Larry J. Feinberg

Larry J. Feinberg, former Director and CEO of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, passed away suddenly from a heart attack while in New York on October 15, 2026. Starr Siegele, his beloved wife of 40 years, was with him.

During Larry’s nearly two decades leading the Museum, he is credited with transforming it into world-class institution hosting many outstanding exhibitions. Larry raised the funding for and supervised the renovation of the Museum’s physical plant, reinvigorated the Board of Directors recruiting many notable members, placed the museum on a sound financial footing and integrated the Museum into the cultural and educational fabric of the city.

A leading scholar on Leonardo da Vinci and expert on Italian renaissance art, he authored many articles and reference volumes, as well The Young Leonardo, the definitive biographical work that remains required reading today.

Larry was born in St. Louis, Missouri, on January 9, 1955. He received his BA and MBA from Northwestern University, and his Ph.D from Harvard University.

His curatorial and directorial positions before Santa Barbara included the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, the Frick Collection in New York, the Allen Memorial Art Museum at Oberlin College, and the Chicago Art Insitute.

Larry is survived by his wife, Starr, his sister, Louise, and his nieces, Meriel and Kristen. May his memory be a blessing for all.

Remembrances may be shared at LarryJFeinbergMemorial@gmail.com