This summer, artists with the Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment (SCAPE) painted landscapes that capture the beauty of the parks, trails and open spaces in Santa Barbara County.

More than 140 of those paintings will be on display Oct. 14-15 in a free exhibit at the Music Academy, 1071 Fairway Road, Montecito.

'Seven Falls Spill' by SCAPE artist Kevin Gleason portrays a mountain scene of green, orange, and deep blue hues with a waterfall spilling down the center.
‘Seven Falls Spill’ by artist Kevin Gleason is among the paintings for sale at the SCAPE exhibit. Credit: Kevin Gleason

The juried show includes the work of local artists using a variety of media to paint landscapes, seascapes, flora and fauna. The event will be open 1-7 p.m. Saturday, with an awards reception 5-6:30 p.m.; and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.

“We are thrilled to present this timely and important exhibition,” said Karen Glancy, exhibit chair for SCAPE. “Art can raise awareness of critical environmental issues and inspire us to take action.

“We hope that visitors to the exhibition will be moved by the artists’ work and leave with a renewed commitment to protecting the environment.”

Half of the proceeds from sales of the paintings support nonprofit organizations, including the Santa Barbara County Trails Council, Los Padres Forest Association, and SCAPE.

The exhibit is juried by artist Richard Schloss, and several artists will be presented with awards. With the exhibit’s focus on parks, trails and open spaces, the Trails Council’s arts committee will choose one painting that best exemplifies its mission.

“This is a really exciting collaboration between artists and non-profits,” said Mark Wilkinson, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council. “Each painting purchased and hung on a wall will inspire appreciation for parks, trails and open spaces, and help fund sustainable trail construction.”

The mission of the Santa Barbara County Trails Council is to protect public trail access, build and maintain safe and sustainable trails, and promote public engagement in land stewardship and trail use for all types of outdoor recreation. For more, visit https://sbtrails.org/.

Los Padres Forest Association is a nonprofit dedicated to caring for Los Padres National Forest, ensuring it thrives and remains safe and open for the public. Learn more at https://lpforest.org/.

The nonprofit Southern California Artists Painting for the Environment (SCAPE) is committed to protecting the environment while promoting camaraderie and artistic growth for the members while providing art show events to show and sell the members’ art and to have them donate a portion of their sales to a selected environmental organization. For more, visit https://scape.wildapricot.org/.