by Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
When Michael Christie joined New West Symphony as music director in 2019, he brought with him a Grammy Award, a career that spanned the globe from Minnesota to Australia, and more than two decades of...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Luis Chavez
Vic Thasiah loves to run. And he loves the natural world. The California Lutheran University professor (who earned his Ph.D. at Oxford) recently merged his two passions into a single...
Lila Francese, founder of OHI Home, offers insight into
what makes a house — and a life — more beautiful.
BY EMILY DODI
L
ila Francese of sought-after home staging company OHI Home LLC explains that “the goal of home staging is to...
Donna Granata on the power of creativity and documenting an artistic legacy.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
Arts archive and library Focus on the Masters has been the steward for Ventura County’s artistic legacy since its founding in 1994. Through extensive...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
In the hillsides behind Ventura’s City Hall are several acres of natural paradise. A place where picturesque trails wind through a landscape filled with thousands of plants and stonework elements, gently rising for nearly a...
Talking art, Italy, the magic of creation and “stretching the creative cord” with bead artist Mara Colecchia.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
From a young age, Mara Colecchia was steeped in art. She grew up in...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
The moment you walk into the Camarillo home of Catalina Wise, you know this is a residence belonging to an artist. Colorful paintings hang on luminous white walls, intriguing pottery...
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer | Photos by Viktor Budnik
With Feb. 14 just days away, chocolates, wine and flowers will be on every sweetheart’s mind. And when you want to “make hearts smile,” Sweet Peas on Johnson Drive in...
By Leslie A. Westbrook.
Ah, music and love. Such a “loverly” subject. Music inspires. Music can make you fall in love with someone, something or even a place. It can make you cry. Movies would be boring without music. Music...
Camarillo comedian Jason Love is fighting cancer, one joke at a time.
By Nancy D. Lackey Shaffer
To local comedy lovers, Jason Love is no stranger. The Camarillo-based funny man has been making the rounds on the Ventura County club circuit...
