Old Spanish Days Fiesta’s El Presidente Michael Dominguez has a special place in his heart for the Santa Barbara County Courthouse.
Growing up in Santa Barbara, the legendary building has always had special meaning to Dominguez. When it came time to design his 2010 Fiesta poster and pin, he found a way to incorporate it into both.
Tisha Hawkins, office administrator for Old Spanish Days, took photos of the building. One was selected and sent to the pin maker, who sculpted a three-dimensional, copper-plated pin with a black and red cloisonné border.
Dominguez is also on the board of the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, and one day while walking the halls of the courthouse, he noticed a large, fanciful painting by Theodore Van Cina (deceased) of people in Fiesta costumes coming through the main arch of the courthouse and decided it should be the artwork for his poster.
It was the perfect way to incorporate the beloved building into his poster and also reflect his theme, “A Gathering of Friends.”
Receiving permission from the Courthouse Legacy Foundation to use it, Debbie Oquist, an OSD board member and graphic artist, arranged for a photograph of the painting, then created the artwork and design that turned it into a poster.
For the first time, the official poster is rendered in two border colors: red and blue. The result is a striking poster unveiled Sunday at the Old Spanish Days annual Primavera Celebration held at the Carriage and Western Art Museum.
The event, sponsored by Bartlett, Pringle & Wolf LLP, was a hit with the attendees, who enjoyed Woody’s BBQ and the rock-out sounds of Spencer the Gardner.
— Kathryn McKee represents Santa Barbara’s Old Spanish Days.