The Arts Fund Walk Returns
By Camille Lubach
Gallery open sign in front of the LCCCA’s Illumination Gallery, photo by Camille Lubach
The Arts Fund’s first Art Walk at La Cumbre Plaza was a raging success. On Friday, July 15, local artists and art appreciators swarmed the outdoor shopping mall to take advantage of the live music and open galleries.
La Cumbre Plaza, along with many formerly bustling city centers, has been suffering the effects of the pandemic and rise of online shopping over the past years. Thankfully, it seems, the combined efforts of the La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts (LCCCA) and the Arts Fund of Santa Barbara have revived the fading heartbeat of this beautiful commercial center.
It was easy to float from gallery to gallery, soaking in the great variety of paintings, assemblage and prints while swaying to rock n’ roll tunes and drinking a mocktail from the Museum of Sensory and Movement Experiences (MSME).
Ron Robertson, Drawings of luxury cars
The benefit show for artist Ron Robertson was a definite highlight, marked by the amount of folks pouring in and out of the well-lit space, eyes widening at the sheer amount of works the former Arts Fund mentor produced, from precise drawings of classic cars to intriguing shadow boxes and sardine-can sculptures.
The newly-relocated Arts Fund community gallery boasted a small exhibition, displaying artwork created by members. Thanks to the ample free parking, visitors were free to take their time wandering through the unusual space, interacting with projections and video installations that caused even the most reserved adults to laugh out loud.
Kid’s assemblage station, photo by Camille Lubach
As the evening went on, more people gathered outside and found entertainment in the monumentally-sized checkers and chess games along with the popular assemblage station for kids. A large, billowing blow-up sculpture added to the festive mood of the Art Walk.
This was a truly enjoyable event celebrating the hard work of the art communities of Santa Barbara. Here’s to many more evenings like this one.
Cover Image: Blow up sculpture at La Cumbre Plaza, photo by Camille Lubach
