Santa Barbara Studio Artists Open Private Studios for 25th Annual Labor Day Tour

Self-Guided Event Invites Visitors Inside 24 Artist Studios for Rare Behind-the-Scenes Conversations and Demonstrations

Artist Eric Saint Georges in the studio | Photo: Courtesy

Artist Danuta Bennett with one of her paintings | Photo: Courtesy

It’s rare to witness the raw, behind-the-scenes action of an artist’s studio, let alone casually speak to the artist themselves in that environment. Yet every year Santa Barbara Studio Artists (SBSA) makes it possible for the public to tour artists’ home studios, see their recent artwork and talk to them about it.

For the upcoming 25th Annual Open Studios Tour, 24 artists are opening their doors on Labor Day weekend, September 5-7. There will also be an Opening Reception and Preview Exhibition on Friday, September 4, from 5-8 p.m. at the Community Arts Workshop, featuring retrospective memories from the last quarter-century. Along with the celebration, viewers will get a chance to see a preview of representative works from all the artists.

“In a gallery, you talk about the artwork itself, the finished part. But in the studio, you are showing everything. You are more vulnerable because you’re showing the unfinished pieces. Sometimes, I show the pieces that didn’t work very well … they’re sitting somewhere in the corner, waiting for either a repainting or to say goodbye to them. Even the conversations about those not very successful images are very special,” said tour artist and board member Danuta Bennett.

Bennett explained that this openness to the tour visitors, in addition to her time as a board member, has allowed her a greater connection to other artists in town. One of the founding members, Ruth Ellen Hoag, said that the purpose of the organization was to create a community platform for artists and spectators alike, in addition to flagging Santa Barbara as an arts destination.

A wide variety of backgrounds and mediums are showcased in the tour — the only qualifier is that an artist needs to have a studio where they create.

Artist Susan Tibbles grew up in Santa Barbara and began creating art at age 15. One of her main art formats is assemblage: the use of found objects to create three-dimensional art. She also has been a collage artist for the Los Angeles Times, often centering her work around geopolitics and social commentary. The studio tour is a special occasion for the public to see Tibbles’s studio, as she usually only invites curators or people she knows into the space.

Artist Susan Tibbles with some of her assemblages. | Photo: Courtesy

Meanwhile, Bennett is an abstract artist from Poland. She came to the United States with her husband as a biologist, but eventually pursued her love for art professionally. From graphic design, fine art, and children’s book illustrations, biology still shows up in her art in shapes — often inviting the viewer to meet the painting with their own ideas in these “threshold spaces,” as Bennett calls them.

Bennett wasn’t fluent in English when she moved to the United States and painting quickly became, “a way of expressing something that I couldn’t express yet with words. I love seeing people standing in front of my painting and telling me what they see — telling me their story through that painting. That’s actually more powerful than me just explaining it.”

Artist Sarita Reynolds in the studio | Photo: Courtesy
Artist Leslie Ekker in the studio with assemblages. | Photo: Courtesy
Artist Marilyn Mcrae in the studio | Photo: Courtesy
Artist Cynthia Martin in the studio | Photo: Courtesy

In addition to Bennett and Tibbles, artists featured in the Santa Barbara and Montecito area include: Misa Art, Ann Shelton Beth, William Dalziel, Jeanne Dentzel, Leslie Ekker, Karen Fedderson, Brian Kuhlmann, Kathy Leader, Paulo Pereira Lima, Cynthia Martin, Sarita Reynolds, Joan Rosenberg-Dent, Francis Scorzelli, and Brian Woolford.

Featured West Santa Barbara, Hope Ranch, and Goleta artists include: Pamela Benham, Marilyn McRae, Jean Range, Nurit Ruckenstein, Eric Saint Georges, Ann Sanders, Marlene Struss, and Gerry Winant.

In addition to highlighting these artists, SBSA is also a philanthropic organization. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Adam’s Angels, an all-volunteer nonprofit that provides essential clothing, toiletries, and food to Santa Barbara’s unsheltered residents.

The self-guided tour spans Montecito to Goleta, and runs from Saturday, September 5, to Monday, September 7, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets are available online at SantaBarbaraStudioArtists.com or at the opening reception. For more information, call (805) 280-9178.