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The spirit of the holidays stopped at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum on Sunday as more than 200 guests and supporters gathered in celebration of the season at the festively decorated museum grounds for the “Tracks and Tunes” fundraiser.
“It’s terribly important that we all get together at this time of year,” board president Warren Miller said. “Partly to celebrate the holidays and partly also to thank our many supporters and community members who really keep this organization going.”
Delectable hors’ d oeuvres and unique and fitting cocktails were served beneath chandeliers hanging above trees and pine wreaths covered in white lights that cast a festive glow upon table settings in a warmly lit tent.
A Douglas fir Christmas tree decorated with garland, colorful glass balls, glowing lights and ornaments was elegantly set inside the room, and Santa Claus strode around the grounds greeting guests with holiday wishes.
Guests mingled around the courtyard and settled into couches in a lounge area before sitting down for dinner at tables complimented by silver tones and embellished with red napkins and flowers. On the crisp night, the corners of the room were kept warm and glowing with pyramid-style heaters.
The Historical Museum provides a central link to the community’s past with educational programs at the museum and local outreach within the community. Locals can share a love of history with residents and tourists alike by joining the museum’s docent program.
“We have a wonderful turnout tonight, which I think is just the tradition of coming to the museum’s holiday party but also to see the train exhibit, which is absolutely wonderful,” Miller said. “The train exhibit is basically a depiction of the Santa Barbara depot and environs all done to absolute accurate scale in the 1940s.”
An exhibit running through mid-January is called Vintage Toys and Trains and features a charming depiction of downtown Santa Barbara from 1920 to 1940.
“It took me a full year to make this station, and the reason it took so long was I finally got ahold of the 39 drawings of the restoration done in 1997,” said Ken Kelly, who grew up in Santa Barbara and included a depiction of himself as a youth on a bike in the scale model.
An exhibit up now through spring 2015, “Under the Umbrella: Lutah Maria Riggs and her Santa Barbara Style,” includes paintings on loan from the Carriage and Western Art Museum, and celebrates the talented work of a designer who contributed to Santa Barbara landmarks, such as the Vedanta Temple and Lobero Theatre.
Other upcoming exhibits in 2015 include a springtime anniversary of earthquakes, artist Ray Strong, the annual Old Spanish Days Fiesta exhibit with a special fashion show and catwalk theme, and next fall one with a collection of horseback riding saddles.
“In order to get a history museum to survive it takes a community, and this is my first year — I’m on month eight,” said Lynn Brittner, the museum’s new executive director. “And I’m seeing that there really is a community here. There are people that came out, they did our silent auction, they bought tickets, they sponsored the event, and it just makes me feel so good because there is a history community here.”
Museum attendees enjoy free admission to the galleries, and several thousand additional visitors attend educational and community outreach events hosted at the 136 E. De la Guerra St. location throughout the year.
The Santa Barbara Historical Museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free but donations are accepted. Click here for more information, or call 805.966.1601. Connect with the Santa Barbara Historical Museum on Facebook or follow the museum on Twitter: @SBHistoryMuseum.
The traditional Spanish California setting of the museum also offers venue rental availability for individual, corporate and wedding receptions within the courtyard of the romantic cultural landmark in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara’s historic district.
Member levels start at $50 for an individual and include $100 for family, up to $1,000 for Patrons. Visit the website by clicking here for more donor opportunities.
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
