County Arts Commission
The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission is appointed by the Board of Supervisors to act as coordinator and catalyst, bringing government, artists, and public together for the cultural benefit of all. The Arts Commission has several important functions, including: making recommendations for the Percent for the Arts program, which establishes public art throughout the county; stewarding the arts making impact grant awards; and helping to generate cultural arts policy for county constituents.
Arts Commission meetings are open to the public and Commissioners welcome members of the public to join meetings and share ideas during the public comment period at the beginning of each meeting.
In 2023, meetings are scheduled for the 2nd Wednesday in January, April, June, August, October & December from 1:30-3:00 PM, rotating between Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and Solvang/Buellton
Important Documents:
Standing Committees:
Arts Commissioners:
1st District: Mary Harris (Chair), Karen Kerns, Elizabeth Newman
2nd District: Jana Brody, Susan Rose, Mariko Tabar
3rd District: Roman Baratiak, Kaitlin Chui, Mark Oliver
4th District: Courtney Arensdorf, Fred Carbone, Robert Dickerson
5th District: Abraham Melendrez, Margaret Lange, Juan Manuel Perez Salazar
