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Take a short drive to upper Ojai on Hwy 150, and turn left at the pink mailbox. Follow the country road to the top of the hill, and you have arrived at the Beatrice Wood Center For the Arts. Beatrice Wood was a legendary Ojai artist who was a painter, sculpture, and writer, but who became world famous as a ceramicist. Aside from the permanent exhibit, the gallery features special exhibits, workshops, musical guests, performing arts, stunning views, and a gift shop. Beatrice Wood was an important contemporary artist, craftperson and writer. Her life ran the course of the 20th century and included many of the figures that shaped it. Ultimately, her genius was in the marriage of wide-ranging influences in her work. The spirit of Dadaism, impact of Modernism, embrace of Eastern philosophy, influence of folk art and even the ornament of ethnic jewelry were all combined in her ceramics. Her work reveals a mastery of form, combined with a preference for the naïveté of folk art. Ultimately, it is impossible to separate her life experiences from the work she created, as she truly mastered the art of a life.
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