You’re all welcome to join us on April 3rd for a FREE painting workshop with artist Champagne Smoke!
Champagne Smoke is an artist, author and educator bringing creativity to life through storytelling and immersive art experiences. As the visionary behind Lotus Dynasty, she merges African American and Asian influences, unveiling untold stories from the past and present. Through her work, she invites audiences to explore a world where culture, history, and imagination collide. Follow Champagne Smoke on Instagram @vivrantbloom to see more of her work!
Peppermint Parlor is across from Sephora!
Supper Club
April 19
Join us for an evening of Cochineal Dye Demonstrations, Mezcal Tasting, and Delicious Oaxacan Cuisine at Sangre De Nopal artist Porfirio Gutierrez’s Studio in Ventura.
Funds raised will provide critical support for museum exhibitions and programs like Sangre de Nopal currently on view.
We had the honor of having artist Wendy Cabrera Rubio come to Santa Barbara and do some fun programming with us!
We kicked off with some interesting videos by Wendy herself and other amazing artists. Followed by a discussion on the videos. The running theme of Mexico’s history with biological studies and the thought of how the earth can look like in the future due to global warming left everyone in the room with a lot to think about.
The next day we started off with a fun puppet making workshop! Participants began with sketching out what their puppet would look like followed by bringing them to life. Throughout the process people’s puppets developed backstories and characteristics that made each puppet very unique. This workshop was definitely a great opportunity for people to be as creative as they could be.
We also had a special group of students from Santa Maria come and have a tour of the Sangre De Nopal Exhibition. They got to hear about process of using cochineal as a dye stuff. They also had the opportunity to have a sit down chat with Wendy about her artworks in the exhibition! There were so much to learn from her and her works that the students were listening very closely.
The last event with Wendy was her Artist Talk and Book Launch! We got to learn about Wendy’s process and why she uses mediums like puppetry and felt artworks to get her view across. She also talked about her book and how the writing and illustrating process was an experience that she enjoyed. Her book “Las Aventuras de la Existencia Relativa y otro cuentos/ The Adventures of Relative Existence and other tales” is available for purchase for $35 at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara.
To read more about Wendy and her work feel free to ready this interview by Foundwork.
In Motion: Marie McKenzie & Marlene Struss
Opening Reception and Artist Talk
During March we also opened our second 2024-25 Call for Artist exhibition at MCASB’s Satellite Location at the Riviera Beach House, In Motion: Marie McKenzie & Marlene Struss.
The artist talk helped visitors understand the intentions behind the compelling artworks as well as catch a glimpse of the artists’ minds.
You are invited to visit the MCASB Satellite at The Riviera Beach House (121 State St, Santa Barbara, California) between now and October 12, 2025 to see this thoughtful exhibition!
Photo Credit: Ingrid Bostrom
Los Tranquilos Mini Concert
Did you miss out on the Los Tranquilos Mini Concert and Mercadito?
The Art’s Terrace came to life this past Saturday, March 29th. There was music, vendors, food and drinks! We were so happy to see many community members come and enjoy a nice sunny day with us. If you want to read more on the event, here’s an awesome article by the Santa Barbara Independent!
Thank you so much to everyone who came by! The mini concert helped raise critical funds to support the museum. Stay tuned for the next Mini Concert on April 27th!
-MCASB Team
Photo Credits: Ingrid Bostrom & Veronica Sanchez (IG: @cincoatl)
We welcome everyone at our events. Please contact dgarcia@mcasantabarbara.org for your access needs or special requests.
Todxs son bienvenidxs a nuestros eventos. Por favor póngase en contacto con dgarcia@mcasantabarbara.org para notificarnos de alguna acomodación de discapacidad o solicitud en particular.
