NEIGHBORS : Making the Scene : Three artists transform a visiting room for foster children and parents with fanciful murals.

The visitation room at the county office of children’s services, where foster children can get together with their natural parents, apparently used to be a rather drab place.

“It was one of those rooms that have those vinyl-coated walls that are panels. They’re prefabricated,” Steve Bartolomeo said. “I guess they tried to make it as industrial-looking as possible because it’s a government building.”

Bartolomeo can speak about the walls with some authority. He and fellow artists Christine Brennan and Suzanne Dix have volunteered many hours to that room, painting the walls to look like windows that look out onto fantastic scenes.

“One I did has a beach scene and a horse jumping into the room with a little girl standing on top of the horse playing a violin,” Bartolomeo said. “It shows children that they can have a mastery over their environment.” Brennan painted a bunny riding on a llama-like animal while reaching for a star. Dix created a group of animals dancing in a circle.

Bartolomeo said the trio of artists is looking to become at least a sextet, and would welcome inquiries from other artists interested in painting a scene.

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They’re not particularly expensive. They’re roomy. And you don’t have that nasty problem of choosing between colors.

So why not own a hearse?

If you want more arguments in favor of this mode of transportation, come by the Frenz in Motion Car Show at San Buenaventura State Beach on Sunday. About 15 members of the Los Angeles Hearse Society will be on hand.

“Basically, we’re just a bunch of people who drive hearses. We’re into horror movies and all that,” said club President Catrina Coffin. (Don’t even bother asking if that’s her real name. Actually, she said she just was bored with her birth name.)

“We get together and cruise cemeteries--we just like to look at them,” Coffin said. “That’s one of the things we enjoy doing.”

The club’s 70-plus members own hearses dating from 1917 to 1976. Most have cars from the ‘50s or ‘60s. Coffin’s is a ’68. How did she come to own it? “The car I had before had broken down,” she said. “I needed to get something else so I decided on a hearse.” Simple enough.

For those of you thinking about a hearse of your own, Coffin said they make for good rides. “They can go just like any other car,” she said. “But they don’t get very good gas mileage.”

Ventura College’s New Media Gallery is building a tradition. This is the fifth year that the art facility has exhibited work in recognition of October as AIDS Awareness Month. All works of art depict aspects of AIDS.

This year, the folks at the Gallery have created something of an emotional roller-coaster ride with the juxtaposition of its two shows. Gallery One contains the work of Bay Area photographer Tom Ferentz. In Gallery Two, there’s a group show by artists from around the country. The two exhibits are quite different.

“There’s a lot of energy in Gallery Two,” said Gallery Director Richard Peterson. “There are pieces that are peaceful and enlightening and others that are gut-wrenching.” Peterson said some people find some of the imagery repugnant. One person said, ‘This is so gross I don’t want to have sex again,”’ he said.

In contrast, Gallery One is filled with Ferentz’s photos, with which he pays tribute to people with AIDS, their families and health care professionals. “It is very loving,” Peterson said. “When you enter the room there is a very positive, peaceful feeling. There’s no tension.”

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It’s an understatement to say that Stanton Logsdon is excited about next Wednesday’s fund-raiser for the Santa Clara Valley Hospice.

Logsdon has been working hard to round up work by deceased Santa Paula artist Robert Clunie, just for the occasion. The art will highlight the party to be held at the family-owned Logsdon Restaurant at the Santa Paula Airport.

Most of the artwork, said Logsdon, is on loan from private individuals and has rarely, if ever, been seen in public. “I have pieces that (Clunie) family members have said, ‘No, no, no, no,’ to other museums and shows,” said Logsdon. “I have them all.”

Logsdon, himself, feels pretty strongly about the art. Great art, he said “just supersedes everything else and goes straight to the core of your soul.”

The fund-raiser, which will run from 6 to 9 p.m., will feature food and entertainment. Tickets are $8 in advance and $10 at the door. Call 525-1101 or 933-1767. Proceeds will benefit the hospice, which since 1981 has housed people with life-threatening illnesses.