Since 1990, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (originally called the Santa Barbara Contemporary Art Forum) has been located upstairs at Paseo Nuevo, across from Center Stage Theater.
The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara announced Wednesday that because of ongoing financial problems, it must close by the end of August.
After nearly 50 years of service to the community, the museum, which is upstairs at Paseo Nuevo, will close its doors Aug. 28, museum officials said.
It was the first museum in Santa Barbara dedicated to contemporary art.
“Through the great work that the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara has done to invite and highlight artists whose work has given context to our hurts, our joys, our desires and our fears, we have always strived to break barriers in order to present a multitude of realities and experiences,” Laura Macker Johnston, MCASB board president, said in a statement.
“Anyone who has had a meaningful interaction with our programming or exhibitions can attest that MCASB has served as a cultural center that has been deeply committed to listening and responding to our community’s diverse needs.”
She noted that the museum has faced financial strain for many years now, exasperated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We recognize that we are one of so many arts institutions and nonprofits that, as a result of the pandemic, are in this insurmountable position,” she said. “Despite our best efforts to expand our donor base within the region, we have been unable to reach the fundraising goals necessary to maintain operations, and it is the board’s intention to act responsibly at this time to honor the institution’s legacy.”
Since its inception in 1976 as the Santa Barbara Contemporary Art Forum, MCASB has been known for its dedication to the examination of the human condition. A safe space supporting the voices and views of its community members, MCASB “has provided a critical platform for the investigation of our pasts and our potential futures,” museum officials said.
From grassroots gatherings of artists and activists, to educational programs created to support previously underserved communities within Santa Barbara County, MCASB has held at its core a person-first approach to service, officials said.
Over nearly five decades, thousands of visitors have experienced what the museum has described as its “distinctive and socially relevant” exhibitions. The artists behind those exhibits have included John Baldessari, Ed and Nancy Kienholz, Wayne Thiebaud, Sanford Biggers, Joan Tanner, Jim Shaw, Mickalene Thomas, Mario Ybarra Jr., Genevieve Gaignard, Barry McGee, Rimini Protokol, Shana Moulton and others.
MCASB was founded as alternative arts space called Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum in 1976 by artists and art supporters seeking a venue dedicated solely to contemporary art.
These initial organizers envisioned a “forum” for the display of and discussion about artwork being made today, both locally and in the larger national and international art community. CAF found its first home in the historic Balboa Building in downtown Santa Barbara, before moving into the current 3,500-square-foot venue in Paseo in 1990.
In 2013, CAF became the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara with an expanded mission toward education and the arts. In 2016 MCASB became an American Alliance of Museums-accredited institution.
MCASB continued to function as a non-collecting, nonprofit museum dedicated to innovative and experimental contemporary art and arts education.
While the museum will close its doors, it has begun conversations with community partners and supporters to evaluate the feasibility of preserving its highly successful and respected Emerging Leaders in the Arts and Teen Arts Collective programs, officials said.
To stay informed about the upcoming changes, visit mcasantabarbara.org and subscribe to the MCASB mailing list.
Its final programming and events will take place this month.
The museum is presenting an exhibition by Adam Jahnke of Santa Barbara’s Department for Applied Geography from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. It will remain on view through Sunday.
On Saturday, from 2-3 p.m., Dalan Moreno, owner of Rascal’s, a Santa Barbara vegan restaurant, leads a series of presentations and demonstrations. He will be joined by Rodalfo Rios of Super Cacas, the first Taqueria restaurant established in Santa Barbara. They will discuss the history of the burrito and demonstrate how to roll them.
The event is free, but due to limited space, reservations are required.
And on July 30, from 5-8 p.m., the museum will celebrate the cultural fabric of the Filipinx/a/o community and diaspora in Santa Barbara County.
email: nhartstein@newspress.com
