Ventura County Weekend : COUNTY FAIR : Area’s Amateur Artists Find Their Cultural Niche at the Fair

Some county fair-goers high-tail it over to check out the pigs--especially in this swine-friendly era of “Babe.” Some veer toward horticulture or to the Ferris wheel. But some of us, for various reasons, go directly to the art exhibition area for a particular kind of culture--that of fair art, the annual outpouring of wares by amateur artists vying for prizes.

This year’s crop doesn’t disappoint, with a wealth of animal scenes, kitschy landscapes and sundry portraits. There are startling juxtapositions, such as Mike Knauss’ Kurt Cobain portrait, beneath Mike Zelger’s Chagall-esque dream image. Donald King won his blue ribbon for a watercolor portrait of Winston Churchill, while Connie Namura’s ribbon was for a zesty, color-blitzed landscape, and Lindsey Merrill won a first place for her melancholy clown.

Another blue ribbon went to A.J. Sheldup for a close-up view of radishes, redder than red and in your face, in the most delightful way.

The best of show award goes to Nicole Voll for her quaint pen-and-ink portrait of two children.

Awards aside, specific artworks tend to leap out for attention. For at least this fan of fair art, the real prize is Martin Parker’s strikingly simple image of a house, surrounded by the greenest grass and bluest sky possible. Vigorously applied strokes of pastels create a bold expression, one not easily shrugged off or forgotten.

* Art exhibition at the Ventura County Fair, Fine Arts Building, through Sunday.