March 1st Thursday

Travel Across the Globe at 1st Thursday in March!

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Visit Downtown Santa Barbara for 1st Thursday, an evening filled with FREE art, culture, music and fun! The March 1st event will include more than 35 cultural art venues eager to show off exciting new exhibits, welcoming artist receptions, intriguing demonstrations and energetic live music.

Step outside of the gorgeous Santa Barbara bubble to travel across the globe this 1st Thursday for an evening far away places, art and fun. Various participating locations will offer a little taste of what the world has to offer with highlights of unique cultures and places. Begin your evening voyage at Sullivan Goss- An American Gallery to view Search for the Source with paintings of the Nile and Beyond by Lockwood de Forest. Drop into Ireland at The Book Den for an evening of Irish travel and music as Russ Doherty signs and discusses his book, The Quiet Man Fiddles: Musical Journeys in Ireland. Continue your trek to the Channing Peake Gallery for an artist walk-thru tour of Threshold, which focuses on the beauty of light flowing through water in the Trinity River in Northern California.

Venture on over to The Santa Barbara Museum of Art for Pasadena to Santa Barbara: A Selected History of Art in Southern California, 1951-1969 as you are taken through the works of local artists from Southern California alongside the work of influential modern and contemporary artists from other parts of the United States and Europe. Stretch your journey as you encounter La Arcada Court and adventure into Encanto for a special trunk show featuring hand blocked textiles from India, Turkey and Morroco. Carry on your worldly exploration as you head on over to Jane Deering Gallery as Gina Wefel’s large abstractions are rooted in her painterly images of landscapes in California, Italy and France. Prolong the tour at the Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum as New York based artists Sarah Paul Ocampo spotlights Los Angeles, California in her performance Happy Foot, Sad Foot. Conclude your night of cultural crossings at Brooks Institute Gallery 27 where photographer Nick Brandt presents his exhibit On This Earth, A Shadow Falls. Brandt founded the Big Life Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of East Africa’s wildlife and ecosystems.

While 1st Thursday offers extraordinary exhibits and paintings indoors, be sure to check out the demonstrations, performance art and live music outdoors. Stop by the corner of Anapamu and State Streets to listen to sounds from across the globe. Multi-award winning songwriter, Vic Moraga will perform an array of world music such as Jazz and Blues, instrumentals, Contemporary, Reggae, Rock, Dance and more. Ready for some high energy fun? Head over to 900 State Street to witness something special as Panzumo will shake up State Street. Panzumo is a full spectrum entertainment company that includes West African Drum & Dance, Bollywood, Djun Djun Mamas, Kododun (Taiko) drumming and more. Finish your night of travels at Paseo Nuevo Center Court as youth bands, Bad Jack and The Blue Suns rock the house from 5-7pm.

All of these attractions and many more are FREE during 1st Thursday on March 1st. With over 35 stops on this month’s 1st Thursday map, there is sure to be something for everyone. For more information and a complete listing of the specific programming offered at each gallery as well as all public performances and interactive exhibits, go to www.santabarbaradowntown.com.

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Click here for the PDF version of the press release.