An ‘Aquean’ Affair

By Lisa Duncan

Darling, if ever there were an excuse to don something floaty and sip something chilled, it was the opening night of Aquean at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. The evening was balmy and golden, drawing a spiffy Montecito crowd to the waterfront setting with seaside sophistication.

The Pacific, just beyond, shimmered softly as guests arrived, greeting one another with familiar air-kisses and breezy bonhomie. Inside, the focus turned to artists David Ellis and Larry Vigon, whose exhibition Aquean offers an evocative exploration of time, tides, and transformation, delivered with a quietly captivating clarity.

The show is a rich mélange of photographs, paintings, prints, video, and mixed media, all circling the sea as eternal muse. And should anyone have wondered quite how Larry Vigon acquired his visual gravitas, one need only recall his design of the Fleetwood Mac album cover for Rumours – yes, that Rumours, the one that sold a gobsmacking 40 million copies worldwide. That triumph cemented his place in the rock and pop pantheon and led to a glittering roster of collaborators, among them Eric Clapton, Chicago, Counting Crows, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Frank Sinatra, and Carole King. Adding a touch of mystique to the evening, Larry Vigon’s wife was also in attendance, bringing a certain magic of her own as the famed muse behind the Fleetwood Mac song “Black Magic Woman.”

Alex Weinstein brought his lovely mother Donna Weinstein, a resident of Casa Dorinda, and shared his enthusiasm for the exhibition, noting, “We’re all quite impressed! The way these artists look at the ocean in such a new and creative way is fantastic.” Also in attendance were Maria and Dirk McCall, Cynder Sinclair, Fritz and Gretchen Olenberger, and Kate Ford, vice president of the Board. Fritz remarked, “Real art takes you beyond the obvious and to the unique. This show does this!” Representing Riviera Bank were Holly Onak, Alyssa Shapiro, Penny Little, with VP of Montecito Bank and Trust, Maria McCall, and captain of S/V Bosporus, Rick Wallace, reflecting the evening’s seamless blend of culture and community.

As the treacle sun sank, guests drifted outside – cool, coastal, and quietly chuffed – as Aquean made a splashy success.