Museum of Ventura County opens exhibits at The Oaks

The Museum of Ventura County will open its first satellite location at The Oaks mall in Thousand Oaks Sat., Feb. 24. Admission will be free.

Museum executive director Tim Schiffer said, "Because of its historic location in Ventura, many East County residents are unaware that the museum's collection and mission are countywide. We need to make the East County families more aware of what we have to offer, to serve them better and to clarify that their art, history and participation are important to us."

The museum plans to break ground this September at its main Ventura location for an expansion to triple its gallery space and double the size of its overall facility.

The two exhibits during the museum's stay in The Oaks will complement but differ from the offerings at their location in Ventura.

The opening exhibit, "Tradition and Transition: The California Missions," runs through May 20 and focuses on the mission system and the Native American cultures living in the area during that time. It will include replicas of Chumash ceremonial clothing and musical instruments, artifacts from the museum's permanent collection, items loaned by Mission San Buenaventura and 24 rare 1883 etchings of the California missions.

The second exhibit, "Nature Observed," will open May 26 and feature paintings, sculpture and photography, including many works by East County artists in the museum's collection.

Hours are Monday through Saturday, noon to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The Museum of Ventura County at The Oaks is on the upper level, northeast end, across from Anthropologie.

For more information, call (805) 496-7460 or visit www.venturamuseum.org.