Art Branch
The Art Branch is an active group of volunteer members who strive to promote these early tenets set forth in the Articles of Incorporation,”The purpose of the Art Center is to advance the interest, influence and usefulness of the Arts in the community, to engage in the promotion from an a vocational standpoint of fine and applied arts.” Which means to us joyfully creating, exhibiting, networking and providing hands on experiences in the Arts.
The galleries are a source of pride for the Art Center, displaying a high quality of local work from Ojai, Santa Barbara and Ventura County artists as well as artists from as far away as New York. Many artists who have since gained national recognition have had their start at the Art Center.
The galleries are a source of pride for the Art Center, displaying a high quality of local work from Ojai, Santa Barbara and Ventura County artists as well as artists from as far away as New York. Many artists who have since gained national recognition have had their start at the Art Center.
Art Branch
Gallery Exhibits
Gallery hours are 12:00 through 4:00 p.m.
Tuesday thru Sunday
Caroline Allen
Inside Outside: Objects of My Attention
Exhibit May 7th - June 29th
Reception Sat., May 14th, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.
CAROLINE ALLEN will exhibit in the galleries and showcases May 7 through June 29. She titles her show, Inside Outside: Objects of My Attention. “I’m inspired by visual beauty wherever I find it— humans, dogs, trees, mountains, leaves, flowers, walls, tables, cantaloupes, vases. Light and dark. Shape and color. Movement. What makes these paintings of the past two years most poignant for me is that they represent moments during a difficult time, the pandemic, when I was able to place my attention away from the news, the loneliness, the isolation, and onto things I found beautiful. The hours spent painting, or walking around looking for things to paint, felt better than the rest of the day. Circumscribed by the physical limits of sheltering in place, I painted inside my house, in my garden, on the driveway. As restrictions lessened I painted at Lake Casitas in eerily deserted campgrounds, and at the Ojai Land Conservancy Meadows. I grew so comfortable in these natural sanctuaries, they became second homes, the trees and grasses, the empty benches and picnic tables, the glowing leaves, all familiar objects, the furnishing of a giant collection of rooms, a cathedral of the natural world. I was painting inside outside.
There wasn’t much difference between the still lives and the landscapes. In the absence of a social life, my paintings were peopled by objects. I felt the subjectivity of the things around me, how much an old sweater hand knit by my grandmother, or a needlepoint tapestry made by my mother, or a clay sculpture made by me were full of memory and feeling. They became characters in a narrative. The close ups of trees and flowers seem the same to me, like studies of character, bringing the inside outside. My attention fell on the beauty of relationships, lights and darks, this color next to that, near and far, and the problem of how to make a compelling image, to get the viewer’s gaze to move around the canvas with interest and delight.” Reception for Caroline is Saturday, May 14, 4-6 p.m.
There wasn’t much difference between the still lives and the landscapes. In the absence of a social life, my paintings were peopled by objects. I felt the subjectivity of the things around me, how much an old sweater hand knit by my grandmother, or a needlepoint tapestry made by my mother, or a clay sculpture made by me were full of memory and feeling. They became characters in a narrative. The close ups of trees and flowers seem the same to me, like studies of character, bringing the inside outside. My attention fell on the beauty of relationships, lights and darks, this color next to that, near and far, and the problem of how to make a compelling image, to get the viewer’s gaze to move around the canvas with interest and delight.” Reception for Caroline is Saturday, May 14, 4-6 p.m.
Thanks for all those who participated in The Great Art Theft!
It was a wonderful success!
To view all of the pictures taken by Stephen Adams (thank you Stephen!), click here.
Here is a list of our wonderfully talented artists and their donated their artwork. A very special thank you to each of you!!
MARK TOVAR BUTTERFLY– MIXED MEDIA
FLUX – ACRYLIC
BUDDA –GLASS
BUTTERFLY – GLASS
PATRISH KUEBLER WHITE LEDGE PEACH – PASTEL
CULLEN ROBERTSON SANTA ANA ROAD – OIL
DREW LURIE VIVACIOUS VIPERS – CERAMIC
NANCY HORWICK WAITING ROWBOAT – OIL
SONI WRIGHT HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE – MIXED MEDIA
KAREN KEWIS PICNIC AREA – OIL
KIRK LOWRY UNTITLED – RESIN
SANDY TREADWELL OJAI,CA – CHARCOAL ON PAPER
BRUCE GRAYBIN OJAI MEADOW PRESERVE WESTSIDE STUDY 1 – OIL ON LINEN
BONNIE CARUK BLUE EYED GIRL – OIL
HER – OIL & GOLD LEAF
SHELBY HARBISON DESSERT SPRING – ACRYLIC
RITA SOLOMON THINKING ABOUT YOU – ACRYLIC
BARBARA CROWDER AROUND THE BEND – PASTEL
REX KOCHEL PASSIONATE EMBRACE – WATERCOLOR
LISA SKYHEART MARSHALL LEAVES & MANTAS – WATERCOLOR, INK & ACRYLIC
MARGI LOGAN STILLL LIFE & LILLIES –- OIL
DUANE DAMMERYER HEART STACKED – MARBLE SANDSTONE
KALE STARBIRD MATILIJA POPPIES – PASTEL
REFELECTION – PASTEL
FOOTSERS – PASTEL
MEDITATION MOUNT – PASTEL
FOOT PATH – PASTEL
BOUGANVILLA – PASTEL
PEAR, PEPPER, TOMATO – PASTEL
RICHARD FRANKLIN THE WAITING GAME – PRISMA
SHADOWS – MONO PRINT
LOVE – MONO PRINT
PRICKLY – WATERCOLOR
JULIE EMPSON NOVEMBER MORNING – OIL
DIANE ZUSMAN DAWN AT THE OJAI MEADOWS – PASTEL
CARLOS GRASSO THE SILENCE WITHIN – MIXED
TOM HARDCASTLE UPPER OJAI – PASTEL
CELESTE EVANS CORAL SCENE – OIL
LUCINDA YATES THE BITCHES – ACRYLIC
RICHARD AMEND UNTITLED 2019 – ACRYLIC
DEVIN TREE OF KNOWLEDGE – GOUCHE ON NEWSPRINT
JOE CALDERIN 3 SETS OF GLASS BOWLS
SHERRY LOEHR CEDAR WAXWINGS – GICLEE PRINT
BRIAN BERMAN HOLOS UNITY – PHOTO ON CANVAS
METAL PRINT ON ALUMINUM
HOLOS PENDANT
HOLOS LAPEL PIN
PETER FOX WHY THE LONG FACE? – WOOD
LESLIE MARCUS LOVE YOU 1 – OIL
LOVE YOU 2 – OIL
LOVE YOU 3 – MIXED MEDIA
LINDA TAYLOR AMARILLO – MONOTYPE
UNTITLED – COLLOGRAPH
NESTING INSTINCT – MONOTYPE
RAY HARDING OUT MY STUDIO WINDOW – ACRYLIC
ELISE ARNOLD PONY RECLINING – CLAY
MARIANO PEIRANO IMAGINE – GRAPHITE & OIL ON WOOD
PT TIERSKY UNTITLED – MIXED MEDIA (4)
CHRIS ZAMBONE UNTITLED – OIL
UNTITLED – OIL
JIM JOSEPH FLOWERING OJAI – ARCHIVAL PRINT
YVETTE FRANKLIN AMETHYST – JEWELRY
KAZ WILDFLOWERS – PHOTOGRAPH ON CANVAS
GRETA LOVINA CELEBRATION – FABRIC
IRIS WILLIAMS TUTTI FRUITI – OIL
BETSY BLAND FRUITION – WATERCOLOR
JOHN TALEVICH SPIRAL – MIXED MEDIA
MYRA TOTH HAPPY TRAILS – CERAMIC
GRETCHEN GREENBERG MASK – PALM THATCH, SYCAMORE BARK & ACRYLIC
LINDA HARMON - NECKLACES WITH SEMI PRECIOUS STONES
What's New...
We now have a selection of scripts, plays and books from the collection of John Slade. Everything has been lovingly chronicled by his wife, Laurie Walters Slade, and is available to browse or borrow.
Interested in Exhibiting at the OAC?
Artists interested in being considered for an exhibit should call 805-646-0117 to find out how it’s done.
