Countdown to the Grand Re-Opening!

Masterworks from the Museum’s Collection Exhibition Showcases the Best of Our Storied Collection

As we approach the Grand Re-opening of the Museum of Ventura County, I wanted to remind you how we got here. The temporary closure of our gallery spaces, and this subsequent “rebirth” came from a desire to give visitors and residents throughout Ventura County more access to their history, through the display of our vast, century-old collection of art and artifacts.

The museum’s collection has grown from the initial grouping of precious artifacts amassed by Dr. Cephas L. Bard, to a comprehensive chronicle of over 30,000 objects. What we keep and what we collect says a lot about who we are as a society. These objects tell important stories!

The “Masterworks” exhibition, and many of the newly designed areas, bring forth many significant objects from our collection and offer new ways of looking at them. Our curator of collections Anna Bermudez and Library Director Charles Johnson have thoughtfully researched and chosen items that tell “the story of us” in this region. When I asked them what it was like to put this exhibit together, they told me, “We experience what you’ll experience–a constant sense of discovery.”

Along the way, and with valuable community input, we have made changes to provide a more participatory and exciting experience from the moment you enter the museum. You’ll be amazed!