California Nature Art Museum

Did you catch us on KSBY last night? The station was here to shine a light on our newest student art show! Thanks to a new partnership with the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara, we are delighted to host the artwork of several seniors from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School, five of whom won scholarships! We're already planning on supporting the students and Foundation next year! Whether students are planning a career in arts or not, the act of creating art supports mental health during an always busy and challenging time of life for young people. https://lnkd.in/gde5RduR

We are so happy to introduce the newest (well, only) resident of the Museum--Lulu Hyggelig! Lulu was created by Danish recycle artist Thomas Dambo who has built 159 trolls out of used pallets, lumber and wine barrels all over the world. She is the first permanent troll in California and the first indoor troll! Visitors are already flocking to see her in person. Thomas Dambo creates unique back stories for each of his trolls, along with naming each one. A brief summary of Lulu's life is that she has lived in Solvang in the museum's tower for a very long time. At night she would sneak out to scavenge pastries (and Solvang is famous for its bakeries) and well, finally, got too large to leave the tower! She was built by Thomas and his amazing crew in a mere 2 weeks. Come and visit Lulu and all our other wonderful offerings that celebrate nature and the environment (and sustainability!) soon!

We are so excited to announce that we have commissioned a troll from world renowned artist Thomas Dambo! He has built giant, whimsical trolls in 17 countries, including just over 50 here in the States. He is passionate about encouraging reuse of materials so his trolls are made of pallets, used lumber and other materials. Ours will include old wine barrels--perfect since we're in the middle of wine country. We are in the middle of both a fundraising campaign to raise all the funds needed for the troll and Dambo's team--we are 40% of the way there! We also are looking for volunteers and donations of used pallets and wine barrels to keep them out of landfills. Can you join us? Learn more here! https://lnkd.in/g92E_3VS #thomasdambotroll #reducereuserecyle #sustainability

This past weekend, a small portion of the CalNAM community embarked on a deeply enriching, adventurous trip to Santa Cruz Island which included two nights spent at the famed UC Field Station. Participants enjoyed hiking, species identification, tide pooling, private tours of multiple facilities, and travel via on-island vehicles. Amongst many others, a few spots that captured the awe and inspiration of our group included Valley Anchorage, Christie Beach, & Pelican Trail. This field experience was not only a great way to encourage stewardship of nature through art - this group included photographers, nature journalers, and painters, alike! - but also to further connect with one of our most impactful partners, 4Points Expeditions. 4Points empowers people to create positive change through adventure, education, & personal and team challenge, and we are thrilled that the alignment of our missions gives rise to such valuable opportunities for both organizations... ..and, in case you haven't already heard, another multi-island trip coming Fall 2025. More details to come soon!

A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs is now officially open to the public. A Deeper Love offers an artistic examination into some of the ocean’s most vibrant, ecologically productive, and fragile landscapes, worldwide. “While it may be easy for most people to walk outside and appreciate nature in the hills, forests, or meadows where they live, it is much harder to visit a coral reef fifty feet below the surface of the ocean at the edge of civilization,” state Nansi and David. “By sharing what we’ve seen, what we’ve learned, and what has inspired us, we hope to make the world’s coral reefs a little more present in the hearts and minds of our community.” Visit the California Nature Art Museum now through February 24th, 2025 to see our newest exhibition! Photos by George Rose.

The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce its forthcoming exhibition, A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs, coming September 14th 2024, with large-scale artwork by artists Nansi Bielanski Gallup & David Gallup. A Deeper Love will offer an artistic examination into some of the ocean’s most vibrant, ecologically productive, and fragile landscapes, worldwide. “While it may be easy for most people to walk outside and appreciate nature in the hills, forests, or meadows where they live, it is much harder to visit a coral reef fifty feet below the surface of the ocean at the edge of civilization,” state Nansi and David. “By sharing what we’ve seen, what we’ve learned, and what has inspired us, we hope to make the world’s coral reefs a little more present in the hearts and minds of our community. We humans protect what we love. We hope this show will help us all fall in love a little more with the beauty of our coral reefs.” In addition to the intrinsic beauty of coral reefs and the equally breathtaking underwater communities that they support, it is important to note that coral reefs also have a powerful impact on human existence as well. In fact, it is estimated that up to one billion people currently rely on tropical coral reefs as their primary or sole source of food and income. Many of these reef-reliant peoples are among the world’s poorest, and suffer disproportionately from the effects of climate degradation primarily inflicted by industrialized nations. Already, rising sea levels and intensified hurricanes have dramatically reduced or even eliminated the inhabitable land of some island nations. For the sake of all life on our blue planet, it is clear that we must better know, love, and steward coral reefs and other seascapes. Artists Nansi Bielanski Gallup and David Gallup are motivated by these challenges, working collaboratively and individually as artists to highlight the beauty and importance of coral reefs and their need for protection.  

For this month's volunteer "in-the-field" trip, a small group of our most active volunteers embarked on a brisk, private coastal hike through the Jack & Laura Dangermond Preserve. Throughout their time on the preserve, the CalNAM volunteers learned more about the unique animal behaviors in the largely untouched and uninterrupted space, current and future plans for restoration, and appreciated the vast array of native plant and animal life (both marine and terrestrial!). Naturally, the day ended with excited conversation about ways to support and collaborate with The Nature Conservancy on the impressive work they are doing, the beautiful sights seen, and warm Jalama Burgers. If you're looking for a unique way to support our mission to inspire stewardship of nature through art and education, join our volunteer program and take part in future trainings and field trips! For more information, email Assistant Director Rachel Metz at rachel@calnatureartmuseum.org.

The California Nature Art Museum in Solvang recently honored the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians as the first recipient of its new Sustainability Award, which aims to shine a light on the efforts the tribe has made to minimize — even eliminate in some instances — waste from its Chumash Casino Resort and hotel operations. Mark Funkhouser, the Director of Sustainability and Custodial Services for the Chumash Casino Resort, accepted the award on behalf of the tribe in a ceremony on May 19 at the Marriott in Buellton. He spoke of the resort’s award-winning zero waste program and the tribe’s recent recognition for constructing its Santa Ynez Chumash Museum and Cultural Center with innovative systems that meet LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. Says Chairman Kenneth Kahn, “It’s an honor to be recognized for our efforts to reduce our impact on the environment. As the original stewards of this land, our tribe understands the importance of prioritizing sustainability measures and conserving resources at our local businesses.” #santaynezbandofchumashindians #calnam #sustainabilityaward

Last month, the California Nature Art Museum celebrated the community's native plants and pollinators with our very own Native Plant Sale. Our team brought together five local partner organizations to welcome 153 guests with free admission, native plants for sale from Yes Yes Nursery and Manzanita Nursery, educational materials from Santa Ynez Valley Botanic Garden and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, and coffee and pastries from Coffee A La Cart. Visitors also had the chance to browse the Museum's selection of used books for sale (benefitting Museum education), and even get creative with a free planter-painting activity using primarily recycled materials. Native plants are vitally important to the biodiversity, beauty, and stability that make the Santa Barbara County the ecologically rich place that it is, and we all have an invaluable role to play in their stewardship!

We had a great time at the Santa Barbara Earth Day festival this past Saturday! Thanks to our friends at Community Environmental Council (CEC) 🌍 California Environmental Nonprofit for all their work organizing one of the biggest and oldest Earth Day events in the country! We love promoting a love of nature through sustainable craft activities like turning toilet paper tubes into pollinators! Can't wait until next year!