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art predator
https://artpredator.com
art predator )'( seek to engage the whole soulFri, 28 Nov 2025 07:41:53 +0000en
hourly
1 https://wordpress.com/https://secure.gravatar.com/blavatar/3fc8dedb3277e720071c8fe15a222ffa9a13628015cd96b33b79bee6cfae594f?s=96&d=https%3A%2F%2Fs0.wp.com%2Fi%2Fbuttonw-com.pngart predator
https://artpredator.com
Happy Thanksgiving! Happy Nova-ember!
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/27/happy-thanksgiving-happy-nova-ember/
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/27/happy-thanksgiving-happy-nova-ember/#respondFri, 28 Nov 2025 07:41:50 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31800
Nova pneumonia
Happy Thanksgiving! I have lots to be grateful for, including Nova’s pneumonia recovery! It’s slow, but steady, and she’s strong girl with a sweet soul. It was great to get her back home again and out of the hospital! She has a long journey ahead for a full recovery, and I’ll admit, it was very stressful and scary for those of us who have fallen in love with Nova. Once she came back to my house, I watched her closely, wiped her nose, gave her medicines by hand wrapped in wet food which I would warm with hot water. Plus I would stay up late checking on her and bring her to go outside for potty breaks, I’d wake in the night to check on her, and I’d get up early in the morning to make sure she got her meds on schedule. Fortunately, her appetite is back, and she is sleeping well.
a monarch flutters in the sun
Fighting pneumonia wore her out, so she’s resting a lot, and her walks are brief like a little walk to watch the Monarch Butterflies in Prince Barranca and to walk on the cool soft grass in Ocean Ave Park. As we strolled up the gentle path from the park toward Thompson , she enjoyed smelling the plants which is a great sign that her nostrils are clearing!! She’s still on quarantine (for awhile!) and she is starting to wag her tail more and showing joy in her step as we walk. If you’ve ever been really sick like pneumonia you know that it will take awhile… and more doctors visits and meds and X-rays to confirm when the pneumonia is completely gone. Two strong antiibiotics, Clavamox and Baytril, help, and she will have continued medical expenses for on-going vet care and x-rays for the next few weeks. Thank you for helping us to give Nova the urgent medical care she needs. If you can, please DONATE and SHARE NOVA’S fundraiser: https:gofund.me/a7f4db918
Montefalco, Umbria
I’m grateful also for the amazing wine travel experiences I had during a series of press trips in Italy and Austria to meet winemakers and taste their wines in Tuscany, Umbria, Puglia, Emilia-Romagna, and Vienna during seven weeks from mid-May until early July. My vineyard visits included this one in Montefalco, Umbria where I found a bee seeking sustenance from a flower in the final moments of the day in Umbria, Italy at Cantina Antonelli during our final evening with members of Consorzio Tutela Vini Montefalco. I was delighted to learn on this trip that so many wineries like this one in the region are already organic or in conversion to organic production for wine, olive oil, and other artisan products. This was a very rewarding and eye opening few days here in Montefalco with gorgeous views and beautiful wines, people, and cuisine!
I’m grateful to my friends and family and to readers like you too! Thank you all for your support!
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https://artpredator.com/2025/11/27/happy-thanksgiving-happy-nova-ember/feed/0art predatorNova Has Pneumonia: can you help?
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/24/nova-has-pneumonia-can-you-help/
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/24/nova-has-pneumonia-can-you-help/#commentsTue, 25 Nov 2025 04:47:37 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31788
Nova
Nova –my recent rescue — was to be killed in San Bernardino, basically because she had mange, a non-contagious treatable stress related illness. All For Love Animal Rescue saved her, but as she had been exposed to pneumonia from a dog that died, I was asked to foster Nova (read more here). Once AFLAR volunteer Nick gave her a bath to remove the crusty mange, and treated her with hemp oil, she smelled sweet, and she was so much more comfortable. She is such a snuggler! Such a loving sweet soul and a great girl!
Nova
We went out for brief walks between rainstorms, and when the weather cleared up on Friday, we hiked at the Ventura Botanical Gardens. Saturday she had a big adventure, and she was full of life.
Sadly, Sunday we woke to find a very sick dog.
Nova
I spent yesterday at the vet’s in Thousand Oaks, the closest that was open that could take her in. We had to wait outside for an hour because of fears she was contagious, and then we waited another hour together inside before they led her away to a quarantined kennel (and omg it was COLD in there!). I waited another two hours to hear how she was — hoping to take her home with me that night. They finally sent me away as they knew she’d need to stay overnight — and today, Monday.
Why? Nova has pneumonia– which killed Prince just a few days before. The rescue is doing everything possible to save her life, sparing no expense. (Can you help?) She spent the night in an oxygen chamber, with an IV, meds, everything she needed, everything the doctor could think of to save her young life.
Nova’s treatment has already cost over $4000 and there’s a fundraiser to raise $8k for her care. She’s doing better, but she’s not out of the woods yet. If there’s any money left, there’s lots of other vet bills for other rescue dogs coming due.
To donate or for updates about Nova, please go to the fundraising website https://gofund.me/b2cbaa1ff While Nova has barely been part of my life, she already had a large impact. Please help if you can.
At Ventura College, I teach students to name a problem, reflect on solutions, and take action. I walk the talk. It’s not always easy.
There are so many problems in the world and only so much time to tackle them. We each only have 24 hours in the day. How should we spend our precious moments? We all do what we can– when and how we can. We do our best to recycle, conserve water, to pick up litter, to leave no trace. These are important but small.
If you can help save an animal’s life, or improve it, do it.
Here’s to Nova’s finding her forever furever family! And here’s to all you SUPER NOVAs everywhere seeking to save our world!
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https://artpredator.com/2025/11/24/nova-has-pneumonia-can-you-help/feed/1art predatorThis is Nova!
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/20/this-is-nova/
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/20/this-is-nova/#commentsThu, 20 Nov 2025 17:45:56 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31774
Nova
Nova is a rescue. She was listed to be killed a few days ago in San Bernardino, along with another dog Prince, but a Ventura County organization called All For Love Animal Rescue picked them up and brought them back to a shelter in Santa Paula where they were checked and treated by a vet. Nova has mange which is treatable and not contagious but makes her very itchy. Prince had an eye injury caused by another dog in San Bernardino.
Nova in her cozy crate
However, soon after the vet check, Prince came down with pneumonia and succumbed to it yesterday. Nova went to the vet to make sure was not also sick, was given meds just in case, but was not allowed back to the shelter in case she was contagious.
Nova recently had pups, and her ribs are showing too
That’s where I came in. I’ve rescued and helped with several emergencies with their dogs, so they called me and of course I said yes. So that is how Nova came into my life.
Nova exploring her new neighborhood
I was notified in the afternoons, and so had some time to prepare the house for our new guest: crate, pillows, food, toys. Nova arrived at dinner time, and we soon learned that while very smelly, she’s a sweet soul, gentle on the leash, no interest in chasing the cat, hungry for food and affection, only 50#. Her stress related skin condition will heal with care and attention. Amazing that she was going to be killed at the San Bernadino shelter just a few days ago which is so heartbreaking because she is such a dear dog, so young but recently had puppies. No idea what her backstory is but she’s said to be good with other dogs.
Here’s to Nova finding her forever family!
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https://artpredator.com/2025/11/20/this-is-nova/feed/2art predatorHAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO ART PREDATOR!
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/04/happy-anniversary-to-art-predator/
https://artpredator.com/2025/11/04/happy-anniversary-to-art-predator/#commentsWed, 05 Nov 2025 05:07:56 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31764
Art Predator aka Gwendolyn Alley at the Buenaventura Art Gallery
Happy Anniversary with WordPress.com!
You registered on WordPress.com 18 years ago.
Thanks for flying with us. Keep up the good blogging.
WordPress 18!
And I’m another year older today! Finally legal to vote too! On this Election Day!
Stay tuned and subscribe for more adventures with Art Predator!
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https://artpredator.com/2025/11/04/happy-anniversary-to-art-predator/feed/3art predatorCelebrating Indigenous People’s Day with Weshoyot Alvitre’s “Brave” and words from Robin Wall Kimmerer
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/13/celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-with-weshoyot-alvitres-brave-and-words-from-robin-wall-kimmerer/
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/13/celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-with-weshoyot-alvitres-brave-and-words-from-robin-wall-kimmerer/#respondTue, 14 Oct 2025 06:00:09 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31743
CA map of indigenous peoples
“The land knows you, even when you are lost,” writes Robin Wall Kimmerer in Braiding Sweetgrass (36). “The land is the real teacher. All we need as students is mindfulness. Paying attention is a form of reciprocity with the living world,” advises Kimmerer (222). These are two of my favorite quotes from Braiding Sweetgrass written by Kimmerer, an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, and a university professor.
Do you know the land where you live? Do you know who lived where you do before you did? I do: I know many of the plants and animals that live here, and I know I live on Chumash land, a community called Shishilop. Thousands of Chumash lived on this sliver of earth between the hills and the Pacific Ocean, between the Ventura and the Santa Clara Rivers where so much water flowed it created mudflats, and the Chumash who lived here were known as “mud people.” Another 10,000 or so people lived near what’s now known as Port Hueneme, near Malibu.
Late September each year, around the time of the fall equinox, the Chumash held a harvest festival to honor Hutash, Earth Mother. On the hill above Shishilop, they gathered for five days in ceremony paying homage to ancestors, where they left shell money, pine nuts, and they would start the new year in the sycamores. Read more here.
Weshoyot Alvitre
Why do I share this? Now? Because today is Indigenous People’s Day and I want to recognize it by drawing attention to local Ventura County native American artist and writer Weshoyot Alvitre.
Brave by Weshoyot Alvitre
Last spring, Weshoyot Alvitre and I went for a walk in the Ventura hills to talk about her life and her new book “Brave” released April 15! Weshoyot is a prolific, accomplished, and wide ranging artist — from comic books to museum shows to award winning children’s books to fiber artist and so much more. “Brave” is her debut children’s book where she’s both author and illustrator, but for years she been an award winning artist.
Weshoyot’s been involved with a number of children’s books including the award winning “At The Mountain’s Base” which was recognized today by Reading Rainbow:
award winning children’s book illustrated by Weshoyot Alvitre
This semester I am once again doing Book Clubs with my Ventura College students, and one of the choices is Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass. Students often choose the book after reading an excerpt “Council of Pecans.”
I look forward to their discoveries!
Kimmerer
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https://artpredator.com/2025/10/13/celebrating-indigenous-peoples-day-with-weshoyot-alvitres-brave-and-words-from-robin-wall-kimmerer/feed/0art predatorWishes Waiting For the Wind
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/09/wishes-waiting-for-the-wind/
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/09/wishes-waiting-for-the-wind/#respondThu, 09 Oct 2025 15:47:27 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31733
wishes waiting for the wind at Arroyo Verde Park, Ventura— photo credit Gwendolyn Alley
Wishes waiting for the wind… What are you wishing for? These local and native narrow leaf milkweed plants and seeds represent food and renewal for migrating monarch caterpillars. Migrating birds eat milkweed seeds too, and in spring use the fluffy fibers for nests and insulation. American goldfinches, American tree spenjoys, juncos, and chickadees enoy this energy-rich food source for their migrations and cold months. Do you have native milkweed growing in your garden? Maybe it’s time to plant some!
“Celebrating Indigenous Resilience at Ventura College” Monday, Oct 13, from 10-11:30am at Guthrie Hall.
One last thought — “I’d rather get a Zero than a C”… is this you? Are you a perfectionist? When it comes to taking action, a C is definitely better than a Zero whether it comes to writing or saving the planet or planting a smaller garden or… it’s almost always better to do something than nothing!
So what is the something you wish for that you will do today?
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https://artpredator.com/2025/10/09/wishes-waiting-for-the-wind/feed/0art predatorNature RX “Wild on Humans” with Dr. Jane Goodall RIP
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/01/nature-rx-wild-on-humans-with-jane-goodall-rip/
https://artpredator.com/2025/10/01/nature-rx-wild-on-humans-with-jane-goodall-rip/#respondThu, 02 Oct 2025 06:30:09 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31698
RIP Jane Goodall: “The greatest danger to our future is apathy.”
Jane Goodall by Guerin Black for New York Times
Today October 1, 2025, we lost someone who was truly wild for nature: Jane Goodall.
Today, Dr. Jane Goodall planned to join students and staff at EF Academy Pasadena Campus in Southern California “to share her passion for protecting and restoring nature with local students, who are kicking off an initiative to plant 5,000 trees to replant what was lost during the Eaton Fire.” They carried on without her, and we can too.
The New Yorker Magazine writes on Facebook: “Jane Goodall, who died today, at 91, spent much of her later years travelling around the world to speak about the climate crisis. Everywhere she went, she met young people who were “angry, depressed, or just apathetic, because, they’ve told me, we have compromised their future and they feel there is nothing they can do about it,” she writes in “The Book of Hope: A Survival Guide for Trying Times.”
Jane Goodall hope
Amid flooding and wildfires, impassivity and eco-grief, the question she was asked most often was “Do you honestly believe there is hope for our world?” She did. Hope, she argued, is not merely “passive wishful thinking” but a “crucial survival trait.” She noted, “If you don’t have hope that your action is going to make a difference, why bother to do anything? You just become a zombie.” Read more: https://newyorkermag.visitlink.me/puCKxb
Hope by Dianne Bennett: see her show at La Luz in LA opening 10/3 and at the Highway 62 open studios show in Joshua Tree this weekend and next
Well, Emily Dickinson wrote that “Hope is the thing with feathers.”
And I invite you to stay hopeful — and celebrate World Migratory Bird Day — where ever you are!
world migratory bird day
Twice a year, millions of migratory birds fly day and night over plains, seas, mountains, and international borders. Just the other night, over 1.1 BILLION BIRDS were in flight— showing up on radar!
How hopeful is that? To travel so far? In the dark?
migrating birds September 30, 2025
We celebrate this epic event on World Migratory Bird Day, held this year on Saturday, 11th of October with a theme of “Shared Spaces: Creating Bird-Friendly Cities and Communities.” Organizers say that “Conservationists, educators, and citizens around the globe have answered the call to create bird-friendly cities and communities in celebration of World Migratory Bird Day. From community cleanups and educational workshops to policy advocacy and art contests, their efforts show a shared commitment to protecting migratory birds and their habitats.” The theme of shared spaces recognizes the challenges faced by migratory birds as they navigate landscapes where urban growth “destroys habitats, light pollution disorients flocks, and window collisions kill millions of birds every year. The World Migratory Bird Day 2025 campaign proposes practical ways for governments, businesses, and individuals to create bird-friendly cities and communities.”
Jane Goodall
To help out migratory and residential birds, they suggest:
Plan bird-friendly cities: protect habitats in urban development.
Plant native plants: provide food, shelter, and support pollinators.
Prevent collisions: use bird-safe glass or window films.
Dim the lights: reduce nighttime light during migration.
Avoid pesticides: choose organic methods to protect insects and water.
Say “No” to plastic waste: prevent ingestion and entanglement.
Keep cats away: keep cats indoors, leashed, or in enclosures.
Educate & advocate: raise awareness and support bird-friendly policies.
So if not birds, what animals would you like to help? how might you help take care of our planet? how can you take action about the climate crisis?
young Jane Goodall
There are plenty of opportunities — and plenty of non-profit groups looking for volunteers to help.
The first step, of course, is to care— to want to do something. Has technology ruptured our connection with our planet to the extent that we know longer care what happens?
What about an ad campaign to get people into NATURE?
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https://artpredator.com/2025/10/01/nature-rx-wild-on-humans-with-jane-goodall-rip/feed/0art predatorGet Out! Get Active! Coastal Cleanups 9/20, Sun Day 9/21, Sea Ramble 9/28
https://artpredator.com/2025/09/18/get-out-get-active-coastal-cleanups-9-20-sun-day-9-21-sea-ramble-9-28/
https://artpredator.com/2025/09/18/get-out-get-active-coastal-cleanups-9-20-sun-day-9-21-sea-ramble-9-28/#respondThu, 18 Sep 2025 16:17:26 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31668
coastal clean up
Coming up: lots of exciting activities to play with and protect our planet!
Saturday 9/20! Join a California Coastal Cleanup Day!
Sign up to participate in California Coastal Cleanup Day this Saturday, Sept. 20 below.
New this year is the world’s largest scavenger hunt:
Special items will be hidden at cleanup sites across the state.
Volunteers finding one of these “trashure” items can redeem them for prizes!
Read more here https://bit.ly/4pkYtVj with a link to an interactive map!
Among state and nationwide locations are several closer to home here in Ventura County.
In partnership with Coastal Keepers and Oxnard City Corps,
come with friends and family to clean up the beach,
learn about important legislation
and give back to our public lands
in the Ormond Lagoon area
Saturday, September 20 8:45 a.m. – Noon at the end of Perkins Rd.
(Heading south on Perkins Rd., past McWane Blvd.) Oxnard, CA.
What to Bring:
Closed-toe shoes
Sun protection (hat + sunscreen)
Reusable water bottle
Gloves (recommended)
If you have any questions, please contact Michelle Sevilla (805) 394-8842.
If you can’t join us at Ormond Lagoon, consider volunteering at a site near you —
click below to find all the cleanup locations!
Next Sunday the 21st, on the equinox, is Sun Day of Action!
Look for demonstration!
Check out the Sun Day art kit below.
SUN DAY ART KIT:
Sign design downloads, tips on painted parasol signs, street murals, banners and more.
Join us for our monthly Sea Ramble bike ride and beach clean up, starting at Patagonia Ventura!
Routes and locations may vary each month, but one thing stays the same—everyone’s welcome. All riding levels are encouraged to join, and no one gets left behind. Helmets are required, and riders under 18 will need a parent or guardian’s signature on the ride waiver. Clean up gear will be provided!
RSVPs are encouraged but not required. Bring your bike, helmet, mug, and a friend. Be ready to roll by 9AM!
]]>https://artpredator.com/2025/09/18/get-out-get-active-coastal-cleanups-9-20-sun-day-9-21-sea-ramble-9-28/feed/0art predatorSign Volunteer WaiverFind Nearest Cleanup Locationupload_image_placeholder_wide.pngAre you having any fun? Burning Man 2025 + How To Clean All The Things
https://artpredator.com/2025/09/09/are-you-having-any-fun-burning-man-2025-how-to-clean-all-the-things/
https://artpredator.com/2025/09/09/are-you-having-any-fun-burning-man-2025-how-to-clean-all-the-things/#respondTue, 09 Sep 2025 12:19:55 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31641
Between storms: Black Rock Desert Migratory Bird Refuge with water… and mosquitoes!
Are you having any fun?
Well, honestly? This Burn was not like the others— check out this post and videos for why we keep going to such a challenging place. 2025 was a very hard burn— the most difficult and destructive in my 23 years of going to Burning Man. And I barely got out of camp to do anything— although I did get to see David Oliver’s Orbs which fortunately had just been secured when the first storm hit… and after the Man burned I made it to the Black Rock French Quarter where I had French toast with seared foie gras with a Stolpman gamay and I helped to prepare fresh sushi…
David Oliver’s Orbs at Burning Man 2025 with the Man peeking in the background
Saturday August 23’s 45 mph sustained winds with gusts ranging from 70-90mph were not fun. In fact they pretty much destroyed my freshly built camp, the Black Rock Desert Migratory Bird Refuge. And the winds wrecked a lot of other camps as well. So we rebuilt— only to have more 45-60mph winds hit on Sunday evening along with rain and more rain and more wind on Monday night. Tuesday and Wednesday evenings’ storms were mostly drizzly; the winds weren’t as bad, and thanks to the rain, they certainly weren’t as dusty as Saturday’s when you couldn’t see five feet in front of your face at times and you had to yell to be heard.
Campmate Moss watches the sunset: the extreme weather did produce epic sunsets
Around Black Rock City, EMT was bent, tarps trashed, yurts, bungee balls, tarps, tables– everything went flying; car windows were cracked when hit by various objects. In our camp, no one was injured by the storms, but it was very scary as we rushed to take everything down before it flew off. My pentayurt tried to escape down the street, and it was smashed trying to prevent its getaway. Saturday was traumatic, and as camp lead, I was in charge and responsible. Fortunately, almost everyone pulled together to help during the storms and with efforts to rebuild… repeatedly. Some gave up, dropped out, hid from responsibilities while others stepped up to the challenge and solved the problems at hand with creativity, resourcefulness, and positive attitudes. In our small camp of 13, we had three people who had never been to Burning Man before. What an introduction!
So are we having fun? Why do something —anything– that’s so hard?
It’s the beginning of the fall semester for me, and once again I am teaching college composition at Ventura College, so as soon as I came back, I had to move into teaching prep. It’s a transfer level class, and it’s a lot of work for all of us — we meet in person twice a week for 75 minutes each class plus 5.5 hours online, plus 10 hours of homework each week. That’s a 20 hour a week commitment to reading, writing, critical thinking for my students, and a full time commitment to teaching for me.
A commitment to learning, to growing… to community.
sunset at the Refuge between rainstorms
Learning can be messy. Maybe not as physically destructive as this year’s Burning Man, but learning should change you, push you, stretch you. You may discover dust in curious places.
You may find there’s some cleaning up to do.
At Burning Man, after the Man burns, it’s like New Year’s Eve. It’s a New Year, a new you, a fresh start. Just like the new school year.
And yes, while there may be dust everywhere and on everything… lessons are learned. People pull together. People help each other. Communities are formed. Friendships born. Some of the strongest alliances are those made under pressure, under fire.
At Burning Man this year, we learned that we were there for each other. Whether we were having fun or not— we learned and built and grew together. At Burning Man, we push ourselves— and we are rewarded. Our accomplishments are unprecedented.
A college class can be like that too. So can community service. Giving back helps us grow.
inside of the van after packing up— usually there’s room to take a nap but not in 2025 coming home
Now that we’ve returned, it’s time to clean all the things… sooner rather than later! But how— literally, not metaphorically!
The answer is: Calgon liquid water softener! I tried this method last year and it works. According to Burners, its “active ingredient, a polycarboxylate, has a high chelating power that helps lift the fine mineral particles from surfaces like tents, clothing, and bikes. It’s effective because it binds to the minerals in the dust, making it easier to rinse away, and is often used in conjunction with white vinegar to further break down the dust and its alkaline properties.”
How Calgon Works on Playa Dust
Chelating Agent: The polycarboxylate in Calgon acts as a chelating agent, binding to the various minerals found in playa dust (silica, aluminum oxide, carbonates) and helping to break their bond with the surface.
Water Softener: As a water softener, Calgon is designed to prevent mineral deposits, which directly translates to its ability to lift and prevent playa dust from sticking to surfaces.
Methods for Using Calgon
For Gear: Create a mixture of Calgon and water, often with soap and a splash of vinegar, to scrub and wash tents, tarps, and other gear.
For Laundry: Add a small amount of Calgon and white vinegar to your laundry cycle, along with your regular detergent, to remove the dust from clothing fibers.
For Bikes and Other Items: Use a diluted solution of Calgon, soap, and vinegar to spray and clean bikes, but be mindful of sensitive materials.
Tips for Using Calgon Effectively
Clean Sooner Rather Than Later: For best results, try to clean your gear within a few weeks of returning from the event, as the dust becomes harder to remove over time.
Combine with Vinegar: A 50/50 water and vinegar solution is also effective, particularly for neutralizing the alkaline nature of the dust.
Don’t Combine with All Soaps: While Calgon works well with a basic detergent like Dawn or laundry soap, some other specialized cleaners may interfere with its chelating action.
Want more Burning Man? There’s lots here on Art Predator.
]]>https://artpredator.com/2025/09/09/are-you-having-any-fun-burning-man-2025-how-to-clean-all-the-things/feed/0art predatorSay “Farewell to Orbs” — Art City 8/8 at 8p
https://artpredator.com/2025/08/07/say-farewell-to-orbs-art-city-8-8-at-8p/
https://artpredator.com/2025/08/07/say-farewell-to-orbs-art-city-8-8-at-8p/#respondThu, 07 Aug 2025 22:01:36 +0000https://artpredator.com/?p=31628
farewell to ORBs 8/8 at 8p
You’ve invited to join us as we say “Farewell to Orbs” at Art City August 8, at 8pm! Doors open at 7pm, with remarks at 8pm by artist David Oliver at 8pm plus live music and dance music by DJ DownNgoinG, DJ Kerm, and others at Art City, 197 Dubbers St. Ventura CA 93001. Sliding scale donation $10-50 suggested to help get the Orbs on their way!
The ORBs arrived on Planet Earth at Ventura’s Art City– and now it is time to say farewell on August 8! With steel and glass, and thanks to artist David Oliver, two of their earthly bodies have materialized and they should both be in bloom for all to enjoy that evening. Doors open at 7pm with music and refreshments, remarks at 8pm, and more music featuring DJ DownNgoinG, DJ Kerm, and others as well as live music.
David Oliver’s Orb
As the sun sets and the full moon rises, enjoy the Orbs one final time as they bloom and begin to glow at Art City 197 Dubbers, Ventura. Give the Orbs a fond farewell at a fundraising party to assist with transportation from Ventura to Burning Man in northern Nevada. Next they will bloom at the Reno Tahoe International Art Show, and then go on to their next destination.
David Oliver makes a petal — each ORB has 212 petals
Oliver describes the Orbs as guides that can help us face the cold, encourage us to be bold, and to find the desire to peer deep within ourselves. The tallest Orb stands 19′ tall with 212 metal petals on a steel frame and a blue stained glass globe which demonstrates “Action.” Slightly shorter is the orange Orb which offers comfort in the face of challenge and change.
David Oliver and an Orb
“Keep in mind these ORBs are not eyeballs,” asserts Oliver. “They are not here to observe in any way. They are here to put on a “Demonstration Bloom.”” Oliver received a coveted Burning Man honorarium–of almost 700 applicants from around the world, only 76 were chosen for a piece of a $1.3 million pie. While the honorarium helped get the project going, it only funds about half of the expenses, leaving the rest for the artist and his team to raise. Oliver and his team still need to raise almost $7,000 to transport them to northern Nevada’s Black Rock Desert where Burning Man takes place each year.
