Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture

Thank you to everyone who joined us for the opening reception of “Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century” at Betteravia Art Gallery in Santa Maria!

It was exciting to see so many community members come out to celebrate the work of 34 artists from across Santa Barbara County and to experience the incredible range of creativity represented in the exhibition.

A special thank you to the featured artists — and to their friends, families, and supporters — for helping make the evening so meaningful. We’re also deeply grateful to co-curator Laura-Susan Thomas for helping bring this exhibition to life.

“Post-Wild” remains on view Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Betteravia Art Gallery (511 E. Lakeside Pkwy.), featuring 54 works exploring nature, environmental change, urbanization, and humanity’s evolving relationship with the natural world.

Join us Thursday, May 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. for the opening reception of “Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century” at Betteravia Art Gallery (511 E. Lakeside Pkwy.) in Santa Maria.

We’re excited to share this exhibition because it brings together work from 34 artists living and creating across Santa Barbara County — from emerging artists to longtime members of the local arts community. Seeing this many local artists represented together in one show is something special.

Featuring 54 works across painting, ceramics, photography, digital media, and mixed media, “Post-Wild” explores nature, environmental change, urbanization, and humanity’s evolving relationship with the world around us.

Come meet featured artists, explore the exhibition, and celebrate the incredible creative talent here on the Central Coast. The reception is free and open to all community members.

Learn more at sbac.ca.gov/current-gallery-exhibitions.

Need support with your California Arts Council grant application? Join virtual drop-in office hours with SBCOAC Grants Manager Hannah Rubalcava for free Zoom-based application assistance.

These sessions are available for all applicants seeking guidance on California Arts Council grants, as well as the California Arts Council’s Independent Artist Fellowship.

Please note: Independent Artist Fellowship applications are due June 1 at 5 p.m.

Register using the QR code to receive your Zoom link or visit https://santabarbaracounty.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/pJGjzdYKRGWz2CA_AVARJA #/registration

Join us Thursday, May 7, from 5 to 8 p.m. at State Street and Carrillo Street during 1st Thursday Art Walk to meet lead artists Eddy Jimenez and Irene Ramirez and learn more about the Bloomberg Asphalt Art Initiative installation taking shape downtown.

The painted street mural portion of the project is now complete, marking a major milestone in the installation, with additional art elements still to come in the weeks ahead.

Funded in full by a grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies, the project has created paid opportunities for numerous local artists who helped bring the work to life.

We’re proud to partner with the City of Santa Barbara on this new downtown public art project and grateful to the many artists, volunteers, and community partners helping make it possible.

Join us Saturday, May 2, from 1 to 5 p.m. for "The Public Part of Public Art," part of the "Make It: Building a Public Art Practice" workshop series.

Facilitated by public art experts Susan Gray and Pat Gomez, this capstone event at Channing Peake Gallery (105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara) will feature acclaimed local artists Nancy Jo Ward and Iman Djouini. Together, they’ll discuss public art practice, community engagement, youth participation, and the creative possibilities of working in the public realm.

Artists and art lovers of all experience levels are welcome. The event will be followed by a reception.

To register visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-public-part-of-public-art-tickets-1981814922783

Join us Thursday, April 30, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. for "The Heavy Stuff: Contracts, insurance, and legal considerations," part of the "Make It: Building a Public Art Practice" workshop series.

Led by nationally respected public art professionals Susan F. Gray and Pat Gomez, this free Zoom workshop will cover essential professional topics, including contracts, liability, insurance, and the legal frameworks artists should understand when pursuing public art opportunities.

Visit sbac.ca.gov/workshops to register.