The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture, in partnership with the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, has announced an open call for local artists to submit works for "Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century," a juried exhibition at the Betteravia Art Gallery in Santa Maria. The online submission window runs from January 19 to February 15, 2026, with no application fee; selected artists will be notified in early March, and a public opening reception is scheduled for May 21. The exhibition seeks small-format works across mediums—including traditional and digital art, photography, and conceptual pieces—that address themes of environmental change, urbanization, and human impact on natural spaces.
This call matters because it provides a free, accessible platform for local artists in Santa Barbara County to engage with pressing ecological and societal issues through their work, fostering community dialogue about nature in an era of rapid change. By partnering with educational institutions like Allan Hancock College and the County Arts Commission, the exhibition also strengthens regional arts infrastructure and supports emerging and established voices in the area.