WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective Announces Grand Opening at New Main Street Ventura Location

WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective Announces Grand Opening at New Main Street Ventura Location

Native Santa Barbara resident, Ben Pecorari, invites the Santa Barbara and Ventura communities to a Grand Opening celebration of his new art gallery and community event space, WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective on December 3rd and 4th.

A natural born artist with a challenging past, Pecorari has spent years determining his true life’s passion. He has explored a variety of creative endeavors including photography, painting, tattooing, music, and bartending. Although he’s found joy in his work, he never felt truly fulfilled until after a year of soul searching with local Ojai spiritual teacher and podcaster Jaymee Carpenter (also known as, Love is The Author). Pecorari is now channeling his interests into a compelling new passion project, WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective, which opens Saturday, December 3rd at 208 East Main Street in Ventura.

Pecorari’s goal for WANTS / NEEDS is to bring together art and artists from across creative fields and mediums to collaborate and draw inspiration from one another, while also providing a space for artists to showcase their work and allow the community the opportunity to experience this work.

WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective will function as an art gallery; vintage and curated store; pop-up events, live music and entertainment space; as well as a place for spiritual practice. Pecorari is determined to make WANTS / NEEDS a place for people of all ages and backgrounds to gather. “It’s meant to be a safe space for everybody. I want it to be a place for the community to get inspired and feel at home and welcome,” says Pecorari.

Pecorari also plans to have a youth outreach component to the space through youth mentorship programs, in addition to hosting events, shows, workshops and classes open to all ages. “It’s just ridiculous to have all these venues that are “21 and over only.” I can’t tell you the amount of shows I’ve gone to and stood outside to listen to the band I wanted to see because I wasn’t old enough to go inside. So it’s very important to me that our space, and the events we host, be open and accessible to everyone,” said Pecorari.

The WANTS / NEEDS art gallery will feature renowned artists from around the country whose work wouldn’t otherwise be showcased in the Santa Barbara/Ventura area, as well as works by local artists, many of whom have become close friends of Pecorari over the years. Pecorari has secured long-time friend and Santa Barbara artist, Jean-Dwight “Dewey” Ledbetter, of Ledbetter Framing, as the in-house framer for the gallery. Ledbetter’s custom framing services will be available to all featured artists to use at a wholesale rate for WANTS / NEEDS shows. Pecorari has also tapped into his relationships with art friends and mentors to help with the business concepting, branding, and design. Santa Fe based tattoo artist, Zac Scheinbaum, who Pecorari was originally introduced to through a friend and former colleague from Good Lion Hospitality Group, has been especially influential. Scheinbaum introduced Pecorari to influential artists for the project, including Oakland based designer and Creative Director, Cherish Prieditis, who is doing much of the graphic design work for the company, including the logo. The WANTS / NEEDS branded merchandise has been designed by Prieditis and printed by Santa Barbara County local screen-printer, Garrett Gerstenberger of High Desert Print Co. Additionally, Santa Barbara artist, Michael Matheson, did all of the hand painted signage for the WANTS / NEEDS space and will provide the in-house design services for featured WANTS / NEEDS artists, such as custom merchandise.

The first WANTS / NEEDS show, “Duality,” will be revealed during the Grand Opening, featuring the work of New Jersey based tattoo artist Robert Ryan. Ryan’s paintings are representative of his iconic style, merging his spiritual influence from his Hare Krishna beliefs with more traditional American tattoo art style. This first WANTS / NEEDS show will run for eight weeks and then all subsequent shows will be on display for six weeks. In addition to the original art collection available for purchase as part of each show, there will also be limited edition prints and various merchandise available.

The weekend-long Grand Opening celebration of WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective will begin at 5pm on Saturday, December 3rd with an opening blessing by Tibetan Spiritual Teacher, Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, followed by opening remarks and introductions by Pecorari and a guided meditation by Jaymee Carpenter. After the mediation Carpenter will be interviewing featured artist Robert Ryan along with Lama Lhanang. Beginning at 7pm attendees of the celebration will have the opportunity to view the Duality gallery exhibition by Robert Ryan, while enjoying food provided by newly opened Ventura based cafe, Kaapicat Cafe and Indian inspired mocktails by local Santa Barbara craft cocktail mixologist, Holden Dannelly of Great Job Cocktail Company until 10pm.

The opening celebration will continue on Sunday, December 4th with a Ganesha Puja ceremony by Robert Ryan at 10am, followed by a live episode of “Love is The Author” podcast, titled “Dharma Art,” by Jaymee Carpenter, featuring Ryan and Lama Lhanang Rinpoche, beginning at 12pm.

The Grand Opening weekend will be captured by Los Angeles based photographer, Robb Klassen, who previously photographed Pecorari’s local Santa Barbara band, The Phone Booth.

More information about the Grand Opening celebration, as well as recap photos from the weekend will be posted to the WANTS / NEEDS Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/wantsneedsventura/

Following the Grand Opening weekend, WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective will be open 5 days a week Wednesdays – Fridays from 11am – 6pm and from 10am – 6pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The gallery will also be open by appointment only, on Mondays and Tuesdays.

For more information on how WANTS / NEEDS came to be, visit the Love is The Author podcast episode, WANTS / NEEDS featuring an interview with Pecorari: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/coming-soon-wants-needs/id1515059329?i=1000577407695

About WANTS / NEEDS Community Arts Collective
Founded by Santa Barbara native and multi-disciplined artist, Ben Pecorari, WANTS / NEEDS is a curated concept space created to inspire the community by shedding light on unconventional, unique and renowned makers and artists. WANTS / NEEDS features an art gallery of rotating shows, curated vintage and wholesale products, limited edition prints, as well as handmade goods. The space also functions as a hub for pop-up events, entertainment, workshops, classes, and a place for spiritual practice. WANTS / NEEDS focuses on being an inclusive, welcoming, accessible and inspirational convergence of creativity, while expanding art application, ownership and appreciation. Learn more at: https://www.wntsnds.com/