Wanda Venturelli’s artwork “Rain of Flowers” has won the 2021 Santa Barbara Summer Solstice T-shirt and Poster design competition, depicting the 47th annual celebration’s theme — Bloom.
Venturelli is a Santa Barbara artist energized by the natural beauty of the local environment. A fine art major who gravitated to architecture, she studied at Sci-Arc in Southern California and has teamed with local architects on residential projects as well as with her husband Bruce Venturelli.
Drawing is the foundation of her art practice, and while she devotes herself to painting full time at her downtown studio, she also incorporates years of creation in many other mediums, such as kiln formed glass.
A focus for Venturelli has been her community work in Santa Barbara over the years incljding Kids Draw Architecture, Montessori Center, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, State Street Ballet Young Dancers.
More recently, she has involved in the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) outreach committee, helping to produce events celebrating fellow artists. She anticipates the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade as the artistic high point of every year, with opportunities for a variety of artists to produce handmade works at CAW workshops.
Ultimately, Venturelli said her love of family and friends is the air and water and soil from which her creativity grows. In this spirit of effusive creativity, the oil painting “Rain of Blooms” was created, as a celebration of verdant growth, renewal, and the holistic cycle of all life form, she said.
Summer Solstice is in the process of finalizing its 2021 festivities, working with Santa Barbara County Public Health and Safety to ensure compliance with all recommended guidelines with respect to current and projected COVID-19 restrictions.
Although unable to hold the regular parade or festival this year, Summer Solstice has been given the green light to expand the event in other ways.
Summer Solstice will be bringing State Street to the community with its 2021 Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Virtual State Street Parade. The event will be filled with light, color, music, dance and motion all on virtual State Street. Riccardo Morrison master of ceremonies and artistic director, will be the host.
Summer Solstice is opening workshop to groups of 10 or less to be filmed in front of a green screen and put on State Street post-production for the Virtual State Street Parade. Community Arts Workshop is at 631 Garden St., Santa Barbara.
Filming is by appointment only at the following times:
Monday, May 10, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tuesday, May 11, 3-7 p.m.
Wednesday, May 12, 3-7 p.m.
Saturday, May 15, noon-4 p.m.
Monday, May 17, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.
Thursday, May 20, 3-7 p.m.
Friday, May 21, 3-7 p.m.
Groups of 10 or more can schedule to be filmed at Alameda Park on May 22, 11 a.m.-4 p.m.
Appointments will be made in 30-minute increments. Schedule an appointment at http://www.solsticeparade.com/2021-parade-participation.
In addition to the Virtual State Street Parade and Virtual Home Grown Parade, Solstice artists in residence will be create art installations throughout town and installing a Blooming Inflatable Garden.
Dress up your house, dress up your business in the spirit of community celebration. Also on tap is an inflatable art garden with works from longtime Solstice artist Pali X-Mano in the plans as well.
In addition, Solstice organizers will be producing a locally crafted virtual parade again this year. The Summer Solstice Celebration Virtual Community Parade, (or long form video parade) will be released on the Solstice YouTube Channel and TVSB around June 27. It will include the Virtual State Street parade and all community video/photo submissions.
Learn more about how you, your household or business can get involved at www.solsticeparade.com.