Colors of Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara Beautiful
2024 Annual Awards Celebration
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Sunday, September 29th, 2024
A Message From The President
SANTA BARBARA BEAUTIFUL turned a new leaf in 2024. The board of directors welcomed several new and returning members and we looked with new and refreshed eyes around our city.
Our mission to beautify took shape with tree plantings, including Arbor Day tree plantings, and a venture into discovery as a sub-committee looked at Santa Barbara's Mural heritage.
As always, SBB recognized the role that the environment plays in keeping Santa Barbara beautiful. To that end, the organization has continued its collaborative relationship with the City of Santa Barbara Parks & Recreation Department where the number of street trees planted has now topped 14,000.
Our circle of collaborators also grew with the help of our newest board members, including a tree planting event with County of Santa Barbara and CycleMAYnia, and support of events at UC Santa Barbara and the Santa Barbara Library Foundation.
I'm filled with gratitude for the work of my board colleagues as they've rolled up their sleeves to carry out Santa Barbara Beautiful's mission of supporting beautification in our community.
The annual awards program is part of our beautification mission. Today, with your help, we are recognizing and honoring those who have done beautification work in the community. Recognition is important - it keeps spirits on fire to continue important work, it gives inspiration for future projects, and it shares good news about community efforts.
We're all in this together.
Thanks for your efforts to beautify our community and for joining us today.
Thank You 2024 Property Awards Judges
◆ Robert Adams ◆ Joe Campanelli
◆ Nancy Caponi ◆ Nina Dunbar
◆ Chris Fletcher ◆ Julie Nguyễn Friedman
◆ Cindy McClelland ◆ Duke McPherson
◆ Daisy Scott ◆ John Whitehurst ◆
2024 Annual Awards Committee
◆ Lucrezia DeLeon ◆ Kate Kurlas
◆ Jo Ann Mermis ◆ Kerry Methner
◆ Caroline Rutledge ◆ Mark Whitehurst, Chair ◆
2024 Annual Awards Filmmaker
◆ Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Kerry Ellen Methner
Beautiful city. Outstanding people.
We are proud to support Santa Barbara Beautiful and have community-minded individuals and businesses who are dedicated to projects that make our city beautiful.
Congratulations to all honorees on your well deserved recognition!
2024 Santa Barbara Beautiful Board Directors: Roman Baratiak; Lucrezia DeLeon, Board Treasurer; Jacqueline Dyson, Board Secretary; David Gress; Penny Haberman; Francine Kirsch; Kate Kurlas; Patrick McGinnis; JoAnn Mermis; Kerry Methner, Board President; Melinda Mettler; Caroline Rutledge; Jeffrey Sipress; Leslee Sipress; Nathan Slack; Mark Whitehurst (Alphabetical)
Photo by Jeffrey Sipress
2024 Annual Awards Reception & Celebration
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Sunday, September 29th, 2024 • 2:30 - 5pm
Reception
2:30 to 4pm ~ Cocktail Reception
v Appetizers
v Libations:
v Musical Troubadours:
Michael Gutin, Accordian & more
French Toast starring Mignonne Profant
Awards Celebration
4 to 5pm ~ Awards Celebration
Master of Ceremonies John Palminteri
Welcome by Kerry Methner, Santa Barbara Beautiful President
Awards Presentations
v Santa Barbara Commons | Public Open Space: Elings Park, 1298 Las Positas Rd. (page 7)
v Hugh & Marjorie Petersen Award for Art in Public Places: Year of the Dragon Mural (page 9)
v Single Family Residence, Large Lot: 3781 Hope Terrace (page 11)
v Heritage Oaks Award for Lifetime Achievement: Bob Cunningham (page 12)
v Single Family Residence, Small Lot: 1250 Bel Air Drive (page 15)
v Commercial Sign: Santa Barbara Bowl (page 17)
v President's Award: Melinda Mettler, Santa Barbara Mural Project (page 19)
v Commercial Building: Validation Ale, 102 E. Yanonali St. (page 21)
Santa Barbara Commons | Public Open Space
Elings Park
ELINGS PARK JERRY HARWIN PARKWAY
Property Owner: Elings Park Foundation, Dean Noble, Executive Director
At 230 acres, Santa Barbara’s Elings Park is the largest community-supported non-profit public park in America, and provides year-round outdoor recreation for more than 200,000 visitors annually.
In recent years, the park has begun to reintroduce carefully selected native plants into the landscaping of Elings Park's Jerry Harwin Parkway, with dramatic effect. Landscaping has been thoughtfully designed to elegantly blend with the park's beautiful natural surroundings. The flowering parkway plantings provide a warm and inviting entry, gently winding through the park.
The landscaping project, irrigated with recycled water, was launched by the Elings Park Foundation, as part of their long-term vision to create a beautiful, sustainable community commons and public open space.
Project Designer/Architect: Derrick Eichelberger & Kalie Grubb, Arcadia Studio, Inc
Project Landscape Architect: Derrick Eichelberger & Kalie Grubb, Arcadia Studio, Inc
Project General Contractor: Daniel Wilson, Wilson Environmental Contracting
Project Landscape Contractor & Landscape Maintenance: Daniel Wilson, Wilson Environmental Contracting
SANTA BARBARA COMMONS / PUBLIC OPEN SPACE
Landscape professionals Bob Cunningham, Daniel Wilson, and Rene Rojas
Photos courtesy of Elings Park
Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Ellwood Mesa,
photo by Roman Baratiak
Hugh and Marjorie Petersen Award for Art in Public Places
Year of the Dragon
by
Bursting with vibrant color, a building-sized mural at 126 East Canon Perdido Street, across from the Presidio, has recently entered Santa Barbara’s art scene. Year of the Dragon by D.J. Javier livens up the former site of Jimmy's Oriental Gardens with a nod to Santa Barbara's historically Asian American district in traditional Asian imagery.
With its street art style, bright palette, and eye-catching size, that sense of tradition takes on a contemporary feel.
Overall, the work brightens the street and invites visitors to explore the El Presidio neighborhood.
HUGH & MARJORIE PETERSEN AWARD FOR ART IN PUBLIC PLACES: YEAR OF THE DRAGON MURAL, SANTA BARBARA TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
126 EAST CANON PERDIDO STREET
Property Owner: Dena Bellman, District Superintendent Channel Coast, California State Parks
Principal Artist: DJ Javier
Project Partner: Kai Tepper
Project Lead: Anne Petersen, Executive Director, SBTHP
Project Lead: Michael Arnold, Board President, SBTHP
Project Lead: Kevin McGarry, Associate Director, SBTHP
Photo
Melinda Mettler
Photo by Melinda Mettler
Mural by DJ Javier
Single Family Home - Large Lot
3781 Hope Terrace
Emanating a sense of welcome, this pueblo-style home has an open, clean, and warm appeal. Using traditional colors and a well suited landscape, it’s a handsome, authentic focal-point at the end of a cul de sac.
At its center is an inviting, tiled, curved walkway, with duel gardens leading to the tiled awning over the entry. A large stone pine provides an intriguing presence behind the boldly colored façade.
SINGLE FAMILY HOME - LARGE LOT
3781 HOPE TERRACE
Property Owners: James "Chip" Milchak and Joni Milchak
The addition of low shrubs, olive trees, ground covers, and striking blue century agaves provide a wow factor. The landscape choices are wellbalanced, offering a fluid give and take, softening the architectural colors. Maintenance is finely tuned and the property provides an example of drought tolerant plantings that conserve our most precious resource, water. Bravo for creating a magnificent home.
Project Designer / Architect & Builder-General Contractor: James Cornwall, 1925
Project Landscape Contractor & Maintennace: Domingo Lopez, E.T. Landscape
Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Heritage Oak Award for Lifetime Achievement
Bob Cunningham, asla
Creating and designing some of Santa Barbara’s most iconic green spaces, Bob Cunningham, a founding partner of Arcadia Studios, has been receiving recognition, honors, and awards for practicing landscape architecture since 1969.
His early work gained him experience with a range of projects, diverse approaches to design, the nursery industry, and landscape management. Based on this experience he developed a solid grounding in the practical aspects of design and use of plant materials.
Starting his own practice in 1979 he has personally designed or has overseen the design of more than 1500 projects. He maintains a particular interest in public and institutional design, focusing on plazas, streetscapes, and also developments serving the elderly and infirm.
Two of his larger projects in which he takes particular pride are the State Street Revitalization/Sidewalk Replacement projects (1987-2006) and the Cottage Hospital Replacement project. "They were two great opportunities that came my way... a major civic project (State Street) and the city's largest health care institution (Cottage)" he shared.
Additional large projects included Casa Dorinda after the debris flow; Ventura Community Memorial Hospital, which includes a public park: Goleta Valley Cottage Hospital, which covers 1.8 acres; Maravilla in Goleta, with a 20 acre campus; Rehabilitation Institute at Santa Barbara, which includes two courtyards and a swimming pool; Serenity House, Santa Barbara, with a 5.5 acre hilltop site overlooking downtown Santa Barbara; and the Samarkand, Santa Barbara, which has 18 acres.
Over the years, Cunningham was recognized as Citizen of the Year by Downtown Santa Barbara and also received the Lockwood de Forest Award for his work on the State Street Plaza Sidewalk Replacement Project.
Raised in Santa Barbara, he has a large affection for the city and the beauty of its natural surroundings and has applied his abilities for the enhancement of its aesthetic qualities. He is married to Alea.
Photos courtesy
Bob Cunningham
Photos courtesy
Bob Cunningham
Bob Cunningham
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Volunteerism
"Up until a little over 12 years ago my volunteerism was limited to serving on the city's Architectural Board of Review, Sign Committee, & the Street Tree Advisory Committee; the county's Board of Architectural Review, Goleta's Design Review Board, and the county Historic Landmarks Advisory Commission," Bob shared of his volunteer work.
"When our dog introduced me to Elings Park, I became involved with the care of the grounds, & ultimately had the opportunity to help the park's executive director in a long-range program of reintroducing native plants into its landscape. This has been my sole volunteer effort over the past few years, and likely will be for the rest of my life. The project for which Elings is being recognized this year is the first of these projects. There are many more to follow."
Cunningham was an active volunteer for Summer Solstice and served on their Board of Directors for two years. He also donated design time for the landscaping at the Community Arts Workshop.
SANTA BARBARA STRONG
Photos courtesy Bob Cunningham
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Single Family Home - Small Lot
1250 Bel Air Drive
Combining Santa Fe / Pueblo influences and a clean modern style, this home adds ambiance to the suburban neighborhood. The inviting central walkway is flanked by fruitless olive trees creating bold gestures of foliage from the carefully selected water-conserving succulents leading to a handsome contemporary front entry.
The home is set off by earth-toned colored gravel mulch, fully permeable for stormwater, along with Cor-Ten steel signage announcing the address and sleek path
SINGLE FAMILY HOME - SMALL LOT
1250 BEL AIR DRIVE
Property Owner: Elizabeth Barat and Dana Barat, Jr.
lighting. The proportional arrangement of windows and doorways successfully illustrates modern living at its finest. The coordinated landscape and architectural elements look uniquely sharp and balance the home with an understated elegance.
Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Milongo, Acrylic,
x
by Ruth Ellen Hoag
Commercial
Sign
Santa Barbara Bowl
1130 North Milpas Street
Emerging from pleasant landscaping in a well lit area, this sign blends nicely into the entry to one of Santa Barbara’s iconic music venues. The sign was easy to read driving up the street, both during the day and at night. In the Spanish Mediterranean Style, the sign was constructed of local stone, wood, metal, and glass.
COMMERCIAL SIGN
SANTA BARBARA BOWL 1130 NORTH MILPAS STREET
Property Owner: Rick Boller - Chief Executive Officer, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation
Property Owner: Karen Kerns, Board Chair, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation
Sign Maker: Anacapa Signs
Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Murals of Santa Barbara
Did you know there are over 80 exceptional murals in Santa Barbara? They range from historic WPA murals from the 1930s, to 1950s midcentury modern to a multitude painted in the Chicano tradition from the 1970s onward.
More recently street artists have bejeweled the Funk Zone with their creativity. Enjoy them all with the Murals of Santa Barbara map and guide, all part of Santa Barbara Beautiful's support local beautification projects.
Anacapa St.
Alley between 28 and 22
In addition to murals already installed around the city, SBB hopes to support additional art in public places, including more murals, with its community grants program. For more information, see the “Grants” page on SBB's website, SBbeautiful.org.
If you know of a mural within the city of Santa Barbara that isn’t listed in the guide or any corrections to those included, email details to: Info@SBbeautiful.org. The guide, which is available on the website, is embedded with invisible hyperlinks that connect mural addresses to google maps and artists’ names to their websites or websites with information about them.
Alley between 28 and 22
St.
Guerrero Alley between 28 and 22
– Melinda Mettler
Alley between 28 and 22
Anacapa St.
Ali Bomaye
Young
St.
Delgado, Colin McLeod Alley between 28 and 22
St.
Barbara 3.0
Nathalie Gensac, Ginny Brush
Consentino, Youth Interactive
Anacapa, rear wall
Zone Brand, Honoring Santa Barbara’s Golden Age of
Willard Alley between 28 and 22
Ellen Hoag
Anacapa St.
of mural unknown
President's Award
Melinda Mettler – Santa Barbara Mural Project
Each year the Santa Barbara Beautiful President is given the opportunity to recognize a project that is an inspiration or has the potential to change our community. This year's project and the person who did the work to make it happen is both.
Melinda Mettler joined Santa Barbara Beautiful's Board of Directors in 2024 and immediately her humor and perspective began to be felt. Joining The Arts & Culture Committee, she readily accepted an invite from Pat McGinnis to tour Lompoc's Murals.
Melinda Mettler, a still life oil painter based in Santa Barbara, began her career as an art director at the legendary advertising agency Young & Rubicam in New York. While there, she received a Cannes Lion and Clio Awards, and had three ad campaigns entered into the permanent collection at Paley Center for Media (formerly Museum of Television and Radio) in New York and Los Angeles.
For eight years, she was Director of the School of Advertising at the Academy of Art University, San Francisco and in 1993 was honored as an Outstanding Alumni.
She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, majoring in Advertising/Graphic Design.
Both came back to report and were enthused to look around at Santa Barbara's offerings. Soon a sub-committee on murals was formed and Melinda decided to start documenting Santa Barbara's murals and mural history.
With a background in adverting and graphic design, Melinda wanted the results to be easily accessible and communicated and so created a map of the murals, a listing of mural artists, when they did their work, as well as photographing the murals.
The result is an easy to download PDF mural guide as well as an expanding understanding of the depth and breadth of Santa Barbara's mural tradition. So far Melinda has documented 88 Santa Barbara murals. Wow! Some of the mural artists have previously been honored by SBB for their work, much like DJ Javier is being honored today. And some have joined today's celebration.
Art in our community has an important role, and those who help us interact with it, and help us not forget its presence are significant bearers of cultural.
Thank you Melinda.
Murals Santa Barbara
Melinda Mettler
Photo courtesy of Melinda Mettler
Commercial Building Validation Ale
102 East Yanonali Street
Embracing its industrial warehouse identity, Validation Ale treats patrons to handsome architectural detailing, lush, vine covered walls, and a dramatic shade cloth-protected play area where both young and old enjoy games on their generous open space. Large doors and window walls provide indoor-outdoor flow while smart plantings and strategic greening of walls soften the site’s angular geometry and cool down its outdoor spaces. Numerous planters receive rainwater, and solar shielding from suspended shade sails works well with the design. ADA access leads into the welcoming open space. Playful, environmentally sensitive, and staying true to its industrial origins, Validation Ale makes a statement and manages to stay funky at the same time - all making it an award winner.
COMMERCIAL BUILDING
VALIDATION ALE - 102 EAST YANONALI STREET
Property Owner: MBB Santa Barbara, LLC
Project Business Owner: Brian Deignan & Briana Deignan
Project Collaborative Partners: Validation Ale, Brian Deignan & Briana Deignan
Project Architect: Joe Andrulaitis & Kent Mixon, Andrulaitis + Mixon Architects
Project Builder: Specialty Construction
Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa
Santa Barbara Beautiful 2024
Natural and created beauty form the landscape of our community and Santa Barbara Beautiful’s efforts are centered on sustaining, encouraging, and championing their confluence.
Since its inception in 1965, Santa Barbara Beautiful has annually planted several hundred trees, which now total 14,000, and has supported Arbor Day celebrations in our community and especially our schools every year. The ever popular tree plantings by school children are opportunities for them to join in. These programs raise the awareness of children, youth, and adults to the necessity of planting trees for beauty and the need to actively choose to create a healthy place to live. This year three schools welcomed SBB in for Arbor Day
Celebrations. In conjunction with Arbor Day, SBB donates treerelated children’s and adult books to school and public libraries, in order to encourage reading and spread the word about the necessity of being aware of the environment.
These Arbor Day tree planting ceremonies have contributed to the City of Santa Barbara qualifying as a Tree City USA for over four decades.
The City annually recognizes SBB's Arbor Day contributions with an official proclamation presented by the Mayor at City Hall.
Public art has been a main focus of SBB for the past 20 years. This year SBB supported five Santa Barbara public art projects. One of our favorite annual collaborations is Pianos on State. The piano painting, placement on State Street, and the community enjoyment of music outdoors is right up our alley.
Some additional projects SBB supported this year include Children’s Creative Project: I Madonnari Italian Street Painting Festival; SB
County Office of Arts & Culture: City of SB K-RAILS Public Art Murals; The Solstice Workshop and Parade; the Downtown Santa Barbara Live Art and Wine Tour; and assistance to the Library Plaza, which will open later this year.
Education & Scholarships
Beautification can be approached from many angles. At Santa Barbara Beautiful we recognize that aesthetics and an appreciation of beauty can be enhanced with education. SBB has collaborated with the SBCC Foundation to fund scholarships for City College Environmental Horticulture students for nearly two decades.
SBB also reaches out to the community with monthly Tree of the Month articles, written by David Gress, a past SBB President and former City Arborist. The column, complete with beautiful photos, is posted on the SBB website and published in VOICE Magazine. Find a story about trees in this program on page 24.
Special Projects included a collaboration with CycleMAYnia and SB County to plant eight Gingko trees on the SB County Obern Trail Bike Path. SB County Association of Governments and neighbors also participated.
Photo by Roman Baratiak
2024 Earth Day booth with volunteers
Santa Barbara Beautiful supported Solstice's 50th year parade and Festival!
David Gress talks to students & Superintendent/Principal Dr. Amy Alzina at an Arbor Day Tree Planting
Photo by Jeffrey Sipress Imagining
Santa Barbara Beautiful supported Children's Creative Project via an Amici Sponsorship and a chalk square!
Supporting a Sustainable Urban Forest
By David Gress, Chair, SBB Horticulture Committee
SANTA BARBARA IS FAMOUS FOR ITS LUSH
LANDSCAPES
along a picturesque coastline. However, real challenges face our green environment, particularly our trees. In recent years, extremes in the weather have taken a heavy toll, resulting in the decline of our aging urban forest.
Since its inception in 1965, Santa Barbara Beautiful’s mission has been to enhance our city - a mission realized, in part, through the donation of funds used to plant, to date, over 14,000 trees on our streets and in parks.
Recognizing the critical importance of trees - for climate resilience, for improved air quality, for reduced heat-island effect, for the mental and physical health of all citizens, for the aesthetics in our neighborhoods, and for increased property values - Santa Barbara Beautiful continues to explore ways to ensure the health, preservation, and further development of our urban forest.
SBB's Board members have always believed that community involvement is the
key to its success. Ongoing partnerships with the City’s Parks and Recreation Department, with local nurseries, with volunteers, and with other community organizations, will ensure the planting of more trees.
SBB has many tree related community educational outreach efforts, including:
• organizing events for planting of street trees by neighbors in their own neighborhoods;
• arranging the annual Arbor Day tree planting ceremonies at local elementary schools;
• annually donating books related to trees to our local schools and libraries; and
• publishing Tree-of-the-Month columns, in a local newspaper and online, and permanently archiving them at www. sbbeautiful.com
All these efforts are made to encourage citizen awareness and appreciation of treesand to inspire residents, of all ages, to value the beauty and usefulness of trees.
We plan to ensure that funds will always
The Griswold Story
AN UNSOLICITED PHONE CALL IN THE LATE
1990’S to the SBB Office was the beginning of an important Santa Barbara Beautiful relationship. The call was taken by then-Secretary, Patsy Brock. A caller asked questions related to SBB’s organization and its underlying mission, and activities, etc. and asked what the organization would do with a donation and how would a donation benefit the community?
Pasty described the commitment and dedication of the organization to protect and preserve the beauty of the city with the street tree fund, the commemorative tree program, Arbor Day, Earth Day, outreach to schools, eradicating blight and graffiti, Monthly Awards, and the Annual Awards. She concluded with the following: “Your donation would leave a legacy of beautification for the community.”
be available for the planting of trees species that have historically been planted in the City - and to obtain and plant additional tree species that would be appropriate and sustainable here, given our changing environment.
SBB is a shining example of how a dedicated group of individuals can come together to make a lasting positive impact on their community. By providing funds for trees and by promoting environmental stewardship, we are not only beautifying Santa Barbara but moving it closer to a greener, more sustainable, and more vibrant future.
www.sbbeautiful.com
Soon after the phone call, SBB received legal documents to the effect that Mr. and Mrs. Griswold had each included Santa Barbara Beautiful in their separate wills as recipients of a bequest in their estates.
Mrs. Griswold passed away first and Mr. Griswold soon followed. The two estates were joined and one bequest was established in perpetuity - without restriction - to Santa Barbara Beautiful.
The Griswolds never met anyone in person from SBB, never became members, and never dedicated a tree, but their faith in the word of a SBB representative during that one phone call was enough to establish the Griswold Charitable Trust bequest to SBB.
The bequest has helped SBB create an ongoing legacy of beautification in the community, much like Patsy described in that phone call.
by David Gress
Photo
David Gress
Santa Barbara Beautiful
Continued from page 23
SBB has supported the popular Pianos on State since its inception in Santa Barbara. It's a perfect combination of visual, musical, and performance art for all ages - all in an outside community setting!
Commemorative Tree Plaques
Santa Barbara Beautiful offers a unique opportunity to honor a loved one who has achieved a milestone in their life or who has passed away, or even to memorialize a loving pet.
Santa Barbara Beautiful is collaborating with the Santa Barbara Public Library Foundation on Santa Barbara Reads; and opened an information booth at the CEC Earth Day Festival.
Commemorative Tree Plaques
Great Gifts & Great
Great Gifts & Great Memories Tree Plaques
Designate a tree as a tribute to a family member or friend.
Santa Barbara Beautiful has funded more than 14,000 street trees in Santa Barbara! Find out more at www.SBBeautiful.org
Those who have chosen to place a plaque at a favorite tree will often visit the location and leave flowers or other mementos to the honoree. For more information visit: www.sbbeautiful.org/commemorativetrees.html
Photo courtesy of Roman Baratiak
SBB collaborated with CycleMAYnia and SB County to plant eight Ginko Trees
Photos courtesy of Pianos on State
Santa Barbara Beautiful: The Early Years
A MEETING WAS HELD on September 9, 1965 at City Hall to establish Santa Barbara Beautiful as the name of a new organization. The founder, Catherine Adams, was present. The founding committee included Mahlon Read, chairman; Dr. Pearl Chase (City Plans & Planting); R. Peter Krupszak, Secretary; Stan C. Lowry (Chamber Of Commerce); and Michael Pahos, city landscape architect. At this meeting Dr. Chase quoted Abraham Lincoln, saying, “I like to see a [person] proud of the place where [they] live.” She said she felt a motto could help to crystallize community thinking and stimulate interest. Thus the idea for Santa Barbara Beautiful took root.
in garden clubs. The awards certificate, designed by James “Bud” Bottoms, was used at this first affair.
At the annual awards banquet 1979, Mayor Shiffman expressed his high regard to SBB for calling the public’s attention to the importance of recognizing projects of beauty in the community. He noted that the program “was done without taxation, essentially a love offering from private citizens.”
For many years, SBB commemorated Dr. Pearl Chase’s birthday as a part of the program during the annual awards banquets. Roses from the Mission Rose Garden were used to decorate every table.
Santa Barbara Beautiful was formally inaugurated at a dinner which took place days later, on September 15, 1965 at the Miramar, launching the active, achievement-oriented civic organization.
The fledgling organization with R. Peter Krupszak as President, held its first meeting in 1966 on January 19 at El Paseo Green Room. By September of 1966, Santa Barbara Beautiful had 17 Board members.
The first awards program was carried out by the organization in 1966. That year commercial and industrial firms were recognized, as there was a need to encourage improvement. The judges included architects, landscape designers, and lay persons active
The story of the life of Dr. Chase (1888–1979) is very well known, but perhaps it is not so well known that she was one of the founding members of Santa Barbara Beautiful. She was an active participating member of the Board of Directors down through the years. Her contributions were many.
Both Dr. Chase and Jim Hodges dearly loved trees and all growing things, and they strongly supported the Street Tree Planting Program. Consequently, the Board of Directors of Santa Barbara Beautiful established a “Tree Replacement Memorial Fund” to honor these two board members. Approximately 300 street trees are lost every year due to disease, old age, weather, or vandalism, so this ongoing fund will serve to assure the replacement of the lost trees.
– Compiled from History of Santa Barbara Beautiful by Rozella Jewett
Legacy Sponsor:
Santa Barbara Historical Museum
Patron Sponsor: VOICE Magazine
Advocate Sponsors: La Arcadia Plaza • Montecito Bank & Trust
Ally Sponsors:
Appleton Partners • Arcadia Studio
• Ashley & Vance Engineering, Inc.
• Joan Rutkowski • La Lieff
Por la Mar Nursery
Thank You To Our Advertisers:
Sullivan Goss: An American Gallery
Roman Baratiak • Gallagher Property
Management
• Duncan & Suzanne Mellichamp
• Thomas Ochsner Architect
• Young Construction • Jacqueline Dyson • Earthknower Studio • Elings Park Foundation • Explore Ecology •
Penny Haberman • Duke McPherson
• JoAnn Mermis
Master of Ceremonies: John Palminteri
Thank You!
Dirk Brandts • Jacqueline Dyson
• Isaac Hernández de Lipa • Maria McCall • Melinda Mettler • Leslee Sipress
• Tri-Co Reprographics
2024 Santa Barbara Beautiful
Annual Awards Judges: Robert Adams • Joe Campanelli
• Nancy Caponi • Nina Dunbar
• Chris Fletcher
• Julie Nguyễn Friedman
• Cindy McClelland • Duke McPherson
• Daisy Scott • John Whitehurst
Catherine Adams Founder
Pearl Chase Founder
Santa Barbara Beautiful Past Presidents
More Santa Barbara Beautiful Past Presidents (Not Pictured)
• R. Peter Krupsczak, January – June 1966 • Max L. Feldman, 1968 • David Lloyd, 1969 & 1970 • Dunckley Murray, 1972 • Elizabeth H. Ramser, Jan – Aug 1973 • Barbara Landis, 1973 & 1974 • Ken Taylor, 1976 • Orville Bond, 1981
• Ronald McGurer, 1982 & 1983 • Rosemary Reed, 1988 & 1989
Mary Lou Jacobsen (Schmidt) 1980
Bruce Van Dyke 1997 & 1998
Ginny Brush 2011
Jo Ann Mermis 2017
John Pitman July – Dec 1966
Dan Condon 1984 & 1985
Daniel Norman King 1999 & 2000
Robert F. Adams 2012
Jacqueline Dyson 2018
James A. “Bud” Bottoms 1967
Richard Riffero 1986 & 1987
Mark Whitehurst 2001, 2002, & 2003
Christie Gallagher 2013
Penny Haberman 2019 & 2020
Grant Castleberg 1971
Howard Hudson 1990 & 1991
Desmond O’Neill 2004, 2005, & 2006
Kate Kurlas 2014
Deobrah Shwartz 2021 & 2022
Luba Carleton 1975
H. George Kallusky 1978 & 1979
David Gress 1994, 1995, & 1996
Kerry Methner 2009 & 2010
Ricardo Castellanos 2016
Pearl Chase Founder
Walter Barrows 1977
Rosalind Rea Gies (Amorteguy) 1992 & 1993
Courtney Seeple 2007 & 2008
Kerry Methner 2023 & 2024
Jeanette Casillas 2015
Catherine Adams Founder
