Ventura Art Feast to Showcase Artists

Central Ventura’s art studios and galleries will showcase their best this weekend during the Midtown Art Feast.

The celebration today and Sunday is planned as a coming out of sorts for the section of Ventura known as Midtown--San Jon Road to Mills Road and Channel Drive to the foothills.

Events will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, when the public will have a chance to tour Midtown studios and galleries and watch artists at work. Artwork will be on display, including ceramic pottery and sand painting.

In conjunction with the art tour, a barbecue will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday at Community Presbyterian Church on Poli Street. Live music and a swing dance demonstration are scheduled for the barbecue, which is a fund-raising event for the Midtown Ventura Community Council.

Community Partners for Safer Neighborhoods will serve free cake and ice cream at Memorial Park at Poli and Aliso streets.

“We wanted to celebrate Midtown Ventura,” said Dan Long, whose sand paintings will be on display at Sandcastles Unlimited on San Nicholas Street. “There are a lot of artists here who are internationally recognized but aren’t that well-known here.”

One such artist is sculptor Albert Stewart, whose works will be on display at the home of his daughter, Patricia Jump, on Miramar Drive. Also on display will be the works of landscape artist Linda Abbott, who died earlier this year.

Artist Gwendolyn Alley will lead a workshop on handprint painting at the park at the south end of Chrisman Avenue, and Suzanne Lawrence will also be at the park to present a living history of early Ventura.

Other well-known local artists who will have works on display will be watercolor artists Stephanie Elise and Kathy McGuire, potters Kathy and Hans Neprud and oil painter John White.

“It will be a great celebration throughout the neighborhood,” said Bill Barbee, chairman of the Midtown Ventura council. “Hopefully, it raises awareness of our artist community here.”

The tours are free. Tickets for the Saturday barbecue are $10 for adults, $5 for children under 12. Children under 6 are admitted free. A family pass for two adults and two children is $25.

For more information, call 667-2922. Maps of event sites are available at the Midtown Resource Center at 1700 E. Thompson Blvd., No. E.