The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors has unanimously approved a policy change that restores the ability of artists in unincorporated areas (with the exception of Montecito) to open their private studios to the public for tours and limited art sales, the county Office of Arts and Culture has announced.
The change will also benefit the local cultural nonprofits that use tours as a fundraiser to subsidize free community access.
“By uplifting local events, artists, and small businesses, we’re not just enriching our cultural landscape, we’re strengthening the fabric of Santa Barbara County,” said Superviso Laura Capps, board chair.
“For decades, artists in the Santa Ynez Valley, painters, sculptors, ceramicists, photographers, and more, invited the community into their home studios as part of an annual open studios event,” according to the office of Arts and Culture.
“The popular program attracted art lovers and offered a way to boost the local creative economy, but it paused after it was determined that the model wasn’t viable because it didn’t comply with county zoning and land-use laws,” the office said.
Following advocacy and input from the Arts Commission, the Office of Arts and Culture, and local artists, the county’s Planning and Development Department crafted new permitting procedures that now treat home-based art studios like other small-scale home occupations.
The county also created a new category for temporary cultural events that are exempt from permit requirements.
“I’m very proud that we were able to streamline this process and bring the Studio Tours back to the Santa Ynez Valley,” said 3rd District Supervisor Joan Hartmann, who has championed the initiative since 2017.
Hartmann became involved after the program was shuttered due to permitting restrictions.
“This has long been a signature event, both culturally and economically. I look forward to celebrating our talented local artists once again,” she said.
Historically, the Santa Ynez Valley’s annual tour has spotlighted regional artists and raised funds for local institutions such as the California Nature Art Museum. The museum, which has helped to produce the event, offers free community programming and school group access.
To better accommodate community-based initiatives and support opportunities for groups like the museum, the county has established a new category of temporary cultural events exempt from permits. Tours that comply with the category restrictions will be exempted from broader permit requirements.
Santa Ynez resident Mark Oliver, chair of the county’s Art in Public Places committee, worked in tandem with the Arts Commission for more than two years to advocate for the changes. He spoke about the tours’ significance at a County Planning Commission meeting addressing the code modifications.
“Bringing back open studios is a wonderful moment for our artists, museums, and the entire community. We look forward to welcoming the return of art, architecture and garden tours,” Oliver said following the board’s adoption of the amendments on May 6.
The updated code also aligns home occupancy permitting standards for artists with those of other home-based businesses and enables greater participation in community events such as studio tours.
Per the new regulations, the permitting requirements and exemption criteria for home occupations, including art-based businesses, will be clarified and streamlined.
The policy change is expected to have a lasting impact on communities by encouraging greater public engagement with local artists and artisans and creating additional earned income opportunities for local cultural venues, according to the Office of Arts and Culture.
For more on the new policy, click here.
Learn more about county-supported arts initiatives and opportunities at www.sbac.ca.gov.