On Feb. 10, the Wildling Museum of Art and Nature in Solvang will host a virtual panel and discussion with artist Nathan Huff (pictured left) and art gallery owner Nathan Vonk (pictured right), titled Nocturnes and Envisioning the Night Sky. Huff and Vonk will take part in a live conversation from 4 to 5 p.m. via Zoom, to explore topics regarding the history of nocturne painting and the ways in which different artists choose to depict the night sky in their works. Admission to join the Zoom meeting is free, but a donation of $5 is encouraged.
Huff’s own nocturne pieces were showcased in the Wildling Museum’s exhibition, Starry Nights: Visions of the Night Sky. A prolific painter and sculptor, Huff earned his bachelor’s degree in art education from Azusa Pacific University in 2003 and his master’s degree in drawing and painting from CSU Long Beach in 2010. Some of his artworks are included in the permanent collections of the Culver Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Hilbert Museum of California Art, and other venues. Huff currently teaches art classes in Santa Barbara, as an associate professor at Westmont College.
Vonk is the owner of Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery in Santa Barbara, where he oversees sales and acquisitions and advises clients on building their own art collections. The gallery typically hosts about 20 exhibitions a year, including solo shows for contemporary or historic artists as well as curated thematic exhibits. Vonk became passionate about art museums during weekend train trips to various museums in London, while living in Brighton, England, during grad school.
Call (805) 688-1082 or visit wildlingmuseum.org to find out more about the upcoming Zoom program. The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is located at 1511 Mission Drive, unit B, Solvang.
This article appears in Jan 28 – Feb 4, 2021.