April 1st Thursday – Ode to Poetry Month

Sullivan Goss April

Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery celebrates local poet and artist Barry Spacks.

The Downtown 1st Thursday April 3 event includes more than two dozen cultural art venues, standing by with poetry, art, music and more, for National Poetry Month. Here are some of the highlights:

Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery (7 & 11 E. Anapamu St.) will celebrate the life and work of Barry Spacks, Santa Barbara’s first Poet Laureate and beloved artist. The Spacks’ estate provided 108 works of art that will be offered at $108, a number that is sacred in the artist’s Buddhist religion. Special poetry readings will take place throughout a not-to-be-missed evening.

Salt (740 State St.) has “Poetry in the Cave,” for a fun-filled evening of words and community in their.pink Himalayan salt caves. For another spoken word experience, the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (653 Paseo Nuevo Terrace) is presenting a performance by Julia Landois and Erik Sanden, Live Ballast at 7 p.m.

Award-winning plein air artist Jason Sacran is conducting a painting demonstration at Waterhouse Gallery (1114 State St., #9) and over at The Book Den (15 E. Anapamu St.),  Eric Kelley is celebrating his 35th anniversary as the proprietor of California’s oldest used bookstore (founded in 1902).

SBHM April

Henry Chapman Ford etching, Mission Santa Barbara, a gift of Leona Thomas on display at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum.

Santa Barbara Historical Museum (136 E. De la Guerra St.) opens a new exhibition, “Impressions in Ink: Etchings from the Collection,”featuring artist Henry Chapman Ford. Learn how the Santa Barbara Art Foundry makes unique bronze sculptures in a step-by- step process on Marshalls Patio (900 State St.).

Join the Lobero Theatre (33 E. Canon Perdido St.) from 7:30-9:30 p.m. for 1st Thursday: After Hours. Don’t miss une bonne soirée onstage: enjoy hors d’eouvres from Sojourner Cafe, wine from Roblar Winery and eclectic cabaret presented by Kerrilee Kaski.

For more information and a complete listing of the specific programming offered at each gallery, as well as all public performances and interactive exhibits, go to santabarbaradowntown.com/about/1st-thursday.

 

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on April 2, 2014.