In what may have been one of the most illustrious gatherings of Santa Barbara’s art community in decades, family, friends, fans, and contemporaries of the late Keith Puccinelli braved the 100 degree plus heat wave on Saturday to come out in droves to celebrate the life and legacy of the artist, who passed away in 2017.
Encouraged to wear polka dots, with clown noses as favors, in the spirit of the late artist — who often had clown imagery in his work — the opening reception for UCSB’s Art Design & Architecture (AD&A) Museum’s exhibition, POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli, was a festive and fun afternoon. See Josef Woodard’s cover story, “Tears of a Sly, Artful Clown,” for more information on Puccinelli and the show itself. The exhibition is free to the public and will remain on view through December 15. Gallery hours are Wednesday-Sunday, noon-5 p.m. See museum.ucsb.edu
Elyse Gonzales and Colleen Kelly inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
A young guest at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Curator Meg Linton inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
The smoking section inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Clown noses kept the Pooch opening on theme | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Guests enjoy the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Mehosh Dziadzio and Dug Uyesaka Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Guests enjoy the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Guests enjoy the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
DJ Darla Bea at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
From left, Zak Klobucher, Nick Welsh, Leslie Dinaberg, and Debra Herrick inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Guests at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Museum Director Gabriel Ritter speaks inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Guests enjoy the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Dane Goodman at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Zak Klobucher at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Debra Herrick, left, and Elyse Gonzales at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Nick Welsh at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Joan Tanner at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Polka dot attire at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Debra Herrick at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom 
Inside the gallery at the opening of ‘POOCH: The Art Full Life of Keith Julius Puccinelli,’ at UCSB’s AD&A Museum on September 7, 2024. | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom
