As part of the Santa Barbara Conservancy’s efforts to document Santa Barbara’s exceptional architecture and historic resources, it has produced a colorful poster comprising photographs of many Santa Barbara buildings and features designed in the Spanish Revival, Mission Revival and similar architectural styles.
Most are well-known city landmarks, alongside important trees, landscape features, fountains and even animals.
Photography and graphic design for the poster was done by Steve Hausz, local architect, photographer and graphic designer.
“I enthusiastically accepted the opportunity to combine three of my passions — architecture, photography and graphic design — in one project,” Hausz said. “Perhaps I didn’t know what I was getting into, with nearly 1,500 photos shot and a Photoshop file so large I had to buy a newer computer. But I’m very pleased with the outcome and enjoy seeing people get lost in the detail of the poster.”
Available in two sizes — 24 inches by 36 inches, and 18 inches by 24 inches — the larger poster sells for $20 and the smaller for $15.
It is being sold at the gifts shops of the Santa Barbara Historical Museum and the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation at El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park. The poster will also be available at other museums and visitor centers, as well as art and frame shops and the conservancy’s Web site.
Judith Orias, originator of the poster idea, works in the field of genetics as does her husband, Eduardo, a research professor at UCSB. A former member of the city of Santa Barbara Planning Commission, Judith Orias loves the “Santa Barbara style” architectural tradition and has always recognized the importance of the preservation of this tradition and of historic sites.
“I thought that a poster honoring the Spanish heritage of our town would be a wonderful item local residents as well as tourists would want to have to remember beautiful Santa Barbara,” she said. “I also hoped it would remind people, especially children, of our heritage and help preserve these buildings and objects for future generations to enjoy. Steve Hausz has done a wonderful job of photography and blending the photographs into a work of art.”
When they traveled in Spain and discovered posters in the tourist bureaus of Spanish cities such as Granada and Cordoba, they kept the posters as a reminder of their travels. During these trips they came to realize how unique Santa Barbara is among U.S. cities. When Judith Orias brought some of the Spanish posters to a conservancy meeting and suggested it produce a similar poster, the idea was met with enthusiasm.
Donald Sharpe, an architect and the president of the Santa Barbara Conservancy, invited Hausz to a meeting and the poster’s design evolved.
For more information on the poster, call Fermina Murray at 805.967.7189 or, after 6 p.m., call Judith Orias at 805.687.9419.
— Mo McFadden is a publicist.