Plump strawberries, mouth-watering tri-tip, award-winning Pinot Noir—Santa Maria is known for many things. But stuff like public art and fine galleries? Probably not on the list.
The city is surrounded by art-loving communities and breathtaking vistas that have long inspired artists, but it hasn’t fully developed a definitive artistic identity.
Sure, there are plenty of places to view art: the airport, McKeon-Phillips, Jerry Stinn Jewelers, and the Ann Foxworthy Gallery at Hancock College, to name a few. Head to Old Orcutt and you’ll find more. But with the recent displacement of the Town Center Gallery, no dedicated commercial or city art galleries exist within city limits. No public art decorates the main drag. In Santa Maria, a road paved with good cultural intentions still remains unadorned—except for maybe some tile murals on overpasses.
But the question stands: Does Santa Maria have the desire but no means to develop its creative side? Or does it have the means but lack the desire?
The Town Center Gallery occupied a space in the mall for three years. Recently, with new mall owners renovating and revitalizing, the nonprofit gallery was forced to vacate the space, leaving it scrambling to secure another suitable location. Cathy Gregg, a photographer and a member of the Board of Directors of the gallery, said that mall management was only able to offer them a temporary location.
“I think it’s a shame not only for the artists, but also for the city,” she said.
Patricia Hilliard, mall manager, said that the renovation of Gottschalk’s and the addition of a movie theater—both good things for the city—have forced a lot of the mall’s tenants to move.
“We’re having trouble finding space to accommodate my paying tenants, let alone community spaces, which we love having, but don’t have the space for right now,” she said.
She said that once the mall finds a location for everyone and can dedicate space to the gallery, she will invite the Town Center Gallery back.
But for now, the gallery’s absence leaves the city without a place dedicated solely to viewing, buying, and selling art. That’s part of the reason why Gregg thought the city might have an interest in the gallery’s closure.
“You would think that the city would want to have some sort of a city-run gallery,” Gregg said, pointing out that the gallery is a nonprofit co-op. “When we were closed, we were surprised a lot of people didn’t come forward.”
The city hasn’t taken an official position on increasing its involvement in the arts, but Mayor Larry Lavagnino has supported setting aside money for public art. He’s brought it up to the City Council and, according to city officials, has recognized a need to bring more art to the city. He remains optimistic that the city will grow artistically—though he added, “Santa Maria has been a blue-collar city for a long, long time.”
Locals involved in the arts will tell you that Santa Maria has no shortage of established and emerging artists, and Lavagnino recognized that fact, as well.
“Santa Maria is a very, very progressive city,” he said. “I think you’re going to see more public art in Santa Maria.”
The mayor said that he’d like to see Santa Maria set aside a certain amount of money for this purpose each year, but he recognizes that art only makes an impact if people are interested.
“This is a working person’s city. Art is—when you’re trying to make a living, art is not at the top of your list,” Lavagnino said.
Not everyone agrees, though, that an appreciation of arts depends on affluence.
Craig Shafer, president of the Santa Maria Arts Council, an organization that’s been around since 1965, said that it’s natural to appreciate art—Santa Maria just needs more accessible art. Shafer is also a former arts editor of the Sun.
“I don’t care if you’re blue collar, white collar, or blue blood, it’s our human nature,” he said. “Art is in us.”
That’s why he doesn’t believe that economic belt-tightening means people should abandon their involvement or enjoyment in the arts. He argued that viewing a painting or sculpture—or taking in theater—is a great way to get lost and de-stress for a few hours.
“Everyone thinks we can’t support art because of this economy thing,” Shafer said. “Art has a lot of purposes, and this is one thing that can help you in a time like this.”
He added that locals already spend a lot of money on entertainment—it’s just home entertainment.
“Santa Marians are really stingy when it comes to purchasing local art,” he said.
He cited the popularity of big-item purchases, like flat-screen TVs and home gaming systems, as evidence that people don’t necessarily give up their desire for entertainment during rough economic times.
But getting a whole community to embrace its inner artist sometimes takes the persistence and assertion of the few.
In Lompoc, it was a small cadre that fueled the city’s celebration of the arts. It took former mayor Gene Stevens’ mural project to open the community’s eyes to the impact of public art. Stevens is credited by many as the catalyst for the city’s acceptance of public art. His mural project eventually led to what has become a city with a downtown sculpture garden, zoning for art lofts, art galleries, and a project called Art Alley.
“You have to have people committed to all this,” said Gary Keefe, Lompoc city administrator. “Ninety percent is done by local volunteers with a small percent of help from the city.”
Vickie Anderson, president of the Lompoc Mural Society, said that although there wasn’t initially big support for the arts in Lompoc, people are now proud of the city’s displays and often take visiting friends and relatives to see the murals. Bus tours also come through town specifically for the murals, which gives the city’s economy a boost.
However, like Lavagnino, Anderson said that the economy plays heavily on the public’s desire for art.
“There are more important things in this day and age, like putting a roof over your head, food, and gas,” she said. “During a recession, art is the bottom of the totem pole.”
She said that not only does the current economy impact people’s attitudes toward art, but it also makes it harder for nonprofit organizations to get money for the arts. It takes more fundraising efforts, and it takes longer to raise money needed for projects.
Some say that’s a recurring problem for galleries in general.
Ron Thatcher, of David Ryan Gallery in Old Orcutt, said that running a private gallery is not an easy endeavor financially.
“The gallery business is one of the toughest retail businesses there are. One of the reasons is you’re dealing with discretionary money and stuff you don’t really need,” he said, noting that galleries are shutting down, “even in good art cities.”
Gregg, of the Town Center Gallery, said that the gallery has grown in recent years, both in terms of sales and in the number of artist members. She said that the gallery has held its own financially, but if it had to pay rent, it might not be able to afford the expense.
So with a shortage of private and nonprofit galleries, how can a city like Santa Maria introduce more visible art?
One solution lies in using what’s already there.
In Lompoc, Grossman Gallery is located in the city’s library. It’s a multi-purpose room that houses rotating exhibits, a feature that’s as old as the library itself. The gallery gets a good response, but is also visible and accessible to visitors who intend to see the art and to those who happen upon the displays.
Santa Maria’s current library had a room that was originally intended for the same purpose, though it was set off from the library itself. Due to a lack of easy access, the show space wasn’t really on anyone’s radar, so the library wasn’t used to house art, library director Jack Buchanan said.
Santa Maria’s new library will boast a similar multi-purpose room, which is set up to show art. Just outside the new lobby will be a glass case to house a collection of miniatures and another with Egyptian artifacts.
There are also several display cases that will be made available for the public.
“Whose art that will be and the criteria they will be under, that’s something we’re still trying to figure out,” Buchanan said.
Shafer suggested that the city look into borrowing existing public art from the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission and installing it in areas of the city.
“I think the community would appreciate it and participate if it was accessible,” he said.
But that idea represents just one part of the arts equation. The other, of course, is community involvement.
“I tell people to get involved,” Shafer said. “It’s great to say, ‘Oh, look at all this culture we have’ … but it’s useless if you don’t go to it.”
Arts Editor Shelly Cone can be reached at scone@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in Jul 17-24, 2008.