Painting Portraits in a Marathon

This weekend the Conejo Valley Art Museum in Thousand Oaks will offer the slightly more adventurous among us the opportunity to participate in an unusual happening.

On Saturday, from 5 p.m. to midnight, and on Sunday, from 5 to 10 p.m., the museum will sponsor a portrait painting marathon by Barnaby Rhue, a New York City artist who has had several one-man shows at SoHo and East Village galleries.

Rhue, who said he originated and perfected the portrait marathon, refers to these events as “performance art” and has done more than a dozen such marathons during the last 10 years, speaking with his subjects and answering questions from onlookers during the process.

Rhue, the senior editor of Art World who has a doctorate in art from New York University, said the idea occurred to him when he realized, after running a marathon, how energizing the process was.

He decided to see if he could translate this feeling into his work and found that painting portraits nonstop during a concentrated time span had the same revitalizing effect on him--and often, he said, on his subjects as well.

According to Ginger Osgood, the director of the Conejo Valley Art Museum, sponsoring such events is part of the museum’s obligation to its public. “It is a museum’s responsibility to present not only the product but also the process,” Osgood said.

While Rhue and Osgood encourage participation, both emphasize the fact that having a portrait painted does not obligate one to purchase the finished product. If the subject likes the results, the painting can be purchased for $100 ($40 of which goes to the museum).

The portraits are 12-inch-square oil paintings that take Rhue about 50 minutes to complete. Anyone interested in sitting should make an appointment in advance by calling (805) 373-0054 or (805) 497-1436. Those who just want to watch are also welcome.

A portrait painting marathon from 5 p.m. to midnight Saturday and 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday at the Conejo Valley Art Museum, 191 W. Wilbur Road, Thousand Oaks. For more information or appointments to pose, telephone (805) 373-0054 or (805)-497-1436.