At the newly named Potter’s Point, trees stick out from the edge of the bluffs and small yellow flowers seem to be reaching toward the sky. The waves crash onto the shore, and birds chirp and squawk around the Mesa. Looking down the coast, the morning fog burns away as the sun warms the skin and shines down the vibrant coast.
It’s easy to see why an artist could spend more than a decade painting that view.
On Tuesday, the Goleta City Council unanimously approved renaming the spot on the Ellwood Mesa Sperling Preserve to Potter’s Point, after the late Christopher Potter, a local artist.
“Not only does this provide an opportunity to honor Chris Potter and his work, but it also benefits the park and it benefits the location,” Councilman Stuart Kasdin said.
Potter became a well-known fixture in Santa Barbara County for his paintings of the Ellwood bluffs, Hendry’s Beach and numerous other coastal scenes throughout the county. Potter died Feb. 3, just days after his 49th birthday.
What is now called Potter’s Point was a place Potter often went to with an easel, canvas and paint to capture the landscape.
The idea to name this spot in honor of Potter came from Santa Barbara County Second District Supervisor Laura Capps, who submitted an application to rename the spot and established an online petition that received more than 2,000 signatures.
“It’s really meaningful to be able to capture the way in which he embodied Goleta,” Capps told the City Council on Tuesday. “His work brought Goleta to life and our whole county. His landscapes, his seascapes, his images of historical places are now around the world thanks to how popular his art is.”
Multiple friends of Potter spoke during public comment to express their support in naming the point after Potter and to add a bench and an easel at the spot.
They shared memories of Potter and celebrated how he would donate many of his paints to local nonprofit organizations.
“It was so incredible to see Chris use his artistic talent for so much good in this community,” said Penny Owens, a friend of Potter. “Potter’s Point is truly a special spot and a place very dear to Chris.”
Chris Jones, a Dos Pueblos High School teacher and a close friend of Potter, shared memories of growing up with Potter and how many people who have left Goleta have his artwork to remind them of home.
“Chris Potter was an icon in Goleta,” Jones said. “He and his artwork serve as a beacon for Goleta.”
Councilman James Kyriaco shared how glad he was to see the community come together to honor Potter.
“I look at this petition, and there are names I haven’t seen in 30 years but I know those names,” Kyriaco said. “He found a way to bring us together in this community once again.”