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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif.) – The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture invites the community to a closing reception for Fare Trade and Iconic Santa Barbara Papel Picado on Friday, Jan. 23rd from 5 to 7 p.m. at Santa Barbara City Hall Gallery (735 Anacapa St.). The reception is free and open to all community members.
Fare Trade features photographs by Patricia Clarke and Brett Leigh Dicks that document taquerias and diners across Santa Barbara County and Western Australia. Iconic Santa Barbara Papel Picado is a site-specific installation by Irene Ramirez inspired by local landmarks and traditions. Together, the exhibitions highlight the cultural significance of shared food spaces and the artistry embedded in familiar settings.
The closing event will also feature a live poetry reading organized by City of Santa Barbara Poet Laureate George Yatchisin, with readings by additional local poets, including past Poets Laureate Melinda Palacio and Chryss Yost. The readings will be ekphrastic works written in direct response to the exhibition, meaning poems that engage with and are inspired by visual art on view.
“Poets, ever on the lookout for inspiration, appreciate the keen eyes of other types of artists to open them up to new ways of seeing the world,” Yatchisin said. “That’s why we are thrilled to turn our imaginations toward Patricia and Brett’s photographic compositions and Irene’s Papel Picado.”
Featured photographer Patrick Clarke observed how the exhibition offers a broader lens on identity and belonging. “Taquerias expand our broader sensibility of not only what it means to feed oneself in America, but what it means to be an American.”
The City Hall Gallery is located within Santa Barbara City Hall and offers a rotating platform for exhibitions that reflect local culture and civic life. Gallery hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
For more information on current exhibitions produced by the County Office of Arts & Culture, visit http://www.sbac.ca.gov/current-gallery-exhibitions.
About the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture
The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture (SBCOAC) serves as the local governmental umbrella for arts and culture projects and programs. The SBCOAC represents a remarkable longstanding partnership between the County of Santa Barbara and the City of Santa Barbara and serves as a State-Local Partner of the California Arts Council. Through robust public-private partnerships, the SBCOAC seeks to support and catalyze art, culture, and creative expression. For more information, visit http://www.sbac.ca.gov.
