The Wildling Art Museum,
which is dedicated to highlighting America’s wilderness areas, aims to help
people appreciate nature through the depiction of its unspoiled land and
wildlife via multiple art forms.
Through Sept. 13, the museum
features “Wildings from the Deep,” an exhibition of underwater photography by
Ernest Brooks II, Richard Salas and Claudia Fahrenkemper.
Brooks’ father founded
Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara in 1945. The younger Brooks
learned at his father’s knee and has become well known for his striking
underwater photography. Brooks II is often referred to as the “Ansel Adams of
underwater photography” for his beautiful black and white camera work.
Brooks II was elected to the
Underwater Photography Hall of Fame, listed in the “Who’s Who in Scuba Diving,”
and honored by the Underwater Society of America and the Professional
Photographers of America. Brooks is an influential voice for oceanic
exploration and the preservation of our marine environment.
Interestingly, Salas, who
lives in Santa Barbara, was trained at Brooks as well as at Los Angeles City
College. He has become an expert in undersea photography, specializing in
photographing the sea life in the waters off the Santa Barbara coast and
Channel Islands.
The photographs he has taken
over the last five years, which explore the undersea world of sea life, both
playful and sinister, will be the subject of a
forthcoming book, titled “Sea of Light.”
Fehrenkemper is a German
photographer who has spent the last 15 years of her career exploring microcosms
of plant seeds, insects, shells, frog larvae and crystals. At present, she is
artist-in-residence in Great Britain at Fermynwoods.
Her photographs in “Wildlings
from the Deep” feature close-up images of plankton using a scanning electron
microscope.
“Wildlings from the Deep,”
will continue through Sept. 13. Hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to
5 p.m. A donation of $3 is requested.
Exhibitions and more
The nine-year-old Wilding
Art Museum offers four major exhibitions each year. Those exhibitions include
photography, painting, fine art prints and sculpture. The exhibitions are of
work from nationally recognized artists, both historic and contemporary.
In addition to its exhibits,
the museum features periodic lectures, workshops for children and adults,
vacation art camps, classes on birding, films, field trips to other museums and
longer trips within and outside of California.
The museum’s funding comes
primarily from direct contributions, but also from foundations, education
programs, fundraising events, memberships, grants and gift shop purchases.
Executive search
The search is on by the
museum to find a new executive director to help the museum establish its
strategic direction, drive fundraising and guide its board in fulfilling its
commitment to its mission.
Penny Knowles, the current
executive director for the museum, says she is retiring effective Jan. 1, 2010.
Applications for the
position are being accepted through July 15 or until an executive director is
hired.
To find out more about the
position and its requirements, or to get more information about the museum and
its exhibits and activities, visit the museum’s website at www.wildlingmuseum.org.
Reach Barbara at
bmateo@syvjournal.com