Erik ReeL talks about his painting, background and early art experiences, and what leads him to paint as he does.

Society805 does an online interview of Nash Rightmer, a young Ventura artists currently living and working at the WAV [Working Artists Ventura] complex at Thompson and Ventura Avenue in Ventura.

Rima Muna, though she has been living in Ventura for a while, has recently started working in a studio at the Bell Arts Factory with Maribel Hernandez and showing her work more publicly locally. Society805 recently conducted the following interview with Rima via the internet.

Is the 805 Ready for a Regional Arts Council?

The 805 area has the critical mass in terms of artists, arts institutions, and population of a major city. It is a culturally contiguous region with supporting wine, restaurant, and film industries, plus museum, transportation, and tourist infrastructure. It has a score of small towns and centers facing similar core economic re-vitalization and cultural problems, including tight city  budgets and increasing infrastructure costs. Does it make sense to keep pursuing a balkanized arts and culture strategy with each town duplicating vital marketing, staffing, and organizational costs?  Is it time for a regional approach instead?

Society805 recently caught up with artist and arts advocate extraordinaire Tracy Hudak between projects to find out what she is thinking and doing these days regarding the arts in the 805. Tracy is noted for having her finger on the pulse and designing effective partnerships between public and private entities and the arts. In an area where cities and organizations often make expensive mistakes, Tracy has excelled in helping people get the most bang for their buck by creating successful programs that excite artists and public alike. Find out what is working and not working in the arts these days and how that relates to the arts here in the 805.