SBIFF Film Center’s New Naomi and Ben Bollag Gallery Features the Work of Barbara Boros

The film-themed art gallery at SBIFF’s McHurley Film Center has a new name and a new exhibition on view. 

The Naomi and Ben Bollag Gallery honors a cornerstone gift from Ben Bollag. Naomi, who passed away in May 2025, and Ben have been residents of Santa Barbara for the past 35 years. They came to town following years in Switzerland, New York, and Hawai‘i. Ben enjoyed a distinguished career in investment banking, and Naomi was an accomplished artist whose creativity, aesthetic vision, and love of beauty enriched both her family and the broader community.

The couple has a long track record of being deeply committed to philanthropic endeavors, supporting numerous charitable, educational, healthcare, cultural, and community initiatives both locally and internationally. Naomi was particularly deeply committed to the revitalization and growth of downtown Santa Barbara, and according to a statement about the new gallery, “her vision, generosity, and community spirit continue to inspire this gift and its intended impact on the city she loved.”

Fittingly, the first exhibition at the Naomi and Ben Bollag Gallery — following the opening of the film center exhibit featuring the work of David Wasco and Sandy Reynolds-Wasco on the film La La Land (see story here) — honors and highlights the work of the late graphic designer Barbara Boros, who designed 18 posters and the iconic logo for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF). The exhibit is titled The Visual Legacy of Barbara Boros. 

According to Boros’s son AJ Woronovich, “Though her roots were from Texas, Santa Barbara was her true home. The Santa Barbara International Film Festival has always been a staple of this community, and she took a lot of pride in designing the poster. I was fortunate to watch her work evolve and grow with the festival since 2004. Designing her final poster from her hospital bed in 2021 was an inspiration, and a real testament to her strength, her passion, and her love for Santa Barbara. I hope all viewers of this installation can pause and appreciate the beauty she contributed to the community over the years.”

That 2021 final poster — featuring Alice Keck Park as a reflection of how parks and other public spaces became important gathering places where people could safely connect, reflect, and find solace outdoors amid the challenges of the COVID pandemic — will be on display at the Naomi and Ben Bollag Gallery, along with the other 17 SBIFF posters, as well as Boros’s work for Santa Barbara Summer Solstice, the Montecito Trails Foundation, and the French Bulldog coffee house.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, Boros spent her youth riding horses, and her love of animals was a passion that is reflected in much of her original art. Painting and drawing from a young age, she earned a BFA from University of North Texas Denton, and a degree in graphic design from Colorado Institute of Art. Upon relocating to Santa Barbara, she established her graphic design business and blended her natural painting abilities with her commercial design skills to create a successful career.

The Visual Legacy of Barbara Boros exhibit in the Naomi and Ben Bollag Gallery is free and open to the public daily from 2-8 p.m. at SBIFF’s McHurley Film Center (916 State St.). For more information, see sbifftheatres.com.