November Volunteer of the Month: Pamela Venzie

Meet Pamela Venzie: Veggielution's Artist in Residence.

Pamela has volunteer at the farm for over 2 1/2 years now. She is a Workday Leader, helping to facilitate our Friday morning harvests, and is a very active member of our Outreach Committee. Most recently she helped to coordinate our involvement in the San Jose Museum of Art's Around the Table exhibit, which opened Friday, November 8th. Pamela sits on the board of the Hillview Neighborhood Association, and is also on the board of the Prusch Farm Park Foundation. 

In 2012 Pamela took on a major project at Veggielution and create the Art in the Garden Program. Once a month, 40-80 folks meet up in our potluck pavilion, everyone from toddlers to seniors, simply to make art together. Pamela plans a theme, provides art materials and some guidance, but encourages the participants to take their art wherever they like. The event is free, and Pamela does regular fundraising to acquire art materials for the community to use.

Pamela has lived in East Side San Jose since 1977, having been born and raised in New Jersey. She was an Independent Artist Associate and Artist in Residence at Skyline College in San Bruno for 25 years, helping to found a gallery there.

Pamela is a committed and prolific lifelong artist. "Making art is the primary focus of every week." she said. Pamela has extensive art training from all across the U.S., including Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, PA, Portland School of Art, and The University of Arizona. She has also studied and worked with numerous individual artists and done in depth museum study throughout Europe. She primarily focuses on allegorical, figurative art involving the female body.

"I had thought about starting an art program for years, and after volunteering at Veggielution for awhile I decided this would be the perfect place. I like the populist, organic feel of Art in the Garden, and it fits right in with the farm's style." 

As a member of the Prusch Farm Park Foundation, she feels that Art in the Garden is important to the original vision of Emma Prusch. Emma wanted the park to promote the arts as well as be an educational farm park for the community.

"We're planting a seed in all these young people who are coming to Art in the Garden, which hopefully will lead to a lifelong love for art," Pamela said. "It's also great outreach for Veggielution, a lot of people are coming for the first time to make art, but then finding out about all of the farm's other programs."  

Art and the Garden has added so much to the atmosphere of Veggielution, and we're so lucky to have Pamela on our team. Thanks Pamela!