Additional Information

Atrium Gallery
Interior & Exterior
Capacities and Resources

INTRODUCTION & OVERVIEW
The Ventura County Government Center is first and foremost a public work place where the public comes to conduct business. The County has provided indoor and outdoor space for the display of artwork under the management of the Ventura County Arts Council. Because the facilities provided are in public work areas artwork displayed must not conflict with the working environment.

INDOOR FACILITIES

ARTWORK DISPLAY CAPACITY

Wall-hung Work – Typical Exhibits: 70 – 100 works
Main Plaza Floor: 20 – (35 using Assessor’s Hallway)
3rd Floor: 12 – 15
4th Floor: 40 – 50
Double hanging some work: 120
Crammed Packed Employee show using “auxiliary” walls: 200 artworks

3-Dimentional Work
Large Work: 3 – 9
3 on gallery pedestals
5 – 6 on artist-supplied pedestals or free-standing work set on the floor
Small Work: 15 – 30
15 under 3 Lucite Cubes on 3 gallery pedestals;
10-15 under 60” long assembled Lucite box placed on gallery folding table

NOTE: Work located on the floor between gallery pedestals may have to be relocated on sudden notice by the County staff for other functions.

WALL DISPLAY SPACE

The wall areas described below may have thermostats and other small “obstructions” that can usually be worked around. Some wall sections are flanked by signs, emergency equipment, and display materials. Three-dimensional work generally can be hung from the walls if it does not project more than 12” from the wall.

Main Plaza Floor (103’ readily available, plus 75’ available periodically with permits)
Ceiling height generally 8’ but walls near the Public Hearing Room entrance reach 11’

South Wall (Public Hearing Room area): 12’, 21’ (cream-colored grainy vinyl covering)

West Wall (restroom area): 7’, 18’ (brown “carpeted” walls)

Elevator Alcove: 12’ (cream-colored grainy vinyl covering)

West Wall (Assessor’s Hallway): 5’, 22’ (cream-colored grainy vinyl covering)

Auxiliary Space (East Entrance Walls) – 75’ (brown carpeted walls) special permits required NOTE: Wind through entrance doors can be strong and affect displays.
North Wall – 40’ normally used for informational displays
South Wall – 35’ periodically available for special art displays such as installations

3rd Floor (41’) Ceiling height consistently 8’
Elevator Alcove: 12’, 4’ (cream-colored grainy vinyl covering)

West Wall (restroom area): 7’, 18’ (brown “carpeted” walls)

4th Floor (150’) Ceiling height consistently 8’ (All walls cream-colored grainy vinyl covering)
Elevator Alcove: 12’, 8’

North Wall: 10’

East Wall: 25’, 7’

South Wall: 15’

West Wall: 10’, 54’, 5’, 4’

Auxiliary Space: 42’ of brown carpeted walls – adjoining Executive Office waiting rooms. Office staff typically select art from current shows/exhibits to display for 6-7 weeks.
CEO – 18’;
County Counsel – 24’

TOTALS: 288’ always available
330’ with adjacent executive waiting rooms
405’ total available with special permission

FREE-STANDING (3-D) DISPLAY SPACE
PEDESTALS
3 circular pedestals 4’ in diameter and 34” tall

ADDITIONAL FREE-STANDING DISPLAY SPACE
There is space next to the escalator interspersed between two fixed round pedestals where free-standing work can be located. The two segments are approximately 25’ and 15’ long x 5’ deep. Free-standing work can be placed in these areas, or mounted on the artist’s own pedestals placed in these areas. HOWEVER, County staff may require any art displayed in this area to be removed with little notice.

OTHER OPTIONAL DISPLAY AREAS
(Special Permits Required)

GLASS RAILINGS & PANELS
The glass railings on the 3rd and 4th floors are about 5’ in length with ½” gaps between them. Cable, and monofilament line can be threaded through the gaps to support work that can hang down hang over the glass or the concrete band below the glass panels. Work cannot hang down so far that it can be easily touched by passers-bye on the lower floor. Some work has been stuck to the glass panels.

OVERHEAD HANGING OPTIONS
GSA has allowed light-weight work to be suspended on cables and wooden dowels that are attached to the metal cap on top of the glass railings. The cables and dowels run across the corners of the railings so artwork appears to be suspended in mid air. There is one wire cable in place at all times on the 3rd floor that spans the SW corner of the glass railing. Some work has been suspended across the open atrium and tied-off on the glass railings.

FREE-STANDING WORK IN THE SEATING AREA ON MAIN PLAZA FLOOR
Slender free-standing work has been displayed in the seating area adjacent to sofas, and tables where the work would not interfere with people moving through the area.

OTHER DISPLAY CONSIDERATIONS
LIGHTING
The Atrium gallery does NOT have “gallery” lighting, except on the upper (4th) floor. The gallery is a workspace first and lit accordingly. Lighting of the walls varies depending on the time of day and time of the year for light coming in through large skylights. Light from overhead lamps varies throughout the gallery and is slowly being replaced with improved lamps.

ELECTRICAL OUTLETS
There are few electrical outlets scattered around the gallery that can be used with special permission. Readily available outlets are on a power strip adjacent to the escalator and free-standing art display area. Timers and motion sensors are generally required to minimize power consumption, and powered artworks must usually be checked-out by an electrical inspector.

OPTIONS FOR MOUNTING WORK ON WALLS
The walls in the gallery cannot be marred or pierced. NO NAILS or hooks can be embedded in the walls. Movable hanging cables with sliding hooks are the common way to mount artwork to walls. Light-weight work can be attached to the carpeted walls with Velcro tabs. Approved double-sided tape can some times hold light-weight work on vinyl covered walls. Museum putty can also be used on non-carpeted surfaces to stabilize work, but the putty has NOT held work to the walls.

HANGING AND DISPLAY HARDWARE INVENTORY

WALL-MOUNTING HARDWARE
Wall-mounted Track – approx. 400’
Load capacity: 300lbs across 6’ length of track

Steel cables (72” long) – 124
Load capacity: 45lbs per cable

Nylon cables – approx. 24
Load capacity: 15lbs per cable

Barrel hooks – 118
Load capacity: 33lbs per hook on steel cable; 15lbs on nylon cable

Smart Spring Hooks – approx 40 (not for nylon cable) Load capacity: 8.8lbs per hook

Spreader bars for work suspended from two cables (can be fabricated if necessary)

Museum Putty – limited supply to stabilize work on vinyl walls

Adhesive Tape (3M spongy 2-sided) – limited supply to attach labels and light-weight work to vinyl walls

Hook & Loop Tape – limited supply to attach labels and light-weight work to carpeted walls

Adhesive Weather Stripping – Used to stabilize double hung work on same cable

THREE DIMENSIONAL DISPLAY MATERIALS
Display case – 1 – 72” long x 24” wide x 24” tall plastic case that must be assembled and fits on a standard folding table provided by the County. Typically used for small items.

Lucite Cubes – 3 – Lucite cubes: 34” x 34” x 24” tall; 32” x 32” x 23” tall; 30” x 30” x 18” tall
These “cubes” can sit on the above-described round pedestals or on standard folding card tables (not provided by the VCAC)

Small tri-pod stands approx. 18” tall (black metal tubes) – 3

Cardboard “bricks” (big & small) to elevate small work under Lucite cubes – 18

Display cloths – 3 for pedestals, 1 for 3’ x 6’ folding table (black); other colors – 4

Display panels – 24 free-standing metal mesh 3’x 6’ (in two 3’x3’ sections) stored in warehouse

Stanchions – 8 black plastic stanchions with 8’ lengths of plastic chain to cordon-off free-standing work or other displays.

TOOLS
The VCAC has tools, equipment, and supplies to assist with the installation of art shows. The principle tools include a step stool, and 3 “Magic Wands” to move and adjust the hanging cables.

COME PREPARED
Artists’ work should be rigged for display mindful of the limitations cited above. The VCAC has a limited number of tools and materials to improvise with and we can almost always get work installed. If you have an unusual piece of work check with the Gallery Coordinator as soon as possible. CLICK HERE (or see reference in applicable Call to Artists)

AD HOC ART INSTALLATIONS
Special art installations that do not interfere with on-going scheduled art exhibits and shows, and which do not disturb the work environment can be installed for limited periods, generally up to 2 months. These have included work suspended from overhead cables in the atrium, colored yarn strung between floors and across the atrium; and pieces on an entrance wall. CLICK HERE to contact the Gallery Coordinator by email to discuss your idea.

EXTERIOR FACILITIES

LONG-TERM SCULPTURE PAD – This is located in a red-rock covered landscape area on the east side of the Hall of administration. Artwork must be ground mounted and meet Building and Safety standards. Generally work under 6’ tall and 400 lbs. does not need a permit. Work can usually remain in place from 6 to 12 months with possible time extensions.

OTHER AD HOC LOCATIONS – Used previously for periods of 2 to 6 months.
Water fountain – floating work and water powered kinetic work
Palm Trees – “floating” items on lines between trees
Coral Trees – items were suspended from branches in the trees
Landscape areas – vignettes were installed in areas near the gallery entrance

CHECK WITH GALLERY COORDINATOR – If you have an idea if you an art concept you would like to install. Email Gallery Coordinator.

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