Join the The Wildling Museum on Wednesday, May 3rd, 4 - 5 p.m. for a special Zoom presentation by exhibiting artist Chris Maynard, one of four artists featured in Bird’s Eye View: Four Perspectives, currently on view at the Wildling through September 4, 2023. Maynard will provide an inside look into his process and allow attendees to further explore his intricate feather carvings that both inspire and mystify.
Read MoreMay 2023 - November 2024
Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery
The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce its new 2023 site-specific installation featuring Northridge-based artist Elizabeth Criss, as well as work by glass artist Sari Scheer. Message in a Bottle, designed for the Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery, is on view from May 2023 through November 2024. This long-term installation marks the third iteration of the Museum’s tower installation program, which aims to highlight Southern California artists inspired by the environment and provides an indoor-outdoor art experience for Solvang visitors.
Criss’ proposal was selected from the Museum’s 2023 request for artist proposals focusing on environmental impacts on the ocean.
Read MoreMark your calendars! Enjoy free admission all day this Earth Day, Saturday, April 22nd, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. at the Wildling.
Enjoy exploring our two new spring exhibitions, Bird’s Eye View: Four Perspectives and Sedgwick Reserve: A Conservation Story, along with drop-in lobby crafts for all to take part in on one of our favorite holidays.
Read MoreJanuary 28, 2022 - April 17, 2023
Third Floor George & Barbara Goodall Education Center
Enjoy historical and contemporary prints inspired by nature from the Wildling’s permanent collection, showcasing a diverse range of printmaking techniques and subject matter.
Featuring works by Edward Borein, Carl Oscar Borg, George Elbert Burr, Robert Allan Cale, Russell Chatham, Charles J. Fritz, Patti Jacquemain, Tom Killion, Bruce McCurdy, Everett Ruess, and Carl Rungius.
Read MoreSeptember 10, 2022 - April 3, 2023
Second Floor Valley Oak Gallery
Traverse the sand dunes with Central Coast photographer Bob Canepa in the Wildling Museum’s new Valley Oak Gallery exhibition, Dunes: Visions of Light, Sand & Shadow, on view September 10, 2022 - April 3, 2023.
The unique terrain of the Oceano Dunes, also referred to as the Pismo Beach Sand Dunes, has served as a wealth of inspiration for Canepa, who has visited these dunes weekly for years. From sweeping vistas of light and shadow to grains of sand caught in dewy moisture, Canepa has surveyed these weather-sculpted dunes from a range of perspectives, always finding something new in the shifting landscape.
Read MoreOctober 8, 2022 - March 6, 2023
First Floor Main Gallery
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce its upcoming 2022 fall exhibition, Wildlife on the Edge: Hilary Baker, on view from October 8, 2022 - March 6, 2023. The public is invited to attend an opening reception on Sunday, October 9 from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Wildling Museum.
Wildlife on the Edge features new and recent acrylic paintings from Hilary Baker’s Predators series alongside a new series of animal portraits on birch wood. From a group of common pigeons to an elusive cougar, Baker’s subjects make themselves at home in urban locales inspired by Los Angeles landmarks past and present.
Read MoreApril 8 - October 16, 2023
Reception: Sunday, April 16th, 3 - 5 p.m.
Second Floor Valley Oak Gallery
The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce Sedgwick Reserve: A Conservation Story, on view from April 8 - October 16, 2023 in the Valley Oak Gallery. The public is invited to attend a reception celebrating the new show on Sunday, April 16th from 3 - 5 p.m. at the Wildling.
Unknown to many visitors, and even some local residents, Sedgwick Nature Reserve is an important gem nestled in the foothills of the San Rafael Mountains here in the Santa Ynez Valley. One of seven reserves managed by the University of California Santa Barbara Natural Reserve System, Sedgwick is among the largest and most diverse reserves of its kind in the country. Through the eyes of 11 Central Coast artists, the exhibition will explore both the beauty of the reserve and the important work taking place on its grounds.
Read MoreMichele Kuelbs Tower Gallery
The Wildling Museum is seeking proposals for its third annual Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery installation. Our 10-month-long 2023 installation will focus on our oceans with an underwater theme, and should explore an environmental topic or issue—whether climate change, plastic pollution, overfishing, or similar.
This opportunity is open to artists in Santa Barbra County, San Luis County, Ventura County, or Los Angeles County. Application deadline is March 1, 2023.
Read MoreApril 2022 - February 2023
Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery
The Wildling Museum is pleased to announce its new Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery installation, Portals & Pathways by Santa Barbara-based artist Kerrie Smith, on view April 2022 through February 2023.
Smith’s multisensory installation features flowing banners printed with Smith’s vivid abstract paintings inspired by daily walks along Santa Barbara’s More Mesa, interspersed with hand-stamped poetry and nature photography. Smith will continue to update the gallery with the changing seasons, transforming the space throughout 2022-2023 as part of the Wildling Museum’s inaugural artist-in-residence program for the Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery.
Read MoreReady for an Oceano Dunes adventure? Enjoy a unique opportunity to explore the dunes with exhibiting photographer Bob Canepa on Sunday, February 26th, 8 - 10 a.m. Bring your camera and enjoy a guided morning walk through the area's flora, fauna, and landscapes. Great for photographers of all skill levels, or just for those looking to experience walking through the dunes.
Registration is $25.00. Member rate is $20.00. Limited to 12 participants, advance registration required.
Read MoreThe Wildling Museum invites the public to attend a free Winter Family Day on Sunday, February 12, 2022, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Visitors are invited to bring the whole family and enjoy free museum admission during event hours, an animal visit, art activities for all ages, and more.
Read MoreJoin us for a guided nature walk through Goleta's More Mesa with naturalist Larry Ballard on Friday, February 3rd, 9 - 11 a.m. Enjoy looking for short-eared owls, white-tailed kites, northern harriers, and other local birds among the flora and fauna.
More Mesa is the inspiration behind Artist-in-Residence Kerrie Smith's Portals & Pathways installation, which has transformed the Wildling's Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery into an exploration of the region's changing seasons.
Registration is $10.00. Member rate is $5.00. Limited to 15 participants. Advance registration required.
Read MoreStart the New Year off right and join artist Kathy Badrak in making your own nature journal on Sunday, January 29, 2023, 12:30 - 4:30 p.m. at the Wildling Museum. This class will provide a fun and easy introduction to the art of handmade bookmaking.
Attendees will create a simple bound journal perfect for setting intentions for the New Year, sketching, nature journaling, and more! Books will include pockets for collecting natural specimens and a magnifying glass to assist in your outdoor journal studies and doodles.
Class fee is $50 and includes all required materials. Class size is limited to 12 participants, advance registration required.
Read MoreJoin us for a very special gallery talk with featured wildlife photographer and cinematographer Roy Dunn on Sunday, January 22, 2023, 4 - 5 p.m. Dunn will provide a fascinating look behind camera trapping and ethical wildlife photography, and will discuss stories behind his photography on view as part of Wildlife on the Edge: Hilary Baker.
General admission is $10.00. Current Wildling Museum member admission is $5.00. Advance registration is encouraged.
Read MoreEnjoy a relaxing afternoon making two different style ornaments with artist and instructor Cydney Miller! Get in the holiday spirit and learn how to collage gold and silver leaf ornaments and then try your hand at elegant origami cranes and butterflies with festive specialty papers and decorative accents. Create one-of-a-kind holiday gifts or keep them up year-round as beautiful wall hangings! Class participants will make two of each style ornament, taking home four works of art in total.
Class registration fee is $35 and includes all required supplies and materials. Suitable for students ages 12 (with supervision) to adult, limited to 12 participants.
Read MoreJoin us at the Wildling Museum as we kick off the holiday season with our 11th Annual Holiday Marketplace! We look forward to welcoming you back to this favorite museum tradition on Sunday, December 4th, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mark your calendars for this not-to-be-missed shopping event!
Enjoy one-of-a-kind shopping featuring talented local artisans and unique gifts that celebrate wildlife, nature, and the outdoors.
Read MoreOur third annual online fall silent auction returns this November! We can’t wait to share relaxing getaways, unique jewelry, fine art, local wines and delights just for you.
Mark your calendars and get ready to make your bids November 7 - 16, 2022! All proceeds benefit the Wildling Museum.
Read MoreJoin us for a special gallery walkthrough of the Wildling Museum’s new fall exhibition Wildlife on the Edge led by artist Hilary Baker on Sunday, November 6th, 3 - 4 p.m. Learn more about the inspiration for her ongoing Predators series and enjoy the opportunity to hear firsthand stories behind the works on view.
Following the gallery talk will be a book signing of Baker’s recently published book Hilary Baker: Predators and Other L.A. Stories (2021)
Read MoreJoin the Wildling Museum for a special poetry reading on Thursday, October 20th, 5:30 - 7 p.m. by Santa Ynez Valley-based poet Dan Gerber as we celebrate the release of his new collection, The End of Michelangelo.
Reading the poetry of Dan Gerber, we are summoned to this larger truth: Though we live in fraught times, on the tipping point of human self-destruction, we and our planet are still very much alive. General admission is $10.00. Current Wildling Museum member admission is $5.00. Seating is limited - advance registration is highly encouraged.
Read MoreApril 9 - September 26, 2022
First Floor Main Gallery
The Wildling Museum is pleased to announce Fire & Ice: Our Changing Landscape, on view April 9 - September 26, 2022, featuring a wide diversity of artwork, including video installations, photography, paintings, mixed media, and more, illustrating aspects of fire and ice.
While aesthetically appealing, these dramatic visuals also invite conversations about how increasingly frequent and severe fires are altering our landscape, particularly in the Western United States. Equally concerning is the retreat of glaciers and shrinking snowpack, and warming permafrost in our colder climes. Also included in the exhibition is “Letters to the Future,” an on-site installation by artist Xavier Cortada of the University of Miami, which invites visitors to write down their own efforts to help mitigate climate change.
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