Diebenkorn Included Among Artists in Santa Cruz Island Foundation Collection

Exhibit Opens December 2 at Museum of Ventura County

The beauty of California's remote Channel Islands has captured artists for more than a century. Santa Cruz Island rancher Dr. Carey Stanton was captured not only by their beauty, but also by the art the islands have inspired. See many of the works of art he collected, including studies, sketches, drawings and small paintings by his close friend Richard Diebenkorn, on exhibition at the Museum of Ventura County in Island Treasures: Artworks from the Santa Cruz Island Foundation. The exhibit opens to the public December 2, 2012 and continues through March 3, 2013.

Warm Afternoon at Santa Cruz Island 1997 oil on canvas - Richard Schloss, Santa Cruz Island Foundation Collection

Island Treasures also includes pieces collected more recently by the foundation, such as views of the northern Channel Islands. The non-profit Santa Cruz Island Foundation, established by Stanton in 1985, owns and continues to add to the most unique collection of art related to the islands, and this exhibit is the result of a growing relationship between the foundation and the museum.

The Island Treasures exhibit is guest curated by Dennis Power, and includes work by 20^th century abstract expressionist and Bay Area figurative painter Richard Diebenkorn; 19^th century painters William Hahn and Alexander Harmer; Carl Oscar Borg, known for his  themes of the southwest; and contemporary plein-air painters Ray Strong, Richard Schloss and Meredith Brooks Abbott. Other works on exhibit include devotional retablos from the small chapel on Santa Cruz Island, and a painting of a madonna and child  by an unknown artist, brought from Mexico to California in 1842.

Stanton arranged to give The Nature Conservancy the nine-tenths of Santa Cruz Island and other assets owned by his ranching company, which occurred upon his passing in 1987. His estate and personal possessions were transferred to the Santa Cruz Island Foundation.

Former Museum of Ventura County Executive Director Tim Schiffer conceived the exhibit project with author and Santa Cruz Island Foundation President Marla Daily. Guest curator Dennis Power has been the director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, executive director of the Oakland Museum of California, and president of Laguna College of Art and Design. Now retired and living in Santa Barbara, he serves on the Santa Cruz Island Foundation board.

The Museum of Ventura County is located at 100 East Main Street in downtown Ventura. Hours are 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. Admission to the exhibitions is $4 adults, $3 seniors, $1 children 6-17, members and children under 6 are free. The first Sundays of every month are free general admission for the public. For more museum information go to www.venturamuseum.org or call 805-653-0323.