Dylan Long’s artwork ‘Welcome to Santa Maria,' shows an adobe-style building in salmon tones with red-tile roof against a royal blue sky and white clouds. (Courtesy Slingshot/Alpha Art Studio)
Dylan Long’s artwork is called ‘Welcome to Santa Maria.’ (Courtesy Slingshot/Alpha Art Studio)

The Santa Barbara County Office of Arts and Culture invites the community to a free opening reception for the exhibit New Muralism: Valley Visions at the Betteravia Gallery in Santa Maria, 4:30-6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 10.

The gallery is in the Joseph Centeno Betteravia Government Administration Building, 511 Lakeside Pkwy.

The exhibit features expansive textile panels that reflect the vibrant landscapes, cultures, and commercial hubs of the Santa Maria Valley.

Rachael Macknzie’s ‘A Beautiful Vineyard' from Singshot Gallery depicts a scene of green vineyards against the backdrop of rolling hills and a blue sky. (Courtesy Slingshot Gallery)
‘A Beautiful Vineyard’ is a drawing by Rachael Macknzie. (Courtesy Slingshot Gallery)

New Muralism is a two-part initiative presented through a collaboration between the Office of Arts and Culture and Slingshot Gallery, a progressive art center dedicated to supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Santa Barbara County.

The first installment of the project focused on the personal experiences of the artists, while Valley Visions shifts to a more localized, place-based exploration of community identity.

The artworks begin with sketches by the artists, which were collaboratively transformed into intricate textile panels.
 
“The work represents an intersection of art, craft, and public life through the warm textures of appliqué materials, offering a visual dialogue between domestic activities and the public sphere,” said Jessica Schlobohm, Slingshot Gallery director.

“Each piece takes a lot of planning, sketching, problem solving, and time from the artists and facilitators,” she said. “Everyone gets to flex their creative muscles to create something bigger than what one individual can do alone.

“It’s a lot of work but the impact is tremendous. It’s evident in the pride of the artists and the impression the work leaves on the viewer.”

“‘Valley Visions’ is Slingshot doing what they do best — transforming the visions of their artists into elegant and recognizable images that are also complex, beautiful and tactile, and that elevate and inspire,” said Tom Pazderka, curator at the Office of Arts and Culture.

The exhibit is expected to be on view through the end of the year. For more, visit sbac.ca.gov/current-gallery-exhibitions.