SPOTLIGHT ON The Delphine Gallery

Tucked into the corner storefront of the Arlington Plaza lies
the Delphine Gallery, an outpost for Santa Barbara artists. Owned
for the past 15 years by Santa Barbara resident Michael Lapere, the
gallery hosts between six and eight shows per year. The work tends
to be more traditional — lots of oils, acrylics, and
charcoals — but there’s one commonality: the artists are all Santa
Barbara-based. “There are so many talented artists looking to show
within Santa Barbara, we rarely have need to look for artists
outside of our area,” explained Arun Cagar, manager and master
framer of the gallery for the past three years. Since a move two
doors down in the plaza, the Delphine Gallery has been in its
current location for the past two years, though it originated in
Montecito. The new location afforded the gallery a little extra
space to expand. In addition to the main gallery room, there is an
auxiliary room where pieces from old shows remain, as well as some
more eclectic pieces that don’t show in the main room. In addition
to pleasing area artists, the gallery also pleases the Santa
Barbara buyer. Relying on a pretty regular clientele instead of
seeking the pocketbooks of the passing tourist, the gallery runs an
extensive framing business where you’ll likely find Cagar.

Currently on display are the majestic, equestrian works of Kate
Upton and the bright, vivid acrylics of James Paul Brown. The
Delphine Gallery is located at 1324 State Street in the Arlington
Plaza. Call 962-6625 or visit delphinegallery.com.