Posted: Tuesday, May 7th, 2024
Updated: Tuesday, Jul 2nd, 2024
Celebrate X Games Ventura in Color: Local Artist Skateboard Giveaway
Ventura’s art scene is alive and thriving. Local artists transform trash cans into a canvas of beautiful colors, a blank wall into a mural celebrating our hometown, and recycled material into larger-than-life sculptures. You can find art galleries around town, murals on almost every street corner, and artisan pop-up markets on any given weekend in Ventura. There’s a lot of beauty to celebrate in Ventura and we’re lucky to have talented artists to make this town brighter.
Visit Ventura is excited to present a collaboration with six talented local artists to celebrate Ventura’s rich skateboarding history. On a Friday evening, local artists painted side by side to paint skateboards at Art is Passion Gallery, representing the heart and soul of this community. These unique skateboards will be displayed at the Ventura County Fairgrounds during the X Games Ventura 2024 at the Ventura County Fairgrounds! Buy tickets to X Games Ventura 2024 to say hello to the artists and see the skateboards in person. Visit Ventura is proud to showcase local art in front of thousands of international fans, media, and X Games athletes and staff!
Andrew Rodriguez
Andrew’s bright, bold colors are his signature; along with his evident love for his hometown in each piece of art he creates. Originally born in Ventura and raised in Santa Barbara County, Andrew finally found his way back home and back to the beach. Drawing inspiration from his diving and fishing trips with friends out to the Channel Islands National Park, the views up at Grant Park of the city and ocean, and the beach houses by the water in Pierpont — anything and everything is up for grabs when it comes to kickstarting his art process — and luckily, Ventura is full of little moments and things that spark a new idea.
One of his first murals in Ventura, “Westside Wonders” (you can find it on Park Row Ave by the Ventura River Trail) brings together the unique Taco District of the Westside, the historic Ventura Pier, Ventura’s skateboarding history, and of course, surfing (which is a way of life in Ventura). Andrew’s skateboard brings together some of Ventura’s most iconic landmarks — you can enter our giveaway for a chance to take it home with you HERE.
You can follow Andrew on Instagram (@fischerrman).
Allyn Beth Brown
From the Bay Area to now Ventura, Beth’s love for art has followed her every step of the way. Earning a degree in Multimedia and Web Design from the Art Institute of California-San Francisco, Beth pursued a career as a professional web developer/designer for 16 years. At the time, painting was a side gig. It wasn’t until 2020 that Beth’s passion for art became a reality and she decided to quit her job and move to Ventura, doing art full time.
Today, you can find Beth inside her local art gallery, Art is Passion, and creating a tight art community through fun events like Paint & Sips, acrylic coaster making, sea glass art creating, and more. Work from rotating local artists is displayed in the gallery where visitors can purchase and support local art.
Beth’s skateboard brings a quirky, fun-loving spirit that Ventura’s art community is often known for — enter our giveaway for a chance to win the board HERE.
You can learn more about Art is Passion on Instagram (@gallery.artispassion)
Claudia Pardo
When you see Claudia’s art, you can’t help but feel the power behind each piece. Bright and bold colors, a whimsical tone, and strength speak through Claudia’s work. Growing up in Lima, Peru, the ocean has always called her name. When she moved to Ventura over 25 years ago, she found her new home by the sea. Inspired by the sea salt of living by the beach, Ventura’s rich agricultural history, and the strength of women (among other things), Claudia’s art always pops to life.
Her skateboard highlights feminine power and draws inspiration from Ventura’s beautiful nature — enter our giveaway for a chance to win the board HERE.
For six years, Claudia served on the Public Arts Commission; she currently teaches high school Art and Digital Media.
You can keep up with Claudia’s work on Instagram (@everydaybuddha)
Evan Mendel
As you walk down Ventura’s iconic C-Street toward the beach, it’s hard to miss the giant mural on the side of Lu Ross Academy that Evan painted in 2017. Evan has been making his mark in the local community for a long time and in big ways. Painter, muralist, street artist — you name it. His striking figurative art style depicting everyday people that you might see walking along our small beach town streets to unique designs makes Evan’s art truly one of a kind. Heavily influenced by skateboarding and surfing culture (he started surfing at Mondos when he was 12 and skated at Skate Street) along with graffiti, Evan’s skateboard pulls in all of Ventura’s iconic places: the Ventura Avenue, Seaward Avenue, the Anacapa Island arch, and our crashing waves. You can enter our giveaway for a chance to take it home with you HERE.
Ventura’s art community is in the middle of a huge growth era, and Evan is excited to see where it goes — new art galleries along the Ventura Avenue are popping up (he has a few friends who will be featured there).
You can keep up with Evan’s work on Instagram (@awonderfulmistake)
Grant Ensminger
Growth, evolution, and learning: these are some of the major themes Grant lives by as a lifelong artist. And it’s evident in each of his pieces. Influenced all things water —the blue Pacific Ocean and the marine life that lives in it— Grant got the art bug from an early passion and interest in sharks and from there, his evolution in art exploded. Grant was approached by former pro skater Mikey Taylor and shoe company Etnies and those connections opened the doors for Grant to dive deeper into the local skateboard scene and make even more art for companies.
Eventually, Grant decided to take a step back and make art for himself. Today, Grant is constantly feeding his evolution as an artist for himself, his mind, and his soul. And that’s what really matters. Grant’s skateboard is unapologetically Grant — full of passion, thoughtfulness, and passion. You can enter our giveaway for a chance to take it home with you HERE.
You can keep up with Grant’s work on Instagram (@eli.enz.art).
MB Hanrahan
MB Hanrahan is a common name on Ventura’s walls. From the iconic Tortilla Flats mural under the 101 Freeway to the colorful mural on Danny’s Deli, MB is no stranger to the art scene in Ventura. With dozens upon dozens of different types of work under her belt from murals to film to photography, MB grew her roots in the 80s when she found a community of artists at Art City and moved to Ventura to remain by the beach and in our small beach town.
One of the first artists at the Bell Arts Factory, a revamped mattress building-turned-community-based art organization, MB draws inspiration from the entire world around her, focusing on the collaborative experience of creating art and shining a light on important messages of positivity and diversity. Her skateboard pays homage to the Ventura Avenue, an eclectic neighborhood on the west side of Ventura where art, community, amazing food, and history thrive. Enter for a chance to win her skateboard HERE.
You can follow MB’s work on Instagram (@mbhuniverse)
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