For the first time in a decade, State Street is playing host to public art installations, this time a series of eight sculptures by area artists along the lower downtown corridor. The official opening of the State of the Art Gallery takes place on 1st Thursday, April 5, accompanied by pop-up lectures, concerts, and workshops.
The sculptures, all meant to invite interaction, include “California Love Locks” by Patrick Melroy, a California-shaped, chain-linked piece that will fill with locks attached by passersby. “Storycatcher Mailbox” will accept letters of praise and grief, with the artist, Danielle Siano, holding weekly letter readings with guest speakers. “These projects are intended to draw people out of the everyday grind, sparking powerful curiosity and compelling them to play along,” said Melroy.
The loss of state redevelopment funding had put a stop to State Street art, but the city recently expressed an interest in reviving the tradition, explained Sarah York Rubin, director of the county’s Office of Arts & Culture. Santa Barbara Beautiful, along with the Downtown Organization and City Hall, contributed enough money to put out an open call for submissions on November 2 and convene a panel of judges with representatives from the S.B. Museum of Art, the city’s Historic Landmarks Commission, and other organizations. There were zero restrictions, said Rubin. “Artists could submit whatever they could dream.” The works were presented anonymously to eliminate any possible influence of name recognition.