Expect something special in art and culture on the first Thursday of every month!
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| 33 JEWELS AT EL PASEO
814 State Street, 805-957-9100
Figurative mixed-media artist Matthew Stork shares his newest work, a continuing theme on the metaphor of flight. His paintings feature provocative and colorful layered images of birds with the human figure. After working and exhibiting in Los Angeles for 15 years, he has relocated to the Santa Barbara area. This is his first Santa Barbara show aptly titled The Dichotomy of Angels: Out of the Nest.
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| AMBASSADOR ART GALLERY
1A West Canon Perdido Street, 805-698-2007
Come celebrate the approach of summer with Pali-X-Mano, artist and WINNER of the Solstice Parade T-shirt Logo Contest and master solstice parade float artist. Pali and friends will be playing music, dancing, and kicking off celebrations for SB Solstice Days!
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| ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM OF UCSB
128 East Canon Perdido Street, 805-893-5299
For her solo exhibition, multi-media artist Laurel Beckman, Professor of Art at UC Santa Barbara will show a suite of seven new video animations. Eschewing traditional narrative, each 60 second vignette takes as its main character an animal or fruit which Beckman discovered had been levitated in scientific experiments. The artist uses these characters as a means of exploring ideas such as perfection and grace in the everyday. Writings submitted by invited participants will be incorporated in the installation and demonstrate how personal, sublime experiences can be found in public spaces.
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| ARTAMO GALLERY
11 West Anapamu Street, 805-568-1400
Artamo Gallery pairs the works of two renown artists, Michael Kessler and Silvia Poloto in Inner Truth. Both have a long history of solo shows, nationwide and beyond, including numerous museum exhibitions. While Poloto digs deep into her inner self for her creations, Kessler draws his inspiration from nature, the tranquility of the outdoors. Though Poloto in her earlier pieces worked on canvas she is moving to collage-like constructions using photos and also metal. In their core work both use similar means: acrylic on wood panel with a resin finish, technically so much alike, by contents far apart, yet they connect when it comes to the inner truth of their work. One artist will be present.
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| BROOKS INSTITUTE: GALLERY 27
27 East Cota Street, 805-690-4900
Photography holds this beautiful ability to ferry its viewer from their current time and place to one of imagination or reality, of fantasy or truth. The Path is an exhibition of images from Brooks Institute’s students and alumni that uses the specific visual construction of a path, a road, for the viewer to detour into another world, be it one of escape or discovery.
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| CHANNING PEAKE GALLERY
105 East Anapamu Street, 805-568-3990
1st Floor of the County Administration Building
Join the Printmaker instructors as they create diverse art stations and conduct in-depth printmaker demonstrations and discuss their work. This juried Printmaking exhibition features a broad spectrum of printmaking practices including silkscreen, linocuts, lithographs, etching, collagraphs, monotypes, solar prints and woodcuts. 65 artists and 98works, from as far away as Canada are included in this comprehensive exhibition. 5-7pm
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| DIVINE INSPIRATION GALLERY
1528 State Street, 805-962-6444
Featuring the impressionist oil paintings of award-winning Pasadena artist Kay Henry and her show A Summer Song, done in a traditional manner. Henry has studied under such notable artists as Jove Wang. Her warm, inviting floral's,still lifes, country scenes, and figures convey the sensory delight of a carefree summer day. Come and enjoy!
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| FAULKNER GALLERY AT THE SANTA BARBARA PUBLIC LIBRARY
40 East Anapamu Streets, 805-962-7635
The Santa Barbara Art Association celebrates its 60th anniversary with a juried show in the main gallery where it held its first show in June, 1952. SBAA is exhibiting work by artists who have been members for over 30 years in the East wing and past presidents and board members in the West wing. Open during library hours. Live music with the Dixie Hicks band!
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| GALLERY 113
1114 State Street #8, in La Arcada Court, 805-965-6611
Artist of the Month Joan Barker, presents A Gathering of Palms, her vision of some of the many varieties of palms that add so much character to our environs. She is intrigued by their form, texture and color. Featured artists are Karen Browdy, Brooke Baxter, JoAnne Shape, Judi Doernberg, Lee Coulter, Carol Lazar and Michael Fisher.
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| JAMES MAIN FINE ART
27 East De la Guerra Street, 805-962-8347
Featuring early Santa Barbara artist Edward Borein, Alexander Harmer, Fernand Lungren, Douglass Parshall, Frank Morley Fletcher and others. We also offer antiques and estate jewelry.
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| SANTA BARBARA ARTS
1114 State Street #26, in La Arcada Court, 805-884-1938
Chris Messner, a fine art photographer and author, ventured to Cuba, an unlikely destination. Led by his artistic curiosity, he traveled extensively around the island. Messner found Cuba to be different from what he originally expected. He encountered centuries of Cuban history, artistic culture, unpretentious people, and the daunting grandeur of the human environment on full display. He was struck by the raw reality of Cuba. Seeing Cuba as it exists today, Messner was compelled to document and write about his observations, to share the stories of the human experience on this last frontier. Pushing aside the political curtain that separates us from Cuba, these honest encounters give us a peek into the movement of life within this island nation. His commentaries and book, Cuba Open from the Inside, provides a unique perspective of this time capsule nation and documents the Cuba of today before many things about it become folkloric. Also music by Leslee Sipress, a book signing by Messner and Peggy Buchanan will be painting "live" one of a kind beautifully crafted aprons along with painting her whimsical Tongue in Beak chick series.
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| SANTA BARBARA CONTEMPORARY FORUM
653 Paseo Nuevo, Upper Arts Terrace, 805-966-5373
LA-based artist Cindy Derby combines a mix of stop-motion animation, intricate puppetry, and handcrafted scenic elements to create an existential narrative told through the perspective of Edward the Skeleton. As Derby manipulates Edward through the world of unseen forces that influence and transform the psyche, she illuminates the power of memory and rumination. We invite you to view UCSB MFA 2012 Exhibition: Headgear for Tony between 5-7pm.
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| SANTA BARBARA FRAME SHOP AND GALLERY
1324 State Street, Suite J, 805-963-2332
Bones and Other Things. Three friends, each artists, got together to do a comparative study of bones. Jane Litchfield, Pamela Larsson Toscher and Claudia Chapman each created their own vision of the same subject matter. Come see their finished work. The show will be rounded out with other images by Jane, Pamela and Claudia
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| SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL MUSEUM
138 East de la Guerra Street, 805-966-1601
The Flying A exhibition will focus on the studio¹s influential and prolific operation in Santa Barbara between 1912 and 1921, when nearly one thousand silent films were made by the studio before it was closed. The exhibition features original Flying A artifacts, documents, photographs and a selection of original Flying A silent films (which will play on our Sala Gallery Wall Theatre). This groundbreaking exhibit, on view from January 26 through August 19, 2012, marks the centennial anniversary of the Flying A¹s arrival in Santa Barbara. Join us for live music, wine and more.
Family First Thursday: Bring the whole family - An art project for the kids will be available in our lobby from 5:00 - 7:00 pm.
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| SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART
1130 State Street, 805-963-4364
Behind the Wheel
On December 12, 1925, the world's first motel opened just north of Santa Barbara. At that time, the Milestone Mo-Tel in San Luis Obispo sat along the nascent two-lane highway, the "101,” and charged $1.25 a night for a bungalow with attached garage. The era of automobiles as status symbols had begun; for it was only those with cruise-worthy cars that would stop at the Motel Inn on their way between LA and San Francisco. Today, Southern California is still a car culture. This exhibition will examine the enduring love affair between Southern Californians and their automobiles. These photographs explore the psychological place of the car in Southern California life. Whether in celebration, investigation or incrimination, all of the photographs depict those unique mental states that can only be produced behind the wheel.
Scenery, Story, Spirit: American Painting and Sculpture from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Between the 1830s and the end of the First World War, American art came into its own. From the majestic Hudson River School paintings of Thomas Cole, John Kensett and Albert Bierstadt to the gritty urban realism of Robert Henri and John Sloan, this presentation draws on the rich holdings of American paintings and sculptures. Organized by guest curator Peter John Brownlee, this selection highlights the maturation of a distinctly American idiom, one informed by international currents and engaged with capturing the fluxes of modern life. Masterpieces of landscape, genre, still-life, and portraiture, punctuated by a selection of sculptures, trace an evolution in style from an art driven by the mandates of westward expansion to one animated by experimentation. In both idealized and naturalistically rendered landscapes, in scenes of everyday life, or meticulously detailed images of everyday objects, the presentation also narrates an important chapter in American cultural history that witnessed the Civil War and its aftermath, the expansion of national boundaries and the closing of the western frontier, and the transformations wrought by the emergence of new technologies at the dawn of the 20th century.
Double Feature/Double Parked
5-8 pm: Take a spin through the Behind the Wheel exhibition, then hitch a ride with the actors appearing in car theatre, as three, 10-15 minute original plays are performed in actual automobiles. Space is limited. Please arrive early to be added to the reservation list.
8 pm: The back plaza becomes a summer screening room for American Graffitti (1973, 110 min.). Mini-burgers, popcorn, malts, and soft drinks will be on sale. First come, first seated.
Family 1st Thursday
Bring the whole family to enjoy 1st Thursday together in SBMA’s Family Resource Center, located across from the Museum Café on the Lower Level. Block Panel Animal Portraits: Portrayal/Betrayal. Select one of the close-up animal portraits featured in Portrayal/Betrayal and layer with block panels from your own colored pencil compositions. 5:30–7:30pm.
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| SULLIVAN GOSS: AN AMERICAN GALLERY
7 & 11 East Anapamu Street, 805-730-1460
Join us as we celebrate the third solo exhibition for American Constructivist, Sidney Gordin (1918-1996). Sidney Gordin: Just Put it Together is a sweeping exhibition that explores the works that Gordin created in the height of his career. Sculptures, paintings, and constructions will be on display in our contemporary gallery.
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| THE PROJECT FINE ART ZONE
740 State Street, Suite 1, 805-895-7759
The Project Artists unite their color palettes to celebrate their ONE YEAR Anniversary! Also featuring, YELLOW YELLOW YELLOW. The artists work in shades of the sunny & brilliant hue to energize the year to come and kick off the summer season at The Project. in addition to highlighting, X & O tic tac toe as guest artist Hugh Margerum exhibits the results of his collaborative tic-tac-toe games from the last several months. This simple childhood game serves as an excuse to meet with friends and acquaintances in coffee houses and other venues and spend some quality time drawing together. This exhibit is a record of these collaborative sessions and reflects the fun and creative energy that went into playing the game and making these drawings.
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| THE ART CRAWL
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, in partnership with the Downtown Organization and the Santa Barbara Art Blog, will lead a curated Art Crawl through the 1st Thursday festivities. The curator for the Art Crawl is Nathan Vonk from the Santa Barbara Arts Blog. This month the Art Crawl will start at 5:30pm in De la Guerra Plaza on the back steps of City Hall (735 Anacapa Street, then head around to the back.)
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| DAVID COURTENAY
Location TBD
David Courtenay is a singer, guitarist and songwriter whose musical career began in the night clubs and lounges of Santa Barbara when he was just 17-years-old. Since then, he went on to study Theatre at UCSB, moved to L.A. to pursue music and film for three years, then fled L.A. and ran off to Chicago to find a new direction in music. While in Chicago, he landed a gig as John Lennon in one of the area's biggest Beatle tribute bands and toured the U.S., playing the songs of his greatest musical inspiration. At the same time, he assembled his own original band called Modern Conversation, released three CD's, filmed three music videos and toured the East Coast. After four icy winters in Chicago, David had had his fill of the Midwest and headed back home to the Central Coast. Since his return to Santa Barbara four months ago, he's been playing his blend of 60's and 70's-influenced Rock, Folk and Reggae on a weekly basis. He also has gone back into the studio and is working on a new album of acoustic songs.
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| ENTERA
SBMA corner, State and Anapamu Streets
You'll smile too, when Entéra draws your 4 minute cartoon portrait! Join countless celebrities and others who have "been faced" by Entéra.
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| FIDDLIN’ DAVE AND THE ARROYO BOYZ WITH GURL
Marshall's Patio, 900 State Street
Fiddlin’ Dave (David Stone) and the Arroyo Boyz (Guy Brown, guitar and vocals and Bill Rizzi, bass) with Gurl (Kate Ingalls, vocals) play a wild acoustical, harmonically imbued, combination of classic rock and roll, channeling the upbeat energy of The Beatles, Dylan, Petty, Buddy Holly, The Kinks, The Animals, Donovan, The Beach Boys, Elvis’ C & P and many more. If you want dance music, they’ve got it, plus hoe-down bluegrass and the occasional Irish jig. The Boyz with Gurl entertain a host of progressive non-profits around town, including the Environmental Defense Center, Land Trust for Santa Barbara County, Santa Barbara Breast Cancer Foundation, Art from Scrap, UCSB Environmental Studies Associates, and Reef and Run at East Beach. They are also available as hired musical cannons for select private events when only the very finest of entertainment will suffice.
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| SOLSTICE WORKSHOP STATION
Marshall's Patio, 900 State Street
Come by the Solstice Workshop Station to see what this year's parade has to offer while putting your creativity to work with a fun art project. this year's theme is "fantasy" and the parade will be held on June 23rd.
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| TEMP AIR TATTOO
Location TBD
Offers Airbrush and glitter tattoos. Our artist provides cutting edge entertainment for events and parties in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, offering hundreds of full color airbrush and glitter tattoo designs for you to choose from. Visit them on Facebook.
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| 19 BLUE SALON & SPA
19 West Ortega Street, 805-965-8200
San Clemente resident Michael Alvarez is having his first solo art show of his art career. He combines the combination of color, balance and cemetery to create his signature pixelated backgrounds. With eclectic foreground images to complement these backgrounds.
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| BELLA ROSA GALLERIES
1103-A State Street, 805-966-1707
Delphine Louie who has worked with Disney, Sony, Universal/Vivendi and Mattel Toys among others will be on hand for her solo show Dancing With Light & Shadow, featuring acrylic paintings. With many talents such as painting, animation and digital arts for the film industry, Delphine enjoys participating in Santa Barbara's annual i Madonnari festival drawing inspiration from the amazing chalk artists. As a teacher of art and graphic design at Laguna Blanca School, she is nurturing future generations to enjoy the arts. Curated by Monlleo Gallery. Live guitar performed by Travis Loughridge along with wine tasting to benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center of Santa Barbara.
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| CASA MAGAZINE
23 East Canon Perdido Street, 805-965-6448
Stone carving, Figures and more! CASA Magazine salutes SBCC's Adult Education program with an exhibit of work by their Stone Carving and Life Drawing Class. 15& of proceeds to be donated to the Adult Ed Life Drawing or Stone Carving class of artist. Enjoy a range of work from beginner to professional that has been honed in the collegial continuing education program. Live Music!
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| ENCANTO
1114 State Street #22, in La Arcada Court
You are cordially invited to a Trunk Show with local jewelers Kaori Hirsch, Eileen Avolio and others. From 4-8pm. Enjoy jazz standards by the Blue Moon Trio!
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| INDIGO INTERIORS
1323 State Street, 805-962-6909
Featuring Nest, a multimedia juried art show depicting local artists' broad interpretations of "the nest" concept.
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| PASEO NUEVO SHOPPING CENTER
651 Paseo Nuevo, 805-963-7147
Visit featured retailer The Gap for the latest trends this season.
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| PLUM GOODS
909 State Street, 805-845-3900
Plum Goods is proud to feature a collection of our favorite artists, including driftwood art by Madera del Mar as well as original works by Matti Berglund, Cristina Hobbs, Melissa Mahoney and Julicka Lackner. Come and see what we have in store and join the Plum Goods party!
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| PRANA AT SANTA BARBARA OUTFITTERS
1200 State Street, 805-564-1007
Featuring an artistic presentation of the Chakras by longtime yoga student Bay Hallowell in her show, Chakra Chimes II. Bay's monoprints are made with oil-based inks will be shown on the prAna SBO space.
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| SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
1001 State Street, 805-884-5200
Born and raised in South Africa Margie Bowker followed her family to live in California in 1997. She graduated from the Grahamstown training college with a major in fine Art. Even though she was a school teacher for many years, Margie has always been an artist. Her subject matter is extremely diverse and covers most areas from portraits, landscapes to her well known paintings of women known all over the world as the " women with the one striped stocking"! Her work is greatly influenced by the beauty of the Central Coast of California but she often reverts to paint the tribal people of Africa where she grew up. Her paintings of the Xhosa people hang in collections in many countries of the world.
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| SANTA BARBARA FORGE + IRON
634 Anacapa Street, 805-965-7111
Enjoy the ambience of the historic Craviotto ironworking shop and mingle with the staff in a relaxed party atmosphere. This month, Santa Barbara Forge + Iron will be hosting a group show from local photographers Lindsey Ross and Brett Leigh Dicks dealing with wartime themes and images.
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| SOJOURNER CAFE
134 East Canon Perdido, 805-965-7922
The paintings of Robert Wassell, featuring our own back country, all sales benefit Los Padres Forestwatch. Wine tasting with Sunstone Winery, live music and great food.
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| THE BOOK DEN
15 East Anapamu Street, 805-962-3321
Reception for photographer Joseph Di Sipio. The Book Den is proud to present a small gathering of Joseph Di Sipio's black and white photographs of trees, photographed on film and printed by the photographer. Di Sipio's photos capture the essence of Santa Barbara county's rural landscape.
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| TONYRAY'S RESTAURANT AND CANTINA
731 De La Guerra Plaza, 805-455-2274
Featuring Night of Art with work by local artists. Come have a good time with us this 1st Thursday to enjoy local and international art, live music, appetizers and drinks! Hosted at TonyRay's by Jorge Ricci of Papagallo's Restaurant.
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1st Thursday is an award winning program highlighting downtown arts, culture and entertainment on the first Thursday of every month. All 1st Thursday attractions are free from 5-8pm.