Donna Granata

Donna Granata is the Founder and Executive Director of Focus on the Masters (FOTM), a highly respected non-profit educational program documenting many of the contemporary artists of our time. Founded in 1994, the goal of FOTM is to demonstrate the importance of the arts to society by bringing highly accomplished artists to the forefront of the community. The program presents its research to a broad public through regular photographic exhibitions, meet-the-artist series, educational outreach to schools and youth centers and cable access programming. Focus on the Masters is the recipient of the inaugural Mayor’s Art Award – Arts Educator, Ventura, CA, in recognition of its outstanding contributions to arts education.

In addition to her ongoing lecture series for the Focus on the Masters program, Granata teaches classes for the Elderhostel’s Center for the Studies of the Future including Digital Photography, An Introduction to the J. Paul Getty Collections, as well as an overview of the Getty Conservation Institute, The Roman Villa and the Getty’s educational programs worldwide. Special lectures trace the careers of photographer Horace Bristol and John Nava, creator of the tapestries commissioned for the Cathedral of our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, CA. In addition, she has lectured for the journalism department at UCLA on the ethics of photography. She was named Teacher of the Year in 2005 by Elderhostel.

Donna is an internationally published and award winning painter turned photographer, admired for her portrait work. Selected works from her FOTM portrait series are housed in the Carnegie Art Museum, Oxnard, CA; City of Ventura Municipal Art Collection, Ventura, CA; Ventura County Museum of History & Art, Ventura, CA; Polaroid Corporation, Cambridge, MA; Smithsonian Archive of American Artists; in the photographic collection of the George Eastman House, Rochester, NY; and other public institutions that house the personal archives of the artists documented. Her photographs have been displayed throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties and in selected shows in New York, Chicago, and Las Vegas.

Donna served as a Cultural Ambassador to Sub-Sahara Africa for Rotary International, has received an Honorary Masters of Science Degree from the Brooks Institute of Photography and is listed in Marquis Who’s Who of American Women 20th Edition.

Tracy Long

Tracy Long, a certified Project Management Professional, joined Focus on the Masters as Creative Center Coordinator. She is excited about bringing her skills in organization and resource coordination to the expanding goals of the Creative Center.

Tracy came to Ventura in 1978 after graduating with honors from DePauw University in Indiana. Her anthropology major, with a specialization in the creative aspects of culture, including art, music, and literature, reflects her life-long appreciation of history and the arts. During her studies at DePauw, Tracy worked as a research assistant at the Natural History Museum of the Smithsonian Institution, at several archaeological excavations around the country, and as the first curator of the Fort Wayne (Indiana) Firefighters’ Museum.

In Ventura, Tracy has found many opportunities to enjoy the local culture. She and her husband, Don Taylor, a Ventura native, enjoy attending local theater and concerts, visiting local galleries, and collecting the work of local artists. Tracy was active for many years in the New West Symphony League Design House Chapter and was a co-founder of the Ventura County Early Music Society. She recently worked with other community members to form the Grant Park Conservancy which raised funds to purchase and continues to maintain the Grant Park Cross. Last year she served on the steering committee for the update to Ventura’s Cultural Plan. In 1996, the Ventura City Council appointed Tracy to the city’s Historic Preservation Committee, where she continues to serve as Chair. The Historic Preservation Committee has been a leader in the renaissance of interest in preserving Ventura’s rich cultural heritage.

Tracy has over 18 years of experience managing information technology projects. Her positions have included Information Technology Manager for the Ventura County Assessor, Deputy Director/Information Services for the City of Simi Valley, and most recently as Project Manager for the City of Ventura. She enjoys presenting programs that introduce elementary school children to project management and speaks to groups interested in learning more about project management as both a business and a life skill.

Lydia Etman

Lydia Etman has joined the force of FOTM as the Learning to See (LTS) Youth Outreach Program Coordinator. In addition to teaching art history at Moorpark College, she is an “Artist on Staff” at the Carnegie Art Museum, leading art projects in conjunction with the exhibits. Lydia was Office Manager at the Buenaventura Art Association where she got to observe the active role of Ventura’s art community within its community at large. She is excited to further serve Ventura County through the unique and fast growing art education program offered by FOTM. Developing the LTS program to complement California Curriculum educational standards will fulfill Lydia’s passion: to foster a love of art and creativity, and to develop a sense of observation, critical thinking and analysis through art education.

Prior to a Master’s Degree in Art History from California State University Northridge, Lydia obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Studio Art and Art History from California State University Channel Islands, and an Associate Degree in Interior Design from Moorpark College. She has been a Boy Scouts of America volunteer for the past 10 years, and a PTA member and chair when her two boys were in elementary school. In France where she grew up, Lydia worked as a registered nurse in intensive care.

Mary R. Galbraith

Mary R. Galbraith joined the FOTM staff as a volunteer in 2003 as Volunteer Coordinator. Mary served for 22 years as a member of the Board of Directors of the San Fernando Valley Child Guidance Clinic, including two years as Vice President for Fund Development and two years as Board Chair. She was for nine years a bilingual intake counselor at M.E.N.D. in Pacoima, working with disadvantaged families. Mary is a Trustee Emerita of Wilson College. During her tenure as Trustee, she chaired the steering committee of a major capital campaign, which earned $55 million for the College, was Chair of the Honors Committee, and held the position of Vice Chair of the Board.

In addition to coordinating volunteer activities at FOTM, Mary manages the membership program, mid-year and annual fund drives, and assists in preparations for the Tuesday Talks and the annual Studio Artists Tour. As a volunteer herself, Mary recognizes the important role volunteers play in the daily activities of Focus on the Masters.

Mary and her husband Jim moved to Ventura in 2002. “We are blown away by the wide variety of cultural experiences in this city. We’re proud to live in a community whose leaders recognize the value of a healthy arts community,” says Mary. In addition to her volunteer duties at Focus, Mary enjoys quilting and making one-of-a-kind special occasion purses. Mary and Jim are the parents of three adult sons and grandparents of six of the world’s most amazing grandchildren. Their passions are art and travel.