Ventura, Calif.–The Museum of Ventura County and the City of Ventura will host the 4th Annual ArtWalk Collectors Reception for the 2018 ArtWalk Ventura, 6 to 8 p.m., Oct. 4, in the Martin V. and Martha K. Smith Pavilion at the Museum of Ventura County, 100 E. Main St., Ventura. The ArtWalk Collectors Reception is a preview of juried works by 2018 ArtWalk featured artists and provides attendees the opportunity to reserve works for purchase in advance of the ArtWalk. The event will begin with Ventura Deputy Mayor Matt LaVere honoring the 2018 Artist of Distinction John White and the 2018 Global Artist of Distinction Byeok Song. The event will include music, hors d’oeuvres and a no-host bar.
A painter, sculptor and performance artist who has been exhibiting publicly for over 40 years, White’s work exemplifies the cultural redefinition and experimentation of the 60s. Throughout his career, White has focused on three major areas of work: performance art, site-specific installations and drawing and painting, and his work, primarily autobiographical in nature, always includes some element of humor. Considered one of the seminal California performance artists, White has staged hundreds of public performances since 1967 and is included in numerous public museum collections, including Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Guggenheim Museum in New York, Total Museum in Korea, Seattle Museum, Palm Springs Desert Museum, St. Louis Museum, Oakland Museum and others. He is the recipient of three National Endowment for the Arts grants and has served as a panelist twice. During the city-wide exhibition, PACIFIC STANDARD TIME, sponsored by the Getty, White was included in three major exhibitions: Museum of Contemporary Art, curated by Paul Schimmel, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions and Pomona.
Now residing in Seoul, South Korea, Song was once an official state propaganda artist in North Korea. When famine took the lives of his family, he felt betrayed by his government and escaped to China, where he was captured and transferred to a North Korean prison. Song endured brutal torture at the hands of the regime he once worked for until he was set free by his captors who thought he would soon die. He survived and eventually made his way to South Korea in 2002. Today, Song is dedicated to promoting freedom and paints acrylic pieces that satirize oppressive regimes worldwide. His works bring awareness to the imbalance of human rights in North Korea.
ArtWalk Ventura takes place 11 a.m. – 6 p.m., Oct. 6-7, and is a free self-guided tour of more the 30 galleries, studios and pop-up venues and transformed PODS containers in Ventura’s historic downtown and westside cultural district, featuring the work of more than 700 artists.
For more information on the 2018 Artwalk Collectors Reception, visit www.venturamuseum.org. For more information on the 2018 Artwalk event, visit http://www.artwalkventura.org/.
About the Museum
The Museum of Ventura County celebrates, preserves and interprets the art, history and culture of Ventura County, the California Channel Islands and the surrounding region through its collections, exhibitions, events, educational programs, publications and its research library, and serves as a gathering place for the community. The museum has two locations. The main museum is located at 100 East Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 and is open Tuesday – Sunday 11 a.m. – 5 p.m., 805-653-0323. The Agriculture Museum is located at 926 Railroad Avenue, Santa Paula, CA 93060 and is open Wednesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., 805-525-3100. For more information, visit venturamuseum.org .
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