OJAI ARTISTS FEATURED IN RAFFLE

 Ted Gall, Otto Heino, and Sherry Loehr, three of Ojai’s best known artists, have contributed works to the Ojai Education Foundation (OEF) for its Garden of Knowledge Raffle.

Ted Gall has contributed a metal sculpture especially designed and named “The Garden of Knowledge”. In his inimitable layered style, Ted has constructed the head of a wise owl, hinged to open and reveal the head of a man, which in turn opens to reveal an owl reading to several human figures.
Ted is a prolific sculptor. Working every day on his series of fantastical bronze heads that open to reveal dreams and scenes inside, his mind is racing ahead to the next twenty ideas. Ted's sculptures are signed originals....not editions. Each piece opens at least once and many open twice. Each has a theme. Ted's sculpture is included in many public and private collections and he has won numerous awards at art shows throughout the country.

Otto Heino has contributed a wonderful pottery vase, with a special pale yellow glaze used by ancient Chinese potters. The formula for the glaze had been lost, but Otto spent over 10 years re-creating the formula. Otto turned down a huge sum from the Chinese government for the formula. Otto may be the oldest (at 90) working potter in the US, and he is certainly one of the best. Originally from New Hampshire, Otto served in World War II as a waist gunner on a B-17 bomber and survived 40 bombing missions over Europe. Otto's work is collected world-wide and has been exhibited internationally at numerous important museums.

Sherry Loehr has contributed a beautiful giclée mono print on canvas of one of her paintings entitled “Tulips and Pinks”. Starting her career as a junior high and high school art teacher in Colorado, Sherry Loehr experimented with pottery in her spare time, and developed a whimsical and very successful line of tableware. This was followed by a line of terra-cotta dinnerware decorated in black-and-white designs. She and her husband moved to Ojai in 1985, and she took community college classes and discovered her passion and talent for painting. From Sherry’s website:” I create an imaginary environment for the things I see. I want to isolate them, to study, perhaps just two pears or a single branch of loquats. I enjoy the simplicity, the spareness of a few objects, carefully observed”.

Raffle ticket donation is $25, or 5 tickets for $100. Tickets may be purchased in Ojai at Table of Contents, Tottenham Court, Human Arts, Kristy’s Nails, Contempo, and Adventure for Kids (Ventura). Three winning tickets will be drawn at the Garden of Knowledge Event September 16, 2006. Winners need not be present.

Proceeds from the raffle will benefit the Ojai Education Foundation, a community-based, nonprofit organization that promotes excellence in public education by building community support and providing resources to our schools. For more information, visit www.ojaief.org or call Marty Fujita 805.646.4412.

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