MCASB is committed to transforming what a contemporary art museum can be, a place where community knowledge, embodied experience, and creative practice are not only welcomed but centered. As a part of our ongoing accountability work, we are opening the museum as a space for practices that nurture well-being, presence, and collective care.

Contemporary art is not limited to objects on display; it encompasses the full range of creative, somatic, and cultural practices that shape how people understand themselves, their histories, and their communities. By inviting artists, healers, and practitioners whose work engages the body, the breath, memory, ritual, and community care, MCASB honors the expansive philosophy of contemporary art, one that recognizes art as a living, evolving practice capable of supporting deeper reflection and connection.

This initiative also emerges in response to the emotional and social climate of our region. We recognize that this year has brought heightened stress, uncertainty, and fear for many in Santa Barbara County, particularly for immigrant communities who have endured intensified scrutiny, harassment, and threats to their safety and stability. In this context, MCASB affirms its responsibility to provide a supportive, grounding environment where all community members feel welcomed, respected, and safe.

In 2026, MCASB seeks to offer a series of healing practices that create space for rest, reflection, and connection, a space where community members can breathe, learn, and restore together. Through these sessions, we hope to expand the museum's role as a site of care and belonging, where people can gather to engage not only with art, but with one another. By opening our galleries to these practices, MCASB continues its commitment to make the museum more accessible, responsive, and accountable to the people we serve. We honor the embodied and ancestral knowledge present within our diverse communities, and we recognize the transformative potential of art when practiced in relationship with oneself, with others, and with the land we share.