Continuing a 39-year tradition of promoting the preservation of open spaces through their artwork, the Oak Group’s 2025 exhibit will benefit Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, whose mission is to preserve the Carpinteria Bluffs as open space forever.

'An Afternoon Walk' by artist Carrie Givens, is a 14-inch-by-17-inch pastel depicting a path through dry brown grasses with small green trees and a peek of the ocean in the background. (Carrie Givens)
‘An Afternoon Walk’ by artist Carrie Givens, is a 14-inch-by-17-inch pastel. (Carrie Givens)

Titled Colors of the Spirit, the art exhibit and sale, featuring paintings of the Carpinteria Coastline, will run May 1-30 in the Santa Barbara Public Library’s Faulkner Gallery, 40 E. Anapamu St.

Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and noon-5 p.m. Sunday.

A reception with the artists will take place 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, May 1 in the Faulkner Gallery. The show will be viewable online, May 1-June 30 at OakGroup.org and CarpinteriaBluffs.org.

A recent proposal by an out-of-town developer to build a large-scale luxury resort on the last 27 acres of privately owned land adjacent to the Carpinteria Bluffs Nature Preserve has sparked concern and significant public opposition, the Oak Group reports.

The proposal is incompatible with the Nature Preserve, Harbor Seal Rookery, and the quality of life for the Carpinteria community, according to Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs.

Since its founding in 1996, Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs has collaborated with the Land Trust for Santa Barbara County to successfully acquire some 73 acres of Carpinteria Bluffs open space for public enjoyment.

Building on this achievement, the Land Trust has recently acquired the Rincon Gateway Parcel, further enhancing this cherished community resource.

The Oak Group will donate 45% of sale proceeds from the art show to support the conservation, stewardship and acquisition efforts of the Carpinteria Bluffs by Citizens for the Carpinteria Bluffs, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit.

Participating Oak Group members include: Meredith Brooks Abbott, Whitney Brooks Abbott, Marcia Burtt, Chris Chapman, Bill Dewey, Rick Drake, Michael Drury, Rick Garcia, Carrie Givens, Kevin Gleason, Whitney Brooks Hansen, Jeremy Harper, Kerri Hedden, Tom Henderson, Ray Hunter, John Iwerks, Larry Iwerks, Manny Lopez, Linda Mutti, Rob Robinson, Ann Sanders, Richard Schloss, Skip Smith, Thomas Van Stein, Arturo Tello, and John Wullbrandt. 

Guest artists include Karen Mclean McGaw, Ben O’Hara, Sharon Schock, and Rebecca August. 

For more, call Rob Robinson, 805-689-4962, or email rob@pleinairart.net.