Tag archives: artists

At least as of this writing, autumn is fully upon us, the wind is chilly, and we are (please please please) getting back to some normalcy. I mean, we actually had a First Thursday Art Walk amid the Pianos on State Street! Let’s keep it up, everybody. Also, by the time you read this our […]

Whether it’s for a holiday gift or just something for yourself, the upcoming show, Ready to Hang, will have what you are looking for. This one-day pop-up art show will be held at the Community Arts Workshop (631 Garden St.) on Saturday, November 20, from 4-7 pm. The event is organized by Santa Barbara-based artist […]

“Finding Light” is an eclectic exhibition featuring artworks by 60 artists from the Ojai Studio Artists (OSA) collective, now on view through October 11 at the Ojai Valley Museum (OVM). The theme of the exhibit was directed by OSA Exhibition chair and artist Richard Amend, based on Amanda Gorman’s 2021 Inaugural poem, “The Hill We […]

Read about the natural bond between dogs and artists in a new book, Santa Barbara Artists and Their Dogs, and see portraits of them in an exhibition through December 18 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s downstairs gallery. The Art Council of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art created the book, which will be […]

Your faithful correspondent finds collaborations compelling, whether between artists in various genres or among cooperating venues. Both are in play with the current showcase series at Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science, and Technology (SBCAST), where three of its Artists in Residence are staging weekend exhibits of installation art, design, multimedia projects, and performances. The […]

I met local artist Mara Abboud many moons ago and have always been envious of her talent. What better way to spend a day than enjoying her outdoor art display and eating a three-course lunch at the Santa Barbara Club. Mara’s paintings have received the attention of the art world because of her unique technique. […]

After canceling due to the coronavirus pandemic last Labor Day weekend, the Santa Barbara Studio Artists’ Open Studios Tour is back for its 20th annual event with nearly 30 local painters, sculptors, mixed-media, and other artists throwing open the doors to the spaces where they create their works. Once again, art lovers will have the […]

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum focuses its attention on the college’s talented art faculty in “Sight & Insight: Westmont College Studio Art Faculty Exhibition” September 2 through October 30. The public is invited to a free, opening reception on Thursday, September 2, from 4-6 p.m.  “Our art faculty are all accomplished working artists in their own […]

Despite the pandemic, the Music Academy of the West managed to complete what seemed a remarkably ambitious, largely in-person season that brought together 100 fellows – the vast majority of the virtual-only “student” participants from last year – a full complement of faculty members, and an audience eager to once again enjoy classical music from […]

Performing arts and the arts nonprofit sector of Santa Barbara took a huge hit in 2020, as COVID performed a scorched earth campaign across an already tenuous industry. Santa Barbara loves its art and its artists, but it has often suffered from the silo’ing of audiences and funding.  Philanthropists love having their names on new […]

Mike Cregan will be the first to admit that there have been sleepless nights over the past 15 months; that’s what happens when one’s big idea is launched just prior to a global pandemic. Built on the concept of bringing together various artistic communities in one place, lockdowns and health protocols aren’t the easiest obstacles […]

After so many have been isolated in our homes for the past year and a half, quite a few of us are feeling like we need some time away from home. That was just the feeling that Avi Gitler of Gitler &_____ in New York City had coming out of the pandemic. He had previously […]

For the first time in its history, Casa del Herrero has a sculpture exhibition placed throughout the estate’s historic gardens called “Symbiotic — Seven Contemporary Sculptors at Historic Casa del Herrero.” It began July 7 and will be on display until November 24, 2021. The Casa’s original builders (only the family members ever lived in […]

I wish I had thought of that title, but Leslie A. Westbrook did in an article she wrote about Carpinteria. It deserves a rerun because their Art Center in the middle of downtown (855 Linden Avenue) is a happening place and one that everyone can enjoy. They just welcomed in a new executive director, Linda […]

The creative works of 31 local artists are front and center in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s new show, At the Edges: Tri-County Juried Exhibition, on display through June 19. Visitors are welcome Monday through Friday between 10 am – 4 pm, while the exhibition is open. Before coming to campus, guests will be […]

The course of life can be as wild and unpredictable as crashing waves. Yet, with a little curiosity, practice, and a touch of tenacity, one can weather the waves, surfing on top of their crest as you face the flow of life.  For Gail Steinbeck, she has been surfing the waves of life since she […]

In the early 1920s, the artist John Dwight Bridge was a popular and important force in the cultural renaissance fostered by the Community Arts Association. Having proven himself in earlier productions of the Community Arts Players, he may have reached his apex when he took on the role of Nicola, the Bulgarian manservant in George […]

From April 21 to June 27, 2021, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden will welcome Canada-born artist Libby Holland as its first-ever Artist in Residence. For eight weeks, Holland will immerse herself in the garden’s native plantings for an exploration of “blooming where you’re planted and allowing yourself to be free” with her collection “Grow Wild.” […]

Summerland boasts an array of natural beauty. The sea is the most obvious asset, but gently rolling hills dotted with wild mustard, when rains and Mother Nature have cooperated, and other spots beckon nature lovers and wildlife, including Brandt’s cormorants, which I will get to in a moment. The landscape has long lured artists with […]

During a year in which the world’s art galleries and museums have been closed, 13 graduating art majors overcame innumerable obstacles to offer their capstone art projects on April 8. The exhibit, which includes oil paintings, drawings, collages, digital illustrations, sculptural installations, prints, photographs, videos, and stop-motion animation will be on display through May 8 […]