2023 Teen Arts Mentorship Program

In 2023, The Arts Fund hosted 6 mentorships featuring students from 7 Santa Barbara County High Schools, serving over 60 students.

The mentorships included All Levels Hip-Hop Dance, Self Expression Through Painting, Musical Theater Ensemble, Page to Stage Poetry, Introduction to Music Production, and Traditional/Digital Art Mash-Up.

Spring Mentorships

All Levels Hip-Hop Dance

South County Mentorship with Paris Davidson

Award winning dancer & choreographer Paris Davison mentored 10 students in an All Levels Dance program. These teens showcased their final performance at Center Stage Theater, where friends, family, and supporters were invited to cheer them on.

SUMMER MENTORSHIPS

Introduction to Music Production

South County Mentorship with Talitha Blackwell

Sound engineer and music producer, Talitha Blackwell, led Music Production Fundamentals: Composition and Mixing. This mentorship taught students tools to create music compositions that can be used in collaborations or personal music projects. The students had their creations on display at from November-January at The Arts Fund Community Gallery.


Musical Theater Ensemble

North County Mentorship with Chad Ruyle

Musician & educator Chad Ruyle led a North County mentorship over the summer. Students learned the appropriate technical and artistic process of singing as a soloist. This workshop concluded with a live in-person concert at the Allan Hancock Fine Arts Recital Hall.

FALL MENTORSHIPS

Self-Expression Through Painting

South County Mentorship with Demi Boelsterli

Under the guidance of multidisciplinary artist Demi Boelsterli in her Funk Zone studio, students were provided with the tools and freedom to create. They also learned the basic elements and principles of design. As the finale, students created artist statements, and had the opportunity to showcase and sell their work through The Arts Fund Community Gallery.


Traditional/Digital Mash-Up

North County Mentorship with Laura-Susan Thomas

Educator and professional artist Laura-Susan Thomas led a mentorship hosted by Allan Hancock College. Featuring written word collectively created by the student artists, participants then created traditionally drawn portraits – that speak and move and show emotions by utilizing accessible motion-capture software. These pieces and their animations were run through an Augmented Reality application, and the work was ready to hang together as an installation in the Community Gallery.


POETRY OUT LOUD

Page to Stage

North County Mentorship

This year we had the opportunity to partner with the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture to administer the Poetry Out Loud (POL) Program. POL is made possible through partnership with the National Endowment for Arts, the California Arts Council and the Poetry Foundation. Allan Hancock College, hosted the Regional Poetry Out Loud Competition in their new Fine Arts building. We congratulate Anna Matthews, a Page to Stage mentorship participant, for winning the Regional Champion title! She represented us in the State Competition in March 2024.

Synthetic Realms: a Multimedia Concert

EVENT
December 10th, 4PM

Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences / FREE ADMISSION

Join us for a combined program of audiovisual compositions by Constantin Basica and Andrew A. Watts. The works ponder on contemporary and futuristic issues related to global climate change, artificial intelligence, time travel and time loops, the multiverse, and the end of our known universe.

Included in the concert is a new large-scale electronic composition involving video and 6-channel audio by Watts, as well as a selection of live performances with electronics and video by Basica.


Learn more & stay in the loop:

2023 Teen Arts Mentorship Exhibition

OPENING RECEPTION
November 17th, 5-8PM

The Arts Fund Community Gallery / FREE ADMISSION

The Arts Fund is honored to showcase a youth centered show from teens in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Santa Maria, and Lompoc. Join us in celebrating the 12 local student artists during the upcoming La Cumbre Art Walk. Our thanks to the mentors for their intentional and inspirational mentorship to these emerging artists.

Following the reception, the Gallery will be open to the community during regular hours Wed-Sun 11AM-5PM until the end of January 2025.


Learn more & stay in the loop:

Monster Drawing Rally

EVENT
September 16th, 12PM-5PM

La Cumbre Plaza / FREE ADMISSION

Save the date! We’re turning 40 this year, and would love for you to celebrate with us. Watch local artists create in real time, and join us on our journey to foster the arts in Santa Barbara County!

Thank you @philippericardart for designing our material for this event!


Learn more & stay in the loop:

Nuanced Peoples: Celebrating Latinx Identities

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!


Learn more & stay in the loop:

Nurturing the Youth

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?


Learn more & stay in the loop:

Never One Without the Other

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.


Learn more & stay in the loop:

2023 Teen Arts Mentorship Dance Showcase

EVENT
May 4th, 7PM

Center Stage Theater / FREE ADMISSION

Over the last 10 weeks, professional choreographer and award winning dancer PARIS has been mentor for our Teen Arts Mentorship Program. She worked with 10 local students ages 14-17, representing 3 schools, to prepare a multiple genre showcase in beautiful downtown Santa Barbara.

Our Teen Arts Mentorship program is turning 30 this year, and is tuition-free to all students in Santa Barbara County. This showcase is free to the community! Just RSVP to reserve your spot.


Learn more & stay in the loop:

Power of Objects: The Art of Ron Robertson

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


Learn more & stay in the loop:

The Kind of Mother

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.


Learn more & stay in the loop: