Foundation will study venues for the visual arts

Local artists and art aficionados alike will be pleased with the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation's next project.

The nonprofit organization, which is known for studying quality of life issues in the region, announced its next project will focus on housing artwork created by local talent living in the Conejo Valley.

"After discussions with many members of the arts community and our board of trustees, we decided to embark on this as a multiyear project," said Carl Herman, the foundation's chair.

"Although not many residents may realize it, the Countrywide Center for the Performing Arts in Thousand Oaks was the result of just such a study more than 20 years ago," Herman said.

The region is "blessed" with many talented visual artists including painters, sculptors, photographers and multimedia artists who need space to display, to work and to engage in educational outreach to the community.

"We hope to be the catalyst once again to bring together interested parties to address a need," Herman said.

The foundation wants artists, art organizations, collectors, teachers, and any citizen interested in art to join its task force of visual arts stakeholders to assess options for housing art.

According to the Future Foundation's Executive Director Fran Brough, the task force will explore how visual arts play a role in the community's understanding of culture, diversity of ideas, history and creativity.

The group will also assess whether a region should be responsible for developing an accessible visual arts center that enhances the lives of its residents.

"We realize the power of the visual arts to enrich and transform lives and we need to develop a regional task force of visual arts stakeholders," said Margaret Fieweiger, chairperson for The Housing for Visual Arts study.

"While many art organizations exist in the region, the real need is to find a way for all interested parties to work together to create opportunities for housing art collections, host educational workshops and establish a calendar of shows across many venues."

The Conejo Las Virgenes Future Foundation is a nonpolitical "think tank" that serves the region from the Calabasas grade to the Conejo grade without regard for city or county boundaries, Brough said.

For more than 30 years, the foundation has served as a catalyst and facilitator for studies, projects, and events dealing with "quality of life" issues affecting the region as a whole.

Residents interested in serving on the Housing of Visual Arts task force should contact the Conejo/Las Virgenes Future Foundation office at (818) 880-1054.