In its latest exhibition, Women of the Santa Barbara Harbor, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum shares captivating stories of 13 remarkable women who continue to carve paths in the maritime industry.
“Women’s roles in the seafaring community have gone back generations, yet with little record or reference,” said SBMM Executive Director Greg Gorga. “From navigators to sailors there is a rich history of women’s participation in the maritime realm. It is an honor to share the stories of women who continue to make history in our community.”
Featured women trailblazers are Hiroko Benko, Jaime Diamond, Jessica Gray, Christine Healy, Kaia Kababik, Holly Lohuis, Francie Lufkin, Stephanie Mutz, Stella Nicodemus, Jeanette Prusinski, Lieutenant Christina Sandstedt, Kimblery Selkoe, and Victoria Voss.
Inspiration is drawn from these incredible stories of resilience and determination including:
Holly Lohuis
Holly Lohuis is a marine biologist with Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ocean Futures Society and a naturalist with Island Packers, which is the only boat concessionaire to the Santa Barbara Channel Islands National Park. Lohuis is also the co-director for the new Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, and a marine educator for the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum.
Working near and in the ocean allows Lohuis to contribute to conservation and preservation of marine wildlife. “I have always aimed to expand my knowledge of the ocean and raise awareness about its importance,” said Lohuis. “I am deeply passionate about supporting conservation efforts that protect fragile ecosystems and diverse wildlife to educate people about our direct connection to preserving healthy, intact marie ecosystems.”
Lieutenant Christina Sandstedt
Lieutenant Christina Sandstedt served as the commanding officer of the United States Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin from June 2021 to June 2023.
In this role, Sandstedt led a crew of 11 outstanding Coast Guard Sentinels on missions including counter smuggling, search and rescue, and enforcing safety regulations of commercial and recreational vessels – all totaling more than 2,000 hours at sea each year.
“There is a deep trust that forms at sea between crewmembers,” said Sandstedt. “We rely on each other to complete the mission and keep one another safe in the dynamic environment of the Pacific Ocean. I enjoyed getting to see new crewmembers grow in their nautical knowledge and become highly skilled sailors.”
Stephanie Mutz
Stephanie Mutz is a local commercial diver and the owner of Sea Stephanie Fish. Through her company, she dives for urchin, which she then distributes directly to local consumers and restaurants throughout Southern California.
Early on, Mutz decided fishing for thousands of urchin a day for processing plants was unsustainable to both her small business and the ocean. Today she focuses on quality over quantity, which keeps fishing local while conserving fisheries for the foreseeable future. “Every day is different,” said Mutz. “And I love my office on the open ocean.”
Women of the Santa Barbara Harbor will open on March 1, 2024 in celebration of Women’s History Month, and will be on view in the public hall of the Waterfront Center Building through May 29, 2024. This exhibition is free to the public. As a complement to the contemporary vignettes, SBMM also offers exhibits on women who have left an indelible mark on Santa Barbara’s history including Wives & Daughters: Keepers of the Light; Julia Williams and the Santa Barbara Lighthouse; and Santa Barbara Surfing History.
Learn more about viewing the show and other SBMM exhibits such as ICE BEAR, a selection of photographs by Ralph Clevenger taken of polar bears during his eight-day trip to the shores of Hudson Bay near Churchill, Manitoba, Canada at sbmm.org or by calling (805) 962-8404.
