Chris Chapman — News — California Nature Art Museum

Terra Firma ~ Selected Works from the Permanent Collection

September 28, 2026 - March 28, 2027

First Floor Wildling Gallery

Terra Firma or “solid earth” is a term that grounds us in the natural landscape – both stabilizing and affirming our connection to the land. The California Nature Art Museum permanent collection ranges from engaging oil paintings to sublime photography. Works by artists such as Ray Strong, Meredith Abbott, John Marshall Gamble, and Chris Chapman record some of the natural spaces found in the Santa Ynez Valley, and beyond. This exhibition highlights the iconic landscape works found in the museum’s permanent collection.

Carrizo Plain - A Sense of Place | Film Screening & Panel Discussion

Join the Wildling Museum on Sunday, September 29, 3 - 4:30 p.m. for a special screening of the new short-form documentary Carrizo Plain - A Sense of Place (2019), followed by a panel discussion with filmmaker Jeff McLoughlin and featured film participants and artists Bill Dewey, Chris Chapman, and John Iwerks.

Botanical Illustration - Flowers, Plants, & Trees

The class was to immerse yourself in the meditative art of botanical illustration. Whether working with graphite pencil, watercolor, colored pencil, or pen and ink, students of nature could learn to draw and paint growing things and to understand their form and function.

Past Programs/EventsRuben MislangMarch 3, 2019Chris Chapman

The Art of Brunch

Celebrating the National Parks of California

Celebrating the National Parks of California explored nine national parks located within the state of California through a juried exhibition: Joshua Tree, Yosemite, Redwood, Sequoia, Kings Canyon, Lassen, Pinnacles, Death Valley and Channel Islands (there are a total of 27 monuments, parks, seashores and more administered and preserved by the National Park Service. The show celebrated and discussed wilderness, nature and preservation of the parks and provided an opportunity for artists to display and sell their work. Fifty-one artworks in a wide range of mediums and styles were included in the diverse show .

Legacy and Loss: Landscapes in the Santa Barbara Region

This Wildling curated exhibition explored the changing landscape of the tri-county area (Santa Barbara, Ventura and San Luis Obispo) through both historic and contemporary artwork. The Santa Barbara Region is beautiful, historic, and ever changing. Artists have been recording it for decades–some use their work to inspire a conservation ethic in hopes that specific open spaces will be preserved for future generations to enjoy.

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