The Karpeles Museum, a true hidden gem of downtown Santa Barbara and an important free museum for all to visit, is set to close because the building is being sold. Perhaps some local collective or organization could buy the building and continue to lease the collection of documents and artifacts from the Karpeles family? The building has an upstairs and courtyard that would be a perfect venue for all sorts of live events — in the not-so-distant past the museum held all sorts, from dance classes to lectures to book signings and more.
But most importantly, the museum must not go away — this is a peaceful, lovely spot to get away from the big city that downtown S.B. has become, and a rare venue (not just here but in general) in which history, science, art, and knowledge are celebrated and accessible to all.
It won’t be replaced, and the city mustn’t let it slip away.
