Ventura County Museum of History and Art

Ventura, CA

photo: John Hazeltine

805-653-0323

http://www.vcmha.org/

Recollections: The Art of Douglas Shively (1896-1991)

The Ventura County Museum of History & Art announces the opening of an exhibit featuring the art and life of Santa Paula artist Douglas M. Shively; the exhibit will continue in the Museum's Hoffman Gallery until February 20, 2000. (left: Douglas Shively, 1940)

The art of Douglas Shively is well known among local art collectors. He is often referred to as "Mr. Sycamore," after the graceful trees that occupy many of his landscapes, but the subjects of his paintings also include many recognizable Ventura County vistas, the beautiful terrain typical of California's many regions, and scenes from his extensive world travels. This exhibit will feature a sampling of the best of all of these, as well as examples from his sketchbooks and photography. (right: Sycamores, Oaks and Sumac, oil on board, Collection of Dick and Marcia Fausset)

Shively was an accomplished artist, but also a dedicated citizen within his community. As president of Citizens State Bank, which was founded by his father, he was a fixture in Santa Paula's civic affairs. His friendship with prestigious painters in California helped give rise to Santa Paula's long-running art show. (left: Untitled (Fifth Lake), n.d., 1940s. oil on board, Collection of Dr. and Mrs. John Shilton; right: Untitled, 1973, oil on board, Collection of William L. Orcutt)

Shively convinced the town to sponsor a yearly art competition, and then rallied his art friends to enter the competition, creating an opportunity for the citizens of Santa Paula to enjoy local art of the highest caliber. On his advice the city also offered a "purchase prize," by which the city assembled one of the most impressive collections of civic art in the state. (left: From Pointa del Sol Road, 1981, oil on board, Collection of Helen K. Pidduck)

rev. 12/18/99

Please Note: RLM does not endorse sites behind external links. We offer them for your additional research; external links were chosen on the basis of being the most informative online source at the time of our search.

Read more about the Ventura County Museum of History and Art in Resource Library Magazine

Be sure to visit more of Resource Library Magazine with museum exhibition news, stories on American art, calendars, and more. Here are links to selected sections of the magazine:

• Feature Stories Indexed by Publication Date
• Museum Exhibition Stories Indexed by Institution and Geography
• Other Exhibition Articles Indexed by Organization
• Feature Stories Indexed by Subject and Media
• Museum Calendar of Exhibitions, Current and Future Years
• Milestones, Including Appointments, New Buildings, etc.
• Methods and Sources of Appraisals, Authentication, Conservation and Artist Identification
• Art Law by Columnist Ann Avery Andres,
• Art Sellers' Showcase
• Books, Magazines, Videos & CD-ROM's
• Cameos of Historic American Art Collections
• Distinguished Artists, Including an Alphabetical Index of Over 1,000 Deceased American Artists
• Dunbier on American Art and Fine Art Valuation, a Series of Columns by Dr. Roger Dunbier
• The Plein Air Scene by Columnist Sarah Beserra
• Magazine Table of Contents
• Advertising Options
• Do You Like Resource Library? Recommend-It (tm) to a Friend or Colleague!

Copyright 1996-1999 Traditional Fine Art Online, Inc. All rights reserved.

• Links to to other TFAOI.COM divisions.
• Miscellaneous links to sites outside of TFAOI.COM.