LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
January/February 2008

Dear ACCV Members,
We are once again presented with a brand new year and an opportunity to finally “get it right”. I believe 2008 is going to be a momentous year for the arts in the Conejo. Hopefully you read the art consultants’ tentative report for the city, which emphasized that the city should be giving more to the arts. This would generate a rebirth of an arts/city collaboration to make Thousand Oaks a member of the cities who understand and support the cultural life of the area. The question is whether or not the city manager and council will accept this evaluation and put aside the political resistance of spending money on the arts.

Frankly, regardless of the City’s reaction to the evaluation, the responsibility - for the health of the arts in the Conejo - is up to you. You are the tax payers who have a say in how money is spent; you have the power to vote council members in or out. They represent you, so make your feelings known! Write, call or speak to Council members of the need for more city funding for the arts which we hold dear.It would be great for non-profit performing groups to be able to afford performing at the Civic Arts Plaza.

It would be wonderful for non-profit groups to give free performances for their audiences. It would be wonderful for children and adults alike to participate in classes and programs without worrying over the cost. The businesses in the area would happily welcome – arts festivals, music festivals, drama festivals – knowing their income will be increased by the added non-residents attending these festivals. We are blessed by very generous private donors who have given us a wonderful facility, now it is time for the city to help generate a higher profile and use of the Civic Arts Plaza. We need to join together to make Thousand Oaks a city on par with Ventura with a vigorous arts life.

From all of us on the Board of the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, a happy, healthy, productive new year to you all.

Pat Johnson
President
Arts Council of the Conejo Valley -The Voice of the Arts

SYLVIA WHITE’S LEADS WORKSHOP

Art Marketing Tools for the 21st Century The rules are changing in regards to art marketing. Artist in all disciplines need to keep up with the technology or risk being left behind. This workshop will cover how to utilize the internet, p.d.a's wireless devices, wi-fi and hotspots to increase your visibility as an artist. Facilitator: Sylvia White , founder of Contemporary Artists' Services, one of the few management consulting firms specializing in the career development of artists. The workshop, presented by the Arts Council of the Conejo Valley, will be held at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive, Thousand Oaks on Wednesday April 16, 2008 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm. Fee for the workshop is $25 for non-members, $20 for ACCV members, $5 for students with ID. Complete and submit registration fee found in this edition of Arts Scene.

STUDENT ARTISTS WANTED (Grades 6-12)

Grab your pencils, paints and clay! It’s time to get started on your artwork for the annual Hang with the Best Student Art Exhibit, to be held in Spring 2008 at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts. Don’t miss this great opportunity to have your artwork exhibited in a real gallery and judged by a recognized artist. It’s a blast and the awards reception is always a memorable experience. The categories are: Painting: Oil and Acrylic; Painting: Watercolor; Photography, 3-D: Ceramics and Sculpture; Mixed Media and Miscellaneous; and Graphics: Prints and Drawings. Middle School and High School entries are judged separately. You do not need to be in an art class to qualify. Your work must be framed, wired and ready to hang – or it will not be accepted into the show. Applications will be available in libraries, schools, community centers, Hillcrest Center for the Arts (805-381-2747). Get started now! See you in the spring for Hang with the Best! which will be on exhibit in April & May, 2008.

INNERSPARK/CALIFORNIA STATE SUMMER SCHOOL FOR THE ARTS
Applications due February 29, 2008

Teen artists, writers and performers being sought for the 22nd session of the California State Summer School for the Arts referred to now as Innerspark. The California State Summer School for the Arts/InnerSpark is seeking the most talented high school-aged visual, literary, media and performing artists in California. The teenagers who are selected will be designated California Arts Scholars, and will attend one of the country’s premier summer arts institutes on the campus of the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia from mid-July to mid-August 2008. Application forms, instructions and program information can be obtained from the web at www.innerspark.us. The application deadline is February 29, 2008. Students in 8th through 12th grades are eligible.

For the 520 students accepted, InnerSpark represents a unique opportunity to spend four weeks studying and working with professional artists, writers and performers of national stature. The program provides an educational link to institutions of higher learning, major performing and fine arts organizations, and the film, television and recording industries for students considering careers in the arts. The talented teenagers who successfully complete the program will receive three units of California State University course credit.

InnerSpark offers instruction in the fields of animation, music, dance, film and video, theatre, creative writing and the visual arts. The California Legislature created the California State Summer School for the Arts to establish a training environment for the state’s young artists. The school has conducted summer sessions in each consecutive year beginning in 1987. More than 10,000 young Californians have attended since the program’s inception. For many of them, it was the first step to important and successful careers in the arts and related industries.
Those wishing to learn more about InnerSpark should visit www.innerspark.us on the web, or call (916) 274-5815 or the Ventura County Arts Council at (805) 658-2213. If you wish to speak to students who attended previous sessions, please call the VCAC at (805) 658-2213.

TAMIMA AL AWAR MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS

Tamima Al Award Memorial Scholarship Program for High School Seniors is offering $2,500 in college scholarships for visual arts study. The program is co-sponsored by the Ventura County Arts Council and Focus On The Masters. Applicants must be a Ventura County high school senior intending to major in visual arts – all media considered. Up to two applicants from each high school may enter – pre-selection is made by a school faculty representative. Applicants are required to submit a one-page essay describing their goals as an artist. Photos of up to 5 images may be submitted and will be reviewed according to the following criteria: concept, technique, composition, presentation. The distinguished panel of jurors includes: Anne Graumlich, Curator, Ventura County Museum of History & Art; Tom McMillin, Artist, Professor of Art, CSUCI; Joseph Piasentin, Artist, Professor of Art, Pepperdine University; Elisse Pogofsky-Harris, Artist; and Paula Spellman, Author/Artist. Applications may be downloaded at www.venturacountyarts.net. For more information call (805) 658-2213.

THOUSAND OAKS ARTS COMMISSION LOOKING FOR ARTISTS TO OPEN THEIR STUDIOS FOR THE 2008 OPEN STUDIO TOUR

The City of Thousand Oaks is looking for artist to open their studios up to the public for the annual "Open Studio Tour". This year, the event will take place on May 10th, 2008, from 10am-4pm. All artist who participate, will be part of the "Open Studio Tour" gallery show at the Kavli Gallery, from April-July. There will be a reception for the artist and public, on April 20, 2008. For more information, please contact Stacy Park, Deputy Director, Community & Cultural Services Department at (805) -449-2767.

ANNUAL CONEJO TEEN VIDEO FESTIVAL GEARING UP TO ACCEPT ENTRIES FROM TALENTED TEENS IN THE REGION

The Thousand Oaks Arts Commission, in conjunction with Time Warner Cable and Conejo Recreation and Parks District, announce the 10th Annual Conejo Teen Video Festival. Final entries must be submitted by Friday, May 30, 2008. The Festival is open to teenagers 19 years or younger who live in or near the Conejo Valley. All entries must be written, directed and edited by the teenagers working on each project. Films categories include: Documentary, Fiction, Animation and Music Video. Documentary and Fiction films are limited to 10 minutes, and Music Videos and Animation may be no longer than 4 minutes. FREE workshops are available to videographers for additional training are scheduled for February 9, 2008 and March 8, 2008 at the Thousand Oaks Teen Center. To register, contact Pete Martinez at the Teen Center, (805) 381-2793. Camera and editing workshops are also available through Time Warner Cable. For information and registration, please call Time Warner Cable at (818) 879-5993.

ART CONSULTANTS BRING PRELIMINARY REPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

Arts consultants David Plettner, Jerry Allen and David Dial, hired by the Thousand Oaks City Council to study how the City administers and funds the arts, presented their preliminary report to the community at the Scherr Forum Theatre Thursday, December 6th. The written handout was quite brief. However, the presentation, with David Plettner taking the lead, elaborated on various sections of the report – illustrated with Power Point slides – particularly those where they were recommending changes. Some members of the audience asked for clarification on points of particular interest to them. The consultants final report will be issued in mid to late January and is reported to be more than 100 pages long. The City will make it available to the community online.

ART COLLECTING IS THE SUBJECT OF THE JANUARY ARTS SCENE TV SHOW

Co-hosts Georgeanne Lees and Chad Smith welcomed Oxnard resident Jackson Wheeler to the program. A nationally renowned poet and editor, he is also a prolific art collector. Though the work of many well known local artists, such as Gail Pidduck, Mary Michaels, Stephen Schafer, John Nichols and Doug Spalding are included in his collection, his collection is quite eclectic. Among the many samples that he brought to the studio to show were examples of “outsider art” and prints. Jackson Wheeler will be expanding on the joys of art collecting in a talk at the Museum of Ventura County (formerly the Ventura County Museum of History & Art) on Saturday, January 26 at 2:00pm. See listing under Visual Arts. Bringing the artists perspective to the subject is Thousand Oaks artist David C. Gallup, whose work is in many private collections, as well as museums, and a number of galleries. David is a plein air painter who is passionate about recording and celebrating the beauty of our environment. He has donated his work to benefit numerous environmental causes. He was one of a number of well-known local painters selected to paint the Channel Islands for a tribute exhibit at the Museum of Ventura County. To close out the 20th century David assigned himself the task of painting at least one sunset per week. This fifty-two sunsets constituted a solo in a Santa Monica gallery. Speaking of the Channel Islands, David also records the unique underwater life of the islands making use of some innovative Sony technology. He is working on a major solo show of his Channel Islands images. Stay tuned to these pages for details. Meanwhile tune into Time Warner, Channel 25 at 8:00pm – our new time - Wednesday evenings to enjoy the one-on-one conversations with special people who make the arts a rich experience for all of us.

2008 OJAI FESTIVAL MUSIC 62nd SEASON - JUNE 5 TO 8, 2008

Thomas W. Morris, artistic director of the Ojai Music Festival and Ojai’s 2008 music director David Robertson today announced preliminary programming for the 62nd Ojai Music Festival, which takes place from June 5 to 8, 2008. The 2008 Festival continues the Ojai tradition of presenting thought-provoking, and often revolutionary, music by composers and artists who are drawn to this mecca of artistic expression and adventure.

In keeping with Ojai’s bold tradition, David Robertson, who is well known for his consummate musicianship, dynamic presence and imaginative programming, and Mr. Morris have put together a festival that displays Mr. Robertson’s eclectic vision in programming, which ranges from Pergolesi to Steve Reich, and Messiaen to Charlie Chaplin, and reflects the interaction of words with music, the 2008 Festival interlocking leitmotif. Among this year’s performers are Festival debuts by award-winning German actress Barbara Sukowa and the musicians of the new music ensemble Signal founded and conducted by Brad Lubman. Ojai welcomes back composer Steve Reich, soprano Dawn Upshaw, Brad Lubman, and the Ojai Festival Orchestra. Examples of the provocative programming being created for the 2008 Ojai Music Festival are three concerts conducted by David Robertson with the Ojai Festival Orchestra that include George Antheil’s A Jazz Symphony, the U.S. premiere of François Narboni’s El Gran Masturbador, and Charlie Chaplin’s film Modern Times, with live accompaniment of the original Chaplin score. Another juxtaposes Philippe Manoury’s En Echo for soprano and electronics and the West Coast premiere of Michael Jarrell’s Cassandre, a mini-opera for actress and chamber orchestra of acoustical and electronic instruments based on the figure from Greek mythology, and a third program pairs Steve’s Reich’s Tehillim with Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater featuring Dawn Upshaw, who will also appear in a Saturday morning solo recital. The Festival opens with an all-Steve Reich program including his new Daniel Variations, employing texts from the biblical book of Daniel and the words of the late American-Jewish reporter Daniel Pearl, and Four Organs, his seminal minimalist work performed at Ojai 35 years ago during Mr. Reich’s last visit. In another program, Mr. Reich himself joins an ensemble of percussionists, including members of NEXUS in Drumming, his popular, epic work that merges African and European elements in a blend of marimbas, glockenspiels, and tuned drums. In addition, several free bonus events are being scheduled, two of which will celebrate the 100th birthdays of Elliott Carter and Olivier Messiaen, and once again, Ara Guzelimian, the dean of The Juilliard School and former artistic director of the Ojai Music Festival, will lead the Festival Symposium in discussions of this year’s programming.

Concerts will take place at the Libbey Bowl, an outdoor area surrounded by lush greenery, where Ojai Festival-goers have experienced performances by legendary artists of their time since the Festival’s founding in 1947. Other events will be held at the Ojai Presbyterian Church; the Ojai Arts Center ; and the Ojai Playhouse. Among the Festival’s diverse music directors have been such renowned musical personalities as Igor Stravinsky, Aaron Copland, Lukas Foss, Ingolf Dahl, Pierre Boulez, Michael Tilson Thomas, Kent Nagano, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, John Harbison, John Adams, Emanuel Ax, Mitsuko Uchida, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Sir Simon Rattle, Oliver Knussen, Robert Spano, and in 2007, Pierre-Laurent Aimard.
Single tickets go on sale in January 2008. Call 805-646-2094 or visit www.ojaifestival.org