It’s been nearly a month since sheltering in place was decreed, prompting mass cancellations of onstage and in-person gatherings and performances. But, despite being knocked on its heels, Santa Barbara’s vibrant arts community has regrouped and continues to persist in making music, theater, film, books, and dance available to the people virtually.
“I am incredibly proud of the sector’s work to support our community during this crisis,” said Sarah York Rubin, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture. “Many of our cultural organizations, including the Museum of Art, MOXI, the Museum of Natural History, SBIFF, and Camerata Pacifica, have created robust programs to engage, entertain, educate, and uplift our isolated community members and families.”
In early April, for example, Center Stage Theater launched a digital arts festival to connect artists with viewers. Each morning, the day’s guest is announced, and, at 7 p.m. that evening, interviewer Jim Sirianni talks with the artist about their creative process pre- and post-COVID-19. UCSB’s Arts & Lectures is releasing gems from its vast programming archives, as is the Carsey-Wolf Center’s Pollock Theater. The university’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum has gone virtual, offering up carefully curated content. The same is true for the Wildling Museum.