A Trip Inside Omega Mart at Las Vegas, Nevada

Lex sez:

Las Vegas has always had a reputation for pushing and breaking boundaries, for stretching the possibilities of what you can legally experience in America. If that can be done in Las Vegas with gambling and other forms of entertainment, why not an immersive art experience? That is the challenge that Meow Wolf, an arts collective based in Santa Fe, rose to when they opened Omega Mart at Area 15 in Las Vegas in February 2021. Neek, Sar and I couldn’t wait to discover what it was all about!

Old California

We’ve always been fascinated by the tales of old California.  People coming from all over the world in search of gold and silver, fertile lands to farm, or just to create a home for a new generation of Californians.  

Lex, Sar and I visited the Ojai Museum in Ojai, California just recently.  Ojai is a unique little sanctuary of resort spas, a small shopping precinct, a world famous music festival, well-known spiritual center, and was home to a now deceased centenarian artist, Beatrice Wood.

To get to know the area, we visited the Ojai Museum housed in a former Catholic Church.  It was charming but also very informative.  We were delighted by the exhibit that is currently on display about the former inhabitants of the area.

Mama Dada?

The founder of AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)  She decided to create the organization when she observed a retired teacher living in a chicken coop because it was all that she could afford on her pension.

Remnants and relics of the former Catholic Church

Edward Libbey founder of the Libbey Glass Company was fond of Ojai and helped in beautifying the downtown district in the 1920’s

A special exhibit of the valley inhabitants during the Rancho Era and their descendants

The Legend of Zorro was inspired by Joaquin Murrieta

Yes, a relative of that famous Cuban Congo player, Desi Arnaz of “I Love Lucy” fame.

A hair wreath

Tales of Old California and perhaps some gossip?

Well, we hope you enjoyed this visit as much as we did.  We couldn’t fit all of the wonderful exhibits in this post but perhaps we will visit again in the future.

Ojai Museum:

​Sun 12n-4pm, Tues-Sat 10a-4pm
Suggested donation: $5 adults, $1 children 6-18
Free: current members, under 6
and, through Labor Day,  military members and their families
Address: 130 W. Ojai Ave

That’s From Disneyland! – Disneyland Memorabilia Pop-Up Exhibit and Auction

Neek sez:

Every summer, my Mom and Dad would take us to Disneyland.  We had choices of visiting Knotts Berry Farm or Universal Studios or even Magic Mountain but Sar and I always choose Disneyland.

So much has changed at the park throughout the years and Lex, Sar and I have missed seeing some of the attractions from our childhood so when we heard that a Disneyland Memorabilia Pop-Up Exhibit was being held right nearby our home, we just had to visit.

Richard Kraft who is the collector partnered with Van Eaton Galleries to create a pop-up exhibit of his collection before it goes to auction.  The exhibit will be open from August 1 to August 26, 2018 and the auction will take place on August 24 to 26.

A Journey to Salvation Mountain – Desert Views Road Trip Part 2

Neek sez:

Leonard Knight must have been very impressed when he saw a hot air balloon fly near his home in Vermont in 1971.  When he later moved to Nebraska, he built his own balloon with the words, “God is Love” but never got it to fly.  Finally in 1984, Leonard moved to a remote desert town in California called Niland and decided this would be the place to build his testimonial to God.

Four years into building his mountain, Leonard Knight’s hard work crumbled into a heap of sand and rubble.  Although Leonard originally wanted to make his structure from concrete, the material was very expensive and he began mixing sand into it to stretch it out.  The sand caused the instability. 

Giant Cement Statues from Weird, California – Road Trip Day 10 Ep.28

Neek sez:

My sister, Sar gave me a book years ago called “Weird California”.  I thought it was a great title for a book considering I have always thought that California was a little off.  Anyways, it’s also inspired me to go out and find some of the strange, unique, creative and “weird” stuff that I have a tendency to be attracted to.  The Giant Cement Statues of Auburn, California is definitely one of them.

A series of nude concrete sculptures were created by a dentist named Dr. Kenneth Fox.  He was completely self-taught and began building the massive statues in the late 1960’s when he was in his 40’s.  At the time, he was assisted by two of his three high school aged sons.

Burning Man at Reno Playa Art Park in Reno, Nevada – Road Trip Day 9 Ep.24

Neek sez:

Burning Man is a seven-day event in the Black Rock desert 100 miles (161 kilometers) north of Reno, Nevada.  Aside from the wild night festivities and highly creative interactive artwork, Burning Man is a world renown Art event culminating in the burning a giant effigy on the last evening.  

I have never been to Burning Man and truthfully, the clothing optional aspects of it intimidate the hell out of me.  The artwork and designs of the temporary structures fascinate my aesthetic imagination, therefore, it was to my delight that some of the smaller artwork from the 2016 Burning Man is displayed at Reno Playa Art Park. Looking at the sculptures, it’s evident that Burning Man is a person who is stepping out to the beat of their own drummer.

St. Augustine, The Oldest Catholic Church in Nevada – Road Trip Day 8 Ep.19

Neek sez:

With a glint in her eye and an infectious laugh, the lady at the Trading Post who stamped our Highway 50 booklets continued on with her story about the abandoned buildings in Austin, Nevada.  The owner of the Main Street Shops who had to sell because of her son’s illness also owned the St. Augustine’s Catholic Church.  She had deeded the church to the St. Augustine’s Cultural Center for them to renovate and restore for its use.  The shopkeeper told us that it was abandoned for now and that we should go take a look.

Typical of many old mining towns, the building was situated on a steep hill so Sar decided to stay in the car and take a nap.  Lex and I huffed and puffed our way up the road to see an imposing red brick church with a beautiful tall white steeple.

One of the World’s Largest Artists’ Colony – The Brewery Complex in Downtown Los Angeles

Neek sez:

I always had a fantasy of living the artist’s lifestyle in a garret somewhere cold;  living and working passionately in a tiny studio, loving my soul mate and dying of a disease.  Oh wait!  That’s La Boheme isn’t it? or if you’re into the contemporary version, Rent.  Actually, artist colonies do exist in Los Angeles although being a bit more livable, healthier, and much warmer.

One of the Longest Murals in the World – The Great Wall of Los Angeles

Lex sez:

Walking along the Tujunga Wash concrete basin in the San Fernando Valley community of Valley Glen, Neek and I were impressed with the enormity of the mural painted on the 13 feet high concrete sides.   This is The Great Wall of Los Angeles, one of the longest murals in the world at 2,754 feet (839.42 meters) in length, stretching over six city blocks!  Officially titled The History of California, this amazing work of art reminded me thematically of the book A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

For those of you who have not read it, A People’s History of the United States is not just a history book; it is a rich tapestry of stories spotlighting groups of people often neglected in ‘official’ history books. 

The Preserved 1920’s Mansion of Western Movie Star, William S. Hart

Lex sez:

When Neek and I first walked into the William S. Hart Museum foyer, two immediate impressions of the man formed for me: his love of art and his love of the Old West.  This 10,000 square foot Spanish Colonial Revival style mansion completed in 1927 was designed by Arthur Roland Kelly, who was also responsible for designing the Arthur Letts, Jr. estate in Holmby Hills, more popularly known as The Playboy Mansion where Hugh Hefner lives.  I noticed that along the spiral staircase leading up to the second story, there were beautiful paintings of Western motifs.  It seemed very inviting, but Neek and I decided to explore downstairs first.

Usually they have guided tours, but Neek and I happened to arrive on a day where they were presenting the place “open house style.”