SCAPE Artists Exhibit at MAW

The SCAPE artist group, aka Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment, held its annual juried exhibit in Lehman Hall at the Music Academy of the West Montecito (MAW) on Friday, September 12 – Saturday, September 13. The artists participating in the show render original works depicting the Central Coast of California, local landscapes created in oils, pastels, acrylics and more on canvas and various surfaces. Most works are framed.

The exhibit this year titled, Nature’s Palette, showed the works of SCAPE artists Jodi Brandt, Ron Ehmsen, Libby Smith, Kellie Stoelting, the Board President of SCAPE Kathryn McGill and the following winners:

Juror’s Choice: Monterey Pine by Nina Warner

People’s Choice: Sacred Ground by Gabriel Islas

Beneficiary Award: Sunshine, Memories, and More by Filiberto Lomeli 

First Place: Storm over the Foothils by Rick Drake

Second Place: Rock World by Larry Iwerks

Third Place: Low Tide Magic by Jodi Brandt

Honorable Mentions: Matt Lancaster, Karen Glancy,and Kelly Hildner

The show was juried by OAK Group artist Michael Drury. Winners were announced at a casual reception on the MAW back patio on Friday evening. Purchases of the artworks contributed towards a percentage of the total proceeds SCAPE donated to Explore Ecology’s environmental educational programs. The final amount of the donation is still being estimated at the time of this report.

SCAPE’s mission statement includes having exhibits to sell the art of its members and to donate a portion of their sales to a selected environmental organization. 

When I asked McGill how SCAPE selected Explore Ecology as a funding recipient, she explained, “Explore Ecology’s focus on both environmental protection and youth education dovetails particularly well with SCAPE’s mission and values. And Explore Ecology’s many arts and crafts programs show how a passion for the natural world can be a launching pad for artistic creation for all ages. SCAPE is proud to do what we can to support Explore Ecology as they nurture and grow love for both art and nature in our community!” 

In response to the generous annual donation from SCAPE, Lindsay Johnson, executive director of Explore Ecology said, “We are incredibly grateful to SCAPE and to all of the artists who contributed to this event. Proceeds from the show will support students across Santa Barbara County who are the next generation of environmental stewards. Thanks to SCAPE artists, children will enjoy field trips, outdoor learning in school gardens, and creative reuse art workshops. We can’t wait to collaborate with SCAPE on future events!”

411: https://scape.wildapricot.org