ART from the ashes
and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
exhibition & art sale
raises over $20,000 to benefit Garden renewal
(Los Angeles, CA, 11/19/09) - Over 700 people came to visit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden on October 10th, 2009 to pay tribute to a process of rebirth that took place in part through the work of more than 50 artists who donated their time and talent to create one-of-a-kind works of art for the ART from the ashes exhibition. The event raised over $20,000 to benefit the rebuild of the areas of the Garden that were destroyed by the Jesusita Fire of May 2009.
On display and woven throughout the Garden that day were pieces created from raw materials obtained from the grounds after the fire. Scrap metal was transformed into jewelry and sculpture; charred wood made a canvas for painting; ash created glaze for ceramics and a medium for drawing. Multi-media works and photography also played a large part in the exhibition.
There was an emotional charge that affected all who walked the Garden paths. It was more than an installation of art. It was an education in how we look at and utilize objects. It was collision of art and nature and a prime example of how it is possible to make something beautiful and do something good with the bits and pieces that a fire leaves behind.
"This was an incredible event that was beautiful, unique, and enjoyed by the community," said Garden Marketing & Government Relations Nancy Johnson. "That so many talented artists created such an unbelievable array of fabulous art was amazing. The very act of creating art from such devastation was life affirming and exemplified hope for renewal and regeneration for the Garden and this fire-struck community."
ART from the ashes could not exist without the support of our exhibition partners and the generous heart in every one of the artists who donates their time and talent to participate. ART from the ashes is proud to be a portal for these artists and their work.
Artwork featured in the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Exhibition October 2009
ART from the ashes and the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
invite you to enjoy a day of art in the Garden
at the October 10th exhibition & art sale
(Los Angeles, CA, 8/17/09) – Over 50 artists from all over the United States and two artists from Korea have donated their time and talent to create one-of-a-kind works of art for the ART from the ashes exhibition at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden on October 10, 2009. The exhibition will showcase pieces created from raw materials obtained from the Garden after the Jesusita Fire that raged through the Santa Barbara area in May of 2009. In its wake, the fire burned over 8,700 acres of land and destroyed 80 homes. Over 60 of the Garden’s 78 acres and 9,800 living collection plants were either destroyed or damaged and several structures were lost.
In the ART from the ashes spirit of "Support. Inspire. Create. Renew", scrap metal becomes jewelry or sculpture, wood becomes a canvas for painting and ash creates glaze for ceramics. Every piece takes on a new life in celebration of a Garden that is rich with history. These materials carry the legacy of their former place and by transforming them into a new shape; they become a wonderful physical memory. There is also a generous heart in every one of the artists who donate their time and talent to participate. ART from the ashes is grateful and proud to be a portal for their work.
"This exciting collaborative with the dynamic ART from the ashes organization and all the talented, creative artists involved will be both poignant and poetic. Fire is part of the natural cycle of life. Nature and art continually inform each other and fire is part of that conversation. Yes, it is destructive, but it also inspires. From its destruction, beauty can be created and in that act, hope is restored, rebirth and renewal occur.
The Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is grateful and touched that the artists participating in the ART from the ashes Exhibition and Sale have chosen to use their talents on our behalf, to take from the detritus of our fire and make objects of beauty and joy. We are pleased and honored to showcase their works on October 10 in a day-long celebration of the Garden's indomitable spirit,"Dr. Ed Schneider, President & CEO of the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden.
As California residents, we become accustomed to earthquakes, Santa Ana winds and El Nino... and, as other states suffer hurricane and tornado season, every year we battle wildfires. While there is nothing that can be done to replace what is lost, it just may be possible to make something beautiful and do something good with the bits and pieces the fire leaves behind. ART from the ashes hopes to offer the opportunity to make sense of loss through art.
Exhibition date
October 10, 2009
10am - 4pm
Sale of art to benefit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Free and open to the public
All ages welcome
Location
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
1212 Mission Canyon Road
Santa Barbara, CA 93105
805 682 4726
"It's not what you look at that matters, it's what you see"
~ Henry David Thoreau
About ART from the ashes
ART from the ashes is a collaborative of independent artists and volunteers, founded by native Californian Joy Feuer, who contribute talent, time and energy to create art for resource. Artwork is crafted from materials collected from fire site locations after personal items have been removed. Debris that would otherwise be cleared and dumped into landfill is gathered and transfigured into one-of-a-kind works of art through the unique vision of each artist. ART from the ashes then hosts a charity exhibition showcasing the art that has been created from the reclaimed fire site materials. A portion of the proceeds from each exhibition is donated to a local or national charity chosen by the business or individuals impacted by the fire.
About the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Founded in 1926, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden is the oldest botanical garden in California dedicated to the study, conservation and display of native flora. It covers 78 acres in historic Mission Canyon and features over 1000 species of native plants.
