Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — An announcement to our community

Dear valued supporters, members, friends, and community partners,

With heavy hearts, we write to inform you that after 47 years of service to the Santa Barbara community the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) is no longer able to continue operating in its current form.

Since its inception in 1976 as the Contemporary Art Forum, MCASB has been a vital institution dedicated to the examination of the human condition. A safe space, supporting the voices and views of our community members, MCASB has provided a critical platform for the investigation of our pasts and our potential futures. From grassroots gatherings of artists and activists to educational programs created to support previously underserved communities within our county, MCASB has held at its core a person-first approach to service.

Through the work that our institution has undertaken to invite and highlight artists whose work has given context to our hurts, our joys, our desires, and our fears, we have always strived to break barriers in order to present a multitude of realities and experiences. As anyone who has had a meaningful interaction with our programming or exhibitions can attest, representation and expression matter.

We are honored to have been able to serve thousands of individuals from the Central Coast and beyond for almost fifty years through the support of our fellow art lovers, artists, educators, non-profit leaders, government officials, and curious passersby. Our team is deeply grateful for the genuine appreciation expressed daily by our members, visitors, supporters, artists, and collaborative partners.

We recognize that following the pandemic and the difficult past years, we are not the only art institution or nonprofit that finds itself in this position. Repeated efforts to reach goals necessary to maintain our operations have fallen short, and it is the Board of Trustees’ intention to act responsibly at this time in a last effort to preserve and honor this institution’s legacy.

While the Museum will close its doors to the public on August 28, 2022, MCASB has begun conversations with community partners and supporters to evaluate the feasibility of preserving our highly successful and respected Emerging Leaders in the Arts and Teen Arts Collective programs.

With deep gratitude, we thank our members, supporters, community partners, and the Santa Barbara community at large for your ongoing support and belief in our mission over the years,

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara Board of Trustees