California Coastal Commission: K-12 Coastal Art Contest, '06-'23

September 18, 2024 - February 3rd, 2025

Third-Floor George & Barbara Goodall Education Center

The California Nature Art Museum is excited to host California Coastal Commission: K-12 Coastal Art Contest, with selected pieces spanning 2006-2023.

Every year, the California Coastal Commission (CCC) hosts an art & poetry contest for students in grades K-12, which highlights the unique beauty and importance of the California coast and ocean. In this selection of past winning pieces on display in the George and Barbara Goodall Education Center, visitors are invited to enjoy the artistic visions of twelve student artists from all over the Golden State.

Current ExhibitsRachel MetzSeptember 18, 2024California Coastal Commission, Student Art, Kids, Ocean

A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs

September 14, 2024 - February 24, 2025

Members-Only Artist Reception: Sunday, September 15, 2024 (3PM-5PM)

First-Floor Wildling Gallery

The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce its forthcoming exhibition, A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs, featuring new work by artists Nansi Bielanski Gallup and David Gallup.

A Deeper Love offers an artistic examination into some of the ocean’s most vibrant, ecologically productive, and fragile landscapes, worldwide. “While it may be easy for most people to walk outside and appreciate nature in the hills, forests, or meadows where they live, it is much harder to visit a coral reef fifty feet below the surface of the ocean at the edge of civilization,” state Nansi and David. “By sharing what we’ve seen, what we’ve learned, and what has inspired us, we hope to make the world’s coral reefs a little more present in the hearts and minds of our community."

Current ExhibitsRuben MislangSeptember 16, 2024Nansi Bielanski Gallup, David Gallup, Coral Reefs, Ocean

California, Quilted: Wild in the Oak Woodland

July 14, 2024 – March 17, 2025

Second-Floor Valley Oak Gallery

The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce its 2024 summer exhibition, California, Quilted: Wild in the Oak Woodland, on view from July 14, 2024 – March 17, 2025, featuring new and recent works by artist Julia Laraway.

From butterflies to bullfrogs to bobcats, Oak Woodland habitats support thousands of animal species all over California. Inhabitants might find shelter in the open grasslands between trees, scattered shrubs, fallen logs, streams, and tree canopies. The wonders of this important habitat – its creatures, colors, and lines of the land – all inspire Julia Laraway’s collection of fabric collages and quilts featuring flora and fauna of the coastal oak woodland.

Current ExhibitsRachel MetzJuly 14, 2024Julia Laraway, California, Textile Arts, Quilting

Selections from the Permanent Collection: California National Parks

July 13, 2023 - Ongoing

Third-Floor George & Barbara Goodall Education Center

The California Nature Art Museum has a small permanent art collection with works that illustrate different elements of nature. California’s national parks are a rich source of inspiration for artists of the past and present. From the dramatic peaks and waterfalls of Yosemite to the shadowy dunes of Death Valley, there is no shortage of natural wonders to explore in the Golden State.

In the selection of works on display in the George and Barbara Goodall Education Center, visitors are invited to explore seven artists' perspectives of Yosemite, Death Valley, and the Channel Islands, three of the nine majestic national parks within California.

Message in a Bottle | Elizabeth Criss

May 2023 - November 2024

Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery

The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce its new 2023 site-specific installation featuring Northridge-based artist Elizabeth Criss, as well as work by glass artist Sari Scheer. Message in a Bottle, designed for the Michele Kuelbs Tower Gallery, is on view from May 2023 through November 2024. This long-term installation marks the third iteration of the Museum’s tower installation program, which aims to highlight Southern California artists inspired by the environment and provides an indoor-outdoor art experience for Solvang visitors.

Criss’ proposal was selected from the Museum’s 2023 request for artist proposals focusing on environmental impacts on the ocean.

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