Santa Barbara County Embraces National Arts & Humanities Month
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(SANTA BARBARA, Calif). – The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture is pleased to share that October will be officially recognized as Arts & Humanities Month by the County Board of Supervisors and Santa Barbara City Council. As part of the monthlong celebration, Montecito Bank & Trust and Josef Woodard will be honored with the County Arts Commission’s annual Leadership in Arts Award.
Established in 2006 by the Arts Commission, the Leadership in Arts Award commends “individuals or organizations that have made a significant impact on the arts and culture of our region through innovative thinking and exemplary commitment to promoting sustaining, and advancing our quality of life through the Arts.”
In 2023, the award recipients are Montecito Bank & Trust and local writer and musician Josef Woodard. Montecito Bank & Trust was praised for its investment in youth arts education, as well as its Community Dividends Program. In acknowledgment of his decades of journalistic service championing performing and visual arts, as well as his skill as a literary artist, Josef “Joe” Woodard was selected for individual recognition.
On Tuesday, October 17, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors is slated to issue a proclamation recognizing October as Arts and Humanities Month. The presentation is slated for 9 a.m. at the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room at the Betteravia Government Center in Santa Maria.
Mary Harris, Chair of the Arts Commission, noted, “We are tremendously fortunate to live in a community with such talented artists and dedicated supporters of the arts. I hope that everyone takes this opportunity to attend a performance, visit a gallery, and thank a local artist for their contribution to our quality of life.”
On Tuesday, October 24, the Santa Barbara City Council is slated to issue a proclamation recognizing October as Arts & Humanities Month at 2 p.m. as part of their regular meeting.
Local artists who received the California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship will be the proclamation’s recipients. Honorees include Adrienne De Guevara, Spenser Jaimes, Cheri Owen, Tai Rodrig, Tama Takahashi, Kai Tilley, Jack Forinash, Debra Herrick, Jennifer Reinish, Emma Trelles, and Sojourner Kincaid Rolle.
Recognized by Congress and throughout the United States for more than three decades, Arts & Humanities Month is dedicated to uplifting the importance of arts to community wellbeing, and to promoting the accessibility of arts for all. For a detailed schedule of events, exhibits, and more information on participating in Arts & Humanities Month, visit the Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture’s Events Calendar.