Benefit in Honor of Musician-Artist

A benefit concert and art sale will be held today in honor of Ventura artist and musician Kim Loucks, 40, who died July 30.

The memorial and benefit will celebrate Loucks’ contributions to the arts, environment and education, organizers said.

“The community’s lost someone who actually gave of herself,” said Roy Jones, Loucks’ friend and roommate. “She taught art at countless schools, and she’s still getting calls from teachers who want her to teach right now. She was extremely into ecology and recycling, and she was a great musician, singer and songwriter. I miss her a lot.”

Concert and art sale proceeds will go to Loucks’ parents in New Jersey to help defray the costs of the funeral and of retrieving her belongings from Ventura, Jones said.

Loucks taught art at Turning Point Foundation, Ventura’s Artist in the Classroom program, and Kids’ Arts, a program for Ventura County’s foster children and other youngsters at risk.

In 1990, commissioned by Ventura city officials to raise awareness about waste and recycling, Loucks had schoolchildren and adults collect garbage for her “trash totems,” artistic ecological statements.

Loucks was also known as the “bird lady” because she accepted injured birds to nurse them back to health.

A memorial service will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Performance Studio in the Livery, 34 N. Palm St., Ventura.

An art exhibit and sale of Loucks’ works will take place from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Performance Studio.

A benefit concert featuring musicians who have played with Loucks will start at 7 p.m. at Nicholby’s Upstairs, 404 E. Main St., Ventura. Paul Sanchez will perform at 7 p.m., followed by a bluegrass jam at 8 p.m., Mahacuisinarte at 9 p.m., House of Games at 10 p.m. and the Fender Benders at 11 p.m. Admission to the concert is requested to be a minimum donation of $5.