In memory of his late wife, noted Santa Barbara
architect, philanthropist and art collector Barry Berkus has
given the county a 43-work collection framing the evolution
of the local contemporary art scene over the past three decades.
The county Board of Supervisors formally accepted the unique
collection at its Tuesday session. The art, valued at more than
$250,000, represents more than 40 artists who worked in and
around Santa Barbara.
"This is exciting," said Patrick Davis, executive
director of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, a group
appointed by the supervisors to foster public art countywide.
The panel will be responsible for the collection. "We've
never had the funding to make these kinds of purchases," said Mr. Davis.
"This collection gives us visibility nationally that
we never had as an arts community."
Mr. Berkus' gift includes paintings, sculptures, photographs,
drawings, mixed-media works, prints, collages, ceramics and
digital media art that he and his wife Gail purchased from local
and regional artists starting in the 1970s. Mr. Berkus donated
the art with one string attached -- some portion of the collection
must be exhibited to the public at least every other year.
The first exhibition will be in March at the Channing Peake
Gallery, the ground floor reception hall of the downtown Santa
Barbara county building. "We'll also be promoting the collection
to other exhibition spaces in the country to demonstrate the
strength of the arts community here," said Mr. Davis.
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Known locally for his enthusiasm
as well as his philanthropy, Mr. Berkus said he will be making
additional "large scale" donations of art. But he
sees beyond that. "My hope is to find a really nice gallery
we can get the Arts Commission tied into so there's a rotating
exhibit place the county can use for not only this art, but
other shows. I want to make that happen."
The new public collection is likely the first such gathering
of Santa Barbara artists, said Mr. Berkus. "As far as contemporary
Santa Barbara artists, I'm sure it is," he said, adding
"it is long overdue" for the art to be available to
the public.
Besides donating the art, Mr. Berkus is renovating a room beneath
the county Courthouse to store it, including climate-control
and security systems, Mr. Davis said. That project amounts to
a donation of at least $10,000.
Mr. and Mrs. Berkus have been recognized by Art News magazine
as among the world's top 200 art collectors, whose large modern
and contemporary collection is noted for its diversity. Besides
obtaining works from icons such as Andy Warhol, the couple regularly
patronized local artists who specialized in interpretive, or
abstract, work as opposed to traditional Santa Barbara figures
and landscapes.
Most of the new county collection is non-literal, said Mr. Berkus. "The artists use a brand new vocabulary that is rewritten
every day" to express their time, place and environment.
Mr. Berkus said he and his wife, who died in 2000, began collecting
art by buying from students while he was studying at USC in
the 1950s. He recalled purchasing a mobile from pioneering contemporary
artist Alexander Calder for $50 a month.
"That began our addiction."
Local artists, and former local artists whose work is in the
collection include MacDuff Everton, Rick Stich, Kim Yasuda,
Richard Ross, Rafael Perea de Cabada, Lucy Brown, Lawrence Gipe
and Marge Dunlap.
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