John White, 1937-2025
The art community far and wide mourned the loss of performance artist, painter and sculptor John M. White, who passed away on April 29 in Malibou Lake, in the Santa Monica Mountains. He was 87 years old.
White’s career spanned decades, disciplines and locations, from San Francisco in the 1950s to Los Angeles in the 1960s to Orange County, Malibu and Ventura County. He studied under Giacomo Patri in San Francisco and, later, at the Otis Art Institute (now the Otis College of Art and Design). After teaching at the University of California, Irvine in the 1980s, White moved to Ventura, where he became heavily involved in the local art scene and opened a studio on the Westside. Among his accomplishments were the development of the 5 x 5 x 5 series, which featured five artists presenting work for five minutes, and being named the ArtWalk 2018 Artist of Distinction.
White’s passing followed the November 2024 death of his wife, Sylvia White, a renowned gallerist and art consultant. A lauded figure in her own right, she operated the Sylvia White Gallery in Ventura for many years, as well as the realART gallery in Agoura Hills. Her tragic passing came shortly after the grand opening of her new gallery in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
These two great creative spirits left indelible marks on Ventura County. They will be sorely missed and remembered with affection and reverence.
FOTM adds programming
Focus on the Masters Arts Archive and Library has added two more elements to its Learning to See arts education program.
Visual Arts Integration Training for Teachers is aimed at instructors working in kindergarten through fifth grade. Through meetings, workshops, materials and guidelines, teachers will gain insight and skills to help enhance visual arts for elementary students. The collaborative program will teach classroom instructors “how to incorporate cross-curricular art lessons into a specific science, history, language arts, or math unit for their grade level,” according to the FOTM website.
A variety of Visual Arts Integration Training options are available, from three-hour workshops for $535 (serving up to 20 teachers) to a customized and comprehensive program for $1,275.
Currently, 17 teachers in Ventura and Oxnard are participating in the program. For more information, visit focusonthemasters.com/new-program-visual-arts-integration-training-for-teachers/.
Beat the Odds “is an evidence-based, trauma-informed program that integrates the power of contemporary drum circles to build core strengths such as focus and listening, team building, leadership, expressing feelings, managing anger/stress, empathy, kindness, and gratitude.” This mix of physical and creative outlet is available for $450. That includes six half-hour sessions and all instruments. Learn more about Beat the Odds at www.ArtsAndHealingInitiative.org. To sign up for the program offered through FOTM, email Aimee@FocusOnTheMasters.com.
“Get on the Bus,” Angela Liu’s winning entry in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition.
Congressional Art Competition winners
Angela Liu from Westlake High School was the winner of the 2025 Congressional Art Competition for California’s 26th district. Her piece, “Get on the Bus,” will be displayed in the U.S. Capitol complex for one year.
The Congressional Art Competition is a nationwide competition sponsored by members of the U.S. House of Representatives. Students in grades nine through 12 are invited to participate. The competition began in 1982, and is an opportunity to recognize and encourage young artistic talent across the country.
Submissions from students in the 26th Congressional District, which includes Camarillo, Fillmore, Oxnard, Santa Paula, Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks, were judged by a panel of local professionals in the arts, academia and social work. This year’s judges were Jeffrey Bowen, Director of Library Programming and Public Affairs at Pepperdine University; Jesus Delgadillo Galindo, an artist and graphic designer from Oxnard; and Chuy Salgado Leon, a graphic designer from Oxnard.
Congresswoman Julia Brownley, who represents the 26th district, announced Liu’s win in a May 30 press release.
“Every year, I am in awe of the incredible talent of the young artists across our region who participate in the Congressional Art Competition — and this year was no exception,” Brownley said. “Liu’s artwork is an exceptional example of the creativity and talent that exists throughout our region, and I wholeheartedly extend my sincere congratulations to her and the winning piece that will represent our district in the Halls of Congress.”
“I am deeply honored that my artwork has been selected as the first-place winner in the Congressional Art Competition,” said Liu. “Art has been an integral part of my life since childhood…I strive to use it as a medium to amplify my voice, connect with my community, and advocate for social justice…In my winning piece, ‘Get on the Bus,’ my intention was to offer glimpses into the life of the woman I depicted. I hoped to convey her confidence, her experiences as a witness to history, and the wisdom that comes with age, all within a brief moment captured on a bus.”
Two honorable mentions were also recognized, including “Peaceful Dayspring” by Riley Rohrer from Oak Park Independent School and “La Pescheria” by Sebastian Costuche from Westlake High School. Their artwork will be displayed in Brownley’s district offices in Thousand Oaks and Oxnard.
Saul Escobedo’s “La Luz Universal” was featured in Nos Traen Cortitos 2024 at Teatro de las Américas.
Spanish-language shorts wanted
Teatro de las Américas in Oxnard is accepting submissions for Nos Traen Cortitos 2025, its annual showcase of short films in Spanish. Short films should be one to 30 minutes in length, with at least 50% of the filming locations in the United States and at least 50% of the spoken dialogue in Spanish. Subtitles must be included.
Films must be based on an original idea, not an adaptation. Professional and amateur filmmakers in the U.S. are welcome to apply, and submissions may include fiction or documentary films.
The deadline for submissions is Sept. 30. Films will be screened at Teatro de las Américas, 321 W. Sixth Street, Oxnard, Nov. 14-15.
For more information, including submission guidelines and rules, visit teatrodelasamericas.org/eventos-%2F-events/f/nos-traen-cortitos-2025.