Santa Barbara Museum of Art - Tourist Attractions

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Santa Barbara Museum of Art
updated: May 28, 2011, 8:30 AM

By the dedicated staff

Santa Barbara is home to a small but spacious Museum of Art, founded by collectors whose vision continues to influence today's exhibits.

The museum, located at 1130 State Street, is architecturally a downtown standout. It is considered one of the top regional art museums in the U.S., and has a strong programming component of special events.

The museum's rotating collections change several times a year, so there is frequently something new to see. An exceptional café is another reason to visit. Here are the highlights as of May 2011. Keep in mind that the museum was in the process of installing new exhibits at this time. Check their website, sbma.org, for latest updates. Admission to the museum is $9 for adults.

Location, location, location. The Museum occupies a prestigious corner location at Anapamu and State Streets, and is flanked by the gorgeous La Arcada shopping mall and the Santa Barbara Public Library. The historic and beautiful County Courthouse is just one block over, at Anacapa and Anapamu Streets. This is the heart of downtown for most Santa Barbara locals… the blocks of State Street further toward the ocean are considered more a tourist jurisdiction. It's also the main arts and entertainment district, with the Granada and Arlington Theaters located one and two blocks up State from the Art Museum. Make a point to wander through La Arcada before or after your museum visit to enjoy local shops and restaurants and clever street art.

The killer Museum Café. This is a best-kept secret of lunchtime dining downtown. A constantly updated menu changes with dishes inspired by the current museum exhibits. A new salad for the Ori Gersht exhibit (see star No. 1) is an Exploding Pomegranate Salad featuring duck confit, pistachios, pomegranate orange vinaigrette, frisee and wild hibiscus flower syrup. We tried the green coconut curry shrimp and soba noodle salad, which was somehow light enough for a late afternoon lunch but still satisfied a serious post-gallery empty stomach. A selection of teas, paninis, desserts, wines and other main dishes gives the café guest plenty of options. They are open daily, except Mondays, 11-3, and you don't need a museum ticket to dine there. The bettas (Siamese fighting fish) on the tables are a very creative touch.

Drawn to Modernism - works from the Wright S. Ludington collection. Wright S. Ludington was one of the founders of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and is considered the most influential benefactor of its collections. Ludington bought many of his pieces while in London during World War II, and many of these works are featured in the current exhibit: Drawn to Modernism - Selected Gifts from Wright S. Ludington. His collection is one of the reasons the Museum is considered a top host of British art from the 20th century in the United States. The works by Picasso, Dali, Degas, Toulouse-Latrec, Miro and Matisse in this exhibit are sure to delight. Matisse's "Madame de Pompadour" collage and Picasso's "Study of Profile" drawing are among the most memorable. They are a departure from the high-exposure works of these painters that you may have seen in art history or larger collections.

Ori Gersht's "Lost in Time" exhibit (through September 4). This photo and video artist freezes flower arrangements in liquid nitrogen, and then blows them up while photographing the event in multiple media. That's pretty modern, and makes for some surprisingly cool art. The first gallery actually features some of Gersht's most recent work, a series of archival inkjet prints mounted on an aluminum tree of cherry blossoms in a Tokyo park. "Chasing Good Fortune" is the sort of modern art that makes you want to stand and stare for a while. And as you do, the unusual sounds from the second gallery will surely catch your attention. They kind of sound like you're in a movie featuring an art gallery scene. As you go to explore, Gersht's "Time After Time" series, the exploding still life flower images, and Falling Bird will catch your eye. Both have still and video components, and though the video might not entice you at first, give it a few minutes. This exhibit will get you thinking creatively about time and space.