Is That Some Normalcy We See?
I’m knocking on wood right now (my own skull, don’t ya know), but it almost feels like some normalcy is returning in pockets to Santa Barbara’s art scene. I know that’s hard when a lot of our favorite galleries and spaces have upped and left. But there’s things you should know about, and I’d be remiss, et cetera, et cetera.
Hanging RIGHT NOW at Community Arts Workshop is “REMEDY,” which I assume is some sort of commentary on the various illnesses infecting our body politic. But that’s a maybe. What I do know for a fact is that the show features some of my favorite art people: Tony Askew, Angela Holland, Dan Levin, Michael Long, Perry Hoffman, Dug Uyesaka, Frank Whipple, and Sue Van Horsen. If you’re reading this now, you might have missed the opening, but don’t worry, I said hello for you. And they all said they missed you. If Santa Barbara has any weirdness left, it’s found here. And it’s up through September 29 at Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street.
And TALKING ABOUT the CAW, which lucked out by having the most open-air space in all of Santa Barbara for art shows, I’m going to guess it will be your essential space this fall. There’s group shows galore coming up along with arts and crafts markets. In fact, one of them is happening this month. The Youth Makers Market is taking place September 18, 11 am – 2 pm, featuring goods from up-and-coming artists. Get to it.
SULLIVAN GOSS is continuing like normal, and the pick of the three exhibits they have going right now is Nicole Strasburg. “Sea Change” is an exploration of the sea, sky, and clouds, at all times of day and in all types of weather. The show runs thru the end of September, and the address as usual is 11 E. Anapamu.
FINALLY, I went and checked out the newly remodeled Santa Barbara Museum of Art. I very much liked the decision to turn the foyer into a salon-style, mix-n-match exploration of the museum’s antiquities. The expansion of upstairs into a long gallery of photography felt like I was somewhere else as I walked about — L.A.? S.F.? And I very much dug the misty nature still-life videos of Wu Chi-Tsung in the current “Mediated Nature” exhibit. Seriously, if you haven’t checked it out yet, throw down a tenner and get thee hence. C’mon now.
