Camarillo, California (Feb. 22, 2023) — A CSU Channel Islands faculty member and student have curated an art exhibition focused on the heritage of agriculture in Ventura County.

“Stories of Labor From the Fields of Ventura County” runs from Feb. 23 through April 14 in the John Spoor Broome Library Gallery. An opening reception will be held on Thursday, Feb. 23, from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. The exhibit and event are free and open to the public.

In addition, posters from the 2010 CSUCI exhibit “The Braceros of Ventura County” will be displayed in the rear hallways of the library from March 8 through May 7. The posters include local history and data related to the Mexican guest-worker program.

The art exhibit and braceros display will provide a local perspective on the issues explored in “Dolores Huerta: Revolution in the Fields/Revolución en los Campos,” a traveling Smithsonian exhibition that will be on display in Broome Library from March 8 through May 7

“Both of these shows are meant to complement and enhance the Huerta exhibit,” said Theresa Avila, an Assistant Professor of Art History who serves as Director and Curator of the Broome Gallery. “As an art historian and curator, my work is always about revealing the intersections between art and politics with a focus on promoting social justice. My involvement with the exhibits and displays at CSUCI is part of my effort to fulfill my commitment to serve the communities that the University embeds itself within. I want our campus community and surrounding partners to understand the value of the community we serve through the work we do at CSUCI.”

Avila and co-curator Ilien “La Buffy” Tolteca, a graduating senior majoring in Art and Chicana/o Studies and Student Government President, issued a call for art on the theme of Ventura County labor history in December. The exhibit features a variety of media including paintings, graphic works and mixed media sculpture.

Tolteca is one of several artists involved with Viva Oxnard, an organization that creates merchandise to empower and support Oxnard residents, who will have work featured in the exhibit. The others are director Martin Alberto Gonzalez, Isaac Bizarro, Natilie Alejandra Delgado, Kim Guerra, Leo Martinez and Sophia Kardara Wegman.

Other local artists featured in the exhibit are community member A. Tomas Hernandez, CSUCI Art major Elisa Torres, and CSUCI alumni Melissa Olague Loera, who majored in Art, and Joseu Vasquez, who majored in Chicana/o Studies.

To RSVP for the reception, visit https://bit.ly/3YK8VIc. The library is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and 1 to 9 p.m. Sundays. Limited parking is available for $6. For more information, contact Avila at [email protected].