State of the Arts - Issue 7, May - June 2008
Artists Fellowship Showcase opening on May 7th
Red Tree by Larissa Strauss
The Cultural Affairs Division will honor the Artist Fellowship grant recipients of the 2007-08 Cultural Funding Program at a reception to be held on Wednesday, May 7 at the San Buenaventura Artists Union Gallery, 330 S. California Street Plaza, from 6 to 8pm. Featuring the artwork of all twelve visual artists selected for grants this past year, the exhibit runs from May 3 through June 8. The gallery is open Thursdays and Sundays from12 pm to 6pm, Fridays and Saturdays from12 pm to 9pm.
This year's "Emerging Artist" recipients include Brad Barron, Alison Casson, Hilda Kilpatrick, Jeanne LaRocco, Amy Maloney, Ralph Silerio and Larissa Strauss. "Established Artist" awards went to Zivana Gojanovic, Donna Granta, Paul Lindhard, Teal Rowe and Stephen Schafer. Applications for Artist Fellowships rotate annually between performing and literary artists and visual and media artists. A panel of arts professionals and community representatives evaluate the applications in a public meeting on the basis of artistic excellence and select the recipients. Applications to the Artists Fellowship program hit an all time high of 56 this year - making it one of the most competitive years to date.
- For more information, contact Eric Wallner at 677-3911.
"Diverse (Art) City: Embracing the Cultural Spectrum" Conference to be held May 30th & 31st
What does cultural diversity mean for local arts organization? How can your organization reach out to our growing Latino community? On May 30th and 31st, Cultural Affairs will host "Diverse (Art) City: Embracing the Cultural Spectrum" an exciting technical assistance workshop designed to build the capacity of local arts organizations and artists.
The Friday, May 30th workshop is designed primarily for arts professionals and takes place from 9:00 AM - noon at City Hall. The keynote panel will explore "best practices" for addressing diversity issues and discuss trends, research and resources for creating more diverse boards, staff and audiences. Rounding out the day will be workshops on "Laying the Groundwork for Major Gifts" and the "Building Buzz for Culture" Media Roundtable.
Individual Artists will be the target audience for the Saturday, May 31st workshop,
"I Want To Be An Evil Businessman: Why Creatives Fail At Business - and How You Can Succeed" being held from 9:00 AM - noon at City Hall. Lead by creative entrepreneur Jose Caballer, this half day seminar will introduce creatives to the fundamentals of achieving business success in three easy steps. The first we call "life branding", the second is business planning and the final part is financial planning, a simple money management system for creatives.
Join us immediately following the workshop for a celebration honoring the community's newest work of public art - the Tortilla Flats Mural. We will walk down to the Figueroa Street site (between Thompson Blvd. & Harbor Blvd.) for refreshments and live entertainment with muralists Moses Mora and M.B. Hanrahan.
- For more information, please call 677-3911.
Ventura Named Amongst Best Regions in "Who's Your City?" by Richard Florida
Who's Your City? How the Creative Economy is Making Where to Live the Most Important Decision of Your Life by acclaimed economist and author Richard Florida cites Ventura amongst the best regions to live in the Unites States. The Ventura region, named for the core city, represents Oxnard, Thousand Oaks, and Ventura. In his book, Florida argues that in the era of globalization, place is a key factor in creating a vital life, noting that where one lives affects social options, jobs, networks, and markets. In today's creative economy, he states "the real source of economic growth comes from the clustering and concentration of talented and productive people." The Ventura region was ranked one of the five best medium sized regions in the United States for the following: overall best place for families with children, overall best place for gay and lesbian families, and overall best place for retirees (over 65 years).
Richard Florida traces the growing role of creativity in the U. S. economy as 40 million Americans, over one third of the national workforce, "create" for a living. In his best selling book The Rise of the Creative Class, he outlines how the creative class fuels a broad range of sectors from engineering, the arts, biotech, education, architecture, and small business. Florida theorizes that their choices have a large economic impact, influencing workplaces, consumer markets and even city prosperity. Additionally, artists, designers, musicians, writers and other creative class pioneers drive real estate values with their presence - a phenomenon called the "artistic dividend." He identifies a robust art and cultural scene as a primary factor for what attracts creatives to a city.
- For more information on this publication, visit www.creativeclass.com.
"Family Festival in the Park" at Barranca Vista Park - Three Events, One Day!
The fifth annual Family Festival in the Park offers three big events in one great day for the whole family at Barranca Vista Park, 7050 E. Ralston St. in Ventura, on Saturday, May 10, from noon to 5 pm. The festival includes the third annual Kids Swap Meet, the season opener of Fairy Tales in the Park and free Barranca Vista Creative Center performances of dance, theater, music and hands-on arts activities, refreshments and exhibits for the whole family.
The Swap Meet "by kids for kids" runs from noon to 3 pm. Kids are encouraged to clean out their closets of gently used, toys, books and games. It's a great place to shop for cared for second hand items. Barranca Vista Center performing artists and a variety of community-based arts groups provide free entertainment. Hands-on art making booths feature Redbrick Gallery, cartooning, fused glass, calligraphy, recycled paper art and sun catchers. During the festival, Gypsies in a Trunk will present "ShrekâTales from the Swamp" as the season opener for Fairytales in the Park (free performances for families on second Saturdays at 4 pm throughout the summer).
Admission to the full day of activities is free thanks to sponsorship from the Huntington Learning Center and Main Street Dental. Questions about the event can be directed to Kathryn Dippong-Lawson at 805-644-6542 or kdippong@cityofventura.net
Ovation TV to Feature Four PSA's on Ventura's Cultural Community
The Cultural Affairs Division has entered into an in-kind sponsorship agreement with Ovation TV. In exchange for being a media sponsor for the 2008 calendar year and promoted on all materials, Ovation TV will produce four public service announcements (PSA) promoting Ventura as a cultural destination. The in-kind sponsorship partnership is valued at $140,000. The four themes will include: Passionate Spring, Downtown Cultural District, Heritage, and Ventura: An Artist's Enclave.
Ovation TV is currently broadcast nationwide via Direct TV to 15 million subscribers. Its target audience is the "Creative Class" consisting of adults 35 and over, educated with discretionary income. Ovation TV is currently working to broaden its distribution to cable companies including Time Warner. The first PSA aired in mid April and featured the Ventura Music Festival's 2008 season called Appassionata.
- For more information, visit www.ovationtv.com
Olivas Adobe Celebrates Western Heritage with the Multicultural "Cowboys, Heroes & Outlaws"
Transport your family back in time to the Old West on June 7 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with a trip to the Olivas Adobe and the multicultural "Cowboys, Heroes & Outlaws: Passport to the American West".
This event is presented with a multicultural emphasis and outreach to the Latino community. Event goers are encouraged to wear Old West, Rancho or Native American gear and try their hand at more than thirty Rancho-era workshops and Cowboy College activities. 
Explore the Native American Village of traditional crafts and activities. Meet Frontier Gunfighters and interpreters of famous heroes and outlaws. Dine in the cowboy cantina under the trees. Dave Thornbury will amaze you with his rodeo style trick roping and western theme show accompanied by his horse Pistol. Listen and watch costumed musicians and dancers all day, including Ballet Folkorico Regional, Old Time Fiddlers, Fancy Shawl Dancers, Familia Moraza featuring Tomas Herrera mariachis, Awful Pretties bluegrass band, and Danza Azteca Cuauhtemoc in fabulous authentic regalia. Cowboy activities include roping, Old West stories and songs, blacksmithing, panning for gold, cowboy vests, leather tooling, beading, horseshoeing, a petting zoo and much, much more!
Purchase tickets - $9 for adults and $8 for children, 12 years and under, and seniors, 65 and up, with a $1 sibling discount for each additional child per family - at the door or in advance at 658-4726 or eRecreation at www.cityofventura.net.
First Fridays Ventura Continues to Grow
A popular tradition in cities around the country, Ventura now has our own First Friday night! Sponsored by the Buenaventura Art Association, this event is a fun and relaxing monthly opportunity to check our growing arts scene by visiting local galleries that will be open late just for you!
This Friday, May 9th, look for the addition of bright yellow balloons to highlight participating galleries. There are also several opening receptions taking place and work is being completed on a First Fridays map. First Fridays is being organized by a loosely formed association of galleries and artist studios in Ventura born out of the MAVericks (Marketing the Arts in Ventura) think tank organized by the Cultural Affairs Division.
For more information about First Friday Ventura, visit www.FirstFridaysVentura.com or email info@firstfridaysventura.com
Call for Entries
Sylvia White Gallery Solo and Group Show Opportunities
Deadline: May 15, 2008
This summer, the Sylvia White Gallery will be awarding two exhibition opportunities in her new gallery space in Midtown Ventura. Eligibility: All artists working in painting, mixed media, works on paper, photography, sculpture, installation art and performance.
Sylvia White Gallery
1783 Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001
(310) 452-4000
info@artadvice.com
Gallery Hours are Wednesday and Saturday, Noon - 5:00pm
California Visual Artists Invited To Apply For "Visions From The New California" Award
Deadline: May 16, 2008
The Alliance of Artists Communities invites artists throughout the state of California to apply for the 2009 Visions from the New California Award. Now in the second of a three year program, the third round of awardees will be selected from applicants from the call for artists in addition to the nomination process used in previous years of the project. The six selected artists will receive a one-month residency at one of the participating residency programs and a $4000 stipend to use as they choose. Each artist's residency experience and creative results will be documented in a widely distributed publication designed to assist the careers of the award recipients as well as publicize artist residency opportunities available to all artists.
Application materials including submission requirements are available at www.artistcommunities.org
Thousands of Performing Artists and Organizations to Convene in Denver for the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention
This June, the performing arts community will come together in Denver like never before: to affirm its shared history and values, to communicate its importance to national life and to identify new ways that arts leaders can more successfully bring the value of the arts in America to a wider audience.
"Taking Action Together" is the theme of the 2008 National Performing Arts Convention (NPAC). NPAC will lay the foundation for future cross-disciplinary collaborations, cooperative programs and effective advocacy. Demonstrating a new maturity as a united sector, NPAC is dedicated to enriching national life and strengthening communities across the country. National conveners taking part include Chorus America, Dance/USA, Early Music America, League of American Orchestras, OPERA America, and Theatre Communications Groups.
Calendar
| May | |
|---|---|
| May 3 | Haunted Ventura |
| May 7 | Artists Fellowship Showcase Reception |
| May 10 | Family Festival in the Park & Kids Swap Meet |
| Graveyard Tour of Cemetery Park | |
| WAV Community Meeting, 10 AM - 1 PM, Community Meeting Rm. | |
| May 24 | Murders Und Mysteries of Ventura |
| May 24 | The Casebook of Erle Stanley Gardner |
| May 30-31 | "Diverse (Art) City: Embracing the Cultural Spectrum" conference |
| May 31 | Tortilla Flats Mural Dedication |
| June | |
| June 6 | Walk Back Through Time |
| June 7 | Cowboys, Heroes & Outlaws: Passport to the American West |
| June 13 | Friday the 13th Ghost & Ghouls |
| June 14 | The Ghost of Perry Mason |
| June 21 | Ghost of Ventura Mission |
| June 28 | Ma Duncan Investigation Bus Tour |
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