Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Displays ‘Coastal Moments’

What defines a “coastal moment”?

It might be the vivid hues of sunlight cascading over the cliffs at Butterfly Beach. Or the shimmering lights that create constellations in the harbor at night. Or perhaps it’s the intricate, often-overlooked details of the sea debris washing up on Santa Barbara’s rugged shorelines.

No matter what it is, a convergence of these perspectives is now on view at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, showcasing 10 local plein air artists’ celebrations of these moments in time.

Featured artists include Ann Shelton Beth, Nancy Davidson, Camille Dellar, Rick Garcia, Derek Harrison, Wyllis Heaton, Ray Hunter, Ann Sanders, Thomas Van Stein, and Ralph Waterhouse.

“The ocean has long had complex and varied connotations for artists. For some, it represents an ever-present source of tranquility; for others, the sea is turbulent and fierce, symbolizing change or destruction,” said curator Emily Falke.

Falke applies fresh coats of paint whenever a new exhibit is set up, ensuring the backdrop complements and enhances the artwork on display. Over the span of more than a decade working at the museum, Falke’s tenure can be traced back through the 42 layers of paint she has carefully added to the walls.

Painter Thomas Van Stein’s wall color, for one, is dark gray. It makes his vibrant depiction of the historic sailing vessel the Pilgrim — featuring saturated oranges and purples of a sunset reflecting across the water — even more eye-catching.

But at the same time, the color complements the cool, eerie stillness of the Santa Barbara harbor at night in his nocturne “The Pilgrim in Port.”

“It expresses moments on the coast at different times of day,” Falke said, relating Van Stein’s work to others in the gallery. “Some are light. And some are a little edgier and more mysterious. They’re just so perfectly different.”

Van Stein, who has painted Santa Barbara landscapes for about 30 years, said he is attracted to light, and with “The Pilgrim in Port,” he was trying to achieve “the glow from within.”

That is what plein air painters do — they capture a moment or impression of the landscape, painting it as they see it, on location. “As an artist,” Van Stein said, “you always want to be paying attention to what makes your heart sing.” He sat staring at the harbor from 3 a.m. to sunrise to capture that moody, quiet “glow.”

“Plein air painters capture moments that can never be repeated,” said the museum’s Deputy Director Jessica Tade. “Especially in Santa Barbara, we have unique landscapes that are beautifully interpreted by our local artists.”

In his bio, Van Stein calls the harbor “a community gathering of like-minded seafarers who float between the world and sea.” He emphasized Santa Barbara’s maritime legacy, which the museum has highlighted since it was first founded in 2000 by a group of fishermen, divers, and sailors.

“My paintbrush is like an anchor that holds me to what is dear — this wonderful, dreamy, timeless place: the Santa Barbara Harbor,” he said.

The other works romanticize Santa Barbara in similar ways — like painter Ray Hunter’s watercolor scenes, which show snowy plovers hanging out in Goleta tide pools, sail boats plowing through crystalline waters, and serene snapshots of the seaside at Butterfly Beach.

“The coast is my muse and never ceases to inspire, from the smallest birds to the grandeur of cliffs,” said Hunter, who moved from Seattle to Santa Barbara in 1997.

Greg Gorga, the museum’s executive director, was particularly struck by how friendly and familiar these artists are with one another, which I also noted when touring the exhibit with Van Stein and Falke. As we approached Hunter’s collection, Van Stein mentioned Hunter used to be a postman, and his wife, Patty, was a judge. To that, Falke replied, “She’s a quiltmaker now!”

Santa Barbara, it would seem, is quite a small town. And these artists really are in love with it.

In the month since opening on June 13, around half of the 53 paintings have already been sold. However, all paintings in Coastal Moments will be on view through August 18.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum is located in the Santa Barbara Harbor (113 Harbor Wy., Ste. 190) and open daily, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. See sbmm.org.