OPENING RECEPTION: 1st THURSDAY, AUGUST 1 | FROM 5-8pm
Viva La Fiesta! Sullivan Goss is excited to announce a delightful pocket show by Santa Barbara artist HOLLI HARMON for Fiesta. Holli was chosen to create the painting that became the poster for the centennial anniversary of Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days. The original painting will be the centerpiece of this exhibition.
The painting Four Nations, One Spirit captures the rich tapestry of influences that have shaped Santa Barbara’s history: the Chumash, Mexican, Spanish, and American cultures.
Alongside the 2024 Fiesta painting will be a treasure trove of smaller artworks for sale depicting Californio themes of the old west, symbolic botanicals, legend, and native history. Thoughtfully crafted by the artist, these small “love notes” to California and Santa Barbara span a visual range from cowboy boots to Flamenco dancers to the Queen of the Missions.
In the artist’s words:
In a world where history intertwines with imagination, and our memories get painted with strokes of nostalgia, Fiesta stands as a beacon of cultural celebration. I chose a traditional painting style to portray our collective memoirs, inviting us to partake in the joy of a shared heritage. Between the layers of nostalgia lies the true strength of Fiesta. It is a testament to our cultural vibrancy.
Holli Harmon will be present at the 1st Thursday reception on August 1st. Come meet the artist and get your Fiesta poster signed.
ABOUT THE ARTIST:
Holli Harmon is a California printmaker and painter. She is the first artist in residence for the White Buffalo Land Trust. She was part of The River’s Journey project to document the Santa Ynez River that traveled to museums and galleries. Her work resides in many public and private collections throughout the country.
Iconic California imagery runs deep in the artistic bloodlines of painter Holli Harmon. Whether it’s winding through the environmental landscapes of “The River’s Journey” (exhibited at the California Nature Art Museum, Santa Barbara City Hall, Sullivan Goss Art Gallery, and the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art) or embedded into the human landscapes of the ambitious “Portraits of the Central Coast” (exhibited as Revelations at the Elverhøj Museum of History and Art), Harmon’s thoughtfully immersive approach to what has been described as her “contemporary traditional” artistic style brings a beautiful blend of the head and the heart to the canvas.
