IMPACT PROJECT work (untitled) made by participant Joe, October 2022. Image courtesy of Focus on the Masters

AIMEE FRENCH (seated), Learning To See Education Director, with her assistant, Chelsea Cody, at the FOTM archive. Image courtesy of Focus on the Masters

I interviewed six diverse artists during the lockdown: John Nava, Gary Lang, Ruth Pastine, Karen Lewis, Katie Van Horne and Kent Butler. It was so interesting to learn how the pandemic affected their studio practice. John Nava was the first to say, “….I didn’t realize how much my normal life pattern matched ‘lockdown.’”

Artists are authentic recorders of our collective history and human ity. They are the mirrors of society. In addition to the pandemic, many of the artists were responding to the overlapping political, social, economic and humanitarian crises unfolding at the same time. . . . An example of John’s socially conscious work can currently be seen in a five-artist show, The New Normal: Art and Politics, at Vita Art Center in Ventura through Nov. 2.

[Modernist painter Gary Lang] changed from his normally vibrant, energized color palette to a dark and somber tonality. Known for his signature pulsating massive circles, Gary had, during the pandemic, turned to painting concentric squares — confined, controlled and structured — as a way to make sense of a world out of control.

During the pandemic, [Lang’s partner] Ruth Pastine revisited works on paper and began a new series of hand-painted oils. The luminous color quality and dramatic palette was a surprise for the artist. She explained, “[T]he color and luminosity is really a gift right now because it’s filled with hope. It’s really helping to ignite and illuminate a much more positive emotional state.”

Tell us a little bit about your educational outreach program, Learning To See.

Among the odd jobs I worked in my college years was teaching art classes. I was one of the early teachers for Artist in the Classroom, a program now admin istered through the Ventura County Arts Council, that brought arts education into the schools during the severe budget cuts in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In fact, that is where I first met Aimee French, who also taught for Artist in the Classroom. During that time, I was also a docent at the Carnegie Art Museum. I was invited to participate in arts education training offered by the J. Paul Getty Museum called Learning To See. The skills I learned to engage the viewer with a work of art left a lasting impression on me. To this day, we still incorporate these techniques in our Learning To See Outreach and I still lecture on the J. Paul Getty collection.

Interestingly, Learning To See preceded the FOTM Arts Archive and Library. It is one of the reasons we are so dedicated to arts education. I feel so strongly that the arts need to be a part of the schools’ core curriculum. I believe the arts can be a path to peace. The more we understand our shared humanity, the more compassion is released into the world. Celebrating the diversity and uniqueness of our shared humanity is so important and needs to be taught from an early age. No two artists are the same. A celebration of individuality goes a long way to develop acceptance for and appreciation of different points of view, cultures and way of life.

What are some of the things Learning To See offers today?

Learning To See continues to evolve in response to the needs of the community. One of our current endeavors is the Impact Project, funded by the California Arts Council. The yearlong program is a celebration of the creative spirit by underrepresented communities in Ventura County. The project was

led by the participants of the Black, immigrant and LGBTQ communities of Ventura County under the guid ance and expertise of our education director, Aimee French. The program culminates in an exhibit at the Ven tura County Government Center. This exhibit is a testament to the value of individual and community expression. We asked, “What would you want to express as a member of an historically underrepresented community?” One of the immigrant participants was taken aback and stated that no one had ever asked her that question. Her reaction underscores the need for these types of community projects where lesser-seen points of view are illuminated.

Learning To See continues to reach thousands of students each year, keeping our seven faculty members very busy. Each lesson is inspired by the life and work of one of FOTM’s documented artists. Students apply themselves to their own art projects, gaining confidence and respect for themselves and others as they realize the rewards of creativity and concentrated endeavor. With an emphasis on critical thinking, social emotional learning, and innovation, art anchors them to a greater caring for our community and celebration of diversity.

How did you modify Learning To See during COVID?

Lessons were modified and new lessons were implemented to better support the social/emotional needs of students due to the pandemic. i.e. student focus and action seemed much slower, so more time was allowed for each les son, emphasizing calming, physical actions of art over cerebral; and, when some students did not have their supplies on hand, we modeled resourcefulness and how to discover new, creative alternatives. Zoom provided a chance for frequent and meaningful interactions with classroom teachers. They communicated the need for their students to have an outlet in art and be involved with physical materials. Geoffrey Odell of Curren Elementary said, “My kids are starving for this type of activity.” Another shared that her students looked forward to art, which “sweetened the deal” for them to come back to school once they went into a hybrid model.

Looking back on all the years that FOTM has been tracking the area’s artistic legacy, what are some lessons that you have learned along the way?

Life can change at any given moment and the more adaptable one is to change, the better your chances of survival. The key is keeping your eye on what is most important. The community that we love and the qualities that unite us.

Throughout history artists tend to fall in and out of the public eye. Ranging from who is in vogue at the time to artists re-emerging posthumously, those who survive the test of time are artists who write or who are written about. Patrons of the arts, family members, art dealers and critics are often left with the task of championing the work and securing the memory of the artists. Artists can help to secure their own legacies by planning wisely while they are still here.

FOTM is building a bridge of primary source material for historians to follow. We unite a community of art lovers, patrons and educators providing the public with a firsthand opportunity to experience accomplished artists. v

JIMMY DOCTOLERO working on a support panel for Learning To See’s Impact Project, October 2022. Photo courtesy of Focus on the Masters

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included, as is the Washer/ Dryer it their own laundry room. The extra building for the hobbyist will delight with custom workbenches and shelving. The Marina 55+ Community is sought after for its amenities, per fect weather, proximity to Ventura’s shops, restaurants, entertainment and historic downtown. Low space rent of only $731! What are you waiting for to enjoy your

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SHORT LIST

GHOSTWALK 2022 OCT. 14-30 | SANTA PAULA

ELECTRICIDAD

Oct. 13-23 | Moorpark

This urban Chicano drama set in East Los Angeles comes to the Moorpark College Performing Arts Center with an all-Latinx student cast. Luis Alfaro’s dramatic play is based on Electra,the ancient Greek tragedy by Sophocles. It fol lows Electricidad as she intensely mourns the death of her dear father at the hands of her mother, Clemencia. When Electricidad seeks the revenge she deems necessary and just, her desired outcome and its effects shock her and the entire barrio. The Oct. 15 performance will include a meet-and-greet with the cast after the show and free tacos from Epic Taco food truck. Performances will be at 8 p.m., Oct. 13-15 and Oct. 20-22, and 2 p.m., Oct. 16 and 23. Tickets: $15-$20. Main stage of the Performing Arts Center on the Moorpark College campus, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark, (805.378.1485 or moorparkcollege.edu/pac.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY

Oct. 14-23 | Thousand Oaks

Do we really need to give you an introduction to one of America’s creepiest and kookiest families? You all know the theme song finger snaps, and now it’s time to see The Addams Family live on stage and find out what happens when the Addams’ kids grow up! Also, this production will be during Halloween Season, so what better way to get in the spirit of things than with this creepy and campy lively musical?! Presented by 5-Star Theatricals. Tickets $40-$91. Fred Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, 805.449.2787, bapacthousandoaks.com.

GHOSTWALK 2022

Oct. 14-30 | Santa Paula

It’s time for GhostWalk once again, and the immersive theater experience is back with a new location and a new set of charac ters. The 2022 production is “Dark Tales to Tell at Isbell MiddleGhoul,” and continues the 27-year tradition of historically based stories, real or imagined, told by ghost citizens that lived or might have lived in the Santa Clara River Valley. Guests will be led by a ghostly companion for a one-hour walking tour through this year’s chosen magical and mysterious environment, Isbell Middle School. The school will provide the backdrop for each story, with each location transformed into a ghostly stage for each of our featured ghosts. This year, the tours are not wheelchair accessible. Tours are limited to 30 people and take place on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings starting at 6:30 or 7 p.m., running every 15 minutes until 8:30 or 9 p.m. This popular event frequently sells out, so purchasing tickets in advance is highly recommended. $10-$15. Isbell Middle School, 221 South Fourth Street, Santa Paula, www.ghostwalk.com.

LEGALLY BLONDE: THE MUSICAL

Oct. 14 – Nov. 13 | Moorpark

A fabulously fun award-winning musical based on the adored hit movie, Legally Blonde The Musical follows the transformation of Elle Woods as she tackles stereotypes and scandal in pursuit of her dreams. Action-packed and exploding with memorable songs, this musical is so much fun, it should be illegal! $23$25. High Street Arts Center, 45 East High Street, Moorpark, 805.529.8700, highstreetartscenter.com.

WALTER CRONKITE IS DEAD

Through Oct. 16 | Ojai

Two opinionated women (one from a “Red State,” one from a “Blue”) are stuck together in an airport in this insightful comedy by Joe Calarco. A pair of women — strangers at the outset — are delayed at Reagan National Airport during a terrible storm. Patty from Tennessee is a chatty blue-collar southerner who’s almost distressingly terrified of silence. Margaret, a reserved, edu cated liberal, is an obsessive matron who so loved the Kennedys she named her children for them. It should be no surprise these women have conflicting opinions about life, liberty, and the pur suit of happiness. $20. Ojai ACT, 113 South Montgomery Street, Ojai, 805.640.8797, ojaiact.org.

CHAMBER ON THE MOUNTAIN

Oct. 16 | Ojai

Chamber On The Mountain celebrates its 10th season this fall, honoring the traditional while celebrating the innovative and the intermingling of nascent talent with venerated masters. Cellist Anita Graef and pianist Louise Chan offer a stunning program that includes Gershwin (“Three Preludes for Cello and Piano), Beethoven (“Cello Sonata No. 4, Op. 102, No. 2), Mendelssohn, Beach and Franck. A reception for the artists will be held on the patio immediately following the performance. Tickets: $30. Performance on Sunday, Oct. 16, at 3 p.m. Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts, 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road, Upper Ojai, 805.646.3381, www.chamberonthemountain.com.

CAMERATA PACIFICA

Oct. 23 | Ventura

In the world of classical music, chamber music composi tions are a composer’s most intensely personal expression. Written for small groups of musicians, chamber music demands an intimacy and honesty lost in the impersonal nature of large group performances. Presented in small venues which enhance the viscerally expressive qualities of the music, an exploration of that intimacy is a critical component of every Camerata Pacifica performance. In October, violist Yura Lee, cellist Jonathan Swensen and pia nist Soyeon Kate Lee will present a selection that includes sonatas by Kodály and Chopin and a passacaglia for solo violin by Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber. $68. 3 p.m. at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 East Main Street, Ventura, cameratapacifica.org.

IN THE HEIGHTS

Oct. 26 – Nov. 13 | Ventura Heartfelt, hopeful, bursting with songs with a beat and high-energy Latin dance numbers, In the Heights is a fresh, inspiring family musical about where we come from, who we are, and finding our true home. The story is set in a neighborhood in Washington Heights – a place where the coffee from the corner bodega is light and sweet, the windows are always open, and the breeze carries the rhythms of three generations of music. It’s a community on the brink of change, where the biggest struggles can be deciding which traditions to take with you and which to leave behind. Tickets start at $39.50. Rubicon Theatre Company, 1006 East Main Street, Ventura, 805.667.2900, www.rubicontheatre.org.

2022 OJAI STORYTELLING FESTIVAL OCT. 27-30 | OJAI

CHAMBER ON THE MOUNTAIN OCT. 16 | OJAI

Anita Graef

Photo by Todd Rosenberg

Mara Menzies

PEACHERINE RAGTIME SOCIETY ORCHESTRA WITH NOSFERATU OCT. 27 | THOUSAND OAKS

SHORT LIST

PEACHERINE RAGTIME SOCIETY ORCHESTRA WITH NOSFERATU

Oct. 27 | Thousand Oaks

“Spooky Silents: A Silent Film Halloween” is a production featur ing a classic silent film with music and sound effects provided by a live orchestra — the same way silent films were presented 100 years ago. Get into the spooky Halloween spirit with a screening of the classic silent film Nosferatu . . . the way it was meant to be seen! Released in 1922, this vampiric tale inspired by Bram Stoker’s Dracula is considered one of the most foreboding and influential horror films in the history of cinema. The Peacherine Ragtime Society Orchestra comes to Thousand Oaks from Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania, to provide all the music and sound effects. The film will be screened at 7:30 p.m. Tickets: $42. Fred Kavli Theatre at the Bank of America Performing Arts Center, 2100 East Thousand Oaks Boulevard, Thousand Oaks, 805.449.2787, bapacthousandoaks.com.

2022 OJAI STORYTELLING FESTIVAL

Oct. 27-30 | Ojai

Every year, the Ojai Storytelling Festival presents a spellbinding series of tales told by master storytellers from across the nation and the globe. This year is no exception, with a lineup that offers something for every age and interest. Enjoy a bit of Shakespeare with the Ojai Madrigali Singers and Renaissance singing group the Merry Wives of Windsor. Children will be delighted by fall-fla vored stories related by Mara Menzies, Izzi Tooinsky, Sheila Arnold, Debs Newbold, Kevin Kling, Josh Goforth and Adam Booth. Booth will also chill and thrill with ghost stories (ages 12 and up) and there will be live music and comedy performances as well. These are just a few chapters in the epic tale that is the four-day festival, so you’ll have ample opportunity to find some thing to entertain, amuse and inspire you! Tickets start at $20; ticket packages are available. Performances take place at the Ojai Art Center and Libbey Bowl. For tickets, full schedule and more information, visit www.ojaistoryfest.org.

PUMPKIN PATCH AT LIMONEIRA RANCH

Through Oct. 30 | Santa Paula

The Limoneira Ranch, with wide open green vistas framed by mountains, is the site of our fall fun in October. Each year we strive to make our Pumpkin Patch bigger and better with great food, crafts, live entertainment, FFA Petting Zoo, famous 5.5 acre Corn MAiZE and of course our Pumpkin Chucker. Presented by the Rotary Club of Santa Paula. $12 general admission; $5-15 for attractions. Free admission for ages 2 and under and free parking. Please no dogs. The Pumpkin Patch is open every Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., throughout October. 12471 Foothill Road, Santa Paula, 888-522-1884, sppumpkinpatch.com.

FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL AT UNDERWOOD FAMILY FARMS

Through Oct. 31 | Moorpark

We invite all to celebrate the season with us at our 25th Annual Fall Harvest Festival, featuring a corn maze, lab yrinth, gourd tunnel, photo ops, pumpkin playhouse and more. Pick out a jack-o-lantern at the enormous pumpkin patch! Tractor-drawn wagon rides are always a highlight, and kids of all ages will enjoy the animal shows, live performers and roaming entertainment. Take some time to pick-your-own produce from the seasonal options

ripening in the field. Open daily 9 a.m.-6 p.m. $14 per person, Monday-Friday; weekend tickets available online only.

Free for children under 2; $2 discount for seniors 65+, military, veterans and emergency first responders. Themed weekends throughout the month. Oct. 8-9: Farm Country. Oct. 15-16: Antique Tractors. Oct. 22-23: Wild West. Oct. 29-30: All About Pumpkins. 3370 Sunset Valley Road, Moorpark and 5696 E. Los Angeles Ave., Somis. underwoodfamilyfarms.com.

RESILIENCE: ART OF THE CHANNEL ISLANDS

Through Dec. 19 | Oxnard

This exhibition will explore how creatives are inspired by the natural world. Joe Adams, Holly Woolson, Linda Legman, Genie Thomsen, and Christina Altfeld all use unique medi ums to explore the flora and fauna of the Channel Islands. Resilience: Art of the Channel Islands will be the CIMM’s largest temporary exhibition to date. Through printmaking, painting, drawing, and ceramics, artists will capture the extraordinary diversity of the many species that call the Channel Islands home. By exploring natural history and stunning biodiversity, from the ancient pygmy mammoth to the Channel Islands Fox, Resilience: Art of the Channel Islands strives to express the true miracles of these leg endary islands. Channel Islands Maritime Museum, 3900 Bluefin Circle, Oxnard, 805-984-6260, cimmvc.org.

JOHN GALAN: REMEDIOS (REMEDIES)

Through Jan. 8 | Santa Paula

John Galan is an art teacher and Conejo Valley artist who creates Chicano artwork that speaks to his experience as a Mexican American. Galan began work on his “Organ Series” in 2019. Having grown to appreciate the connection between the physical body, particularly the gut, and mental health, Galan now looks to the foods and healing practices passed down by his ancestors to help treat his body and mind. This work combines the universal archetypes of the lungs, brain, and heart with symbolic imagery from contem porary Chicanx culture and cuisine. An exhibition of 40 new artworks by Hiroko Yoshimoto will continue to be exhibited through Nov. 8. Santa Paula Art Museum, 117 North 10th Street, Santa Paula, 805.525.5554, www.santapaulaartmuseum.org.

ON THE HORIZON

VENTURA COUNTY POTTERS’ GUILD POTTERY MARKET AND BOWL OF THANKS

Nov. 5-6 | Ventura

Join us for the Ventura County Potters’ Guild Pottery Market and Bowl of Thanks at Plaza Park in Downtown Ventura! VCPG juried artists are offering their beautiful and unique creations just in time for the holidays. In conjunction with the Pottery Market, customers may purchase a bowl for $25 from our special selection of handmade bowls donated by VCPG artists. With the purchase of the bowl, they will receive a punch card to receive free food sam ples from over 15 restaurants and pubs. Proceeds from the Bowl of Thanks will go to Ventura’s Family Reconnect Program. Plaza Park, Santa Clara and Chestnut streets, Ventura, downtownventura.org, venturapottersguild.org.

JOHN GALAN: REMEDIOS (REMEDIES) THROUGH JAN. 8 | SANTA PAULA

FALL HARVEST FESTIVAL AT UNDERWOOD FAMILY FARMS THROUGH OCT. 31 | MOORPARK

“Selena

John Galan,

Waterfront 5 Bedroom + 6 Bath

3692 Pacific Coast Highway, Faria Beach - Ventura

This oceanfront new construction home with unbeliev able views is nestled on the water’s edge with 40’ of ocean frontage. On the coastline between Ventura and Montecito, this idyllic spot allows for its residents to surf, kayak, swim, fish, sunbathe, take in the sunset, and stargaze. Enjoy views from the family room, dining room, kitchen, wine-tasting room, and primary suite.

The first level includes a three-car garage, great room with incredible views, a wine-tasting room or den with water views, a downstairs bedroom, a downstairs laundry room and two downstairs baths. The chef’s kitchen offers an expansive island, custom cabinetry, natural stone counters, gourmet appliances, and a built-in espresso maker, all overlooking the Pacific. Upstairs, the oceanfront primary suite includes a bedroom with a private beachside balcony, multiple windows for enjoying the views and catching the breeze, an ocean view spa-inspired bathroom and a luxury walk-in closet and dressing room. There are three additional bedrooms, two more baths, as well as a media room and upstairs laundry room. Built by Central Coast Engineering, this ocean front home has been thoughtfully designed to include a timeless elegance that will blend cohesively with a variety of interior furnishing selections. Whether for a primary residence or oceanfront escape, this incredible brand-new home will delight your senses as you enjoy the good life on the California coast. Approximately 4,700 square feet.

Listed for $8,700,000

IN ESCROW

SOLD

SOLD

Street,

Built

130 N. Garden Street

Cannery

of

nies provide fresh air and hillside and city views. Two side-by-side parking spaces in the subterranean garage. Keep cool with AC.

Sold for

Karen Stein

Sara Carlson

Tell us Your Story of

Tell us Your Story ofLove

Love

Join Lynn’s for a spectacular showing of antique and vintage Jewelry on October 22 and 23 for two days of lovely, timeless heirlooms, loose and unusual gemstones, with experts, entertainment and surprises to delight you.

Festival, because at Lynn’s we believe good stories make strong

event supports the 21st

to Grow On.

Join Lynn’s for a spectacular showing of antique and vintage Jewelry on October 22 and 23 for two days of lovely, timeless heirlooms, loose and unusual gemstones, with experts, entertainment and surprises to delight you.