Paddle on over to the California Nature Art Museum for an exhibit under the sea. It’s hanging at the museum until July 20. Four artists contributed work celebrating the dynamic ecosystems that are touched by the saltwater spray.
Ocean Forests: Our Coastal Communities highlights giant kelp, the largest marine plant on the planet. Each stalk can grow up to 120 feet long and weigh up to 700 pounds, according to the museum. In its decade-long lifespan, kelp can sequester and remove at least 4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually.
California native Richard Salas is known for his diving and underwater photography, which has appeared in a few coffee table books.
Salas’ goal is “to take the viewer through a marine biosphere where humanity’s impact is an undeniable force,” the museum announced.
Multidisciplinary visual artist Eliot Spaulding focuses on conservation and sustainability. Spaulding gathers materials from nature to use in her work, reflecting on human participation in ecosystems.
Laura Simonato, whose work is pictured, is a photographer and citizen scientist who hopes to spark curiosity into the “often over-looked world revealed at low tide,” according to the museum.
The fourth and final artist is Lompoc-based block printer Angelina LaPointe. Her prints capture all of California’s flora and fauna.
California Nature Art Museum is located at 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang. It’s open on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and on weekends from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
This article appears in May 7 – May 14, 2026.