The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum (SBMM) will present Where Mountains Meet the Sea, a new exhibit of landscape paintings by 12 predominately Santa Barbara-based artists, on view Jan. 22-March 29.

Painting by Thomas Van Stein depicts storm clouds with high waves splashing over the breakwater at the Santa Barbara Harbor. (Thomas Van Stein)
Painting by Thomas Van Stein depicts stormy seas at the Santa Barbara Harbor breakwater. (Thomas Van Stein)

“From sun-drenched ridgelines to shimmering shoreline, the exhibit invites visitors to experience the vibrant palette and shifting moods of the California coast as seen through the eyes of its finest local painters,” organizers said.

“Each piece is a tribute to the stunning intersection of land and sea that defines Santa Barbara County, and to the artists who call it home.” they said.

Featured artists include Nancy Davidson, Rick Delanty, Camille Dellar, Rick Garcia, Derek Harrison, Willis Heaton, Ray Hunter, Craig Nelson, Ann Sanders, Ann Shelton Beth, Thomas Van Stein, and Ralph Waterhouse.

Collectively, their work captures the glow of sunrise over the Santa Ynez Mountains; the golden calm of tidepools at dusk; and the quiet drama of coastal cliffs shaped by wind and time.

“This exhibit is a love letter to the landscapes we live in,” said SBMM curator Emily Falke. “Each painting reflects not just the beauty of our region, but the personal connection these artists have to it.

“Visitors will feel immersed in a familiar, yet newly illuminated Santa Barbara,” said artist Sanders.

“Painting the Santa Barbara coast is a never-ending source of inspiration. The changing light, the drama of the mountains, the serenity of the sea; it’s a landscape that speaks to both artists and art lovers alike,” she said.