Arte del Pueblo
Arte del Pueblo
Arte del Pueblo is both a celebration and a conviction that the walls of a contemporary art museum should reflect the full, unfiltered breadth of the community outside them.
Santa Barbara has a rich and vibrant creative community, one far more diverse than what has traditionally been seen on museum walls. This exhibition exists to change that. We hold ourselves accountable to making visible the full spectrum of voices, perspectives, and lived experiences that make up our region. We are especially committed to creating space for BIPOC artists and communities that have historically been excluded from museum exhibition programs, and we are dedicated to building an exhibition program where everyone feels welcome to participate.
The Process
To ensure true access, we remove traditional barriers. There is no theme. There are no jurors. There are no gatekeepers. Just art, and the community that makes it.
The Invitation
Our call is primarily directed to artists rooted in Santa Barbara and the Central Coast, as this is a celebration of our local ecosystem. However, our doors remain open to all artists regardless of location. We operate on a first-come, first-served basis, welcoming every creator regardless of background, training, or experience level.
The Work
We ask that artists submit new work, pieces never before shown publicly. We believe the museum should be a space for fresh creation and current dialogue. Painters, photographers, sculptors, printmakers, mixed media, and digital artists: if you make art and have new work to share, this show is for you.
Arte del Pueblo keeps growing because this community keeps showing up. That is the most powerful statement of all.
Special Exhibitions: Making Space for Local Artists
At the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, transformation is not just a word, it is a practice. As part of our ongoing commitment to building a more inclusive and community-rooted institution, we are expanding our summer programming this year to dedicate additional gallery space to local artists whose practices deserve a deeper, more sustained platform.
This is the first year we are programming in this way, and we are doing it with intention. We believe that a contemporary art museum rooted in Santa Barbara must actively create opportunities for local artists, not occasionally, not as an afterthought, but as a core part of who we are. We see this as a beginning. As we grow, we hope to expand these opportunities and deepen our relationships with the rich and diverse artistic community that surrounds us.
Alongside Arte del Pueblo, MCASB is proud to present two special solo exhibitions in our Norton Gallery and Classroom Gallery Memories of Barbed Wire by Tama Takahashi and Diagramming Sentences by Christina McPhee. These shows represent something new for MCASB: a deliberate effort to move beyond the open call format and invest in the individual voices of artists who live and work in our community, giving their work the space and attention it deserves.
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Arte Del Pueblo 2026 Artists
Bea, Pamela Benham, Meg Ricks, G.O. Elliott, A. Elliott, E. Elliott, Carolyn Johnson, Lisa Howard, Ann Allen, Rebecca Blakley and Mabel Blakley, irene ramirez, Grace "The Soul Grace" Vega, Caitlin Benson, Susan Lord, Sharon Whelan, SVA, Nicola Paul, Yuliya Greben, Gail Pine, Juana Martinez, Wendy Brewer, Andie Adler, Marc Goldman, Fred Lehto, Melinda Mettler, Ruben Alvarado jr, Beca Piascik, Daiva Diana, Wayne Velte, Kevin Samuels, Celina Amaya, Light, Kate Chute, Kelly Ann Mitchell, Antonia Gonzalez, Angeles GF, Danuta Bennett, Miriam Slater, James Badham, John Khus, Karen Lee, Rick Stitch, Trane Hulbert( AKA Perci) Lucy Seaberg, Clare Carey, PYRO_VIBE, Cheryl Pereira Kilpelainen, Andrew Garcia, Iben Vestergaard, Jack N. Mohr, Linda Hanten, Shannon Miller, Jackie Moore, Bart Woolery, Olga Bologo, Alexander Petti, Deja Hsu, Sunshine Protsman, Elena Berdnikova, Patricia Heller, karlsson/larsen design, Raven Wylde, Pali X-Mano, Lynn Dow, Max Anghera, Barbara Flanagan, Kat Tagorda, José Galván Martínez, Rich Kaplan, Katie Gerpheide; Sunshine Ceramics, Sue Perry, Mark Mangaser Savage, Brian Baker, Mayah Pico, Jesus Nunez, Paulo P. Lima, Ph.D., Moments in Spray, DC McGuire, Cynthia Martin, Gabe Donovan, Simone DuMong, Erica Miller, Nelson Rivera, Susie Anders, Misa Art, Jim Martin, Sue Slater, Annie Mitchell, Joyce Wilson, Patrick McGinnis, Thomas Ridenour, Patricia Kellerman, Cristina Farias, Lily, Aiden Khuiphum, Kathy Leader, Tami Rodrig, Stefanie Bales, Judith Geiger, Tim Mullins, Kim Hoppe, Maria Paredes, Krystal Vander Ark, Kara Burton, Heather NB Frazier, Barbara Cronin Hershberg, Jill Sattler, 金雲 GoldenJin, Zoe Van Beurden, Kelly Bold Cottrell, Jennifer Houston-Zarate, Michelle Arconti, Ruby S., Pam Kaganoff, Alexsondra, Dane(ish) Svenrou, Carlos Rodriguez Alcocer, Kassandra Zamudio, Jose Soriano, Surayah Martel, Paul Longanbach, Corina Guerra, Jess Rock, Chary Goodwin-Sesay, David Alejandro Mesquita & Cezar Cozianu, Arlene Stepputat, Sofia Castillo, Faith Keating, Keri Clement, Tina Scopacasa, Amy Juric, Rich Wilkie, Olguin Tapia Heredia, Christian Ramirez, adriana la artista, meiya sidney 陳美亞, Andrew Roy, Eric Cloutier, Dug Uyesaka, Mishell, Rafael Perea de la Cabada, Kate Becerra, Luis Angel Pérez, Sian R Harris, I. Maeno, Casson Demmon, Kate Eden, Ava Demmon, Emilio Vega Carreño, Chiara Cristiona Corbo, Peter Honig, Adriana Huerta, Alicia Sanchez, Nancy Camacho Vazquez, Sofia Hernandez, Miguel Contreras, L.Liebe, Ann Hefferman, Victoria Baker, Marlin, Wasabi, Jesica, Ali, Ita-Ink, Adrian_dannyart, Stacy Reyes, Jackie the Artist, ysr, LSRswayed, Muduzax, Junior, Jhoan Rivera, João Pedro Oliveira, Sasha Huckoby, Vero Sanchez, Citlally (see-tla-lee), Yaeli Dukler, Samantha Wilkinson, Fatima Romero, Kate Connell, Parker Graham, Deirdre Stietzel, Arran Harvey, Lee Anne Dollison, Kathy Mills, Helen Yanez, Alison Andersson, Tao Antrim, Mark Greif, Z-310, Chanti Medina, Elizabeth Lerena, Karolayn Reyes, James Van Arsdale, Kiki Van Arsdale, Kimberly Hahn, Javier Nuchita, Jacqui Lagana, Bubby Vernon, M. Giovanna Angherà, Keanu Christiansen, Brett Schoonderwoerd, J. T. Turner, Colleen M. Kelly, Demi Boelsterli, Maria Adela Diaz, Barbara Parmet, Tracy Kuo
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Arte Del Pueblo is made possible by donors like you. Thank you!