Local Gallery Reaches Community

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CMATO at Thousand Oaks Mall

Wandered through a Southern California mall this week and I passed this store front. Could there be a better place than a mall to bring the arts to more people? This is home to the California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO), a lovely, inviting gallery space, open to the public free of charge.  

I've always been curious about this place but, in the past, my timing has been off and I haven't been able to explore it. Happily, I had the time and a willing companion, so we decided to check it out.

CMATO's stated goal is to provide "a place where ideas are shared and people connect." The current show is entitled "Landscape Through the Eyes of Abstraction," which presents art work on the theme of the environment. (The show of six contemporary artists will be on display through July 31, and activities are planned for Earth Day so check out their website: https://cmato.org/.)

The bold colors and shapes in the work of Charles Arnoldi reminded me of some modern quilters :


Moving to the next room, Claudia Parducci depicts the devastating effects of wildfires in her installation, "23 Columns." Each suspended column is knit in twine or ropes of greys, browns, and black which puddle at their base. Very arresting.  


The light open gallery is a fitting space to appreciate the work of Cynthia Ona Innis. Her soft grey palette and silvery tones in mixed media, (fabric included,) present a very different world to the viewer. 

 
And Kim Abeles has yet a different perspective in her work. Using satellite photos she mapped out the existence of trees in urban areas. The long wire trunks suggest to me the fragility of nature in this setting. I also found the shadows that these pieces cast on the walls particularly interesting. 


We were so glad we took the time to investigate this spot. It was a thought provoking and gratifying stop in an otherwise busy schedule, and added a little light to the day. CMATO is true to it's mission:  "to enrich and inspire our community through exceptional experiences with the visual arts." 

  

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