Elite Theatre Company in Oxnard

The Elite Theatre Company (ETC) has been entertaining, educating and enriching its audience since 1994. It is located at the Fisherman's Wharf at Channel Islands Harbor at 2731 S. Victoria Avenue, Oxnard.

ETC brings together the local talents of amateurs and professionals who share a passion for theater and who generously volunteer their time on the stage and behind the scenes. This collaboration creates a variety of quality live theatrical productions showcased in ETC's unique setting.

ETC is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization as well as a proud member of the Four Star Theater Awards Committee and the alliance of Ventura County Theaters.

Learn more at www.theelite.org.

NAMBA Performing Arts Space in Downtown Ventura

NAMBA is a multi-disciplinary performance space located in Ventura’s historic downtown arts district. The programming focus is on culturally relevant stories that serve our community.

Namba provides the community with an intimate experience where artists entertain and share stories through artistic collaboration, unique programming, showcases, workshops, and classes.

Learn more at nambaarts.com or call 805.628.9250.

Studio Channel Islands Art Center in Camarillo

Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIART) is a non-profit organization that provides the community with a cultural hub for working artists with over 20 studios, first-class art exhibitions of both local as well as national artists in our convenient gallery, Meet The Artist programs, docent tours and workshops for all ages. All of the above is offered free of charge to students. SCIART offers participants from elementary to high school, from university level to active seniors, creative learning experiences along with the opportunity to build self-esteem and strengthen bonds with the community.

SCIART was created by a visionary group of local artists in Ventura County, concurrent with the development of California State University Channel Islands, in Camarillo.

Art lovers and enthusiasts of all ages are invited to join in educational classes and workshops, and many special events such as tours and openings that are offered throughout the year by local, national and international artists.

The SCIART gallery as well as artists' studios are located at 2222 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo. Visit www.studiochannelislands.org or call 805.383.1368 for more information and hours of operation.

FREE FIRST SATURDAYS! Spend the first Saturday of the month exploring the studios from 11am to 4pm. Admission and parking are free of charge. As many as 40 of the area's best artists welcome visitors into their studios to watch them create sculptures, paintings and multimedia pieces, up-close and personal. 

Ojai Library Ukulele Club

The Ojai Library Ukulele Club meets every Wednesday from 6 to 7 p.m. in the main library building. The Ukulele Club is about sharing the fun, simplicity, and musicality that the ukulele offers, and learning and practicing with other players. Continuously meeting since its formation in 2015, the club is open to all ages and levels of experience. If you have your own ukulele, bring it along! Alternatively, the club has a couple of extra ukuleles for drop-in guests to try out for the evening.

Feel free to bring a copy of a song or tune that you like; the club collects these in a book of songs used during meetings. Currently this collection includes classic ukulele standards, American folk music, contemporary selections, and more. Each songbook includes a chord chart and is easy to follow—each song has the accompanying chords and lyrics listed and ready to play!

These events are free and open to the public. For additional information, contact Ron Solórzano, Regional Librarian, at (805) 218-9146.

The Ojai Library is located at 111 East Ojai Avenue in Ojai. Hours of service are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

The Ventura County Library is available 24/7 at www.vencolibrary.org.

Bell Arts Factory in Ventura

Bell Arts Factory at 432 N. Ventura Avenue, Studio 101, Ventura was created in October 2004 with the decision to transform an historic 20,000 square foot mattress factory on Ventura Avenue into a vibrant, mixed-use community arts center. When we opened officially in April 2006, over 20 artists were at work in their studios, and we began engaging 70 children per week, ages 6 to 12, in the multicultural Bell Arts Factory After-School and Saturday Youth Arts Program.

Artists, poets, crafters, dance and arts instructors, as well as City and community groups, are all making creative and active use of the 2,000 square foot Janet Addison Community Room for programs, meetings, performances and exhibitions.

There are 27 Artist Studios at our facility that are open to the public on First Fridays of each month. Artists can be seen working or displaying their art on days when there are special events taking place in the Community Room and other locations on our premises.

The Bell Arts Factory Youth Arts Program invites children from 6 to 13 to come and participate in exciting art classes every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

The Tool Room Gallery exhibits the works of talented local and renowned visiting artists and offers a venue for the unique and avant garde.

More information at bellartsfactory.org or 805.643.1960.

Carnegie Art Museum - Oxnard (Closed July 2019)

The Carnegie Art Museum (CAM) was closed effective July 1, 2019 as a result of a $9.2 million shortfall in the fiscal year 2019-20 City of Oxnard budget. City Council opted to close the Museum as a result of the shortfall.

CAM Cornerstones will continue offering exhibits and programs at the CAM Studio Gallery, behind the Museum on the right-hand side, facing Plaza Park. Updates on exhibits will be posted via social media, email newsletter and at www.carnegieam.org.

The Carnegie Art Museum is run by the City of Oxnard.  It was originally built by Andrew Carnegie, who donated $12,000 in 1906 towards the construction of the building to be used as a library for the area. Its Neo-Classical (1900-1920) architecture and grand scale preserves the prevailing taste for classical forms during the first decades of the twentieth century. Its strict Greek Temple facade in the Doric Order with interior Ionic columns are graphic documents of a young western town's striving for recognition. Its Greek architecture was in fact the choice of Oxnard's first mayor, Richard Haydock. It was designed by Los Angeles Architect, Franklin Burnham.

The Carnegie collection is Oxnard's municipal art collection which began before the Carnegie Building was used as a fine arts museum. The collection began in 1924 when members of the Art Club of Oxnard decided to purchase "Desert Bloom" by California landscape painter Katherine Leighton.

In addition to its traveling and special exhibits which change every month, the Museum has a permanent collection of over 1,500 art and ethnographic objects. Over 600 are paintings, drawings, prints and photographs primarily by 20th century California artists.

The museum is open Thursday through Saturday from 10am to 5pm, Sunday from 1-5pm and is closed on holidays. For more information, visit www.carnegieam.org or call 805.385.8157.  The museum is located at 424 South C Street, Oxnard.

City of Ojai Recreation Department Programs and Activities

The Ojai Recreation Department provides many activities to residents of the Ojai Valley. Programs and activities include: youth day camps, youth and adult activity classes, youth and adult volleyball, softball, flag football, basketball, soccer, tennis; teen fitness center and boxing program, a downtown skateboard park, a comprehensive gymnastics program, summer aquatics programs, lifeguard training class, sports tournament throughout the year, youth excursions, horse shows and more. For more information and the latest recreation class brochure, visit www.ojairec.com or call 805.646.1872.

Ventura Improv Company

Ventura Improv Company has performed at 34 North Palm Street locations for 27 years, since 1994. The group announced in December 2016 that it will not be renewing its lease here in mid-January 2017 but will continue to perform and teach at other spaces in the area, including the Bell Arts Factory and Namba. 

In addition to live improv on Fri/Sat nights, VIC offers improv and acting workshops for all ages. 

More information at www.venturaimprov.com or call 805.643.5701.

Sessions at the Loft in Old Town Camarillo

Sessions at the Loft is a performance/recording space located at 2465 Ventura Boulevard in Old Town Camarillo. It also serves as an art gallery and is available for rent for meetings, parties, performances and screening for up to 40 guests.  The venue also opens to the public for periodic concerts, art/photo exhibits and other events. To learn more, visit sessionsattheloft.com.

California Dance Theatre / Pacific Festival Ballet

California Dance Theatre (CDT) of Agoura Hills was founded in 1985. With five studios spanning over 10,000 square feet, and over 30 teachers on staff, CDT instructs students of all ages and levels — from children to adults, beginners to professionals — in ballet, lyrical, contemporary, modern, tap, musical theatre, jazz, acro and hip-hop. 

CDT's Pacific Festival Ballet is the resident ballet company of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, Bank of America Performing Arts Plaza.

California Dance Theater / Pacific Festival Ballet is located at 5863 Kanan Road, Agoura Hills.  More information and tickets available at www.californiadancetheatre.com.

Pinot's Palette - Westlake Village (CLOSED)

CLOSED PERMANENTLY IN LATE AUGUST 2017

Pinot's Palette - Westlake Village is located at 2879 Agoura Road (at Village Glen). It opened in May 2015. Sign up and enjoy an evening of fun, friends and fine art. Pinot's Palette supplies the canvas, paint, brushes and instruction along with a bar stocked with beer and wine for purchase.

Local artists  will guide you step-by-step through a featured painting. At the end of the night...leave with your own masterpiece!

Learn more at www.pinotspalette.com/westlakevillage or call 805.379.9963.

Dance and Gymnastics Studios In and Around Ventura County

Click image for dozens of gymnastics and dance studios around Ventura County

And for dozens more dance studios geared towards both kids and adults click THIS LINK!

City of Calabasas Community Programs

The City of Calabasas offers a wide variety of community classes and programs year-round.  Includes aquatics, senior programs, sports, camps, mommy and me programs, tot classes, adult programs, workshops, etc.  Visit www.cityofcalabasas.com/recreation.html for more information and for winter and spring/summer and year-round schedules.