THOUSAND OAKS : 10,000 Expected at 2-Day ArtWalk ’92

More than 10,000 people are expected to attend ArtWalk ‘92, a juried fine arts and designer crafts exhibition to be held Saturday and Sunday.

The fifth annual event, featuring the works of 145 local and visiting artists, is presented by the Conejo Valley Art Museum in conjunction with the Conejo Recreation and Park District as part of the Thousand Oaks Arts Festival ’92.

As part of ArtWalk ‘92, a preview and fund-raiser will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Conejo Valley Art Museum to mark the opening of an exhibit by Venice-based contemporary artist Laddie John Dill, a native of Los Angeles.

Dill, 48, has said he was influenced by working with established artists, including Robert Rauschenberg and Robert Irwin, who were experimenting with earth materials, light and space as an alternative to easel painting.

For this show, which will remain on display through July 19, Dill employed glass plates, white neon lighting and 10,000 pounds of silica sand to create a 12-by-25-foot landscape or “sand and light installation.”

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The festival will be held on the lawn of Exxon Co. USA at Hillcrest Drive and Wilbur Road.

The show is accessible to the handicapped. Admission and parking are free. Tickets for the preview party, featuring food, wine and musical entertainment, are $15 per person at the door, or two for $25 in advance. For information, contact the museum, 193-A N. Moorpark Road in the Janss Mall, at 373-0054.