1st Thursday Art Walk

Explore digital art in RANDOM-ACCESS MEMORY: Internet Art, contemporary works in As if in a Dream: History, Fantasy, Future, and staff favorites in A Few of Our Favorite Things: Staff Selections from the Permanent Collection. Drop by the free Art Learning Lab 5-7pm for hands-on fun, all ages welcome.

Join us for an extra special celebration of the legendary Meredith Brooks Abbott - matriarch of Santa Barbara's plein air painting tradition. Also on view Susan McDonnell, and our Spring Salon.

Come celebrate our 60 talented local artists while enjoying music, drinks, and treats! View our collection of Eileen Richardson’s 1980’s art pottery! A Santa Barbara artist whose work is in The Smithsonian Museum. Looking for locally handmade gifts or something special for yourself? Look no further than The Yes Store!

“I watched in awe of the brilliant sky shifted its vibrant colors reflecting off the gently moving water. I knew I needed to capture and recreate this spectacular moment and share what I experienced this evening with others." (Painting by Kelly Hine  Silent Lucidity 16x20 pastel)

In Echoes of Earth and Sky, Jane Chapman translates the luminous Santa Barbara terrain into layered, abstract compositions that reflect our interconnected relationships. Through oil, mixed media, and collage, she builds textured landscapes that echo the Channel Island horizon, coastal light, and the rising forms of the Santa Ynez Mountains.

Fuzion Glass Gallery showcases exceptional works of hand blown borosilicate glass. Created using age-old and newly innovated lampworking techniques, we feature over 100 different independent artists from across the USA and even some international. Setting a new modern standard for elevated functional glassware and much more. 

Join CEC, SB Botanic Garden and Friends of State St for a short film about the native plants at Alice Keck, native plants expert panel,and pop-up tours of the CEC Hub and the native plant beds on State Street. Program is 5:30-6:30; reception from 6:30-7:30.

Sam Avelar’s recent work explores relationships between memory and impressions while formally shifting between degrees of reality and softened representation. Informed by her upbringing, Sam’s work examines the dynamics around the natural and domestic world by observing what these spaces feel like and how they impact us.

Join us for a free and fun guided painting workshop with Vero Sanchez. Vero is a Mexican Graphic Illustrator and Studio Artist based in Santa Barbara. Her work is primarily centered in artivismo (art-activism) and aims to highlight and celebrate cultural and socio-political identities. RSVP encouraged.

Join us at the NEW Film Center every 1st Thursday for free screenings of short films by Santa Barbara filmmakers. Check sbiff.org/sbfilmmakers for film info. Showtimes 5:30pm, 6:00pm, 6:30pm, and 7:00pm. (showtimes subject to change)

Keeping it Analog, Ace Rivington celebrates Boom Boxes and Cassette Tapes (and the party falls on Beau's Birthday). Come celebrate with us at our "Cassette Tape" Art Show. Featuring tape collectors of all levels sharing stories about their cassette tapes. Bartender Bruce from Beau will be handy!

Longoria Wines invites you to view Santa Barbara artist Michael O’Guinn’s solo presentation of contemporary abstract paintings. We transform our tasting room into a mini-gallery where you can grab a glass and experience large-scale works from O’Guinn’s 2025-26 body of work, exploring themes of gravity and color fields. Cheers!

Join us for an open house at the Music Academy of the West’s Music Education Center at 901 State Street. Explore the building today and preview renderings of what’s to come. Enjoy a glass of wine and learn about the future of music education and performance downtown!

Come to Casa de la Guerra to be among the first to view Fine Print, Hard Lines, SBTHP’s new exhibit about the history of housing discrimination and exclusion in Santa Barbara. Visit The SPACE to celebrate Chumash culture and history. Enjoy hands on, Indigenous artmaking activities. 

Experience the 1st Thursday debut of Pippin—La Arcada’s new art, antiques, and lifestyle boutique. Featuring vintage French paintings, fin de siècle Parisian sketches, Santa Barbara artists, and works by Newport Beach’s Zoe Hadley, Pippin is dedicated to la belle vie, the beautiful life. Enjoy live guitar by Adam Peot. 

10th Anniversary Celebration: Join us in celebrating a decade of art! To thank our patrons, we’re offering special anniversary pricing on original works by 10 West artists. Opens on 1st Thursday, 5-8 pm. Continues Fri & and Sat, 11am - 5pm. Artist talks at 2pm, Fri & Sat. 10westgallery.com; 805-770-7711

Join lead artists Eddy Jimenez and Irene Ramirez and City and County staff to learn more about the newly-installed asphalt art and additional art elements to come.

The Gallery features figurative works, interiors, and cityscapes, by some of today’s finest nationally known local and Oak Group artists. Enjoy works by Ray Hunter, Derek Harrison. Wyllis Heaton, Camille Dellar, Ann Sanders, Thomas Van Stein, Nancy Davidson, Rick Garcia, Ellie Freudenstein, and Ralph Waterhouse. 

Co-op gallery for members of the Santa Barbara Art Association. Artist of the Month is Linda Herzog. Featured artists are Nadya Brown, Odessa Burrow, Gloria Cassidy, and Helena Hill. There will be a memorial show for Brenda Geneau. The group exhibit will include various artists.

We offer the Southwest’s largest collection of handmade contemporary, traditional and antique Persian, Turkish, Afghani, Tribal, and Tibetan rugs. To better understand Arrediamo’s dedication to quality and authenticity, one must first get to know its owner, Rem Yildirim, the man whose knowledge and expertise have made this unique emporium possible.

Hand-building workshop making copitas with Soul Sucker. Live calligraphy/watercolor by Santa Barbara urban sketch artist, Brandon Teris. Live wheel demonstration by SLO ceramic artist, Adriana Lemus Ceramics. Shop work by Adriana Lemus. Mini pop-up market by Maritza of Mujeres Market. Relax and play some games with Game Seeker.

We are transforming our lobby into a vibrant mini‑market featuring local artists! Grab a drink from the bar, browse unique handcrafted pieces, and enjoy the perfect pairing of oysters. Support local creatives, unwind after work, and soak up the heart of Santa Barbara’s arts scene, all under one stylish roof.

Join the Museum for live music by Tony Ybarra, wine, and more! Our latest exhibitions, The Gift: Recent Additions to Our Story and Ludmilla Pilat Welch: Serene Santa Barbara along with our permanent galleries, will also be open for visitors. All ages welcome.

The "AAC Spring Show," juried by Brian Downie, features work by 50+ Abstract Art Collective artists, including an array of paintings and sculptures on view May 3-29, M-F 10:30-5:30, Sat-Sun 1-5, with receptions May 3rd (1st Thursday) and May 15 (Third Friday). Image by Jillian Mamey Critelli.

For years, Academy Award-winning actor Jeff Bridges has captured behind-the-scenes moments on film sets with his 35mm Widelux panoramic camera. Join us at Tamsen Gallery for this unique look into the world of moviemaking. Jeff Bridges’ exhibition is open until April 30th, 2026.

Scaling the Walls is a single exhibition presented across City Hall and Channing Peake galleries examining muralism’s cultural impact and evolution. The Channing Peake presentation features artists and organizations from across Santa Barbara County whose work highlights the continued relevance of murals as a community-centered art form.

Scaling the Walls is a single exhibition spanning City Hall and Channing Peake galleries that explores the history and contemporary practice of muralism. The City Hall presentation features Arts Alliance members whose work reflects collaboration, public art, and the community roots of Santa Barbara County’s mural tradition.

Join us for our very first First Thursday at SuperMoss, where preserved moss is showcased. Explore handcrafted pieces and discover unique plant arrangements in a relaxing, immersive green atmosphere. Meet fellow art and plant lovers, chat with crafters, and find something special to bring home from our locally-owned shop!