Carving a Niche

The rolling meadows of the Peter Strauss Ranch should provide the perfect backdrop for this weekend’s fifth annual Golden State Sculpture Assn., All Sculpture Show.

The juried exhibition, featuring the works of about 100 artists, will be nestled among the oak and sycamore trees of the ranch in Agoura.

The public can enjoy a wide range of representational and abstract sculptures crafted from a variety of mediums, including stone, wood, concrete, glass, iron and steel.

“We’ll have about 316 pieces on display,” Sculptor Assn. President Walt Ingle said. “It is a full cross-section of talents from the beginner to the professionals that make their living selling their works.”

Sculptors will attend through the weekend to discuss their art with the public and to display works in progress.

A panel of California art critics will judge the sculptures in nine categories; the awards presentations will be held 3 p.m. Saturday.

You, too, are asked to take part in the judging.

“The public will have the chance to fill out a ballot sheet, and we’ll award five ‘People’s Choice’ awards,” Ingle said. “It’s a nice approach to get the public directly involved, and they always pick things totally different from what the judges choose.”

The event, part of the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival, will be held from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. It is free.

The Peter Strauss Ranch, in the Santa Monica Mountain National Recreation Area, is at 30000 Mulholland Highway, Agoura.

For more information, call (818) 597-9192 or (818) 889-8346.