Community Gallery

OPENING RECEPTION
March 21st, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Community members are invited to the opening reception of Brush and Beyond: An examination of the human condition on March 21st at 5 PM, during the La Cumbre Plaza Art Walk. The event will include light refreshments, live painting, and a chance to meet the artists.

Brush and Beyond spotlights Paulo Lima and Nagham Naim, Santa Barbara County artists using diverse media to explore complex topics particularly relevant in our world today. The exhibition will be on view from March 21st through May 9th at The Arts Fund Community Gallery in Santa Barbara.

Curator John Hood says, “The figurative works by Nagham, a Syrian refugee, capture her perilous and determined journey to reach the US in search of a better life. Paulo’s mixed media works are inspired by 19th century Brazilian religious figures, dressed to be displayed in churches or carried during processions. The artists of Brush and Beyond demonstrate the possibilities of what visual art can achieve, while making it approachable and inclusive. Santa Barbara County is home to a wonderfully diverse community of artists and patrons who appreciate variety in creative perspectives. This exhibit addresses a wide range of subject matter, and offers a chance to enjoy a unique blend of painting, sculpture, and mixed media.”

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Following the reception, the Gallery will be open to the community during regular hours Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM until May 9th.

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OPENING
February 14th

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Meet (or re-meet) The Arts Fund and learn about our programs!

In 2023, The County of Santa Barbara Arts Fund celebrated 40 years of supporting art & community. Come learn about our rich history and the evolution of our programs – and meet the team behind our initiatives! This Community Gallery show also features multimedia artwork by staff & board members, including Ceilidh Birkhahn, Jamie Dufek, John Hood, and Simon Kiefer.

Meet The Arts Fund will be on view in the Community Gallery until March 9th, 2025.

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OPENING RECEPTION
September 15th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

New exhibition opening this Friday: “Nuanced Peoples: Exploring Latinx Identities” curated by @jesbala and featuring work from Rabbit.Print, Jossilette Serrano, Cynthia Rodriguez, Stefanie Rodriguez, and Jesús Balandrano Ramírez.

This opening reception will be coinciding with The Arts Fund Art Walk on September 15th!

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OPENING RECEPTION
July 21st, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

This Friday, join us for Nurturing the Youth: an Exhibition of Established Artist Mentors! The Arts Fund Art Walk and Community Gallery opening reception is happening from 5-8pm. We are honored to showcase 11 past mentors who led sessions of our Teen Arts Mentorship Program in Santa Barbara County. Can you believe the program turns 30 this year?

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OPENING RECEPTION
May 19th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Creativity is at the heart of both art and science. It propels the questions we ask, the ways we approach problems, and how we continue to stay inspired. Never One Without the Other: Exploring the Bounds of Art and Science aims to showcase how individuals define the boundaries between art and science in their own work and practice. 

Featured artists include: Luise Gleason, Hannah Anderson, Erik Beahrs, David Rodriguez, Sriram Ramamurthy, and curator Chiara Corbo. 

If you’re in La Cumbre Plaza, stop in during our open hours! This show will be on view May 19th-July 15th in our Community Gallery.

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OPENING RECEPTION
March 17th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Join us in the Community Gallery on March 17th from 5-8PM for the opening of Power of Objects: The Art of Ron Robertson, an encore presentation curated by The Arts Fund intern Fia Torrey. This exhibition will be on view in the gallery until April 28th. Visit during our open hours: Wednesday-Sunday 11AM-5PM!

“As this was my first time curating a show, I got to learn about so many elements of curation. How factors such as color, size, shape and medium can work cohesively when hung together. There is so much more that goes into putting together a show than I originally expected, and I am very grateful for having learned so much during the planning process. I also really enjoyed getting to see so much of Ron Robertson’s work in all of its diversity. From sculptures to paintings of ink and watercolor, it was amazing to see how different the various styles look while still maintaining uniting factors.”
– Fia Torrey

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OPENING RECEPTION
January 20th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Join us for the first Art Walk and opening reception of 2023! The Arts Fund Community Gallery is currently home to The Kind of Mother: Coloring Outside the Lines of Motherhood, featuring works of: MEIYA SIDNEY, VANESSA WALLACE-GONZALES, HOPE OKERE, JUAN D. MENDOZA, and AMBER VALLEY EVANGELISTA. 

“The curated pieces provide a diverse narrative of the complexities of femininity and motherhood. Femininity, resilient, and nurturing are just a few of the words used to describe the emotion felt from the show. Artists show their vulnerability as a mother, child, and human in a curated show exemplifying the intimate connection with mother,” says curator, Amber “Valley” Evangelista. Enjoy light refreshments by Topa Topa Brewery, live music by Talitha Gabrielle from 5-8, and spoken word by Jamai Fisher at 7.

If you’re in La Cumbre Plaza, stop in during our open hours! This show will be on view until March in our Community Gallery.

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OPENING RECEPTION
March 9th, 5-7PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

“California is on the front lines of climate change.  The West Coast has recently seen extreme events such as drought, wildfires, floods, and coastal erosion. While we may believe the science and the data, the overwhelming significance of what is happening is almost inconceivable.  Each artist translates the hard truths and intersecting issues of climate change into their own—often satirical and humorous—unique visual language. They face the reality of what is happening while pointing out the vital concerns affecting the urgency of action.” – Cynthia Martin

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OPENING RECEPTION
July 19th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

With great anticipation, The Arts Fund Gallery Committee traveled from sea level to 500 feet elevation to visit the studios of five artists who live and work in the Santa Ynez Valley. While this may not seem very far, the view is indeed quite different on that side of the mountain. The Committee collaborated to select these artists, not only because of their location, but because their location reveals a collective consciousness of place.

Join us on Friday for the Opening Reception of View From 500 Feet during the Funk Zone Art Walk.

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OPENING RECEPTION
May 17th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

Tonight! Join us for the opening of “The Long Game” curated by Charles Donelan, featuring work by Claudia Borfiga, Inga Guzyte, Barbara Parmet, and Blakeney Sanford.

“The Long Game” refers to deliberate practices that take into account the future implications of current choices. The four artists in the show all demonstrate a commitment to the long game of creating deep work. Their art invites the viewer to consider not only how much an experience might matter right now, but also how that sense of meaning and urgency may persist and evolve over time. The choices and alliances we make today will determine the options we enjoy–or lack–in the future. By playing the long game, these four artists seek to keep the complex uncertainties of the deep future in mind, even as they confront the challenges and opportunities of today.

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POP-UP SHOW
May 10th, 5-9PM
May 11th, 12-6PM
May 12th, 12-4PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

For ONE weekend only…we’re pleased to present the opening of My Friend is SAD, an exhibition of drawings, printmaking, 3D pieces and wordplay produced during a week-long studio intensive. The work shown in this pop-up exhibition explores ideas around demystifying sadness. A reception will be held at The Arts Fund Community Gallery on Friday, May 10th from 5-9pm. The exhibition will feature artwork by creative duo, Claudia Borfiga and Matthew Head.

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OPENING RECEPTION
March 15th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

We’re pleased to announce the opening of THE HALEY COLLECTIVE: HOMECOMING, an exhibition of works by an important group of artists whose collaborative exhibitions energized Santa Barbara’s underground art scene from the late 1990s through 2005, curated by Nathan Vonk. The show will remain on display in the gallery until May 3rd.

A reception will be held at The Arts Fund Community Gallery on Friday, March 15 from 5-8pm, during the Funk Zone Art Walk. THE HALEY COLLECTIVE: HOMECOMING will feature work by Tanner Goldbeck, Larry Mills, Jorge Rivas, Vanae Mary Rivera, Joe Shea, and Yoskay Yamamoto.

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