Although Santa Barbara may be a small city with a population of around 90,000 people, its art scene is flourishing. The city’s beautiful parks and beaches serve as the backdrop to strolling and viewing fine art and engaging exhibits. Check out this list of the top 10 art events in Santa Barbara this spring.
-
1. STUDIO SUNDAY ON THE FRONT STEPS: KATAGAMI
April 9, 2017 1:30PM – 4:30PM
Create multiple katagami stencil-inspired water patterns and leaves to print in paint on cotton in this hands-in workshop.
-
2. RURAL LIFE
On until May 14, 2017 – Weekly on Thursday – Sunday, 1:00PM – 5:00PM
Rural may sometimes serve as a shorthand for simple, but the works in this exhibit are rich and complex celebrations of a necessary landscape.
-
3. SKETCHING IN THE GALLERIES: STILL LIFE
April 20, 2017 5:30PM – 6:30PM
All skill levels are invited to experience the tradition of sketching from original works of art in Highlights of the Permanent Collection.
-
4. CURATOR’S CHOICE LECTURE: KATHERINE ROEDER
April 23, 3017 2pm
Moving Images and Wordless Books: Mapping David Wiesner’s Network of Influences
-
5. 1ST THURSDAY
On until December 7, 2017 monthly on the 1st Thursday 5:00PM – 8:00PM
Various locations in downtown Santa Barbara
On the first Thursday of each month, participating galleries and art-related venues offer free access to visual and performing art in a fun and social environment.
-
6. CARVED PAPER: THE ART OF THE JAPANESE STENCIL
Cherry Blossoms on Dark and Light Streams (detail)
On until MAY 7, 2017 11:00AM – 5:00PM
Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection, the selected stencils were produced in the late Edo and Meiji periods (1850–1912) when the Japanese demand for new fashion stimulated an outpouring of patterns that has rarely been equaled in the world of design.
-
7. I MADONNARI STREET PAINTING FESTIVAL
MAY 27, 2017 – MAY 29, 2017 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Madonnari, or street painters, transform the Mission plaza using pastels on pavement to create 150 vibrant and colorful, large scale images.
-
8. ART AT THE JCC: SANTA BARBARA PRINTMAKERS SPRING 2017 EXHIBITION
On until May 17, 2017
Jewish Federation of Greater Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Printmakers is a non-profit organization dedicated to printmaking as an art form and to artistic exploration and expression using a variety of printing techniques that range from traditional to contemporary.
-
9. SBTC – CELEBRATING ART & PEOPLE: BEAUTY
April 14th – May 5th, 2017
Beautiful objects from a Faberge egg to a cerebral abstraction have intrinsic value and can elevate the human psyche from the mundane to the sublime. Ideas of beauty vary through different times and cultures, but always reflect the higher sensibilities of humanity.
-
10. 52ND ANNIVERSARY SANTA BARBARA ARTS & CRAFTS SHOW
May 20, 2017
Cabrillo Boulevard from Stearns Wharf to Calle Cesar Chavez, Santa Barbara
Sponsored by the City Parks and Recreation Department since 1966, the show is now the only continuous, non-juried arts festival of original drawings, paintings, graphics, sculpture, crafts and photography in the world. Whatever the size, subject, media and price—all are original art, done
by the artists you meet. Approximately 200 artists display their work in an informal atmosphere that encourages visitors to speak with the artists.
