Uniting Art Lovers of All Ages

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art has a long-standing tradition of uniting people of all ages through a diverse range of art experiences. Located in the vibrant State Street Arts District, the Museum offers an array of exhibitions, tours, lectures, concerts, and films. It stands as a dynamic social hub and a key educational resource, fostering community connections and personal growth through captivating displays of art from the permanent collection, innovative exhibitions, site-specific commissioned works, and unique programs. The knowledgeable and passionate staff are dedicated to providing an enriching and informative experience for every visitor.

Founded in 1941, the Museum has cultivated a distinctive identity reflective of its particular heritage and shaped by both the broader community and significant individual collectors. Highlights include a noteworthy collection of 20th-century Latin American art and a distinguished range of Greco Roman, African, and pre-Columbian antiquities. The Museum’s Asian collection showcases the rich diversity of the region’s aesthetics, featuring art from South and Southeast Asia, China, Japan, and Korea. Galleries dedicated to contemporary art, photography, and new media display a rotating display of works from the Museum’s extensive 25,000-object permanent collection. 

Art is a common ground on which we enrich and nurture an energetic, caring, and diverse community. Our education programs — accessible to everyone — offer a variety of programs with a clear set of ideals: give individuals access to the Museum’s collections and resources, ignite imagination and spur learning through careful instruction, and build community connections through empathetic growth and cultural exchange. Through these efforts, Santa Barbara Museum of Art hopes to touch people’s lives, offer a path to learning about our local community and larger world, and help people learn more about themselves. Please visit sbma.net/learn for an extensive listing of in-person and online opportunities available for all.