The Museum of Ventura County announces new exhibition, What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art

Ventura County – Opening January 17, 2025,Museum of Ventura County invites you to experience What is Beauty? Rethinking Women’s Portraiture in Art, an engaging exhibition that challenges conventional notions of beauty through women’s portraiture. Featuring fourteen works by Ventura County artists from the Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition explores how beauty is shaped by culture, media, and personal experience.

Spanning works created between 1939 and 2011, What is Beauty? showcases a range of artistic styles, from vibrant realism to minimalist simplicity. Esteemed artists such as Hiroko Yoshimoto, Neal Barr, Omar d’León, Kitty Botke, and John Nava offer eclectic interpretations, inviting visitors to reflect on how beauty has been portrayed and redefined over time. Interactive elements, like a vanity mirror with a guest diary, encourage viewers to share their thoughts on beauty beyond appearances.

Featured Artists Include:
Bristol Horace, Carlisle Cooper, Hiroko Yoshimoto, Johanna Spinks, John Nava, John Nichols, Kitty Botke, Liz Schwitters, Michael Ward, Neal Barr, Omar d’León, and Robert Clunie.

Opening Reception – Please join us on January 17, 2025, 5:30 – 7:30 at Museum of Ventura County, 100 E Main Street, Ventura, CA 93001 to celebrate the launch of “What is Beauty?” with live music from Ventura Music Festival, wine and beer for sale, and an inspiring evening of art and conversation. Free registration.

This exhibition is made possible by the Thomas and Esther Wachtell Family Endowment Fund and the Bonita C. McFarland Fund.