The Santa Barbara Courthouse Legacy Foundation will hold a gala on Saturday celebrating the re-creation of the Spirit of the Ocean fountain.
“Puttin’ on the Glitz,” from 6:30 to 10 p.m. at the Courthouse Sunken Garden, will commemorate the complete renovation of the fountain, which was disintegrating after 82 years.
“We’re celebrating the largest public art project in Southern California,” gala chairman Robert Ooley said. “It’s the ‘must-attend’ event of the summer.”
Attendees are encouraged to wear 1920s attire. Cocktails will begin at 6:30 p.m., with dinner served at 7:30 p.m.
Gourmet cuisine will be served by Wine Leaf Catering and Chef Yosi. Legendary vocalist Barbara Morrison will play her own renditions of jazz and blues classics. District Attorney Joyce Dudley and Debbie Davison will facilitate an auction that includes pieces from the original fountain.
Proceeds from the event and auction will support the fountain project and ongoing work of the Santa Barbara Courthouse Legacy Foundation. The fountain has cost $731,000 thus far, with money raised from public and private grants and major donors, including honorary co-chairs Greg and Jane Hind of The Hind Foundation, Santa Barbara County, Mr. and Mrs. Dick Wolf, and Slippery Rock Ranch LLC.
The fountain will first be unveiled at 12:30 p.m. Friday at the Santa Barbara Courthouse. The event is open to the public.
The Spirit of the Ocean Fountain is a California and National Historic Landmark, thus its replacement is an exact replica. The original monument was carved in 1928 by Ettore Cadorin of Venice, Italy.
The new fountain, carved from more than 190 tons of sandstone boulders by classic carver Nick Blantern and his team, took nearly seven months of chiseling and shaping. Made up of a mythical sea man and woman, seaweed and a fish spurting water into a tranquil pool, the fountain is an exquisite piece of artistry.
“This piece serves as a majestic cornerstone to our city’s past and future. The fountain will be a true community treasure for years to come,” said Tom Thomas, president of SBCLF. “It (the project) has been a labor of love for all those involved and celebrates our amazing community. Now finally we can showcase this phenomenal work of art. We hope the whole city will come and witness this unveiling. It represents all that’s so wonderful about our Santa Barbara culture, heritage and future.”
Saturday’s event, made possible through the efforts of board member and event coordinator Sue Adams and event planner Belle Cohen of Belle Events, will pay tribute to these donors and others who made the fountain project possible.
“We are grateful to the Courthouse Legacy Foundation, Michael and Anne Towbes, Greg and Jane Hind, the Hahn family, the Pearl Chase Society, and to the many friends of the Courthouse whose contributions re-created the magnificent Spirit of the Ocean,” Adams said. “For years to come, our community will enjoy the fountain’s iconic entrance to one of the grandest Spanish Colonial Revival structures ever built.”
For tickets to Saturday’s event, click here or call 805.886.7092.
— Noozhawk intern Erin Stone can be reached at estone@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.