Category: Arts & Entertainment

March is Women’s History month! An opportune time to highlight women for their contributions. So let’s recognize a special woman and spotlight one of the unsung heroes here at Ventura College. It’s my honor to introduce the Art Professor and new Chair of the Department, Sharla Fell. This is Sharla’s first year as Chair and I have to say that she has hit the ground running. A true inspiration, considering Professor Fell has been here for 25 years, as a single mother of two, working her way up at Ventura College. From the beginning as an emergency fill-in then a part time Art instructor to full time, faculty member and the new Chair. Her subjects are as follows; Drawing, Intermediate Drawing, 2D Design, Color Theory, Photoshop, Digital Photography, Design for Multimedia, Intro to Multimedia, Fashion Design and Art Appreciation. In charge now of a team of incredibly talented Art instructors, Sharla’s hard work and dedicated roles have lifted her to a much deserved position as Art Professor and Department Chair. 

Sharla has a unique and natural poise, grace and style about her. When I first met her years ago, I instantly thought of Martha Stewart. Oddly enough they are both from the North East part of the U.S. “Beautiful, incredibly beautiful area of rural and farmland. Farms and natural beauty, it was magical. Both my Grandparents were farmers, it was a wonderful place to start,” says Sharla as she began to share her nostalgic birth place and describe her enchanting childhood in Central New York, The Big Lake, Finger Lakes. Years later, during elementary school she, her parents and siblings, all five of them moved to Chicago. “It was a big change from the farmlands but it was also amazing. Because my parents were both minors in music. We took advantage of the things in Chicago like the Arts and Science Museums, and the Planetarium. It was a really amazing place to grow up, the experiences were incredibly rich.” Recalls Sharla. 

She grew up submerged in the Arts. Not only were both her parents classical musicians but her Father was an Engineer, Mother an Artist and Art teacher and Grandmother an Opera singer. Sharla’s family life was bursting at the seams with brilliance and creativity. Imagine an environment inventively vibrant, continuous song, music, museum visits, art projects going on in the everyday surroundings of home. In a flourishing community and city of diversity and Art, San Francisco. Her mother even had a ceramics and painting studio in the basement. “It was like forced labor during the holidays, we were all down there pulling screens, printing cards and making Christmas stuff like crazy,” laughed Sharla. Clearly her creative inspiration in the Arts began as early as she can remember. 

When I asked her, “when did you know you were an Artist?” she answered quickly, “last year.” Sharla does not lack a witty sense of humor. She is a well balanced, shining example of strength, elegance, persistence and dedication. Not only as a well educated, hard working professional woman but as a compassionate single Mother. 

Her upbringing was delightful and things were not always a flowery Hallmark story. Adult life has its challenges for us all. During her 20’s, Sharla began College as a music major. Her Grandmother, the Opera singer, had been training her to sing and perform. There was one little issue though, “ I just couldn’t do it, I had so much stage fright, I couldn’t perform,” professed  Sharla. Accordingly she switched in College to Engineering because her Dad was an engineer and she was inherently good at Math. 

From a Music major to Engineering with a Minor in Business she found herself in Arizona and decided to take an Art class for a Humanities credit. Sharla recalls next, “of course I thought, I’ve been doing this all my life, this is where I belong, in the Arts, rather than Engineering.” She was around 21 years old, during her B.A. so she had to add more time to her Art degree and pick up classes. This educational journey took her to a few different Junior Colleges, which she thinks highly of. Sharla attended Chicago, New York and Mesa Arizona Junior College. “They served me well, as I’m teaching in one and have a lot of respect and value for JCs,” Sharla stated. She transferred from Mesa Arizona to Arizona State University and finished earning her Associates in the Arts degree. 

“Then I decided to get a Bachelors in Business, because everyone says you can’t make money in the Arts,” relived Sharla. So she did the logical thing and took her GMAT and got ready to enroll in the Business schools. She recalls the next pivotal moment, “I was sitting at a Mall in Colorado, watching all the women walk by in their business suits and high pumps … .and my thought was, “I don’t want the job that I’m getting the degree for, I just don’t want the job. I can get the degree, I can get into the school but I don’t want the job.” With that realization,  she started applying for MFA programs and just by chance there was a really good one, in textiles, an amazing opportunity and right in her present area. Colorado State, which is where she completed her MA. Not only did Sharla’s continued educational journey encourage her eminent creative soul but throughout Art school she worked as Floral designer to make ends meet. Her life in the Arts was bound to bloom in one way or another. 

Thereafter Sharla moved back to California, to the San Francisco Bay area where she married and started a family. While raising one son, she launched into teaching at the accredited Academy of the Arts in San Francisco. Sharla’s eyes brightened when she exclaimed, “it was really fabulous, really fabulous. My classroom looked out over Alcatraz Island, I loved teaching there.” She later left that job when she had her second son and stayed home with them until they were in Kindergarten. A definitive example of a woman’s passion for teaching and loyalty to her family. 

Ventura County, Ojai CA. Sharla loved the area and she wanted to be closer to her sister who lived there. In 1997 she and her little boys were drawn to Ojai’s natural beauty, nestled in the valley of the Topatopa mountain range and moved there. She didn’t waste any time looking for a job teaching Art. By 1999 Sharla was suddenly led to an emergency fill-in position at Ventura College which soon developed into a part time job. Within 4 years, a full time position became available but it was a position that would merge between the Art department and the Multimedia department. The job requested an MFA, someone with an Art background and someone with savvy computer skills. But due to lack of computer graphic classes offered when Sharla was in College, she would need to swiftly expand her knowledge of computers, by taking Photoshop and Illustrator classes and learning software, understanding it well enough to teach it. “The whole multimedia position was very difficult for me, I spent endless hours studying manuals and learning software, I just studied nonstop,” professed Sharla. But she was understanding computers more than she ever had before and she was preparing for classes she had never taught, nonetheless she was ready. Sharla recalls a friend and faculty member telling her that she had earned another Masters, in multimedia, on her own throughout the endless nights. “And then in 2004, the whole Multimedia was shut down,” recalls Sharla. A cut back but her resilience and wisdom is a force to be reckoned with, her gained computer knowledge would be of great value as she was still able to move over some of her best Multimedia classes, Web Design, Photoshop, and some Graphic Design, moved over to an Art Class. Courses which are still offered today. 

Sharla presently continues to instruct online and in class Art courses as well as her new role as Department Chair. This first year of any new educational position is notorious for being taxing with its endless hours of learning new techniques that are not taught. Yet as you can see from her record, Sharla’s tenacity is unstoppable. I asked her, really how does she manage to juggle multiple projects while meeting the demands and deadlines expected of a Chair? “It’s been challenging to be honest, the administrative kind of work is not what comes naturally, spreadsheets and numbers, it’s not where I live. I’ve avoided excel sheets all these years, I don’t want to deal with them,” Sharla chuckles. She is not alone though, and she is quick to admit her gratitude for her fellow staff. As someone on the outside looking in, I see a genuine team of masterful players, working together, rolling with change, and deeply engaged with guidance and concern for all students. 

“I do rely on our incredible faculty members that we have in our department. I personally should do more but we have people that are professional artists, active in workshops and training, keeping up to date with techniques, gallery owners, art historians progressing, publications and  illustrating of characters. In a way they are doing this for the Art department… I am riding on the success of our full time faculty,” chuckles Sharla. “These are people that are just doing it because they are amazing. I’m really lucky to be working with such talented amazing people.”

There is real sacrifice, as an Artist to be in this position however Sharla shares the joy she feels when she sees things getting done. “It’s nice seeing some changes, the showcases and some changes in the Galleries. I like having a little bit of the  decision making. After being here 25 years, Senior professor now, it’s been wonderful, a great experience and after all these years I get to have the experience of doing things I would have liked to have done.” 

Sharla’s personal Art endeavors and artistic goals have fallen by the wayside as can be expected because she is incredibly devoted to her job. “Some of my own personal interests, like singing and artwork have taken a back seat. Actually I got into the Ojai Studio Artists and I only showed for a year and a half or so and then I took a leave of absence for a year. So I can get a handle on the Chair duties. Finally after all these years I have put up a decent website. I was a single Mom for 25 years, so between full time teaching and being a single Mom, I didn’t get much of my own artwork done,” conveys Sharla.

She humbly mentions in her online website bio that she also, “learned to be an artist by teaching others.” It’s exciting to see her website and social media presence getting more notice and rightfully so as her remarkable art designs take you to a place of nature, enchantment and serene beauty. Artwork that depicts layers of color, texture, and  various mediums that generate natural images of flowers, birds and insects. Please see for yourself and follow the links below to see her sensational Artwork in mixed media, textiles, print, fabric, pastels and paint.

Sharla lights up when sharing the joys she experiences teaching students. She expressed, “so many things.Watching the light bulbs go on, those aha moments, or seeing the progress they make, from the beginning of the semester to the end. And I don’t mean just in art skills, I mean in confidence, excitement, interest or curiosity. I enjoy giving critiques and the experience of a critique with students. Trying to elicit their response, instincts and their response to their work. It’s way more than whether they can draw or paint, it’s something way bigger than that. Critiques ignite their minds. Also I do remind my students that every single thing you see is a design, unless its nature. Somebody had to draw that before it became reality. So this is a place for design.”  

Her fluid teaching style gives students a chance to find their style as well as learn the importance of self discipline and critical thinking. Although she has a curriculum and an outline to follow she likes to let things organically grow and “Let if Morph.” Sharla encourages students to figure things out on their own, listen and apply the instructions. It appears she has found a flourishing balance for her subjects. She does not enable them, or hold their hand and she will give them the grade they deserve. “The hand holding environment is not the way I work. I tell students to do it first on their own. Do what I’ve asked and if you still have questions then ask. And if we need more time on a project, we take it. I will certainly do what I can to help but my philosophy is, you do it first. It’s not a lack of caring, I think probably some of the most important acts of caring is giving our students the ability to find the information themselves and discover something else along the way,” states Sharla.

When it comes to giving advice for students pursuing a life in the Arts, Sharla understands well and shares some words of wisdom. “You gotta want it, and you gotta work hard for it. Like any creative endeavor, that requires a level of talent and something beyond just training. It’s hard to make a living as a musician, artist, novelist, athlete or anything in the arts. I would encourage students to have a backup plan. Museum and Gallery work, sign painting, mural painting and  graphic design is always needed, but there are things out there.” Wise words indeed. 

In this day and age, there is a common concern regarding Artificial Intelligence. Sharla’s worry in this area is more about what it may do to individual creativity and a student’s ability to learn enough responsibility and accountability. Getting out into the world of deadlines and consequences may become more difficult for the youth. “I believe in showing up, showing up and being ready, being prepared” replies Sharla. 

We here at Ventura College we are quite fortunate to have this influence and  guidance. Congratulations Sharla in your new position as Chair and thank you for your compassionate and strong leadership. May your future bear more time and opportunities to explore, create and make more of your own artwork, that you and the world can delight in. “I’m starting with more drawing and painting than I used to. No more Graphic Art and I’m going to say it out loud, “ I’m going to see if I can become an Art Instructor on Cruise ships!” In my retirement, for just one season a year, it could be really fun! It’s just a retirement idea,” Sharla announced, as she gazed up with a smile.

                          Sharlas Instagram Profile  Sharla’s Website