Love of Art: Waterhouse Gallery — 40 Years of Love & Art

The origin story of Santa Barbara’s Waterhouse Gallery reads like a charming, romantic comedy. In 1983, Diane met Ralph Waterhouse, a British gallery owner, on a blind date at the now-defunct Chanticleer Restaurant (where Lucky’s currently sits). They viewed art together at a modernist gallery on State Street, fell madly in love, and faced a choice: she could move to England, or they could build something new in California. “Ralph had a gallery in England and he said, ‘Do you wanna move back with me?’” Diane recalls. “And I said, ‘I can’t, I can’t leave my father.’ And he said, ‘OK, we’ll open a gallery.’ So, that’s what we did and here we are.”

Now four decades later, that decision has resulted in one of Santa Barbara’s most enduring art institutions. The original Waterhouse Gallery opened in Solvang in 1984. They moved to a downtown State Street spot in 1989 before finally settling into the La Arcada location in ‘91 where they have been ever since. Just next to turtles clamoring around a fountain and amid figures frozen in bronze, resting on the surrounding benches – a quaint window with an overhang in what can only be described as “Arcada Red” gives passersby glimpses of the paint-splashed relics that lie within. 

The gallery’s 40th-anniversary celebration, set for this upcoming weekend, showcases approximately 70 pieces and brings together roughly 50 artists. Some of whom have been with the gallery since its early days, including the intricate, mythical sculptor Béla Bácsi, who first showed with them in 1986. The ever-popular plein-air painter Ray Hunter has been supplying their gallery with his paintings of natural landscapes and Santa Barbara locales with a distinctive clarity and sharpness to their subject since 1997.

Ralph is an artist himself – his paintings imbued with a warm palette that seems reflective of his continual smile – which has also given them insight on both the artist needs and the commercial side of selling art. The gallery’s evolution mirrors broader shifts in California and Santa Barbara’s art scene. “There were no computers, no internet, and there were no black frames,” Diane says of the 1984 art world. Today’s landscape offers artists unprecedented exposure through national exhibitions, workshops, and digital platforms. 

The gallery itself has expanded, maintaining its downtown location while adding a Montecito space on Coast Village Road about eighteen months ago. The gallery’s longevity seems rooted in this combination of commercial acumen and genuine passion. After working together for 39 years, Diane and Ralph now playfully refer to their two locations as “his and her galleries.”

At its core though, a love for art and the 40 years spent in the gallery has taught a deeper philosophy about art’s accessibility. “You don’t need a degree, you just buy what you love,” Waterhouse insists. She takes particular joy in first-time buyers, noting, “I don’t think there’s anything more exciting than having someone buy something for the first time… they’ll always remember that first thing.”

So whether an avid collector or first-time buyer, come celebrate the momentous moment with Diane and Ralph. There will be an open-house at the Montecito gallery on Friday, November 22, from 3-6 pm with the main event happening at their Santa Barbara gallery on Saturday, November 23. Starting in the afternoon, from 1-4 pm, there will be eight artists live painting in the courtyard in front of the gallery with the festivities shifting more inside from 4-6:30 pm for an open house and reception.

Looking ahead, the Waterhouses show no signs of slowing down. “It’s our life, honest to God, it really is,” Diane says. “We’ve been blessed by doing something that we love and that’s so enriching to people. It’s been an amazing ride and it’s art. It’s a beautiful thing. It enriches your life.”