The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Calls for Artists for Their Backcountry Casitas Program

Artists, Architects, and Creatives Have the Opportunity to Create a Natural Playhouse for the Santa Barbara Community

A 2022 Casitas winner, "The Hawk's Nest" by artist and composer Cody Westheimer | Photo: Courtesy

It’s time for a new addition to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s collection of whimsical playhouses for children to enjoy and adults to admire! The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden calls for imaginative new art designs. Applications are open through July 8 for their Backcountry Casitas Program. Winners will receive a $5,000 stipend to bring their concepts to life for their Fall Opening Celebration Weekend on October 25.

“We are looking for imaginative, nature-based playhouse designs that delight our visitors while fostering an appreciation for California’s native plants,” states Scot Pipkin, the Botanic Garden director of education. “Selected Casitas will employ thoughtful design, incorporate sustainable materials, and integrate seamlessly with the garden grounds.”

The Casitas natural playhouses, introduced in 2019, are structures that foster nature-focused play in the “Backcountry,” a mostly flat and accessible forest area of the Garden. These play structures are meant to foster exploration, creativity, and a connection to the natural world.

The competition is open to local and national artists, architects, contractors, design build teams, hobbyists, and creatives. There will be up to three selected artists that will be notified on July 20 that they received both the stipend and the green light for construction. Some of the previous Casitas designs include “The Snail Shell” by Jessica Altstatt; “The Hives” by Steve Windhager, PhD; and the “Gaia Tree” by the Central Coast Green Business Council. “The Snail Shell” draws inspiration from native land and native species and how important they are to our environment. “The Hives” was one of the first Casitas projects and was installed by the garden’s executive director, and it mirrors a honeycomb-like structure for collective play. The “Gaia Tree” was the 2022 winner of the artist call, and its merits are evident in its majestically constructed tree structure made from salvaged materials and its emphasis on the importance of fungi in nature. All of the Casitas designs focus on the importance and beauty of nature.

The submitted designs will be reviewed this year using the following criteria: shows a balance of creativity and imagination in design with well-thought, realistic ideas; a use of natural, sustainable materials; engagement for children aged 5 to 13; alignment with the Botanic Garden’s mission of native plant conservation; and durability and adaptability to withstand weather and high usage for up to two years.

Collaboration is encouraged, and the chosen designs will replace some of the older structures in the Backcountry, highlighting how the Botanic Garden is continuing to evolve and introduce new ways to connect to nature for our youth and broader community.

The final installations will be unveiled at the Botanic Garden’s annual fall family night on Saturday, October 25. If you are interested in participating, learn about the Backcountry Casitas Program by referring to their website. To access a free Q&A session, visit sbbotanicgarden.org/classes-events/backcountry-casitas-qa.