Art Alfresco

As if you need another reason to get outside and enjoy the sunshine in Santa Barbara, from historic Hollywood romance of Dan Sayre Groesbeck to the tattoo art inspired line drawings of Chadillac Green, the aquatic visions of David Flores, the botanical imagination of Penelope Gottlieb, and so many more talented artists — there are more than 100 public art murals in Santa Barbara, and another 100-plus public sculptures, mosaics, and installations — all within publicly accessible spaces which have been identified and are available to peruse on a new interactive Santa Barbara Public Art Map. 

Creating this map was a collaboration between Sullivan Goss Gallery owner Nathan Vonk and Santa Barbara Beautiful boardmember Melinda Mettler, who created a document of our city’s murals in 2024.

This whole initiative is part of a community-wide campaign that aims to recognize and highlight the impressively diverse array of art that enriches the city’s public spaces, from murals to sculptures and beyond.

From September 4 to 24, community members are encouraged to visit as many public art works as they can and then vote for their favorites as part of the “100 Years of Santa Barbara Public Art” initiative, which will culminate with the announcement of the community’s favorite artwork during Santa Barbara Beautiful’s 2025 awards ceremony on September 28. 

Voters will also be eligible to win one of a series of cultural arts prize packages with items such as a staycation at the Jeff Shelton–designed “El Zapato”; tickets to see performances at the Ensemble Theatre Company, the Santa Barbara Choral Society, the Lobero Theatre, The Granada Theatre, the SBIFF Riviera Theatre, and the Santa Barbara Symphony; visits to the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; and even gift cards for The Blue Owl and Lucky Penny.

Need an overview of some of the artists involved with public art around town? Sullivan Goss Gallery (11 E. Anapamu St.) has a show on view August 29–October 27 called The Muralists, which showcases a diverse group of artists from the past and present who have played a major part in creating Santa Barbara’s public art legacy. The artists included are: Adriana Arriaga, Phoebe Brunner, David Flores, Chadillac Green, Skye Gwilliam, Ruth Ellen Hoag, Alfredo Ramos Martínez (1871-1946), Margaret Matson, Brad Nack, Channing Peake (1910-1989), Matt Rodriguez, Miguel Rodriguez, Leslie Lewis Sigler, and Howard Warshaw (1920-1977).

The opening reception for the exhibition is September 4 (1st Thursday), and will also coincide with the first day people can start voting for their favorite public works of art. 

The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative — in partnership with Santa Barbara Beautiful, Sullivan Goss, and Irene Hoffman Designs — is at the helm of this project, with additional support from other community organizations, including the Santa Barbara Independent.

There’s no better time than now to start exploring Santa Barbara’s vast, free public art landscape. 

See sbartscollaborative.org/public-art-map for the PDF of the Murals of Santa Barbara guide and the interactive Santa Barbara Public Art Map.