AAVC Homepage

Mission

Gallery

Art Donations

Real Estate Program

Art for Sale

Links

Regulations

Initially established as the "Patrons of the Cultural Arts of Oxnard," the Arts Alliance of Ventura County received its nonprofit status and has been active in charitable work since 1985.

The Patrons group was created by a combination of Oxnard City Staff and interested citizens who had the vision and perceived the need for a nonprofit umbrella organization that would encourage the growth of the area's emerging cultural groups and organizations.

It originally focused on the Oxnard, California area as the primary nonprofit support organization for the Carnegie Art Museum and the Performing Arts Center of Oxnard. In 1995, the organization changed its name to "Arts Alliance of Ventura County." This new name helps it to include a broader spectrum of activities and support to all the museums and cultural activities in the region.

The Alliance supports, promotes and produces activities that pertain to the visual, literary and performing arts. Since its inception, it has sponsored numerous exhibitions, lectures, educational activities and performances. The Arts Alliance also has financially aided and encouraged several start-up nonprofit organizations. It produces the annual Celtic Lands Faire, celebrating the art and culture of Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Brittany.

The Alliance has been the fiscal receiver of grants from the federal, state and county governments. It has produced and managed fund raising activities to benefit the City Art Collection housed at the Carnegie Art Museum. It campaigned to save a portion of the Doheny Collection when it went to auction in 1985, and collected over $9,000 in donations for the renovation of the Performing Arts Center.

It co-produced the series, "Dialogs in Creativity for the 1990's" which featured authors Ray Bradbury, Dr. Betty Edwards, Dr. Stephen LaBerge, Dr. Jon Klimo and other noted speakers. It supported the "Travelogue and Tea Time" series at the Community Center, and has provided support to bring thousands of school children to performances at the Oxnard Performing Arts Center.

Donations have also been made in support of the Ventura County Master Chorale, the Ventura County Museum of History & Art, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum and Gull Wings Children's Museum.

Grants have been received from the Dayton-Hudson Foundation for art education; Procter & Gamble for support of exhibitions at the Carnegie and performances at the Performing Arts Center; the Institute of Museum Services for restoration of the City Art Collection; the Institute of Human Development for a lecture series, the California Arts Council and the Ventura County Arts Coalition for administrative support.

The Alliance created, with the Oxnard Cultural & Fine Arts Commission, the "Celebration of the Arts" awards banquet, at which most of the significant artists and musicians in the region have been honored. It has also made loans to smaller groups for start-up purposes, and was the original umbrella for a number of start-up organizations who are now on their own.

To date, more than $300,000 in cash donations have been distributed to local arts organizations by the Arts Alliance of Ventura County.