Is it possible? Five years ago this month the Wildling Museum in Solvang, California celebrated the opening of the exhibition The River’s Journey. The show focused on the 92-mile long Santa Ynez River watershed. Six artists spent over a year translating the largess of Santa Barbara County’s water source into small intimate gouache paintings (and a few large oils!).
The artists, myself, Holli Harmon, Nina Warner, Connie Connelly, Libby Smith and Pamela Zwehl-Burke, embarked on this project in August of 2016 working steadily through drought and rainy seasons leading up to the exhibit. A catalog was created to document the project and three further venues in the city of Santa Barbara followed the success at the Wildling.
I’m still in awe of the trajectory of the exhibit and the wonderful experience of sharing the journey through these images, for more than a year, in four locations. What a ride! Thanks to the Wildling Musueum, Santa Barbara City Hall Gallery, Sullivan Goss and The Ridley-Tree Museum of Art for hosting this project.
Thank you to the artists who came along for the ride and made gorgeous paintings honoring the river. We appreciate the contributors who wrote essays for the beautiful catalog designed by Leslie Lewis Sigler. I’m still smiling and in awe five years later.
*catalogs can still be found through the Wildling and in my online shop.
Excerpt from The River’s Journey website/blog
