It’s that time again to get your walking shoes on and hit State Street for an evening full of art viewing. It looks as though the June Gloom of the last few weeks has given us a break and it is a perfect day to get out and about on the town. Here is a suggested itinerary of places not to be missed:

AG2 GALLERY @ THE FRENCH PRESS
1101 State Street
(805) 963-9800
Hope and Spirit of Haiti: A photographic journey revealing a spirit of regrowth and resilience in post-earthquake Haiti. How does the Haitian spirit thrive in the wake of natural disaster? This is what photographer, Lindsey Ross, set out to find. Feel the energy with lively cultural music. Refreshments served.

Lindsey is an adventurous and dedicated photographer, and I’m super excited about this one.

CANARY HOTEL
31 West Carrillo Street
(805) 884-0300
World-renowned artist Emma Ferreira has been a full-time contributor to the contemporary art world since 1998. Emma’s entrepreneurial spirit allows her to use her creative gifts to support her countless philanthropic endeavors.

I haven’t been in this space in the Canary, so it will be interesting to see.

THE GRANADA
1214 State Street
(805) 899-3000
Summer Speakeasy: Escape the summer heat in the cool downstairs as we revisit the end of the roaring 20s with swanky music, wine sampling courtesy of Santa Barbara Winery, beer tastings and an Old Hollywood art exhibit from our Hall of Fame of entertainment icons who appeared in their heyday.

SANTA BARBARA CONTEMPORARY ARTS FORUM
653 Paseo Nuevo, 2nd Floor
(805) 966-5373
Forum Lounge: FAST-FORWARD: A Screening of Contemporary American Video Art: Curated by Annie Wharton, FAST-FORWARD is a compilation of short length videos by several artists working in the medium. The videos encompass a wide range of subject matter ranging from corporeal, action based performances to humorous slices of life. In addition, CAF will show works on monitors and projections by several other artists. 7pm.

COUCH
9 West Ortega Street
(805) 965-8505
Not to be missed, the very unusual necromantic art of multi-media artist Kimberly McBride. She uses video, music and paint to channel cultural icons from Marilyn Monroe to Kurt Cobain. Kimberly will be painting live using her brushless technique. Join us for an artist reception and refreshments.

THE CHURCH GALLERY
125 West Ortega Street
(805) 451-8845
A Certain Slant of Light: New Works by Cyndee Howard and Lisa Schulte, is a two-person exhibition exploring the notion of light as a formal as well as thematic medium. Curated by Miki Garcia, the exhibition features new works in photography by Howard and neon sculpture by Schulte.

C4
914A Santa Barbara Street, at the Built Green Resource Center
The Green Building Art Show brings together work by a diverse group of designers, architects and artists who specialize in green building. In addition, C4’s Build Smart mobile demonstration trailer will be onsite. Refreshments will be served.

BROOKS INSTITUTE GALLERY 27
27 East Cota Street
(805) 690-4913
Brooks Institute’s Gallery 27 will have on display a selection of work from local student artists. Refreshments will be served.

If there are any great events going on that I have missed, send me a message and I’ll do my best to update the post.

Visionaries: Contemporary Art from Santa Barbara’s Private Collections

Opening: SAT. MAY. 22, 7-9 PM
On View: MAY. 22 – JUL. 18, 2010

SAT. MAY 22, 6-7 PM
Art à La Carte: Meet the Curator and Artists
Join us before the opening of Visionaries: Contemporary Art from Santa Barbara’s Private Collections and Bloom Projects: Adrian Esparza Paño-rama for a VIP tour of the exhibitions. FREE for above Level Members/$5 General Admission, includes one complimentary beverage.

Iona Rozeal Brown, Commonalities, 2006, Acrylic and ink on paper, 50 x 38 in. Collection of Tim Walsh and Mike Healy, Santa Barbara, CA.

The Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum celebrates Santa Barbara’s world-class, contemporary art collections, specifically highlighting some of today’s most cutting-edge artists. Widely recognized as a center of arts and culture, leisure, and natural beauty, Santa Barbara also boasts a population of savvy art aficionados who travel, collect, and support the most compelling art of our time. Miki Garcia, Executive Director and Valerie Velazquez, Assistant Curator, culled through over 20 collections including those of John and Jill Bishop, Jacquelyn Klein-Brown; Jill and Barry Kitnick; Tim Walsh and Mike Healy; Cyndee Howard; Barry and Jo Berkus; and many more, organizing a public exhibition of privately held and rarely seen treasures in our midst. This exhibition offers a glimpse of paintings, prints, drawings, photography, and sculpture by leading figures in the contemporary art world including Louise Bourgeois, Martin Eder, Sam Francis, Arturo Herrera, Ed Ruscha, Cindy Sherman, Hiroshi Sugimoto, and Rob Fisher as well as recognized local artists Richard Aber and Hank Voss.

Artists: Richard Aber, Brian Alfred, El Anatsui, Cory Arcangel, Louise Bourgeois, Joan Brown, James Casebere, Paul Chan, Rineke Dijkstra, Martin Eder, Rob Fisher, Tim Hawkinson, Arturo Herrera, Brad Howe, Zak Kitnick, Lead Pencil Studio, Richard Misrach, Robert A. Pruitt, Richard Ross, Iona Rozeal Brown, Ed Ruscha, Alison Saar, Cindy Sherman, Amy Sillman, Joseph Stashkevetch, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Hank Voss, Matthew Weinstein, and Lebbeus Woods

CAF would like to acknowledge the support of Candyce Eoff, Montecito, CA; Carole Lieff, Montecito, CA; Bill Spencer, Santa Barbara, CA; Wayne McCall & Associates, Santa Barbara, CA; and all the Lenders of this exhibition.

Sanford Biggers,Bittersweet the Fruit, 2002

THUR. APR. 1, 7 PM
Forum Lounge: Sanford Biggers, with special guests Gamelan Sinar Surya and DJ Jahi Sundance

Although largely known as a visual artist, Sanford Biggers uses sound and music as a central element in his work, which is currently on view at CAF. Biggers presents a unique mash-up featuring Los Angeles-based DJ Jahi Sundance, live video mixing, and local ensemble Gamelan Sinar Surya. Drawing from ancient African and Buddhist musical traditions, stream of consciousness, hip hop culture, and projected images, he will offer a collective audience interaction relating back to the Buddhist concept of interconnectedness (in that many people have touched the work and with every new touch, each person becomes connected to one another in a real, but subtle way). Co-presented by Gamelan Sinar Surya and The Brotherhood of Santa Barbara.
FREE

FRI. APR. 2, 6 – 8 PM
Artist Seminar: CAF invites students, artists, and members of the community who wish to gain a more in-depth understanding of the themes addressed in the exhibition on view at CAF,Sanford Biggers: Moon Medicine, to this seminar-style event with Miki Garcia, Executive Director. Attendance is limited; please RSVP. Participants are invited to prepare by reading selected articles, to be provided upon RSVP. Contact Nicole at nbiergiel@sbcaf.org, or 805.966.5373 ext. 102 for more information.
FREE

NOV. 15, 2009 – APR. 15, 2010
Passport to Santa Barbara County at CAF
Children in kindergarten to sixth grade are invited to the Contemporary Art Forum (CAF) with an accompanying adult free of admission when they present a Passport to Santa Barbara County booklet. Collect a stamp in your passport booklet and experience the art of our time through a variety of art activities, as part of the Santa Barbara Educators Roundtable (SBERT) Passport to Santa Barbara County program. more info
FREE

WED.  APR.  21, 7 PM
Discussion and Book Signing with Peter Clothier
Clothier is an internationally-known writer who specializes in writing about art and artists. He will be available at CAF to discuss and sign copies of his newest book Persist: In Praise of a the Creative Spirit in a World Gone Mad with Commerce about the predicament of the artist in a cultural environment dominated by money and celebrity, and it encourages artists to develop new strategies for success.
FREE