Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) invites the community to attend a reception for artist Hannah Stevens Allen’s solo art exhibit Summer Series: A Tribute to My Father, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Tuesday, July 30, in the Leigh Block Gallery, at HSB.

The works will remain on display through October.

Allen’s work illustrates her personal journey of grief and nostalgia after losing her father in 2017. She draws inspiration from the summers she spent with her family in the Adirondack Mountains. Artwork has become a necessity in her grieving process.

“When you lose a family member, you have to adjust to a new normal,” she said. “You slowly go through that person’s things and you find photographs you’ve never seen. Family and friends are there for you, but life just grossly continues, and it’s often very painful.

“Living in a world without my father felt unbearable, but focusing my creative work around him allows me the time to slow down and feel close to him again. It keeps him relevant in my daily life and celebrates his significance.”

Her collection also features colorful highlights of healing from her surroundings in California. Allen hopes to assist viewers to reconnect with their inner child, and to recognize the powerful benefits of creativity in dealing with loss.

Allen said she learned about HSB from a neighbor and soon began attending group grief counseling.

“I am so grateful to have found such solace in my community,” she said. “Hospice of Santa Barbara provided me with a safe place to grieve at a time when I had absolutely no idea what to do — right away and at no cost. I honestly can’t imagine a better service.”

Twenty-five percent of the art gallery’s total sales will benefit Hospice of Santa Barbara. The reception will include live music and complimentary wine and hors d’oeuvres.

For more about the event, call 805-563-8820 or visit www.hospiceofsantabarbara.org.

— Angel Pacheco for Hospice of Santa Barbara.