Art Matters

Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Director Larry J. Feinberg and the Board of Trustees of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA)invited exhibition sponsors, sustaining trustees, legacy society, benefactors circle, director’s patron and special guests for a reception celebrating several current exhibitions.

Larry explained that “Out of Storage and into the Light: Sculptures That Tell Stories” were items, many of which had never been on view before but belong to the museum. To bring together such a variety they were themed into dance and music, animal, flight, the head and the body. The 50 objects came from a variety of settings, geographies, and historical periods. SBMA is considered one of the finest museums on the West Coast and is celebrated for the superb quality of its permanent collection. 

Another facet of the show was the multimedia exhibit in the Preston Morton Gallery. The creator is Chris Kallmyer and he titled it Ensemble. It is a sculptural instrument made of raw timber and handmade bells that function as a bell ringing instrument or carillon. The difference is that non-musicians play it, which was demonstrated during the reception. It’s on display until September 15. You need to see it.

The artist has an MFA and has had commissions at major art museums, but also with music institutions like the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the San Francisco Symphony.

In the museum’s Park Entrance space is an impressive Kehinde Wiley piece, “Equestrian Portrait of Prince Tommaso of Savoy-Carignan.” The painting was inspired by a 1634-1635 equestrian portrait by Flemish artist Anthony van Dyck portraying an Italian military commander. The horse is exactly the same but is ridden by a muscular black man instead of an aristocrat. Kehinde was chosen by former President Barack Obama to paint his portrait for the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery.

The mission of the SBMA is to integrate art into the lives of people through internationally recognized exhibitions and special programs, as well as the thoughtful presentation of its permanent collection. Remember the building used to house the Post Office and is open throughout its extensive renovation.