History, Arts & Culture come alive in Downtown Oxnard for Leadership ‘24

​The 2024 Oxnard Leadership Program officially crossed the halfway mark this past Friday with the conclusion of the jam-packed History, Arts & Culture Day, which was held all in Downtown Oxnard. There is never enough time in a single day to hit everything, especially in a city with such a rich and diverse history and culture like Oxnard, but they made the most of it. This day was made possible by the incredible efforts and dedication of Carolyn Mullin, Executive Director of the Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) and Class of 2022 alum, and Gary Blum, Superintendent of Heritage Square and local historian, who were critical in planning and leading the day.

The program kicked off at Heritage Square where Gary gave a presentation of how the square came to be established in 1991 because of the vision of the Oxnard City Council to preserve its history through the historical homes by putting them in one location. The history then came alive during a tour of the homes and hearing the many stories of individuals and families who helped shape Oxnard.
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After diving deep into the history, it was time to start blending it with art and culture of Oxnard as they set off for a tour all around downtown. The first stop was Teatro de las Americas, a bi-lingual theater company that engages in performing arts and education for the community, where their Artistic Director, Juliana Acosta, discussed the different programs they offer and read poetry in both English and Spanish.
One block up from the theater is the heart of Downtown Oxnard, Plaza Park, where they hold events like the Salsa Festival, Christmas Tree Lighting and Parade, Tamale Festival, a weekly Farmers Market and, just recently, Insect Festival. At the park, the cohort got to do something that even lifelong residents in the group have never been able to do… go on the upper deck of the Pagoda!

Across the parking lot from Plaza Park is the Carnegie Art Museum, which is currently closed to the public, but Gary shared on the steps out front about the incredible history of it, both locally and in pop culture. Carolyn continued the conversation by discussing the art which was displayed in it as well as different proposals for the building and its art. She then took the group around the corner to talk about one gallery in Oxnard which is still operational, Open Door Studio.

The mission of Open Door Studio is to work with artists of ALL abilities, including those with autism and other developmental disabilities, and they are led by their Executive Director & Founder, Roxanne Trujillo. She had an art project waiting for the group where they got the paint cut-out butterflies which were hung in the front window of the studio to be displayed for the Insect Festival the next day.
After walking through Centennial Plaza where Gary explained the recent history of it and what it means to downtown, the group made their way to Downtown Tattoo where they were met by owner and artist Horacio Martinez. There, Horacio talked not only about the art of tattooing but also the original art he produces and teaches, mainly through paintings.

All the walking worked up an appetite so the next stop was Otani’s Seafood on A Street, where Karen Otani Baldonado, her daughter Tani Carlton and their team prepared an amazing buffet of some of their classic menu items. Before the food came out, Karen shared about the amazing history their family has in Oxnard, which dates back to the 1890s when her great-grandfather immigrated to Oxnard from Japan via San Francisco. Tani had her young son by her side which represents six generations of the Otani family in this community.

Once everyone was full, the group headed back out to make their way up to the Oxnard Main Library. On the way, Gary discussed historically significant buildings like the Bank of A. Levy, which the group toured from the inside, and the Woolworth Building. Carolyn then shared about all the murals on the 3rd Street Parking Structure, like the newest one depicting the late Ventura County Supervisor and former Oxnard City Councilmember Carmen Ramirez.

At the library, the group was met by recently appointed Library Manager Kathleen Ashmore who shared about all the different programs offered through the library as well as talked about some of the art on display. From there, they moved into a meeting room where Tracy Hudak, the Director of Field Engagement for California’s for the Arts and Ventura County resident, presented about the creative economy and how the arts are a huge contributor to economic growth. She also shared about her recent experience of being at the state capitol and advocating in front of assembly members to reinstate funding for the arts.

To help combat afternoon tiredness, the group swung by Dolce Vita Cafe in the Oxnard Transit Center (OTC) where Will and Andy concocted some amazing coffee drinks, which were enjoyed during a panel discussion led by Carolyn. The panel was made up of Christina Ramirez, the Director of Events & Programs at OPAC, Abel Magaña, the Executive Director of Downtown Oxnard, Heriberto and Rolando Rubalcava, Co-founders of Pipiripau, and Tracy Hudak. They discussed the different ways arts and culture is helping reshape Oxnard and how their organizations and businesses are helping with those efforts.

The final speaker for the day was Daniel Cabrera, the Digital & Multicultural Manager for Visit Oxnard, where he shared about how History, Arts & Culture play a role in tourism for the city and how places like the transit center are a big piece in bringing visitors to Oxnard. Because of that, Visit Oxnard has commissioned murals, both inside and outside of the OTC, that represent different attractions and historical aspects of the city and surrounding area.

After viewing the murals, the group headed down Oxnard Boulevard to go back to Heritage Square where all their cars were parked. Along the way, overlooked historical sites like the Teatro and China Alley were pointed out and discussed by Gary. Once back at Heritage Square, there was an optional happy hour at The 1901 Speakeasy where members of the OLP steering committee, alumni of the program and even presenters from throughout the day were gathered to meet and mingle with members of this year’s cohort.