Conejo Valley Art Museum History

The Conejo Valley Art Museum, a non profit corporation, opened in 1978 with “Navajo Rugs” as its first exhibit in a donated space at the Janss Mall. The impetus for a museum in the Conejo was the successful Claire Falkenstein sculpture exhibit provided by the Arts Council Cultural Center in 1975.

About twenty artists, teachers, and business people organized CVAM in 1976. In its first five years the Museum presented 35 exhibits, including Prehistoric Indian Pottery, Guatemalan Folk art, California Landscapes of the twenties, and Early American and Contemporary Quilts. CVAM showed the work of Mark Tobey, Arthur Dove, Robert Rauchenberg, Tony Berlant, Christo, the photos of Edward Curtis, Ansel Adams, Alfred Stieglitz, and Walker Evans.

In 1985 the CVAM moved into a small space in the old Conejo Library (Wilbur building) at the City’s invitation. The Museum expanded to l600 sq. feet. in 1990. The Museum operated the Wilbur Gallery in an arrangement with other art groups, and with the City’s annual purchase award shows.

The CVAM continued to present six to seven shows a year, covering the arts of the East as well as the West. The Museum has hosted Serigraphy of the Fifties and Sixties, the National Watercolor Society, Society of Illustrators of LA, Potters, Vivika and Otto Heino, and other top names. The Museum presents lectures, films, and videos, classes and performance art. In the fall of 1990, CVAM presented an award winning film festival by Michael Hagopian.

In 1990 the City of Thousand Oaks sold the Wilbur Building. On a donated space of 5,000 sq. feet at the Janss Mall, and with the generosity of the Janss Corporation, the Museum was able to open March l0, 1991 with “Artists as Reporter”. This exhibit featured David Rose from Los Angeles, Howard Brodie from San Francisco (whose works are in the Library of Congress), and Elizabeth Williams of New York.

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While the Museum is no longer at the Janss Mall, we look forward to a new location sometime in the future.  If you'd like to help the Museum with a location or other assistance, please reach out to us!  We'd love to talk to you!