ArtWalk Exhibits Lure Thousands

By JENNIFER HAMM

May 2, 1999 12 AM PT

SPECIAL TO THE TIMES

VENTURA — From watercolor paintings in local shops to trash sculptures in the park, downtown was transformed into a museum Saturday.

Thousands wandered through the dozens of exhibits during ArtWalk, an effort to focus on local art and the environment.

“People feel like contemporary art is remote, difficult. And it’s not,” said Jessica Cusick, director of public art for the city. “Art is about teaching us to enjoy our lives more.”

Artist M.B. Hanrahan led a group effort in Plaza Park to construct a tepee made of cans, bottles and plastic. Other local artists built cardboard furniture, including chairs, a table and a small bed.

“Most of us, in the creation of our homes, eat an enormous amount of natural resources,” Hanrahan said. “I wanted to make a sculpture that made a point out of homes and homelessness.”

A few steps away, artist Doug Lipton constructed May poles to celebrate May Day. The three tall poles were made of old paper coffee cups and other recycled materials. Although Lipton built the wood poles, park visitors decorated them.

“You can do polka dots, stripes, whatever your heart desires,” said Lipton as he handed a paint brush to a local woman. “There’s no wrong way to do this.”

Lipton’s encouragement inspired Rebecca Fox of Ventura to start painting old coffee cups with purple dots and green stripes. Although she isn’t an artist, Fox said she had fun decorating the May pole.

“I was just going to check it out, but he talked me into painting,” she said. “It’s great.”

Plaza Park was one of nearly 50 exhibits displayed throughout the city from 1 to 10 p.m., featuring the work of more than 100 artists. City Hall hosted Native American storytelling. The Ventura County Museum of History & Art presented children’s games and jugglers. And downtown shops displayed local artists.

Two bus routes were available for the expected 10,000 ArtWalk visitors, shuttling them to the more prominent exhibits.

“The city of Ventura is filled with a nest of artists,” said Charles Fulmer, a Ventura-based artist who was displaying his paintings and sculptures at Art City II.

Fulmer was one of eight artists with the local V2 Gallery group.

Amada Peresof Ventura strolled through the small gallery and said she and her husband, Arturo, never miss the chance to enjoy local exhibits.

“It shows how artists tap into this other dimension,” she said. “They explore and develop possibilities that other people don’t see.”