Cassandra C. Jones

I have a new solo show up at The Mega Gallery! This space has always been about exhibiting my own work and the many artist friends I hold dear in CA who influence my creative life. That said, I often wear many hats at once, including those of artist and curator. So, as odd as it feels to talk about myself in third person, here goes. “Balloon Animals” is an imagination-activation for the kids and a “despair break” for the adults. It is an affirmation that it is ok to be silly, even in challenging times. It is a room where a bug can be an animal, and a beach ball can be a balloon. A horse can fly, and a spider can be cute. There is hope in helium and endless levity in cat butts. Cassandra C. Jones has been making wallpaper and photo-based digital collage for over two decades. This collection spans twenty years of work, from 2006 to 2026. All prints are produced in limited editions of two. No Artificial Intelligence was used in the making of these animals. Located in the Ojai Arcade Plaza at 221 G Matilija St, Ojai, CA 93023, between Serendipity Toys and the Sunday Farmers market.

The Mega Gallery is closed for installation and will re-open in a few days (April 24th-ish), with “Balloon Animals” by Cassandra C. Jones In the meantime, please enjoy this review from the thoughtful and topical Santa Barbara Substack, Beachtown Bohemia. Optimism in Ojai Joel Fox's spinners at The Mega Gallery are my drug of choice The Writer: Olivia Joffrey @oliviajoffrey The Artist: Joel Fox @joeldepartment The Designer: Louise Sandhaus @lulusandhaus The Curator: Cassandra C. Jones @jpegmountain

For my current exhibition, I wanted to help create an experience that acknowledges this time and the helplessness I feel in not being able to stop what is happening in our country and abroad. Many times a day, I am asked, “How are you doing?” and I say, “Good.” But I don’t really feel good. I am actually scared, angry, and in disbelief at how far this has all gone. With that in mind, I’ve invited my friend Liz Haley, who invited her friend Shannon Algeo, to host a special event in the gallery. Both are psychotherapists, group facilitators, and creatives who will help create a circle where about 20 of us can gather. It will be a space to share what it is like to live here and now, vent our frustrations, and be honest about the toll it is taking, without the pressure to solve anything in the moment. This is an experiment. It may only happen once, or, if helpful, more times. Either way, it feels like the right thing to do, to bring people together in a room and see what happens when we stop pretending everything is fine. EVENT DETAILS: 👏 Support Group for Modern Times 👏 In an era of rapid-fire headlines and deep uncertainty, Liz Haley and Shannon Algeo invite you to an intimate circle to process the collective weight of our time. Set within the domestic space of the GLIMMERS exhibition, at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation @carolynglasoebaileyfoundation , this gathering is an invitation to step away from the digital overwhelm of social media and the news cycle and into a shared physical environment. Together, we will hold space for the complex emotions tied to our current global and national climate, practicing mutual support through the simple, vital acts of listening and sharing. WHEN: Saturday, March 21st, 2026 4:00 PM – 6:00 PM WHERE: Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation 248 S. Montgomery St., Ojai, CA 93023 RSVP: Required via Eventbrite (Link in my bio.) COST: $20 suggested donation at the door

Opening tonight at CGBF! Glimmers , curated by Cassandra C Jones and including, additional to Cassandra, artists Joel Fox, Jennifer Jordan Day, Shana Moulton, Rosemary Hall, Eliot Spaulding, Ben Grace & Liz Haley. The show runs through April nineteenth. Gallery Hours are 1-5 Thursday thru Sunday. 248 S. Montgomery, Downtown Ojai. Stay tuned for upcoming experiences as part of this exhibition! Installation video room (shown above) showcases a video by artist Joel Fox (with Jennifer Jordan Day) “Realizing So Much”, 2023 Video Loop

I have put together an exhibition, that opens on Friday, March 13, at the Carolyn Glasoe Bailey Foundation @carolynglasoebaileyfoundation , in Ojai. It is called “GLIMMERS” which are the opposite of “triggers.” They are tiny moments of marvel and small sparks of wonder that tell your inner self it’s okay to breathe and relax. You can experience them by simply acknowledging simple things, like zooming in on nature, or being in the moment, to boost your “feel good” hormones and make you more resilient to the shock waves of this administration and the overwhelm of modern times. GLIMMERS March 13 - April 19th, 2026 Opening Friday, 5-7pm 248 S. Montgomery St., Ojai, CA 93023 Cassandra C. Jones Joel Fox @joeldepartment Jennifer Jorden Day @jjeveryday Shana Moulton @shanamoulton Rosemary Hall @rosemaryhhall Eliot Spaulding @eliot_spaulding Ben Grace @bengrace Liz Haley Staged by OHI HOME @ohihome

I am entering LA Art Fair week with seemingly too much to do and see and not enough time to enjoy it all. But I will make it back to the 805 in time for this opening on Saturday, at Vita Arts @vitaartcenter , to celebrate 12 women (including myself) who have been making art in Ventura County for over 20 years. We certainly do persist! OPENING: Saturday, February 28, 2026 28 W Main St. Ventura, CA 93001 PRIVATE ARTIST/MEMBERS RECEPTION: 4-5pm FREE COMMUNITY RECEPTION: 5-7pm On exhibit February 28 - April 19, 2026 Gallery Hours: Saturday/Sunday 12-4pm Exhibit Artists Include: Carol Shaw Sutton, Cassandra C. Jones, Cheryl Ann Thomas, Jenchi Wu, Jennifer Wolf, Karen Kitchel, Lynn Hanson, Maria Adela Diaz, Marianne McGrath, Monica Furmanski, Susan Petty, and Susan Stinsmuehlen Amend She Persists honors women artists of Ventura County whose creative practices have spanned two decades or more. Presented in recognition of Women’s History Month, She Persists acknowledges the women whose sustained commitment to their craft has shaped the artistic identity of this community. Through works that are thoughtful, experimental, expressive, and rooted in lived experience, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the vital role of women’s perspectives in contemporary art and the lasting impact of their creative legacies. Also opening the same night at Vita Art Center is a solo show by Hilary Brace @hilarybrace , who is amazing! Big fan!

For those in LA for the upcoming art fairs, I am in a group show that is co-curated by art_works @art_work.s  and Abigail Ogilvy Gallery @abigailogilvygallery and hosted by Brodin Gallery @brodingallery  at their Los Angeles space location in West Hollywood. Hard 'n' Soft at Brodin Gallery explores the contested boundary between rigidity and flexibility in contemporary art, bringing together artists who deliberately subvert the expected properties of their materials. Through bronze rendered weightless, stone veiled in delicacy, fiber assuming geometric precision, and paint dissolving solid form, these works challenge the material hierarchies that have long structured art historical discourse. The exhibition centers on artists who refuse categorical certainty. Rather, the assumed behaviors of media become sites of transformation: rigid materials yield and soften, solid forms turn fluid, soft substances achieve architectural presence. By inverting our expectations of how materials should perform, these artists invite us to reconsider not only the nature of their chosen media but the perceptual frameworks through which we encounter contemporary art itself. Exhibiting Artists: Mishael Coggeshall-Burr, Tallulah Dirnfeld, Yasmine Esfandiary, Cassandra C. Jones, Wilhelm Neusser, Alison Croney Moses, Katrina Sánchez, Elspeth Schulze, Leigh Suggs, Kelly Witmer and Natalia Wróbel. Opening Reception: Thursday, February 26th from 5:00 - 9:00 PM Location: Brodin Gallery, 1128 North Highland Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90028 Gallery Hours: Monday–Friday, 10 am–4 pm; Saturday–Sunday by appointment

Many thanks to arts writer Josef Woodard @joewoodard_musicman and Santa Barbara Independent @sbindependent for covering our Art in Nature tour led by Artist and the Arts Chair of our Residency Program, Cassandra C. Jones @jpegmountain . Also, shout out to resident artists Tom Pazderka @tompazderka , Rodrigo Ormachea @rormache and Hugo Ormachea @ormacheajewelry for welcoming the tour and sharing their practice. For those unfamiliar, Cassandra leads a monthly tour through the South African, Australian, and Studio Garden, where our Artist Residency takes place. Along the way, she tells stories about Taft’s history and the art made on the property. In addition, she points out the patterns in plants and the property's interesting and often hidden features. Guests also enjoy an opportunity to engage with artists-in-residence and observe their creative processes firsthand. Her next tour is this Saturday, Jan 24th, 9:30 AM - 11:30 PM. For tickets, follow the Events link in our bio.

🌿 ❤️ Discover patterns in plants and why they exist with a Mathmagical Garden Tour by Cassandra C. Jones @jpegmountain and Peter Strauss @peter._strauss . Group Size: 20 (min 5) Minimum Age: 10+ Saturday, April 11, 2026 10am - 12pm Join us for a 2-hour walking tour through a stunning private garden, on the East end of Ojai, with an extraordinary collection. In an exploration illuminating where horticulture meets mathematics, we will learn about Phyllotaxis, the fascinating study of how leaves and flowers arrange themselves around stems, as evidence of efficient growth, energy flow, and the path of least resistance. We will also identify the Fibonacci Sequence as it appears in the spirals and whorls of nature. Together, we will examine a variety of cacti, seeds, succulents, and seasonal blooms to understand the 'why' behind these beautiful natural patterns. Cassandra C. Jones is an artist, curator of The Mega Gallery, and the Director of the Art in Nature Artist Residency at Taft Gardens & Nature Preserve. She leads monthly walking tours that explore the property through a creative lens, teaching visitors to recognize the intricate patterns found in plant life. Peter Strauss is an Emmy-winning actor, longtime Ojai resident, and passionate horticulturist. He has transformed his property into a botanical haven featuring extensive Mediterranean gardens, rare succulents, and a citrus farm, becoming a key voice in local ecological conservation.

Mystery Date with Joel Fox @joeldepartment and Cassandra C. Jones @jpegmountain from "Ojai, The Experience" at The Mega Gallery is SOLD OUT! Participants will go places in the Ojai Valley that they have never been before and would not think to go. Or we will take them to areas they know but different things will happen. If it is good experience for all, we may offer it again someday.

⭐ In The Mega Gallery spotlight today is the magical thing Ojai locals know as OJAI-FI: Mikael Jorgensen's music listening event. It is a chance to share the tunes that touch our soul with a captive cohort and make a playlist as a group. It is simple act to witness one another in this way, but profound. Plus you get to download this poster (designed by his loving wife, me, @jpegmountain ). 🌈 Tickets Available: 15 (9 left) Minimum Age: 14+ Date: Monday, February 9, 2026 Hours: 6-9pm Location: Ojai Underground Exchange @ojaiundergroundexchange 616 Pearl St, Ojai, CA 93023 Description: Fifteen music lovers gather at The Ojai Underground to share two of their favorite songs with the other attendees. We cycle through the entire group twice, which takes anywhere from two to three hours. There is a turntable and a computer connected to streaming, which we will assist you in cueing up your selection. Feel free to talk about your song, or let it be a surprise! We only ask that you keep your selections under 8 minutes. There’s no screen to look at. No progress bar to monitor. It’s just 15 or so people listening with intention, and it is awesome. You can also join the Discord server where you can find previous playlists and connect with other Ojai music fans. About the host: Mikael Jorgensen @mikaeljorgensen is a Grammy award-winning musician, engineer, and composer. Since 2002 he’s been a recording and touring member of the band Wilco while cultivating multiple side projects. For more information about Ojai-Fi visit mikaeljorgensen.com/contact. To buy this offering or for general Inquires about "Ojai, The Experience" visit themegagallery.com. Gallery Graphics by Louise Sandhaus @lulusandhaus Poster by Cassandra C. Jones @jpegmountain

Only 2 more days to see the current show and my LEGO Letterpress prints at The Mega Gallery in Downtown Ojai. 10,000 Easy Steps to Achieving Your Best Life: Affirmations, Wishing Implements, Contemporary Incantations, Good Luck Charms, and Words of Collective Encouragement. On view 24/7 October 10, 2025 - December 4th, 2025 221 East Matilija Street Suite G, Ojai, CA 93023