Casa del Herrero will be holding an online art sale, Feria from Afar, June 15-19. Proceeds from the sale will provide necessary funds to both Casa del Herrero and artists in the Santa Barbara community.
Typically, at the start of summer, Casa del Herrero holds an annual fundraiser called Feria Andalusia. The event offers a feast for the senses with festive music, appetizers, and an exhibit showcasing the artwork of Santa Barbara artists.
This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Casa is offering one of the best parts of Feria by holding an online art sale featuring the works of community creators presenting paintings, mixed media, and fine art photography.
Participating artists include Meredith Brooks Abbott, Whitney Brooks Abbott, Ann Shelton Beth, Lynn Cunningham Brown, Steve Curry, Nancy Davidson, William Dewey, Priscilla Fossek, Rick Garcia, Derek Harrison, Wyllis Heaton, Lenore Hughes, Ray Hunter, Laurie MacMillan, Ann Sanders, Richard Schloss, Frank Serrano, Garrett Speirs, Matt Straka, Thomas Van Stein and Ralph Waterhouse.
“The Casa’s original owners, George Fox and Carrie Steedman, were fortunate to build a home that remains a testament to their ingenuity and creative sensibility,” said Jessica Tade, Casa executive director. “We are grateful to be able to have an online event that will help sustain the Casa during this uncertain time while also supporting the continued vibrancy of the arts in Santa Barbara.”
Feria from Afar can be viewed at https://bit.ly/2zbXuT3. More details at https://www.casadelherrero.com/.
Artwork will be available for purchase from 9 a.m. Monday, June 15. All proceeds from the event will be split with 50 percent supporting Casa del Herrero and 50 percent supporting the participating artists.
When visitors come to Casa del Herrero, or the House of the Blacksmith, they are transported back to Montecito in the 1920s and ’30s, the heyday of the original owner George Fox Steedman.
Designed by George Washington Smith, the Casa is one of the finest examples of Spanish Colonial Revival architecture in America. It is included on the National Register of Historic Places, and maintains National Historic Landmark status in part due to its eclectic mix of Country Place Era and Moorish-inspired gardens created by Ralph Stevens, Lockwood de Forest and Francis T. Underhill.
Today, the 11-acre estate functions as a nonprofit organization with the goal of preserving the house and grounds, as well as the Steedman family’s collection of 15th- and 16th-century fine and decorative art objects from the Golden Age of Spain, books, sketchbooks, drawings, and horticultural records.
Casa del Herrero is preserved and stewarded for the benefit of the community, and can be visited by booking a tour at casadelherrero.com.