The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History (SBMNH) welcomed 210 attendees and raised a total of $741,000 at the 26th Annual Mission Creek Gala: Revealing the Colors of Nature, March 21.

“The sold-out event celebrated the vibrancy of the natural world while raising essential support for the museum’s education and science programs,” organizers said.

The evening began with a courtyard reception featuring interactive stations led by teens from the museum’s Quasars to Sea Stars internship program.

When doors opened to Fleischmann Auditorium, attendees were met with giant LED screens displaying images of nature, surrounding them with color and movement. Images were provided by Larry Friesen.

The visionary environment, crafted by Joy Full Events, Inc., SMI Audio Visual, and Hogue & Co., created an atmosphere where the brilliance of natural color took center stage.

Also on display were five sponsored tableaux, each designed as individual vignettes inspired by pink, purple, red, orange and yellow, paying tribute to colors found in nature.

Museum Board chair Matt Adams welcomed guests and introduced the evening’s program.

A seasonal four-course dinner from duo catering and events followed. With each course, the room’s lighting and imagery shifted to reflect the color theme of the dish, ending in a rainbow for dessert. 

During one course, Ally Coconis, museum staff curator of mammalogy; Vanessa Delnavaz, associate curator of invertebrate zoology; and Alex Harman, Schlinger Chair of entomology, shared insights drawn from their research fields.

Luke J. Swetland, museum president/CEO, then took the stage to make an appeal, inspiring immediate support and raising $386,000 on the spot.

Quasars to Sea Stars program participant Diego Rodriguez talked about the museum’s impact on his life and future.

Eleven Napa Valley wineries donated wine for the event.

In total, the Mission Creek Gala raised $741,000 in support of the museum’s mission to inspire a thirst for discovery and a passion for the natural world.

“The museum aims to spark curiosity and ignite a passion for nature and maintains a commitment to providing exceptional educational programs for the Santa Barbara community,” event organizers said.

“The Mission Creek Gala sustains the museum’s outstanding nature and science education programs, touching the lives of thousands of schoolchildren each year through school field trips, camps and classes, and other programs at the museum and its sister campus, the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf,” they said.

Since its inaugural year in 2000, the annual Mission Creek Gala has raised more than $8 million for the museum’s school programs.

Among the programs supported by the event is the Museum Access Fund (MAF), a scholarship program provided by the museum to visiting school groups in need of financial assistance.

Title I schools (with a 50% or greater enrollment in the federal Free or Reduced-Price Meal Program) are eligible to visit the museum and enjoy a field trip program for $50.

The museum thanks the gala committee members Stacey Byers, Sheri Eckmann, Venesa Faciane, Lucy Firestone, Elisabeth Fowler, Heather Hambleton, Ken Kelly, Amanda Lee, Bobbie Kinnear, Jackie McBride, Karen Nicholson, and Susan Parker.

Visit sbnature.org for more information about SBMNH and how to support its programs.