Upcoming events.
Psychedelic Writing: Tripping Down the Rabbit Hole
Psychedelic Writing: Tripping Down the Rabbit Hole, with Dr. Michael Pearce — California Lutheran University
To celebrate the success of our first year, we will be throwing an orchestrated performance party that includes featured poets and speakers doing creative renditions of poetry, songs, and book excerpts that were written by writers on psychedelics.
Live psychedelic music, composed by one of Camarillo’s well-known instrumentalists, will put you into an altered state where some of your best writing is hidden, waiting to pour out from your pen. No psychedelic or writing experience needed for this special event!
Michael Pearce is the curator of Studio Channel Islands’ newest exhibit — Calidelic Psychefornia — showing from October 4th – December 13th. The exhibition explores the 50-year history of the psychedelic art movement. He will share stories with us about the artists in this exhibit and his own journey through this magical realm. Host Mark Waldman and Dr. Pearce will introduce you to stream-of-consciousness writing by letting the artwork speak to you in unexpected ways.
Cost: Free! Bring a shareable food or drink if you’d like & please RSVP: markwaldman3@gmail.com
When: Wednesday, December 3, 2025 — 6:30PM
Where: Studio Channel Islands Art Center — 2222 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, CA 93010
Poetry as Transformation: A Workshop for Personal Change
Writers in the Gallery meets on the first Wednesday of each month with rotating hosts covering various literary topics. We conduct experiential workshops to inspire writers , and non-writers, of all genres – fiction, nonfiction, memoir, poetry, storytelling, etc. – to improve the quality of their work. Learn more about Writers programming: https://writersinthegallery.com/
Poetry as Transformation: A Workshop for Personal Change, with Nathan Hassall — Poet Laureate of Malibu (2023-25)
Poetry is transformation: a dream that shines a light on our shadows. It asks us to see the world not just with our eyes, but with our hearts, our guts, our skin. It interrupts old rhythms creating a new awareness of the living flow of all things. In this workshop, we will use meditation, deep listening, and intuitive writing to find words we’ve never put on paper before, or spoken aloud to others. This experiential workshop is for writers and non-writers: for anyone who wants to begin the dance with what stirs within, and attune themselves to the pulse of language. Find the words that only you can write, with the power to transform your life.
Nathan Hassall served as the Poet Laureate of Malibu, California from 2023 to 2025, and he is the founder of The Poetry Vessel, a multidisciplinary podcast seeking the poetic across all disciplines, and has hosted numerous workshops throughout his time living in the US. His poems, which explore dreams, altered states, and the natural world, are widely published in journals including Moria, Luna Luna, Anti-Heroin Chic, and The Inflectionist Review. He splits his time between the US and his home country, England.
Cost: Free! Bring some food or drink to share & please RSVP: markwaldman3@gmail.com
When: Wednesday, November 5, 2025 — 6:30PM
Where: Studio Channel Islands Art Center — 2222 Ventura Boulevard, Camarillo, CA 93010
LAND + SKY Exhibition + Concert
Land + Sky is an invitation to observe, reflect, discuss, and deepen our connection to place through art and music.
Artists from a variety of disciplines are invited to participate in an annual summer Artists Residency at Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte to learn about the property, immersing themselves in its history, ecology and agricultural practices and cross-pollinating with the other artists. The installations and performances created from this residency’s inspiration are then on view for one week of school tours, and one day of public access, in the fall.
Experience the art and musical offerings of 2025’s eight Land+Sky Artists In Residence, surrounded by the spectacular grounds, botanical gardens, and historic property that is Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte on Saturday, October 25, 2025 — Tickets
Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte is nearby the former site of the ancient Chumash settlement, Sa'aqtik'oy, now known as Saticoy, a Spanish Land Grant territory, and one of the oldest continuously farmed properties in Ventura County. It is also home to Thomas Lloyd-Butler's extensive botanical gardens and over 1000 endangered species of plants and animals.
Land + Sky is about creating dialogues; between art and science, commerce and ecology, ranchers and our community, cultures and eras. As we move through this period of ecological and economic change, a key to resilience is the kind of experiential learning that community-based arts organizations such as Studio Channel Islands Art Center is uniquely positioned to provide.
When: Saturday, October 25, 2025 — 10AM - 3PM: Exhibition + Garden Tours + Workshops | 3PM - 5:30PM: Art + Concert on the Lawn
Cost: $25-$85 — Tickets
Where: Rancho Santa Clara Del Norte — 7312 W Los Angeles Ave. Somis, CA 93066
Studio Channel Islands Art Center, the co-host of Land + Sky, is a 501c3 non profit arts organization dedicated to bringing together artists and community for extraordinary artistic encounters that enrich, educate, and entertain. Learn more about Studio Channel Islands (SCIart), which includes two art galleries, 40 artists studios, and an outdoor exhibition and event space, on our Programs page.