A Place We Call Home

A Place We Call Home, 2023, acrylic, furniture and objects collected from Ventura County residents and local establishments, photographs contributed by community members, and photographic prints culled from the Museum of Ventura County’s archives. A collaboration between Curator Carlos Ortega and the Museum of Ventura County as part of Ventura County: The Place We Call Home, in celebration of their 150th Anniversary.

Drawing from a selection of photographs from the Museum of Ventura County’s archive, this site-specifc installation transforms the museum’s Finch Gallery into a cozy living space in which community members can gather and contemplate their feelings, their memories, and their love of home. 

Over 150 vacant picture frames, gathered from locals, tile the two facing walls. Guests are invited to impart memories to the installation by printing out a photo from their phone that reflects their own notions of home, and adhering them into one of the frames. This serves as a creative act in acknowledging the valued lives of those in our shared environment. With every photo added, the living room becomes a living room, walls quilted with the faces and families who have contributed–by even the simple act of living–to the community. 

This work honors the rich history of Ventura County, the ones who began here, and the ones who continue dwelling in the inheritance.