Art from the Trail: Exploring the Natural Beauty of Santa Barbara County

April 17 - October 3, 2021

Explore the trails through four different slideshows below highlighting the South Coast, Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc Valley, and Santa Maria Valley regions!

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is thrilled to announce the upcoming exhibition, Art from the Trail: Exploring the Natural Beauty of Santa Barbara County, celebrating outdoor treasures here on the Central Coast. The exhibition opens April 17, 2021 online and in the reopened museum galleries.

Local member artists of the Oak Group, SLOPE (San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment) and SCAPE (Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment) were invited by the Wildling to participate in this juried invitational exhibition showcasing the healthful and beautiful trail systems in Santa Barbara County. A key goal of the exhibition, in partnership with Healthy People Healthy Trails and the Santa Barbara County Trails Council, is to raise awareness of the wealth of trails in Santa Barbara County and to inspire visitors and community members to explore them, while encouraging a healthier lifestyle. Trails highlighted in the show range across the county from Carpinteria Bluffs, Goleta’s Lake Los Carneros and Ellwood Mesa, to La Purisima Trail, among others.

“Igniting an interest in our environment through art is at the heart of the Wildling Museum’s mission,” says Stacey Otte-Demangate, Executive Director at the Wildling Museum. “We’re excited to be partnering with Healthy People Healthy Trails to energize our community to take advantage of the beautiful outdoor resources we have available to us here in Santa Barbara County.”

“Through the pandemic, I think we’ve all begun to look for new ways to explore our own backyard,” says Lauren Sharp, Assistant Director at the Wildling Museum. “Seeing these trails through the eyes of our talented community of artists is an inspiring reminder to get outside and up close with the rich nature surrounding us.”

Related Programming:

Plein Air Painting Weekend with Libby Smith and Kevin Gleason
Saturday, June 26 & Sunday, June 27, 11 a.m. - 2 p.m.
Click here for more details

Featured Artists

Liz Alvarez, Anne Anderson, Neil W. Andersson, Rebecca Arguello, Susan Belloni, Deborah Breedon, Chris Chapman, Dennis Curry, Rick Drake, Karen Fedderson, Jan French, Britt Friedman, Kevin Gleason, Sandi Heller, Holly Hungett, Jane Hurd, John Iwerks, Daniel Jones, Bernie Kurtz, Anne Laddon, Manny Lopez, Jerry Martin, Ann Sanders, Rosanne Seitz, Laurel Sherrie, Libby Smith, Nina Warner

Explore the Trails in the Show - Maps & Guides Here

Grateful Thanks to Exhibition Partners

Please note that the galleries below are best viewed on a desktop or laptop computer. Mobile users may not be able read full artwork details.

South Coast Region

Anne Anderson, "Carpinteria Bluffs, Foggy Morning," Oil on board

South Coast Region, Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Rebecca Arguello, "Carpinteria Bluffs Trail at Seal Point," Oil on panel

South Coast Region, Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Britt Friedman, "Path to the Sea, Carpinteria Bluffs," Oil on panel

South Coast Region, Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Jane Hurd, "Carpinteria Bluffs," Oil on linen panel

South Coast Region, Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve

Susan Belloni, "La Patera Entrance (Lake Los Carneros)," Acrylic on paper

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros

Libby Smith, "Los Carneros Path," Oil on panel

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros

Britt Friedman, "Los Carneros Lake," Oil on panel

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros

Ann Sanders, "Winter Sun, Lake Los Carneros (Covington Entrance)," Oil

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros

Manny Lopez, "Lake Los Carneros," Oil

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros

Kevin Gleason, "Lake Los Carneros After the Rain," Oil on linen panel

South Coast Region, Goleta - Lake Los Carneros