Welcome to the Santa Barbara Art Blog. Once you have read about some of the latest events in the Santa Barbara art scene, please leave a comment to let me know what you think. To subscribe to this blog click here.

This Sunday starting at 7pm, come to Bizerk at 432 State St, Santa Barbara (enter through Indochine bar next door), to experience an exclusive fashion show of movie wardrobe from the film “City of Ember”, by academy award nominee and master clothing designer Ruth Myers (see bio below). The entire wardrobe from this film will be available for sale, as well as 25% off Bizerk store wide. Proceeds to benefit the classic pyrobar, and to support it’s voyage to burning man this year.

The P was originally modified by Santa Barbara welder/artists years gone by, and has surfed the playa many a fine year, until it languished and was recently rescued for renovations. This amazing car has a full service bar, outdoor stools for a dozen or so patrons (who can chill on their stools whether the car is stationary or moving), it shoots fire, blasts music, and has a moveable crane to support aerial performance artists, as well as any other important mayhem.  The pyrobar may even make a special guest appearance… So this is a great cause!

Enter through indochine bar ($10 cover ––all goes to the pyrobar project), 21 and older, and browse through the actual costumes and wardrobe used in this film, while we show the movie in the background, and groove to live local DJ’s B Michael and Jason Roessler. At 8pm, we will host a sexy and rambunctious fashion show, by runway and fashion coordinator Jenessa Nye, featuring selections from the City of Ember collection. Meanwhile, all night Bizerk will be closed to the public, but open for all attendees, and the entire store of costumes and wild accessories will be offered at 25% off. Bizerk will be donating 15% of sales to the pyrobar restoration project.

Feel free to participate in re-creating yourself in a whole new wardrobe, and get a head start prepping for summer festival season and the burn.

Ruth Myers Biography

Two-time Academy Award Nominee Ruth Myers was brought up in Manchester, England. She trained at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, then went to work at the Royal Court Theatre on a student grant, followed by a year working in repertory. Ms. Myers next returned to the Royal Court, contributing to at least 15 productions which included John Osborne’s “Hotel in Amsterdam” and “Time Present”, and David Hare’s “Stag”.

Her first professional assignment was sewing sequins all night on costumes for the great designer Anthony Powell. During this period, Ms. Myers worked as assistant to the legendary Sophie Devine, who as ‘Motley’ had created the costumes for many of the early English classic films including director David Lean’s “Great Expectations”. With her encouragement, Ms. Myers started to design for the theatre and then for low-budget English films beginning in 1967 with “Smashing Time” (now famous for its era-defining Mod look), “A Touch of Class”, Peter Medak’s “The Ruling Class”, and “The Twelve Chairs”.

After being persuaded to come to America by Gene Wilder, she collaborated with him on “The World’s Greatest Lover,” “The Woman in Red” and “Haunted Honeymoon.” She also then designed for Joseph Losey’s “Galileo” and “The Romantic Englishwoman.” It was on this film that she met her late husband, noted Production Designer, Richard MacDonald. As a couple they enjoyed a dynamic collaboration on films that include Sydney Pollack’s “The Firm”; Fred Schepsi’s “Plenty” and ‘The Russia House”; Norman Jewison’s “And Justice For All”; Ken Russell’s “Altered States”; Jack Clayton’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”; and Barry Sonnenfeld’s “The Addams Family,” for which Ms. Myers received an Academy Award nomination.

Since 1993, she has designed more than 30 films including Curtis Hanson’s “L.A. Confidential”; Douglas McGrath’s “Emma,” (for which she earned her second Academy Award nomination) “Nicholas Nickelby” and “Infamous”; Taylor Hackford’s “Proof of Life,”; Mimi Leder’s “Deep Impact”; John Curran’s “The Painted Veil.” Her most recent films are the forthcoming “City of Ember,” directed by Gil Kenan; and “The Golden Compass,” directed by Chris Weitz.

In 2003 Ms. Myers designed the costumes for the pilot episode of HBO’s “Carnivale,” creating the look for the continuing series and garnering an Emmy.

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I’ve been unforgivable slow in helping to get the word out about a new publication in town that shares the focus of this blog by helping to raise the profile of local art and artists who are not found on the typical Santa Barbara art radar. A month or so ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Adam Gray who is the Captain Kirk of this Enterprise. Adam is a passionate and ambitious art lover with an infectious energy that you can’t help admiring. His publication is called Stateside Magazine. Print publications are a very brave venture in these days of digital media, but Adam and his team of dedicated minions have an intelligent vision. Even so, they will need the support of all of us who produce, collect or just appreciate this kind of art. Keep your eyes out for Stateside Magazine while you are out and about downtown. The mag contains a great monthly calendar of events around town to help you keep in the loop. If this is the kind of thing you are into, I encourage you to check out their website and consider lending your support. I’ve posted their call to arms below.

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Here is a great chance for an artist you may know to get the exposure they deserve. Stateside Magazine is dedicated to helping and promoting the local talented people of Santa Barbara. Stateside Magazine is meant to be a canvas for artists to showcase their work and get exposure to help them thrive and inspire to create more. But we need your help.

Here’s what a local artist had to say about Stateside Magazine and your support:

“I create and express myself through what I do. It is an outlet for me to feel great in many different ways and I want to share it with the world. I have found an amazing opportunity through Stateside Magazine to showcase my talent. They have developed a way that is free for artists to display their work through Stateside’s online gallery at www.statesidemagazine.com as well as hosting an art show at least once a month at their “town meetings”. But what I would really like is to be featured in the magazine. Stateside is free and I have no doubt that they will feature me eventually (because I am so good at what I do), but you can help me solidify a spot by sponsoring me.”

Stateside Magazine is different that most publications out there, they do this in a couple creative ways:

They ask that you do not throw it away. Instead, give it to a friend and tell them the same, or return it to one of the select stores that carry it. At the end of the month, Stateside will go around and recycle the leftovers.

Stateside Magazine is a firm believer in freedom of speech and wants it’s publication to reflect what the people want. They hold their “town meetings” every month and invite anyone and everyone to come and discuss what they would like to see in this publication.

Please help by sponsoring an artist for $200 and have a “sponsored by:” your company name in the magazine as well as a thank you on the web site. Its a great way to help support the arts of Santa Barbara. People are treating this with a higher value than other publications, and many people keep the magazine for the art.

They will also take their already super-low advertising rates for a half page and cut the cost in half if you sponsor an artist. It is a monthly publication, so ads have longevity and at $10 a day its a great way to promote your business. If you sponsor an artist it is only $5 a day for the ad plus the sponsorship.

Sponsorship = $200/month

Sponsorship and a half page ad (4.25” by 5.5“) as well as the web site = $200+$150= $350/month

Half page ad = $300/month

Full page ad= $500/month

Thank you for your support,

Local talented artists and

Stateside Magazine

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Here’s the shortlist of places not to miss tonight, which looks to be a beautiful evening despite the rainy forecast  just a day ago.

Firstly, Vanae Rivera will be having a solo show at 19 Blue (19 West Ortega). Vanae was the designer of the first Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative t-shirt and was a huge contributor to the Bar Napkin Biennale at Muddy Waters just a few weeks back.  I can’t say that I remember seeing a show at 19 Blue, but I am excited to see a new venue added to the First Thursday lineup. Vanae’s work is graphic, and street-inspired, and is the kind of edgy work that is all too hard to find in Santa Barbara, so make sure you don’t miss this show.

The other thing that should not be missed tonight is the Forum Lounge with Sanford Biggers at the Contemporary Arts Forum. This is a major event at CAF, and I have been been waiting for weeks for this event. The show starts at 7 tonight, so you’ll have plenty of time to check out your regular favorite First Thursday spots.

I believe that there are also a lot of street performances scheduled for tonight. And I’m sure there are a lot of other great places to check out tonight, so if you want to help get the word out about shows or events that I have missed, please help spread the word by posting a comment on this post.

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Artists,

A friend of mine, Ethan Turpin is going to Indonesia for the month of April to do a photo project. He and his very cool studio partner, Bill McVicar, have agreed we’ll sublet some space to an artist to offset his cost, and can make it available for May as well.

Perch is a great space to make art with an inspiring history as a gallery and studio. He’s looking for a responsible, creative person to come in while he’s gone. This is a good opportunity to dedicate time to a project and/or hang work for studio visits.

You Get:
• 15 ft white wall – good for painting and hanging work
• 4 ft (currently orange) wall
• Folding work tables
• Adjustable gallery track lighting
• Good indirect natural light
• High ceiling
• Small refrigerator
• Kitchen
• Bathroom/shower
• Stereo
• WiFi
• Storage
• Great downtown location

$250 per month

Conditions:
Access available 10am – 5:30pm Tuesday through Saturday while Bill is at work. (Somewhat negotiable with Bill.)

Perch • 25-C W Cota • Santa Barbara • CA • 93101

If you are interested in this offer please contact me at nathan@sbartsblog.com, and I’ll get you in touch with Ethan.

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Happy New Year to one and all! It’s time for our first First Thursday of the new decade, and I’ve got a list of highlights to add to your tour tonight.

Artamo Gallery

Artamo is small and easy to miss, but it is Santa Barbara’s leading gallery for international abstract art. Unlike much of Santa Barbara, I am a huge fan of abstract art. Tonight Artamo has put together a group of small works specifically for those of us that do not have large pocketbooks. This might be a great opportunity for fans of abstract art to pick something up for yourself or a loved one, without having to mortgage  away your unborn children–always a plus!

SBMA

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art has extended one of the best shows that they have had there in a long time. If you haven’t seen it yet, make sure to check out “California Calling”, an exhibit that highlights the innovative, and  in-your-face art that has come out of California over the last sixty years, including iconic works by David Park, Sam Francis, and long-time UCSB professor Howard Warshaw.

Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative

The fledgling Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative will be having its second showing of 2-D and 3-D art at Casa de la Guerra. There will be live art making  and music to accompany the exhibit. Make sure and stop by and learn about the big plans that this collaborative has for the new year.

Casa Magazine

Casa Magazine‘s home base on Canon Perdido Street will host an exhibit by Beth Amine entitled Inner Worlds of Possibility: Alive and Visible. Amine will be exhibiting her handmade shrines and leading shrine-making activities. Casa will also have refreshments and tasty provisions for those of you who forgot to eat before hitting the street.

Contemporary Arts Forum

Finally, as mentioned in my last post, Ted Mills will be performing his second installment of The Amazing Animated Jukebox. The Amazing Animated Jukebox Vol. 2 screens videos from Coldplay, Beck, Radiohead, Menomena, N.A.S.A. featuring Kool Keith and Tom Waits, Death Cab for Cutie, Birdy Nam Nam, Lemon Jelly, Royksopp, Azeem, The New Pornographers, and many more. Don’t miss your fix of the latest wave in animated eye candy ranging from old-school 2-D line drawing to computer graphics and those that negotiate the subtle levels in between.

See you on the street!

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