In recognition of artists’ essential social contributions, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission will award up to 20 stipends of $500 each to local artists who have created work in response to this unprecedented time. With gratitude for county artists, makers, creators, innovators and visionaries, this program is made possible through a partnership between the Arts Commission and the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. 

This program was informed by a virtual countywide artist listening session facilitated by Fifth District Arts Commissioner Ruben Espinoza and the Office of Arts and Culture. Many participants shared that they currently face tremendous financial hardship. A recent report from the State of California indicated that since March 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic, 85 percent of all artists have experienced work cancellations, such as performances, shows and commissions. As freelancers and gig economy workers, cultural practitioners are often ineligible for traditional benefits that help offset these losses. 

Despite these challenges, many artists are remarkably still creating and sharing work to support the community, often without compensation. Arts Commission Chair Dennis Smitherman noted, “We believe that artists deserve to be paid for their labor. It is our hope that these honoraria will support the selected artists and help enable them to continue to create and connect.”

The call is open to practicing artists and cultural practitioners across disciplines, including but not limited to landscape arts, literary arts, visual arts, performing arts, culinary arts, and traditional cultural practice. Applicants must reside in Santa Barbara County and be at least 18 years of age. Submissions are due by August 3, 2020. The application is available at sbac.ca.gov/artistsrespond.  

Artwork submitted for consideration must have been created after the State shelter-in-place order was issued on March 13. The Arts Commission may share the work of the selected artists with the public, though all artists will retain intellectual property rights to their work. Submissions will be evaluated on artistic merit, uniqueness of perspective, as well as the artwork’s relevance to the current context and moment. 

“The Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation is honored to participate in supporting our vibrant arts community in Santa Barbara County with these stipends,” said Karen Kerns, Vice Chair of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. 

As part of a lease agreement with the County of Santa Barbara, the Santa Barbara Bowl has an arts subsidy fund with fifty cents per ticket sold designated for arts and culture grants. The Bowl’s contribution to this special program is from its 2019 concert season.  

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In recognition of the nonprofit arts and culture industry’s essential contribution to Santa Barbara County’s economy and community identity, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, Santa Barbara Foundation, and Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation are collaborating on a new COVID-19 Relief Grant Program for arts and culture nonprofits. More than $75,000 will be disbursed in two cycles to support county arts and culture nonprofits impacted by COVID-19. 

The application is available at sbac.ca.gov/county-grants. Submissions are due by May 24. The County Office of Arts and Culture will host an online grant workshop for interested applicants at 3 p.m. Wednesday, May 13.

Funding for the COVID-19 Relief Program is provided through the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation lease agreement where 50 cents from every ticket sold goes into a fund for arts and culture grants. 

Additionally, the Santa Barbara Foundation contributed $25,000 to help increase the scope and impact of the program, which is intended to help arts and culture organizations with general operating expenses, including staff and facilities support. The grant is stewarded by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and administered by the County Office of Arts and Culture. 

“Arts and culture are the heart of our community,” said Jackie Carrera, president and CEO of the Santa Barbara Foundation. “This collaboration aims to provide relief and support to arts and cultural organizations as they navigate through this pandemic. We are thrilled to partner with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission to offer this program.”

Support is designated for nonprofit arts and culture organizations working to produce, promote and preserve arts and culture in Santa Barbara County. Applicants must have an annual operating budget under $1 million. 

“We are so fortunate to live in a place with such incredible arts and culture spaces,” Arts Commission Chair Dennis Smitherman said. “Hopefully this grant can help keep their doors and businesses open.”

Santa Barbara County holds the largest relative number of arts and culture nonprofits per capita in California. In 2016, the county partnered with the City of Santa Barbara to commission Americans for the Arts and the Office of Arts and Culture to conduct an economic impact study. The 93 arts and culture nonprofit participants generated almost $200 million, supporting 5,857 full-time equivalent jobs and directly contributing $4.6 million in local government revenue.

“We hope this funding will help support organizations in a critical way so they can continue to provide their exceptional services to communities in need,” said Karen Kerns, Vice Chair of the Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation. “The Santa Barbara Bowl believes in the power of the arts to transform lives. During difficult times, people turn to the arts as a way to heal and come together.”   

Additional contributions to this relief program have already been pledged by the Santa Maria Arts Council and private donors. The second cycle will also include a program intended to keep artists working during this time. To learn more about this relief effort and program, please visit sbac.ca.gov. 

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Six outdoor sculptural libraries by artist Douglas Lochner will travel to public libraries in Goleta, Guadalupe, Los Alamos, New Cuyama, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria from mid-January through April.

The “Tiny Libraries on Tour” effort is sponsored by the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission in partnership with the cities of Goleta, Santa Barbara and Santa Maria. 

In 2019, the County Office of Arts and Culture (www.sbac.ca.gov) commissioned Lochner to produce six brightly colored, dynamic and functional public art “libraries” shaped as life-sized punctuation marks to be exhibited on State Street in Santa Barbara.

The initial exhibition was produced by the city of Santa Barbara and Office of Arts and Culture in partnership with the Santa Barbara Public Library, Santa Barbara Beautiful, Downtown Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation and many community supporters; it is slated to return to State Street this summer.

 After that first exhibition, the Arts Commission voted to fund the transportation of the sculptures to public libraries countywide. Each library will provide corresponding programming for the duration of the exhibition. Arts Commission Chair Dennis Smitherman said that this project will “provide a platform for communities throughout the county to interact with and experience the power of public art.”

Lochner’s proposal was chosen through an open submission process juried by representatives from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara; UCSB; Arts Commission; Santa Barbara Public Library; Santa Barbara City College; Moxi; City Arts Advisory Committee; and The Book Den.

“We hope the Tiny Libraries enjoy the same popularity they had on State Street, and serve as a reminder that the Public Library is a gateway to even more books, as well as community education classes, digital content, and more that spark curiosity and further learning,” said Library Director Jessica Cadiente for Santa Barbara, Montecito and Carpinteria. 

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A “communal open house” of art exhibits in downtown Santa Barbara will celebrate the 40^th anniversary of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission from 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 25.

A formal program will begin at 4 p.m. in the Mural Room of the County Courthouse, 1100 Anacapa St.

During the event, collaborating art exhibition spaces along the Anapamu Street corridor will be open for free. Participating anniversary venues include Channing Peake Gallery, the Jardin de las Granadas, the Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery, Sullivan Goss Gallery, and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, which will offer free admission in honor of the anniversary.

The Arts Commission was established in 1977 by the Board of Supervisors to serve as coordinator and catalyst for bringing government, artists and the public together for the cultural benefit of all.

Commission Chairman Dennis Smitherman said the communal open house reflects the commission’s history.

“Bringing the community together to celebrate our resources and spotlight the incredible work of our artists, organizations and galleries is one of the core functions that has placed the Arts Commission at the nexus of county arts and culture over the past 40 years,” he said.

The commission also will present its annual Leadership in Art Award to the Santa Barbara County Arts Fund, which has been an incubator for emerging artists in the county.

The commission wants to recognize particularly the impact of the Arts Fund’s Teen Arts Mentorship Program, which is committed to enhancing the education of a new generation of artistic talent.

The Arts Commission has 15 members appointed by the County Board of Supervisors, with three members representing each of the five supervisorial districts.

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By Raiza Giorgi

Artists and art-inspired folks talked about ways to increase knowledge of programs and services available in the Santa Ynez Valley and Santa Barbara County during a pizza party at Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang on July 12.

People from several organizations talked about their concerns, needs, opportunities and challenges of being artists in the area. Poets, playwrights, actors, painters, sculptors, photographers and those who appreciate their craft voiced their opinions and shared suggestions of how to work with each other. They also enjoyed pizza from Tower Pizza in Solvang.

“At the Wildling we promote art within nature and the conservation ethic. We have opportunities for local artists in the tri-counties (San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura) to show their art. We have partnered with the Santa Barbara Zoo where they are currently showing art from students at Solvang Elementary School, giving them a way to express animal art. Fostering more partnerships would be a great way to teach youth about working collaboratively, and getting more art exposure,” said Stacey Otte-Demangate, executive director at the Wildling.

According to the Arts and Economic Prosperity study by the Santa Barbara Arts Commission, events related to spending by arts and cultural audiences totaled $72.3 million (excluding the cost of admission) in 2015. More than 2.5 million people watched or attended an art-related event, the industry supported 5,857 jobs, and it generated revenue of almost $20 million for local and state governments, according to that research.

Representatives of other organizations expressed a need to have a community calendar within the Santa Ynez Valley so that both residents and tourists know what art exhibits or events are scheduled.

“We need more awareness of art, and we have so many amazing talented artists in our area,” said Rebecca Gomez of Santa Ynez Valley Arts.

SYV Arts hosts a monthly Art Salon, with the most recent at Pavlov Art Gallery in Solvang. They also host “Second Saturday” events at Gallery Los Olivos.

Artists who attended included photographer George Rose, contemporary artist and writer Robbie Kaye, art museum directors such as Otte-Demangate and Esther Jacobsen Bates of the Elverhoj, and Sarah York Ruben of the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture.

Other Santa Ynez Valley notables included Shelby Sim and Danielle Laudon of VisitSYV, Solvang City Councilwoman Joan Jamieson, Chamber of Commerce representative Susie Harrison, and 3rd District County Supervisor Joan Hartmann.

“We need to help our artists in getting their studios committed to where they can host people and talk about their craft. It was a disappointment during the Artist Studio Tour a few years ago, which shut down art in the valley. The process needs to change, and I am willing to help that happen,” Jamieson said.

Hartmann also said that she will continue to work on ensuring that art programs and artists are being served.

“I would love to bring more art opportunities to places in the county that might not see it all that much, not just in the cities,” Hartmann said.

For more information about the study or the Arts Commission, log onto www.sbartscommission.org.

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