Butterflies Alive! Exhibit at Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History Open May 27 to September 4, 2023

Blue Morpho (Morpho peleides)

The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opens its popular summer exhibit Butterflies Alive! on Saturday, May 27th.

Guests are invited to walk through a serene garden while nearly 1,000 live butterflies flutter freely around them. Various butterfly species cycle through the Sprague Butterfly Pavilion during the summer, so no two visits are the same.

The exhibit is included in admission and open Wednesday to Monday, 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Last entry into the pavilion is at 4:00 PM. Reservations are recommended at sbnature.org/tickets.

The Museum is also offering volunteer opportunities to guide guests through the unique experience. Adults who are able to commit to one 2.5-hour shift per week are encouraged to apply at sbnature.org/volunteer. Bilingual English/Spanish speakers and those available to volunteer on weekends are especially helpful in sharing this community favorite with the public.

About the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Powered by Science. Inspired by Nature. Founded in 1916, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History is a private, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with a mission to inspire a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world. The Museum seeks to connect people to nature for the betterment of both, and prides itself on being naturally different. For more information, visit sbnature.org.

The Lure of Lighthouses & Dancing Waves Photographs by Dan Merkel at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Opens January 26th

Continuing its celebration of coastal living, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) presents The Lure of Lighthouses & Dancing Waves, an exhibit featuring more than 35 photographs of lighthouses and waves by the renowned and Emmy Award-winning surfing photographer and videographer Dan Merkel. The lighthouse photographs include images of lighthouses from near and far—from Cape Elizabeth and Cape Hatteras on the East Coast and Point Loma and Point Pinos on the West to Portugal and Australia. The images are accompanied by Dan’s breath-taking photos capturing waves throughout the world. Beginning on Thursday, January 26, the exhibit will be on view in SBMM’s Gallery and Munger Theater through August 27, 2023.

Legendary water and surfing photographer and videographer Dan Merkel has recently returned to still photography, often shooting panoramic landscape images, mostly travel shots and often taken near the ocean. Speaking of his work and how this exhibit came to be, SBMM curator Emily Falke said, “I first met Dan Merkel when he joined Shaun Tomson for an event at the museum and provided a few of his remarkable photos for sale. I was particularly interested in seeing his U.S. lighthouse photos as SBMM is the home of the Pt. Conception Lighthouse lens and has a comprehensive exhibit about the lens, lighthouses, and lighthouse keepers. I looked at panoramic images of Dan’s lighthouses and was mesmerized by how mood provoking the images are. Dan waits for the exact moment to shoot the photo. The lighting is spot on, and he is looking to evoke emotion of a ‘place’ in the world of lighthouses. He waits for just the right light, formation of clouds during predawn or sunset.”

About Dan Merkel
Dan Merkel began his career just taking pictures of his friends. When he was hired to work for various surfing magazines in the early 70s, surfing was just being recognized as a sport with international competitions and professional surfers, such as Shaun Tomson. Being an experienced surfer himself, Merkel was able to get in the middle of the action with his cameras, which gave his images more immediacy and energy. In order to do this, Merkel designed much of his own waterproof housing that protected his equipment and allowed him to follow focus. Beginning in the late 1970s and continuing through the 1990s, Merkel switched his focus to commercial cinematography and became an Emmy-winning filmmaker working on classic surfing films including Free Ride, Big Wednesday, Endless Summer II, and many others.

According to 1977 World Surfing Champion Shaun Tomson, whose recent book The Surfer and the Sage featured Dan’s images, “Dan Merkel is one of the surfing world’s most acclaimed and courageous action photographers. Combining a unique eye for composition in exceptionally dangerous situations, Dan captured some of the most intense moments of his subjects’ lives, artistically freezing and sharing each in the maelstrom of one thousandth of a second increments. Dan reveled in capturing beauty in the impact zone, the most violent area in the ocean. Whether he is doing still photography, music videos, commercials or commercial films, Merkel brings the same level of perfectionism and ambition that has propelled him throughout his long career.”

Merkel licenses his images through AFrame Media and markets his prints online at https://www.photoprintingpros.com/collections/dan-merkel-photography. Many of his images also appear on his Facebook page at: https://www.facebook.com/danmerkelmedia/about.
The Lure of Lighthouses and Dancing Waves exhibit is made possible thanks to the generous support of Frederic and Nancy Golden, George H. and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation, Mimi Michaelis, The June G. Outhwaite Charitable Trust, Thomas and Charmaine Rogers, Shaun and Carla Tomson, and Wood-Claeyssens Foundation. Following this exhibition, The Lure of Lighthouses & Dancing Waves, will become part of SBMM's permanent collection and available on loan to other museums.

About SBMM
Founded in 2000 inside the harbor’s historic Waterfront Center Building (formerly the Naval Reserve Building), the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum creates exhibits and hands-on, educational experiences that celebrate more than 13,000 years of maritime history in our region—from Chumash culture to today’s surfing scenes and environmental movements. Nearly 8,000 square feet of gallery space showcase special presentations and changing displays culled from the museum’s artifact collection, all dedicated to instilling love and respect for our Santa Barbara Channel, for the people who make their living on its waters, and for the abundant marine life that calls these waters home.

SBMM is located at 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara. Visit sbmm.org or call (805) 962-8404 for details.

sbmm.org/santa-barbara-event/dan-merkel-at-sbmm

The Peaceful Sea Art Exhibit at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum August 11 to December 31

Continuing its celebration of coastal living, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is thrilled to present The Peaceful Sea: Paintings by Kevin A. Short, an exhibition featuring more than 30 seascapes and ocean-themed landscapes by the renowned contemporary painter and Santa Barbara native. Thanks to the generous support of Mimi Michaelis, June G. Outhwaite Charitable Trust, Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation, the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation, and American Rivera Bank, the presentation will be on view to the public from August 11 through December 31, 2022.

Short began his art training with a toy watercolor set and a pile of crayons, drawing on leftover butcher paper in the middle of the kitchen floor. He went on to formally study oil painting at the University of New Mexico, Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

Now internationally recognized for his contemporary landscapes of the Pacific Coast, Short is considered a particularly intelligent observer of the ocean who paints the surfing and coastal subcultures using his signature heavy, impressionist brushstrokes and rich, saturated color palettes.

Short grew up along California’s coast. Born in San Diego and raised in Santa Barbara, he developed his love of the ocean through sailing, fishing, and spending long days in the surf. The Peaceful Sea: Paintings by Kevin A. Short presents a selection of the artist’s paintings that capture this lifelong passion. It conjures specific moments in time, both imagined and remembered, and celebrates all the living colors of the sea.

“There is magnetism in looking at glare and the effects of sunlight—something magical and calming that somehow makes our troubles seem smaller and our thinking become clearer,” says Short of his work.

Emily Falke, Director of Collections and Curator at SBMM, says, “Short’s paintings are imbued with narrative and emotion. They chronicle our experiences as a coastal community, depicting all the outdoor joys available to us--paddling, boating, surfing, swimming, just being at the beach—and pay tribute to the beauty of the ocean and the culture that has helped form this part of the world.”

Short’s book TRESTLES (2007, privately printed printed)—which captures the spirit of California’s famous Trestles surfing area and sounds an urgent call for nature conservation in the area—features lavish illustrations of the artist’s paintings and text by Mike Evans. The monograph will be available for purchase at the Maritime Museum’s store.

About the Artist
Kevin A Short’s paintings have been featured on the covers of the Los Angeles Times and the Surfer’s Journal. The Pasadena Museum of California Art (MCA) selected Short’s work, for the landmark exhibition, In The Land of Sunshine, numbering Kevin as one of the California Coast’s most influential narrative painters. Other notable shows of his work have been held at the Irvine Museum in California, the Carnegie Art Museum, and the California Surf Museum, featuring Kevin’s paintings of Pt. San Mateo -Trestles. In addition to these shows, Short’s work is in the permanent collections of the Irvine Museum, the Hilbert Museum, the First Foundation Bank Sprint Nextel Art Collection, US Steel Corporation, and the Scripps Cardiac Center Collection.

Location: 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara

Website: sbmm.org/santa-barbara-event/the-peaceful-sea-kevin-short

Whales are Superheroes! Permanent Exhibit at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Opens April 14th

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM)’s newest permanent exhibit, opening to the public on Thursday, April 14, 2022, shows visitors how whales help maintain the stability and health of the ocean and help minimize the impact of climate change. The Whales Are Superheroes! exhibit focuses on whale diversity in the Santa Barbara Channel, climate connections and the role whales play in climate change. Taking its aesthetic inspiration from comics and graphic novels, the exhibit incorporates text panels and drone footage to illustrate how whales are helping to save the environment. Whales Are Superheroes! is also part of a countywide alliance of museums, the Santa Barbara Zoo, and the Botanic Gardens to present programming addressing climate change www.sbmuseumsalliance.org

According to the World Economic Forum, the failure to mitigate and adapt to climate change is among the biggest global risks for our planet, with significant environmental, economic, and health impacts. While international agreements, including both the 1997 Kyoto Protocol2 and the 2015 Paris Agreement3 address global reductions in CO2 emissions, no global efforts have yet considered the importance of the oceans as a carbon sink and the significant ecological role whales play in mitigating climate change.

Whales make a difference by being an important part of the cycle of marine life. First, as they dive down to feed and then surface to breathe, they serve as nutrient pumps moving nutrient rich waters from the sea floor to the surface where they stimulate and fertilize the growth of phytoplankton. Through photosynthesis the phytoplankton convert large amounts of CO2 to oxygen, helping to sustain life all over the planet. Second, whales also migrate every year from nutrient-rich cold water to nutrient-poor warmer waters for breeding and calving, further stimulating nutrient cycling both vertically and horizontally throughout the world’s oceans.

But the story does not stop during the life cycle of a whale. It continues after they die. Whale carcasses are some of the largest forms of organic matter to fall from the ocean’s surface and sink to the deeper depths of the ocean, including here in the Santa Barbara Channel. These are known as whale falls, providing a feast for some 400 odd species. As these whale carcasses sink to the ocean floor, they take with them about 190,000 tons of carbon in their bodies, which is the equivalent of the carbon produced by 80,000 cars per year! These deep oceans are what we call "carbon sinks," because they trap and hold excess carbon from the atmosphere, and therefore help to counteract global warming.

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum invites the community to learn more about our aquatic neighbors and how Whales Are Superheroes! by visiting this new exhibit, along with two new art exhibits, an immersive audio and visual “undersea” experience, and a free Zoom lecture by marine biologist Holly Lohuis.

Whales Are Superheroes! is made possible thanks to the generosity of the following sponsors: Chevron, Dreier Family, Emmett Foundation, Nancy and Frederic Golden, George H. and Olive J. Griffiths Charitable Foundation, Hank and Mari Mitchel, June G. Outhwaite Foundation, Alice Tweed Tuohy Foundation, Donna Weinstein, and the Wood-Claeyssens Foundation.

www.sbmm.org

Whale-Focused Exhibits and Programs at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum April 14 to July 31

Did you know that whales are superheroes? Whales help maintain the stability and health of the ocean and minimize some of the worst impacts of climate change. The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) presents a multi-faceted collection of events and programs to inform the community about the many wonders of whales. Kicking off with an unusual immersive experience that allows audiences to see the underwater environment through the eyes of a child, these events and programs range from in-school art and science lessons, children’s and professional’s art exhibits, a new permanent exhibit, and a lecture — all of which are designed to provide something for every member of the community! These related exhibits and programs open at SBMM on April 14, 2022!

Thanks to the generous support of our donors, four exhibits will open to the public beginning April 14, and a free Zoom lecture will take place on April 21. Although their subjects are often similar, each event, artist, and exhibit brings a unique perspective, technique, style, information, and medium to a better understanding of whales and the role they play in mitigating climate change. The various components include:

• “A Whale of a Tale,” a unique multi-sensory immersive experience that highlights the undersea world with life-size reproductions of artwork submitted by local children in grades K-6. This work, combined with the sounds of whales as they sing to each other and dramatic, vivid lighting, recreates the feeling of seeing it all through the eyes of a child. April 14-May 15, 2022.

• Whales Are Superheroes! Saving the Planet One CO2 Molecule at a Time, an exhibit of children’s whale and ocean-related artwork produced in SBMM-led school art and science classes. On display from April 14-July 31, 2022.

• The Wonder of Whales: Two Artists’ Perspectives by John Baran and Kelly Clause, showcases the work of two local artists depicting whales and other marine life in a variety of media. On display from April 14-July 31, 2022.

• Whales Are Superheroes! is a new permanent exhibit that uses creative graphics and incorporates text, images, and drone footage to illustrate how whales help maintain the stability and health of the ocean. Opens April 14.

• “Santa Barbara Channel’s Whales and Their Climate Connection” is a free Zoom webinar presentation by renowned marine biologist Holly Lohuis about whales, their influence on the ecology of the ocean and the Santa Barbara Channel, and the status of the application to have the Channel designated an International Whale Heritage Site. April 21, 2022.

---

Since 2000, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum has featured many artifacts and stories to share the history of the Santa Barbara Channel with more than 40,000 visitors annually and provides year-round experiential maritime history and marine science education for local youth. Featuring the impressive First-Order Fresnel Lighthouse Lens from Point Conception, SBMM's current exhibits explore the History of Oil in Santa Barbara Channel & Chumash Use of Asphaltum, the Honda Disaster, and Wives and Daughters: Keepers of the Light.

SBMM is located at the historic Santa Barbara Harbor at 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara. Visit sbmm.org or call (805) 962-8404 for details.