Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation is pleased to announce our support of the Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Grant, and the efforts of The Ventura County Arts Council and CreativityWorks to provide financial assistance to Ventura County working artists who sustained economic losses due to the Thomas Fire and the January 9th Debris Flow. The purpose of this grant program is to help artists invest in their working lives and creative practices in order to sustain their ability to stay in Ventura County.
Our intent with this exhibition is to match the initial funds of $41,290 provided to The Ventura County Arts Council by the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council, in order to increase the size and impact of the grants. This will be achieved in part by exhibiting art works with the support of Porch Gallery Ojai, at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation and make them available via a silent auction. The grant will be administered through the Ventura County Arts Council, with funds raised in Ojai earmarked for Ojai based artists who apply.
The Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Exhibition will take place at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation from May 17 – June 22, with an Opening Reception & Community Potluck on Friday, May 17, from 5:00 – 8:00 pm as part of the Ojai Village Merchant Group’s Third Friday Program. This event is free and open to the public.
In addition to the exhibition of artworks for the silent auction, two High School Seniors from Besant Hill School have elected to help produce the exhibition as part of their two week capstone final projects. Jamie Chen will be painting a series of 16 paintings of the Ojai landscape based on photographs given to her by members of the community, these paintings will then be given back to the person who provided the photograph. In her own words:
“I am wanting to embrace the idea of sharing spiritual connections between us and our lovely land, Ojai. My intention is to give back to this beautiful environment from exchanging some of your personal stories and connections with Ojai. As a student and artist, I always find our environment very inspirational, I hope by painting your stories I can present to the community a more complete and connected love to our land. Please submit your photos and stories of Ojai to [email protected], I will be painting the first 24 submissions.”
Shay Beckson will be designing and self-publishing an artist’s zine about her experiences after the fire and debris flow, which will also include works from the exhibition, along with a centerfold dedicated to her classmate Jamie’s painting project.
Public programming during the run of the show will feature art therapy activities lead by artist Edith Moses, a trained art therapist, a community round table discussion about the role of the artist in our community, as well as an additional Third Friday Community Potluck on Friday, June 21st, which will also serve as the closing reception. Additional details to be announced shortly.
The Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Grant is made possible by the California Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. To learn about how state and federal arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.ca.gov and www.arts.gov.
About Ventura County Arts Council & CreativityWorks:
We advocate for the arts and for increased arts instruction in schools. We foster community development through the arts, serving county artists, arts organizations, and the public through partnerships with arts supporters, businesses, foundations, and community leaders. We embrace diversity and strive to reach low income and minority communities with programs designed to offer equal access to the arts.
CreativityWorks works to strengthen Ventura County’s creative community and channel its potential as a catalyzer of economic and community success. Led by Tracy Hudak, CreativityWorks builds networks, conducts advocacy and provides strategic support to artists, cultural organizations and creative businesses.
Image: (detail) Anthony Jakobs, Untitled, 2017, Courtesy the artist