The undersigned arts and cultural organizations from around the Tri-County area are appalled by the recent Jan. 18 vandalism and racist stereotypes against Corazon del Pueblo in Santa Maria. We are writing this on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s holiday and were reminded of this quote of his, “Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness.”
As nonprofits we are all dedicated to serving our communities, and that also means supporting each other. The vandalism and racism directed towards Corazon del Pueblo is an act of hate that we condemn, and one we hope the entire community rejects. We feel we must declare our support because, as King also said, “We will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”
We, the undersigned, will not be silent and will continue our own work to be allies for each other and all parts of our community, knowing that working together for positive change is the only sustainable path forward.
In peace and solidarity,
Stacey Otte-Demangate, executive director, Wildling Museum of Art and Nature
Lisa Potter, director of operations, Goleta Valley Historical Society
Greg Gorga, executive director, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum
Esther Jacobsen Bates, executive director, Elverhøj Museum of History & Art
Marco Pinter, executive director, Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences
Judy Larson, executive director, Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art
Lisa Renken, director, Lompoc Museum
Gabriel Ritter, executive director, Art, Design and Architecture Museum at UCSB
John Connelly, director, Atkinson Gallery, Santa Barbara City College
Steve Windhager, executive director, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Alexandra Terry, chief curator, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara
Michael Shanklin, executive eirector, kidSTREAM
Larry Feinberg, Robert and Mercedes Eichholz, director and CEO, Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Adri Howe, executive director, Channel Islands Maritime Museum
Robin Gose, president and CEO, MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation
Luke Swetland, president and CEO, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History
Anne Peterson, executive director, Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
Dacia Harwood, executive director, Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Monica Orozco, executive director, Old Mission Santa Barbara and Santa Bárbara Mission Archive-Library
Laura-Susan Thomas, director, Foxworthy Gallery, Alan Hancock College
Alexis Elias, interim executive director, Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes Center
Rebecca Anderson, executive director, Ganna Walska Lotusland
Barbara Tejada, board chair and acting director, Chumash Indian Museum
This article appears in Feb 3-10, 2022.
