I hope many of you were able to see the 2026 Ojai Mystique exhibition while it was on display at the Ojai Valley Museum. It was one of the museum’s most popular and anticipated shows, displayed from April 17 – August 9, 2026. I had the pleasure of helping to curate and plan the show, along with fellow artist, Jennifer Moses.

This post is a bit of a photo dump, but I wanted to give a recap of the exhibition, including all the associated events, so that we can remember the success of the show and the impact it had on the Ojai community.

We built on the same idea as the 2023 Ojai Mystique. We invited some of the same artists, and also introduced some who were new to the show. Nineteen artists participated this year and produced beautiful work. Our goal was to continue the tradition of landscape painting in the Ojai Valley, which has inspired generations of artists.

Participating artists: John Cosby, Steven Curry, Carolyn Lord, Kim Lordier, Jennifer Moses, Charles Muench, John Nava, Michael Obermeyer, Jesse Powell, Ian Roberts, Ray Roberts, Dave Santillanes, Dan Schultz, Frank Serrano, W. Jason Situ, Alexey Steele, Sarah Vedder, Anne Ward, Wendy Wirth.

Each artist was invited to create two works inspired by scenes within the Ojai Valley: a large masterwork and a smaller companion piece. Through close observation and individual expression, the artists offered varied interpretations of the valley’s atmosphere, light, and enduring beauty.

The exhibition reflected both a reverence for Ojai’s historic plein air tradition and a contemporary engagement with landscape painting today. Visitors were able to experience the valley anew — through the eyes, hands, and perspectives of these artists who continue to find fresh inspiration in this remarkable setting.

Advertising

This year we expanded our advertising efforts with print ads in several local magazines and also with National Public Radio ads. Jennie Prebor wrote a beautiful article about Ojai Mystique in Ojai Quarterly magazine.

Catalog and Merchandise

We once again produced a beautiful catalog featuring all the paintings in the exhibition. (To inquire about having a catalog shipped to you, email info@ojaivalleymuseum.org.) We also filled the museum store with Ojai Mystique mugs, sketchbooks, colored pencil sets, note cards, magnets, and puzzles. Visit the museum to get yours while supplies last!

Opening Weekend

The opening weekend events included a ticketed preview reception, a public opening reception, a private dinner for the participating artists, a downtown paint-out open to all local artists, and a panel discussion with three of the participating artists.

April 16: Ticketed Preview Reception

Tickets for this exclusive preview reception included a walkthrough of the exhibition by master framer, Chris Kirkegaard. (He made several of the frames in the show.)

April 17: Public Opening Reception

This reception was free to attend for all museum visitors.

April 17: Private Dinner for Participating Artists

This event was sponsored and hosted by Sarah Meeker Jensen FAIA.

April 18: Downtown Paint Out

This event included participating artists and was also open to local artists. I didn’t take many photos because I was painting!

April 18: Panel Discussion

This discussion was led by three of our participating artists: Michael Obermeyer, Wendy Wirth, and Carolyn Lord.

Later Events

Throughout the 16 weeks that Ojai Mystique was on display, we invited some of the artists to present talks and demonstrations to enhance the experiences of visitors to the show. These included:

• April 26: Town Talk by husband and wife Ian Roberts and Anne Ward
• May 15: Painting demonstration by Anne Ward
• May 31: Town Talk by Sarah Vedder
• June 19: Painting demonstration by Steven Curry
• June 28: Town Talk and exhibition walkthrough by master framer Chris Kirkegaard
• July 17: Painting demonstration by Frank Serrano
• July 26: Town Talk by John Nava

It was an honor to be involved with the planning of Ojai Mystique and to hear how much viewers enjoyed it. Lots of people visited multiple times to soak in the beauty that these artists captured from our Ojai Valley surroundings. It’s not often that a group of paintings celebrate a particular area at one point in time, but that’s what this show accomplished. Some of the paintings sold and went home with excited collectors. Others will move to other venues to carry the beauty of the Ojai Valley further afield.

Thank you to those of you who attended the show and events. I hope it will linger in your memory for years to come as a special tribute to the beauty of the Ojai Valley.