Let There Be Lathim

Santa Barbara playwright, director, and producer Rod Lathim has been hitting the Big Apple with his latest art exhibition Let There Be Light at the Kate Oh Gallery, just a tiara’s toss from the Ralph Lauren flagship store at the historic Rhinelander Mansion.

The three-week debut show opened last month and Rod tells me they’ve had a “steady stream” of collectors from the Upper Eastside neighborhood, as well as buyers from Vancouver, Canada, and Florida.

It features his light works, neon sculptures, and collaborative works with Santa Barbara painter and retired NFL football player Chris Gocong, described as a trans-media exhibit probing the interaction between light and matter, combining the ethereal dimensions of light art with the whimsical accessibility of pop culture.

Actor Anthony Edwards and Broadway star Howard McGillin, a star of Phantom of the Opera, both former Santa Barbarans, have visited the exhibition, as well as actress Kate Mulgrew from Star Trek Voyager and Orange is the New Black.