Finding The Light: Works From MVC’s Permanent Collection

Light is essential to human life. It allows plants to produce the air we breathe. It lets us see. It regulates our sleep and affects our mood.  So it’s no wonder that light is a key element in art, the creative expression of humanity and the world around us.

Beyond influencing shape and color, artists use light to impart meaning to viewers. These works from MVC’s collection showcase how light can elicit emotion, tell stories, and convey meaning.

Finding the Light is the first exhibit installed in the Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Gallery. This gallery has been created through a generous endowment from the Esther and Thomas Wachtell Family Fund and is designed to showcase the Museum of Ventura County’s permanent collection.

Finding the Light features works by artists such as: Norma Krahn, Patricia Chidlaw, Guy Webster, Henry Chapman, Steohen Schafer, Cahrlotte Watts, Richard Ross, Tony Jankowski, Bill McEnroe, Carlisle Cooper, Andrea Vargas, Ginger Osgood Worthley, and Susan Petty.

Key Exhibit Image:
The Trestle, 2011
Oil on Canvas
Andrea Vargas
2013-14.1

“I felt urgency when capturing Ventura’s trestles, imagining how each bridge contributed to the passage of ideas, materials, and history of people along the California coast. I found my pride swelling with each study and painting, taking in the armature and the symbolism of human progress, culture, and evolution.” —Andrea Vargas.

The flash of sunlight perfectly aligned with the end of the bridge makes it feel like Vargas intentionally timed her painting to capture a fleeting moment of hope and promise.

Finding the Light is supported through the gifts
of the Bonita McFarland Fund and Suzanne Chadwick.