Our Mission
The mission of The Arts Fund: to create, support, and administer programs and projects that foster the arts for the people of Santa Barbara County; to act as a catalyst which maximizes the effectiveness of arts resources; and to nurture collaborative relationships with other arts organizations.
OUR HISTORY
For more than 40 years, The Arts Fund has been an incubator for emerging artists in Santa Barbara County.
Located in La Cumbre Plaza, we offer the only Community Gallery in the Santa Barbara area, showcasing the work of local artists of all ages and identities from the Santa Barbara region.
We stimulate the expansion of creativity by offering arts mentorship, professional development, and curatorial training in studio and gallery environments to emerging artists including teenage, university, and postgraduate students. We connect the greater community to local artists, curators, and sponsors, celebrating and enriching our community’s cultural experience and creative possibilities.
As a founder of the Funk Zone Art Walk and participant in the La Cumbre Plaza Art Walk, we work to sustain the creativity and cultural events of the Santa Barbara area by collaborating with local businesses, artists, and organizations.
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TIMELINE
1983
Creation of The County of Santa Barbara Art Associates
Originally incorporated as The County of Santa Barbara Art Associates, The Arts Fund was created in 1983 as a private nonprofit corporation. Its goals were to promote, foster, and support art activities in Santa Barbara County, and to facilitate the works of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission. The project was spearheaded by Shirley Dettmann and Joanne Holderman.
1989
The Arts Fund Becomes Independent
In the late 1980s, The Arts Fund evolved into an independent organization with its current mission of offering art education, development and exhibition opportunities to aspiring artists and curators, as well as opportunities for Santa Barbara County residents to expand their appreciation for the wealth of local arts in our own community.
1993
Creation of the Teen Arts Mentorship Program
Initiated in 1993 with a three-year grant from the Irvine Foundation, the Teen Arts Mentorship Program is an in-depth arts enrichment program designed to expose teenage artists to career paths in the visual, performance, multimedia, and literary arts. Working in small groups with creative professionals in our community, students develop specific art-making skills, learn exhibition techniques, and build strong portfolios, resumes, and professional networks to bolster college applications and prepare them for a career in the arts.
2001
Creation of the Community Gallery Program
2015
Creation of the Public Art Program
First North County Mentorship
John Hood, an artist living and working in North County, was invited to mentor the first North County Teen Arts Mentorship in 2015. The group of 18 students from 4 area high schools spent weeks creating a huge mural for the Discovery Museum (one of the patrons, along with the Squire Foundation).
2018
Leadership in the Arts Award
In 2018, the County of Santa Barbara Arts Commission recognized The Arts Fund for its “Significant impact on the arts and culture of our region through innovative thinking and exemplary commitment to promoting sustaining, and advancing our quality of life through the Arts.”
2022
MSME Joins the Community Gallery Program
In 2022, The Arts Fund brought the Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences (MSME) into the Community Gallery Program, taking over the lease for MSME’s 3,000 square-foot multi-use space in La Cumbre Plaza.
2023
40th Anniversary of The Arts Fund
The Arts Fund celebrated its 40th anniversary by holding the live art event Monster Drawing Rally in September of 2023. Later that same year, the Teen Arts Mentorship Program celebrated its 30th year with an exhibition in the Community Gallery.