Pop Up Art Exhibit Comes To Simi Valley Town Center

The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center will partner with the Simi Valley Town Center and the City of Simi Valley to sponsor a Pop Up Artist Residency and Gallery Exhibit featuring Kindling Studios, a working art studio for adults with disabilities. This very special exhibit titled Nature at Your Doorstep will be open and on display in space #240 at the Simi Valley Town Center from May 2 through June 8, 2023 with a Gallery Opening Reception held on May 12, 2023 from 5 PM to 7 PM. Admission to the Artist Studio, Exhibit and Gallery Opening Reception is free of charge and open to the public. Light refreshments will be available during the Opening Reception and the public is invited to come and meet the featured artists who will be in attendance at this event.

Nature at Your Doorstep: A Pop Up Artist Residency and Gallery Exhibit showcases the bountiful and thoughtful artwork of 13 Artists from Kindling Studios including Alan Baker, Ann Martinez, Brandon Moreno, Daniel Schneider, David Idell, Erin Schleich, Flair Garner, Lee Burke, Logan Ellis, Matthew Heathcote, Monica Hutchinson, Nick Russell, and Shannon Murphy.

Located in Camarillo, California, Kindling Studios is a working art studio for adult artists with disabilities who reside in Ventura County. The studio opened in 2015 and currently supports approximately 20 artists. All artists work in an inclusive community setting among local art mentors at Studio Channel Islands Art Center where they learn and practice art and entrepreneurial skills and sell their work. With the support of a small team of paid staff and rotating volunteers, Kindling Studios artists engage in curated art shows, art sales, conferences, educational opportunities, and outreach events. As a program sponsored by IGNITE Collective, Inc., Kindling Studio's believes everyone has the right to meaningful livelihood as part of a high quality of life. They strive to grow and support autonomy, fulfillment, and community engagement for all.

Kindling Studios artists work in a wide variety of mediums ranging from drawing and painting to sculpting with hand-made clay. Each artist is unique and has their own artistic style. Aside from creating their work in the studio, artists also host and sell their own artwork through a variety of art shows and pop up exhibits each year throughout Ventura County. Sales revenue collected from each art show becomes supplemental income for each individual artist, providing a foundation to their own art business.

While at the Simi Valley Town Center, artists will have the opportunity to sell their work in person for the six week residency. The Nature at the Your Doorstep Exhibit will be on display from May 2nd through June 8, 2023. Half of the studio space will feature a dedicated store front and gallery for the public to view and purchase handmade items by the Kindling Studios artists.

In the second half of Space #240 at the Simi Valley Town Center, artists will be creating their work for viewing by the public as well as engaging in opportunities to meet and greet the public who is invited to tour the working studio. Additionally, some artists will be hosting art lessons which will be open for the public to attend. Lessons will include a variety of mediums based on artists' expertise, including drawing, painting, beading, and sculpting. The schedule of events will be listed on the Kindling Studios website: https://www.kindlingstudios.org

The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center is proud to partner with the City of Simi Valley, the Simi Valley Town Center, and Kindling Studios in bringing this exciting Pop Up Artist Residency and Gallery Exhibit to our community.

Nature at Your Doorstep: A Pop Up Artist Residency and Gallery Exhibit will run from May 2 through June 8, 2023 at the Simi Valley Town Center in Space #240 with a special Gallery Opening Reception held on May 12th from 5 PM to 7 PM. The public is invited to come and meet the featured artists who will be in attendance at this reception. Admission to the Gallery Opening Reception and to the Gallery is free and is open to the public.

About the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center

The Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center first opened its doors in 1995. Located in the historic building on the corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Church Street, the Center serves as a regional hub for the Arts and is home to theater, dance, music and the visual arts. It also serves as a community facility and is available for meetings, conferences and special events. The facility is owned and operated by the City of Simi Valley.

Since its founding, the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center's mission has been to provide a multipurpose facility to present performances of music, theater, dance, film, lectures and popular entertainment as well as space for conferences, meetings, seminars, and workshops. SVCAC seeks to develop, support, and encourage cultural activities and educational programs to enhance the quality of life of the citizens of Simi Valley and surrounding communities. As part of this commitment, admission to SVCAC's Galleries and Pop up Community Exhibits are always free.