The sweeping philanthropic imprint of the late Lord Paul and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree has left an indelible mark on Santa Barbara. Its lingering impact is felt in the Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, generous contributions to UCSB, the Santa Barbara Symphony, and elsewhere, but it has a special cachet in Santa Barbara’s art world, including the branding imprimatur of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.
And just as the Westmont Museum has twice paid direct tribute to the Ridley-Trees and their auspicious gifts to the permanent collection (including many Corot paintings), the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) is also extending its curatorial appreciation with the current exhibition A Legacy of Giving showcasing in-house collections courtesy of the Ridley-Trees.
The generous donors (Paul died in 2005 and Leslie in 2022, at age 98) had a deep connection to SBMA over a quarter-century, including supporting the Education Center, helping with the ambitious Peck Wing renovation, and growing the permanent collection with 58 works, either donated directly or acquired. A healthy selection of 33 pieces in the McCormick Gallery, mostly linked to the collectors’ passion for 19th-century paintings and other art, gives a strong sense of the Ridley-Tree aesthetic.