Where the Mountains Meet the Sea Exhibition
Landscape painting exhibition featuring 12 Santa Barbara-based artists at the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, January 22 – March 29, 2026.
The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) is presenting "Where the Mountains Meet the Sea," a new exhibition of landscape paintings by 12 predominantly Santa Barbara-based artists. The exhibition runs from January 22 through March 29, 2026, and invites visitors to experience the vibrant palette and shifting moods of the California coast through the eyes of local painters.
Featured artists include Nancy Davidson, Rick Delanty, Camille Dellar, Rick Garcia, Derek Harrison, Willis Heaton, Ray Hunter, Craig Nelson, Ann Sanders, AnnBeth Shelton, Thomas Van Stein, and Ralph Waterhouse. Collectively, their work captures the ethereal glow of sunrise over the Santa Ynez Mountains, the golden calm of tidepools at dusk, and the quiet drama of coastal cliffs shaped by wind and time.
Curator Emily Falke describes the exhibit as "a love letter to the landscapes we live in," noting that each painting reflects not just the beauty of the region, but the personal connection these artists have to it. The exhibition celebrates the stunning intersection of land and sea that defines Santa Barbara County.
Admission to the exhibit is included with general museum entry. The museum is located in Santa Barbara, CA, and was founded in 2000 to celebrate the maritime history of the Santa Barbara Channel through dynamic exhibits and educational programming. As it marks its 25th anniversary, SBMM remains committed to inspiring ocean stewardship and deepening the community's connection to the coastal environment.