Now at the CAW
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative Presents:
Artist Studio Survey
Tell us about your art and the space you need to create it.
The Arts Collaborative is venturing beyond the walls of the Community Arts Workshop to study the possibility of affordable artist studios in Santa Barbara.
With the rise in costs for both housing and commercial space, artists are being priced out of historic areas like the Funk Zone and struggling to find replacements.
The SBAC has rallied a small group of community leaders to study the need, the possibilities, and the methods for facilitating more affordable studio space for artists. Our group wants to hear from artists themselves to understand the realistic needs of our artistic community for creative work space.
Participating in this survey directly supports our ability to make this effort a reality.
We so appreciate your time.
Daniel Kanow, Certified Grief Educator and Artist Coach, Presents:
Art4Grief, Part 1:
Grief, Healing, and Reflection
A 2-part expressive painting series for grief, healing, reflection, and creative transformation
Thursday July 16 5:30pm- 8:30 pm + Sunday July 19th 10:00am -1:00pm
From the organizer:
This two-part workshop series is designed as a continuous journey — each session building on the last, deepening your creative practice and your capacity to process, express, and gently transform grief into healing, meaning, and transformation.
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Facilitated by Daniel Kanow — Certified Grief Educator, nationally exhibiting artist, and founder of BreakThrough Your Art™ — this series weaves together expressive art techniques, neuroscience-backed creative practices, and flow psychology into a compassionate, supportive space.
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You do not need to be an artist. You do not need any art experience. You only need to arrive exactly as you are.
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All art materials provided.
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Bring your own easel if you have one, or work at the table.
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Two consecutive classes (per session) offering a steady, supportive rhythm — a creative companion on the grief journey.
Daniel Kanow's series continues with:
Art4Grief, Part 2
Expressive Painting for Healing and Expression:
"Going Deeper, Finding Your Story"
Thursday July 30th 5:30pm- 8:30 pm + Sunday August 2nd 10:00am -1:00pm
This workshop may be taken as a continuation of Part One or as a standalone experience for those ready to explore deeper creative expression within a supportive and emotionally grounded environment.
From the organizer:
Building directly on the openings and discoveries of Part One, our second set of sessions moves into richer territory. With your creative voice beginning to emerge, we deepen the work — exploring personal narrative, identity, and transformation
through your own evolving visual language.
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We draw on flow psychology and embodied expression to quiet stress and overthinking, move beyond self-judgment, and strengthen authentic connection — both with yourself and with others in the room.
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You will leave Part Two with guided exercises, reflection tools, and a meaningful body of artwork to take home.
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All art materials provided.
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Bring your own easel if you have one, or work at the table.
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Two consecutive classes offering a steady, supportive rhythm — a creative companion on the grief journey.
Livia Zirkel Presents:
Out From Under the Bed!
Solo show of work created over the last 30 years
Saturday July 25 & Sunday July 26 1-7pm, artist on site both days
Reception Saturday July 25, 4-7pm
From the organizer:
Livia Zirkel presents a show of the last 30 years of art-making with drawings, paintings, collages, and monotypes. The show will present a large and varied exhibition of pieces, utilizing every room at the CAW!
Desmadre Media Presents:
The 5th Annual Backyard Boogie
Car Show, Music, Night Market, Food, and More
Saturday August 1st, 4-10pm
From the organizer:
The Backyard Boogie is back for a fifth annual night of culture!
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Lowriders, art, curated night market, food, and more!
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All-vinyl DJ's with special guest Funk Freaks.
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All Ages.
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Tickets $25-30.
Independent article about last year's event.
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A portion of proceeds from ticket sales will be going to 805UndocuFund.
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With questions contact Info@desmadremundial.com or 661-417-6022
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Desmadre Media, a project by Alex Ramirez, is an event business that focuses on multicultural events in Santa Barbara. Our main goal is to bring awareness and showcase the talent we have here locally through art shows, concerts, fundraisers, markets, and more. We just want to give a spotlight to anyone who is doing something great in the community.
Santa Barbara Printmakers Presents:
Introduction to Relief Printmaking with ”Flexicut”
Saturday, August 8, 2026, 10 am - 3 pm
Relief Printmaking Workshop with Mollie Doctrow and Yasemin Zografos
From the organizer:
This workshop will include developing sketches into prints by creating quick value studies, carving with different types of tools, & hand printing with blocks.
Santa Barbara Printmakers Series Continues with:
Intermediate Relief Printmaking Two-color Printing with “Flexicut" Blocks
Saturday August 15, 2026 10 am - 3 pm
Take your printmaking to the next level by creating 2-color relief prints.
From the organizer:
Learn designing for 2-color prints, carving techniques, creating a key block and a color block, registration, and printing techniques.
Introduction to Relief Printmaking or prior relief printmaking experience is required.
Erik Solevad Nielsen Presents:
Jami Joelle Nielsen:
An Otherworldly, Rusty Retrospective
August 6-16
Reception: August 6, 5-9pm
Gallery hours 8/7 and 8/14 10am-5pm, or by appointment
From the organizer:
Join us to celebrate the life and work of Jami Joelle Nielsen (1983–2025). Born in Kansas City, Jami Joelle was a self-taught eco-artist who lived, worked, and exhibited in Santa Barbara, California. Her art combined a reverence for science, nature, and the human experience, challenging destructive patterns of consumerism through mixed-media collage, assemblage, and painting. She sought to create work that speaks to social and environmental concerns while fostering dialogue, education, and collaboration. This exhibition honors her vision of symbiosis, transformation, and hope.
Not Half Bad Theatre Company Presents:
The Story of War
A Comedic One-Man Show! Back by Popular Demand!
August 14th, 15th, and 16th at 8pm
Tickets $28
From the organizer:
After a sold out run in the spring, the Story of War is back. The Indy Award winning show returns for three nights. Join us before the show for a party in the CAW courtyard featuring everyone's favorite animatronic, the world famous ZOLTAR! There will be wine, beer, snacks, and games starting at 7:15pm.
About the show: When Wathel Rogers, the inventor of animatronics, separated from the Disney company, he set out to create the greatest animatronic show of all time. His creation told the history of warfare, and he called it The Story of War. This is that show. Dillon Yuhasz takes you on a journey from the stone age to modern times as both man and animatronic robot in this strange tale of violence, greed, and dancing pirates.
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With questions e-mail: nothalfbadtheatre@gmail.com
Use the CAW
The CAW collaborates to empower and provide affordable space for art projects of all kinds. Have an idea? Use the CAW.
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative works to maintain the CAW as a "blank canvas" for as wide a diversity of arts uses and users as possible, providing space and collaborating with project initiators to make their ideas a success for the benefit of the broader community, and supporting and cultivating collaborations between artists and arts organizations, community groups, the business community, non-profit organizations and the entire community.
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Find out more about how you can use the CAW here:
The SBAC facilitates the use of the CAW by artists, nonprofits, and community groups of all types; fostering exploration, conversation, collaboration, and connection to further its mission to sustain and grow all forms of the arts in Santa Barbara. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the users’ own, and do not necessarily represent those of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative. The SBAC welcomes all in the work to sustain and grow the unique cultural ecology of our community.