Contemporary Art Exhibitions
Located in Ventura, CA and home to 4 galleries Vita Art Center’s exhibits bring museum quality contemporary art to Ventura.
Gallery Hours: Saturday & Sunday, 12–4pm. Free to the public.
Please check exhibit dates, the gallery is closed for install in between exhibits.
Vita Art Editions Fundraiser & Print Exhibition
Saturday, November 14, 2026
4–5 pm | Members’ Private Preview
5–7 pm | Open to the Community
Exhibition on view November 14–December 20
Sponsored by Buena Tile + Stone.
Vita Art Center invites you to our sixth annual Vita Art Editions Fundraiser & Print Exhibition, a night celebrating creativity, community, and connection. with an evening of art, delicious food, and festive drinks.
Members enjoy a private preview from 4–5 pm, with complimentary passed appetizers by LoFi BBQ and an open bar featuring specialty cocktails by Ventura Spirits, plus wine and beer. Enjoy an early look at the exhibition and the first opportunity to select your favorite prints while gathering with fellow art lovers.
From 5–7 pm, everyone is welcome to join the celebration! Explore the exhibition, find your favorite prints, and enjoy a festive evening with friends, specialty cocktails by Ventura Spirits, wine, and beer. LoFi BBQ will be serving up delicious barbecue for purchase throughout the evening.
Discover limited-edition, museum-quality prints by regional artists—a wonderful opportunity to begin or grow your collection, find a meaningful gift, and support accessible arts programming. Each signed, framed archival print is part of an edition of five, with the first print available for $200 (regularly $250).
Your purchases help Vita provide free and accessible arts experiences throughout the year, including:
Scholarships for youth and teen summer camps and after-school art programs
Weekly free youth art classes at Ventura Housing’s Westview community
Free monthly LGBTQ+ teen art workshops
Adaptive ceramics for children with disabilities
Our heartfelt thanks to the participating artists whose generosity makes Vita Art Editions possible, to our sponsor, Buena Tile + Stone, to Ventura Spirits for providing their signature cocktails, and to LoFi BBQ for bringing delicious food to the celebration.
Become a Member
Join or renew your Vita Art Center membership before the event to enjoy complimentary admission to the private preview for you and a guest, including passed appetizers and an open bar from 4–5 pm. Your membership supports year-round youth and teen programs, free workshops, scholarships, and exhibitions. Members also receive 10% off all classes and complimentary admission to preview receptions throughout the year.
Unique Impressions
Monotypes by Hugh Margerum
Saturday, November 14, 2026
4–5 pm | Members’ Private Preview
5–7 pm | Open to the Community
Exhibition on view November 14–December 20
ARTIST STATEMENT:
These Unique Impressions are monotypes, with occasional additions made after printing, created in an open-air studio on a tranquil street in Santa Barbara, California. Their abbreviated titles take their inspiration from the street’s name: Paseo Tranquillo.
A monotype is a one-of-a-kind print made by applying ink and/or oil paint to an acrylic or metal plate and transferring the image to paper through an etching press. In these works, I have expanded the process by incorporating cutout shapes, working with oil sticks and paint around, over, and beneath them. Some pieces receive further additions of paint or collage after they emerge from the press.
Part of the appeal lies in the freedom to manipulate the paint by scraping, wiping, brushing, and smearing, while never entirely controlling the outcome. Each pull from the press brings an element of surprise—for better or worse! As layers, washes, and thicker passages of paint are compressed into the paper, they leave behind a record of fleeting creative moments. The resulting images are both the product of intention and an embrace of the unexpected.
THE CUP SHOW
Saturday, November 14, 2026
4–5 pm | Members’ Private Preview
5–7 pm | Open to the Community
The Cup Show brings together a collection of handmade ceramic cups exploring form, surface, and function. The exhibition considers the cup as both an intimate everyday object and a vehicle for artistic expression. On view at Vita Art Center, November 14–December 20, 2026.
GWYNN MURRILL
Panthers
The Oasis at Vita Art Center
Experience the power and grace of Gwynn Murrill’s large-scale cast bronze panthers, on view at The Oasis at Vita Art Center streamlined forms that capture the essence of movement, Murrill’s felines invite close looking and quiet contemplation as they prowl across the outdoor setting.