Santa Barbara Mayoral and Council Candidates Talk Art Support, Opportunities

Santa Barbara's November election turned its attention to the arts this week, as every mayoral and city council candidate on the ballot appeared at a forum focused on how the city should fund, house and showcase local art — a departure from a campaign season that has otherwise centered on housing, rent stabilization and other citywide issues.

The forum, hosted jointly by the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative and the Community Arts Workshop, was held Wednesday night and covered by Noozhawk. Candidates from council districts 4, 5 and 6 — the three districts electing members this cycle, along with the mayor's office — fielded questions about affordable creative workspaces, public art funding and how the arts fit into the ongoing redesign of downtown.

The discussion comes at a consequential moment for Santa Barbara's cultural sector. The State Street Master Plan, the city's ambitious effort to reimagine its downtown corridor, is moving forward, and the forum made clear that candidates across the political spectrum see the arts as central to what State Street becomes — and as a tool for reviving foot traffic, retail sales and civic identity.

Making Room for Artists to Work and Show

Asked how the city can provide affordable space for artists to create, District 4 candidate Devon Wardlow said she wants to work with the Parks and Recreation Department to streamline permitting for arts events in city parks. Wardlow told the forum she had personally tried to help roughly seven friends navigate the process without success, according to Noozhawk's report — evidence, she argued, that "there's a lot of room for improvement" in a city that prides itself as an arts community.

Her District 4 opponents offered their own ideas. Monte Wilson pointed to the Cherry Creek Arts Festival in Denver as a model for a juried arts and music festival in Santa Barbara, arguing it would generate both revenue and goodwill. Jason Dominguez proposed an alternative to a vacancy tax on empty storefronts: incentivize property owners to host a gallery, arts business or artist for a year or so. Genevieve Taft-Vazquez said she wants affordable workspaces where the public can interact with artists, suggesting some of the city's empty office buildings could be converted to studios.

Public Art at La Cumbre and On the Streets

In District 5, candidates focused on the long-planned redevelopment of La Cumbre Plaza. James Zurlinden and Cevin Cathell both said they want sculptures, murals and other public art woven into the project. Cathell said she has seen other developments incorporate outdoor concert space, sculpture gardens and galleries, and wants the city to demonstrate to developers how passionate Santa Barbarans are about the arts.

Zurlinden also floated restoring access to chalk art on State Street, calling the pedestrian corridor public property that would benefit surrounding restaurants and generate sales tax. Ian Baucke, who has campaigned on street safety, endorsed more intersection artwork like the treatment at State and Carrillo streets, which helps slow drivers — a low-cost, quick intervention he said could be deployed on the district's high-injury streets in partnership with neighbors and businesses.

State Street as a Canvas

District 6 candidates were asked how they would ensure the arts thrive as the State Street Master Plan advances. Anabella Lehne described heart-shaped recycling sculptures she has seen in Mexico and said she would like similarly meaningful installations on State Street, each celebrating a local culture or cause and each potentially funded by a donor.

Alexander Stoeber called for an homage to Santa Barbara's film history, including Flying A Studios, the early motion-picture company that operated in the city and remains a touchstone of its cinematic heritage. He also urged that artists be embedded in the design process itself — influencing the layout of courtyards and seating downtown rather than being brought in as an afterthought.

Jason Carlton proposed rotating monthly art installations tied to themes such as Black History Month, arguing that a constantly changing downtown gives residents and visitors a reason to return. Gabe Escobedo said art should be incorporated into downtown architecture itself, with the city leaning into its status as a historic district.

Why It Matters Locally

The forum's emphasis reflected a practical reality: Santa Barbara's arts economy depends heavily on space and foot traffic, both of which are in flux. Empty storefronts downtown, remote-work-driven office vacancies, and a State Street redesign still taking shape give the next council unusual leverage over whether working artists can afford to stay in the city — and whether the public encounters art as part of everyday life rather than only in galleries and museums.

That the Arts Collaborative and Community Arts Workshop — which operates a shared workspace and exhibition venue on Garden Street — drew all candidates to the same room also signals the sector's growing political organization. With Election Day approaching, voters in districts 4, 5 and 6, along with the citywide mayoral race, now have a clearer record of where each candidate stands on arts funding and support.

What comes next is familiar electoral arithmetic: the ideas floated Wednesday — a Denver-style festival, storefront art incentives, studio conversions, chalk art and rotating installations — would each require council majorities, staff capacity and, in most cases, money. How many of them survive contact with the city budget will be up to the council Santa Barbara voters choose this November.

This article is based on reporting by Noozhawk; read the original coverage [here](https://www.noozhawk.com/santa-barbara-mayoral-and-council-candidates-talk-art-support-opportunities/).