Best Cities to Encounter Art: Ojai, California

Ojai, California, photo by Ken Lund

Ojai, California, photo by Ken Lund

Ojai, California is known for its "spiritual free energy," and stunning pinkish sunsets, ordinarily referred to every bit "Pink Moment" for the rosy illumination produced as a result of the light bouncing off the mountain. The customs is intensely loyal to its small-town restaurants and boutiques, so if you like chain restaurants and large box stores, Ojai may not be the place for you. But if you lot long to surround yourself in the peaceful tranquility of a picturesque mount town known for its "calming vortex," you've come to the right place.  Oh, and if you enjoy the experience of viewing fine art in a mannerly downtown walkable urban center, you're also in luck.

Considered one of the most desirable places to visit in California, Ojai is nearly ninety miles n of Los Angeles, nestled within a gorgeous valley surrounded by lush greenery and ready against the properties of the Topatopa Mountains.  But dissimilar the hustle and bustle of Los Angeles, Ojai is slower-paced, decidedly non-conformist, and reminiscent of the carefree California days of yore. Long-time residents worry a fiddling that her charm is no longer such a well-kept secret and that Ojai is on the verge of condign trendy, but they also embrace the opportunity to share her beauty and spiritual enlightenment with newcomers.

As we mentioned, you lot won't find chain retail establishments of any kind in Ojai.  The local municipality's governing body has banned them in the city proper. What you will discover is ane-of-a-kind cultural opportunities in the course of a great local fine art scene including galleries, an art centre, and museums. On our list of must-see fine art spaces, we offset with a non-profit dedicated to the arts named after a fiercely independent female artist whose inspirational and progressive piece of work is at the core of an amazing legacy.

Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts

The namesake of the Ojai center, Beatrice Forest'south biography reads like a literary masterpiece, with a back story so compelling it is a work of art all its own.

Much to her mother's chagrin, in the early on 1900s a young and rebellious Wood defied her parents' wishes and abased a fortunate upbringing for a somewhat alternative lifestyle as an artist. Not satisfied with but 1 pursuit, she first worked as an extra in New York theater productions, and so as an abstract artist under the tutelage of her friend artist Marcel Duchamp, with whom she was a key player in the Dada movement. Wood after moved to Los Angeles and eventually to Ojai where she perfected her craft as a potter, and finally in her later on years was an accomplished author, for which she remained creatively and intellectually agile upwards until her death at the age of 105.

The Beatrice Forest Heart for the Arts collection is a real-life illustration of the creative person's talents and tells the tale of her incredible life, including a glimpse at some of her well-nigh intimate relationships (such as with Duchamp) and how they influenced her work.  The permanent collection includes Wood'due south art which she crafted with her own hands, her drove of folk art and memorabilia, likewise every bit her library, all housed within her erstwhile studio every bit a living museum.

8585 Ojai Road, Ojai, CA

Ojai Valley Museum

Ojai Valley Museum, photo by T Raez Pics

Ojai Valley Museum, photo by T Raez Pics

The Ojai Valley Museum's mission revival style edifice was in one case a catholic church, which was rebuilt after a 1917 burn down did significant harm to the structure. The museum is focused singularly on the arts, civilisation, and history of the Ojai Valley specifically. Given the content-rich surroundings including the graphic symbol of the valley and the seemingly colorful personalities that are part of her history, the museum has much cloth with which to work.

At the heart of the museum's mission, the coupling of art and history makes perfect sense given how deeply they are intertwined as office of Ojai's story.  Considering the role of the Chumash people as the get-go inhabitants of Ojai, Indigenous traditions are historic and highlighted at the museum, as a key feature of the evolution of the valley. The museum has been collecting art and artifacts of all kinds relating to the city's history since 1966. Information technology likewise features current artworks by talented local artists, many of whom find inspiration in Ojai's spiritual energy.  Art on display at the museum covers myriad styles and mediums, with the commemoration of talented local artists at the center of each exhibition.

130 W Ojai Avenue, Ojai, CA

https://world wide web.ojaivalleymuseum.org/

Porch Gallery (and Storefront)

Porch Gallery's name is presumably derived from its pleasant wrap-around porch that envelopes the charming white historic home and makes u.s.a. want to pull upward a rocking chair and stay awhile.  Porch Gallery represents emerging and established contemporary artists.

The gallery is a sophisticated fine art space with frequently changing exhibitions, but what also caught our attention is their unique retail storefront that offers creative gifts and mementos featuring works of local artists in sometimes unusual ways.  Beatrice Wood'due south fanciful artworks serve equally the branding for Beato Chocolates, with clever and humorously provocative imagery.  Barware is etched and adorned with artist Katie Van Horn'due south signature horses, the perfect complement to any mint-julep fueled Kentucky Derby party.  A visit to the Porch Gallery storefront won't take a lot of time abroad from your more traditional gallery hopping circuit but is a fun pit cease along the route.

310 E Matilija Street, Ojai, CA

https://www.porchgalleryojai.com

canvas and paper

With its make clean, simple way absent-minded a lot of fanfare, a visit to Canvas and Paper feels like a cleansing deep breath. The not-profit exhibition infinite is a gift to the community of sorts, from owner Neil Kreitman, established for the simple joy of experiencing beautiful and interesting art. Unlike the other art galleries nosotros've highlighted, canvas and paper hosts exhibitions merely doesn't sell anything that they display.

Kreitman is a long-time art collector and the artworks are from his personal collection, for which he features single artist showings in the pleasant, inviting space. The exhibitions typically feature 20th century or before artists, displaying a few works that are accessible for public viewing and appreciation.

311 N Montgomery Street, Ojai, CA

https://world wide web.canvasandpaper.org/

Nosotros are big fans of Ojai and its cocked, laid-back bohemian vibe. From its exquisite landscapes and natural aesthetics to its cultural and arts opportunities, at that place are many compelling reasons to visit the cute Ojai Valley. If you aren't quite set to make the trip, you tin peruse one-of-a-kind original artworks on UGallery'southward website anytime from the comfort of your home.