Lots to See at Arts Festival

The 1990 New World Arts Festival, organized by the Ventura Arts Council, covers three days and includes a Sunday schedule tailored for children. Highlights of the program follow.

FRIDAY

* Buenaventura Gallery, 700 E. Santa Clara St., 5 to 9 p.m. The Buenaventura Art Assn. will celebrate the grand opening of its new gallery by presenting “Artists Old and New,” a juried exhibit of members’ work. Call 648-1235.

* Sacred Visions Gallery, 101 S. California St., 6 to 9 p.m. The gallery will unveil collector-quality antique and contemporary American Indian pottery, rugs, basketry and weavings--some of which are rarely exhibited. Also on display will be contemporary sculpture, paintings and prints. Call 653-2787.

* Bluestone Gallery, 61 S. Oak St., 7 to 10 p.m. Recent works by East Los Angeles artist Sonya Fe will be on display. Her work encompasses European and Mexican influences in the tradition of Diego Rivera, Siqueiros and Tamayo. Call 643-0575.

* Momentum Gallery, 34 N. Palm St., 7 to 10 p.m. “Mexican Painter: A New Generation,” an exhibit of major works by seven Mexican painters, features pieces by Lucia Maya--considered one of the most important Mexican painters. Call 653-0828.

* Palm Street Gallery, 34 N. Palm St., 7 to 10 p.m. “Omar de Leon: New Works” will show more than 30 pieces by the prominent Nicaraguan artist. De Leon now lives and works in Camarillo. Call 641-0314.

SATURDAY

* Art & History Tour of Old Ventura, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Featured are the historical and architectural highlights of old downtown and Ventura Avenue areas. A $3 guidebook, the purchase of which covers admission, is available at Momentum Gallery. The guide describes the architectural styles and historical significance of more than 60 sites. Guided tours are available for $5. Participants will visit the individual studios of seven artists as well as Art City, where 10 artists have set up shop. Also, six galleries and the Museum of History and Art will offer special programs and demonstrations.

* “Avenue Days Dance with The Estrada Brothers,” 8 to 11 p.m. The Avenue Adult Center, 30 Central Ave., will host this free dance concert.

* “Latins Anonymous,” 8 to 11 p.m. This L.A.-based ensemble will satirize cultural stereotypes at the Ventura College Theater, 4667 Telegraph Road. Tickets are $10 in advance and are available at Momentum Gallery, McCabes Music and Flor y Canto in Santa Paula, Blue Sky Records in Ojai and El Concilio in Oxnard. Purchased at the door, tickets are $12; $10 for senior citizens and students. For more information, call 653-0828.

SUNDAY

* The New World Children’s Arts Festival, noon to 4 p.m. The Ventura Arts Council has organized a day free of charge at Mission Park, Main and Figueroa streets, and the adjacent museums, where children can explore Ventura’s indigenous past and the area’s first settlers--the Chumash Indians. Children can participate in games, dances, arts and crafts, all focusing on the Chumash tradition. Following is a schedule of activities and locations:

Noon to 3 p.m.--Chumash crafts will be taught in Mission Park by craftsmen from the Santa Ynez Reservation.

Noon to 4 p.m.--Albinger Museum will host “Digs for Kids,” giving children an opportunity to participate in an archeological dig. Also, the Museum of History and Art will conduct hosted tours of its Chumash room.

1 to 3 p.m.--American Indian games and sports will be held at Mission Park.

1 p.m.--The Dolphin Dancers will perform in the park.

2 p.m.--Grandfather Vincent Tutamait and sidekick Michael Ward will tell Chumash stories.

3 p.m.--Illusions Theater of Ojai will perform “Chumash Tales.”

For more information, call the Ventura Arts Council, 653-0828.