Santa Paula Art Museum

Santa Paula Art Museum The Santa Paula Art Museum features rotating exhibits, art classes, community events, and more.
(2)

Did you know the very first artwork acquired for the Santa Paula Art Museum's permanent collection was "6 Coyotes" by Lo...
09/03/2026

Did you know the very first artwork acquired for the Santa Paula Art Museum's permanent collection was "6 Coyotes" by Los Angeles artist Carlos Almaraz (1941-1989)?

The pastel is currently on view in our newest exhibition, "De Colores," featuring works by Latino artists from the Museum's permanent collection. The exhibition includes art by Cesar Aldana, Carlos Almaraz, Sergio Hernández, Gilbert "Magu" Luján, Miguel Ángel González Mesillas, Xavier Montes, Guillermo Silva Santamaria, and Eloy Torrez.

"De Colores" borrows from the late Santa Paula artist Xavier Montes' long-running "De Colores Art Show." He once explained: "The name of the show was chosen for its meaning: diversity, the idea that it takes people of all shapes, sizes, and colors to make the world the dynamic force that it is."

As a founding board member of the Santa Paula Art Museum, Montes encouraged the Museum to embrace that same spirit of diversity in building its permanent collection.

See "De Colores" now through November 29, 2026.

🎨 "6 Coyotes" by Carlos Almaraz, 1980, Pastel on paper, 22" x 28", Collection of the Santa Paula Art Museum, Gift of Bonnie Smith.

There’s something so rewarding about starting with a blank canvas and ending with something that’s truly your own. ✨ Our...
09/02/2026

There’s something so rewarding about starting with a blank canvas and ending with something that’s truly your own. ✨

Our Fine Arts Program at the Cole Creativity Center offers a great selection of classes focused on different media, techniques, subjects, and more. Classes are filling up quickly, so if something catches your eye, trust your gut and go for it! 🤩

Classes still available for enrollment:

WATERCOLOR PAINTING: COLOR HARMONY
4 Tuesdays, beginning September 8th
6-9pm

CHARCOAL DRAWING & CUBISM
1-Day Workshop
Friday, September 11th
6-9pm

PUMPKINS: OIL PAINTING FROM LIFE
1-Day Workshop
Saturday, September 12th
9-1pm

CLOUDS: OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP
1-Day Workshop
Friday, October 2nd
6-9pm

SKULLS: OIL PAINTING WORKSHOP
1-Day Workshop
Sunday October 25th
1-5pm

TRAVEL SKETCHING
1-Day Workshop
Saturday, November 7th
9am-12pm

September means Free Family Day is back! Join us Sunday, September 6, from 12 PM to 3 PM for free, hands-on art activiti...
08/31/2026

September means Free Family Day is back! Join us Sunday, September 6, from 12 PM to 3 PM for free, hands-on art activities for all ages. Admission is free, all are welcome, and materials are provided.

Explore the Indigenous cultures and artistic traditions of the American Southwest while creating paper cup basketry, shell wall hangings, beaded necklaces, and more.

Special guest Alan Salazar—a Native educator and Tribal Elder of the Fernandeño Tataviam and Ventureño Chumash Tribes—will demonstrate how the Chumash created rock paintings using natural pigments. At 1:00 PM, Salazar will also share traditional stories connecting us to the land, history, and values of the Chumash and Tataviam peoples.

Free Family Day is sponsored by Gold Coast Health Plan and the Smith-Hobson Foundation Fund at Ventura County Community Foundation.

Learn more at https://www.santapaulaartmuseum.org/event/free-fam-day-sept-2026

🎨 "Our First Inhabitants: The Chumash Indians" (detail of preliminary study for mural) by Ann Thiermann, 2000, Pen and colored pencil on paper, 24" x 60", Collection of the Santa Paula Art Museum, Gift of the Arts and Business Council of Santa Paula.

Let your young artist explore, experiment, and create inside the Santa Paula Art Museum’s Cole Creativity Center. Our yo...
08/30/2026

Let your young artist explore, experiment, and create inside the Santa Paula Art Museum’s Cole Creativity Center. Our youth art programs include hands-on classes, family workshops, art camps, and special creative experiences throughout the year. Programs are designed for all skill levels, and all materials are provided.

Our upcoming schedule includes:

DINOSAURS & BOBA Kids Paint & Sip (ages 7+)
Sunday, August 30th
3-5pm
$40

RIBBON ROSETTES (ages 9+)
Saturday, September 12th
2-4pm
$40

CLAY SUGAR SKULL Workshop (ages 9+)
Sunday, September 27th
12-2pm
$40

HAUNTED HOUSE & CIDER Kids Paint & Sip (ages 7+)
Sunday, September 27th
3-5pm
$40

DRAGON EGG Mixed Media (Ages 9+)
Sunday October 11th
10-12pm
$40

WINTER ART CAMP: Mixed Media (ages 7+)
Dec 28th - Jan 1st
9am-noon each day
$180 for entire week

The ceramics studio inside our Cole Creativity Center is the perfect place to bring your vision board to life! See what ...
08/29/2026

The ceramics studio inside our Cole Creativity Center is the perfect place to bring your vision board to life! See what classes we have coming up next by clicking the link in the bio✨

https://www.instagram.com/p/Dco-1W8hK35/

August 29 marks 56 years since the historic Chicano Moratorium. On August 29, 1970, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people...
08/28/2026

August 29 marks 56 years since the historic Chicano Moratorium. On August 29, 1970, an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 people marched through East Los Angeles as part of the National Chicano Moratorium Against the Vietnam War. One of the largest Mexican American demonstrations in U.S. history, the march protested the Vietnam War and drew attention to the disproportionate number of Mexican American servicemen being drafted and killed or wounded in the conflict.

The demonstration began peacefully, culminating in a rally at Laguna Park. The gathering was disrupted when Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies moved into the area, leading to clashes, injuries, and the deaths of three people, including Los Angeles Times journalist Rubén Salazar.

Describing his artwork "Moratorium," artist Sergio Hernández (1948-2021) wrote, “I participated in the march and rally at Laguna Park (now Rubén Salazar Park). This is my artistic impression of that day. I experienced the rage of the people, the brutality of the police, and the distrust each side had for each other.”

"Moratorium" is one of the artworks featured in the newest exhibition in our permanent collection gallery, honoring Latino artists and on view September 2 through November 29, 2026.

🎨 "Moratorium" by Sergio Hernández, 1970 (original illustration) and 2000 (color added), Ink, airbrushed acrylic, and Prismacolor pencil, 18" x 24", Collection of the Santa Paula Art Museum, Gift of the Estate of Ben Saiz.

08/28/2026

If memory serves, Wrona Gall is the first artist we’ve ever watched climb on top of her paintings during our interview process!

Learn more about the Ojai painter and her unique, hands-on process in our interview here, then be sure to visit "Stories in Pigment and Metal," the current exhibition she shares with her cousin, Ojai sculptor Ted Gall, on view now through November 8, 2026.

And don’t miss your chance to meet both Wrona and Ted at the Museum on Saturday, September 12, from 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. for a special Artist Talk. The talk is included with regular museum admission and is free for SPAM members, students, and children.

Learn more at https://www.santapaulaartmuseum.org/event/artist-talk-wrona-and-ted-gall

🔴 Sold! We’re a little sad to see this painting leave our gift shop, but happy that it has found a new home. Happy trail...
08/28/2026

🔴 Sold! We’re a little sad to see this painting leave our gift shop, but happy that it has found a new home. Happy trails, Mr. Clunie!

🎨 “Solitude Creek, Grand Tetons” by Robert Clunie, Oil on canvas, 26” x 30”

We've got teaching artist Aaron MacDonald triple-booked in the weeks ahead! His four-part Watercolor Painting: Color Har...
08/27/2026

We've got teaching artist Aaron MacDonald triple-booked in the weeks ahead! His four-part Watercolor Painting: Color Harmony course, starting Tuesday, September 8, is selling fast! Then, don't miss his one-day Charcoal Drawing and Cubism workshop on Friday, September 11, followed by Oil Painting Workshop: Clouds on Friday, October 2.

From watercolor to charcoal to oils, Aaron has you covered—all in what his students describe as a "caring and supportive atmosphere."

Learn more and register for classes at santapaulaartmuseum.org/creativity.

Address

117 N 10th Street
Santa Paula, CA
93060

Opening Hours

Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+18055255554

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Santa Paula Art Museum posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Establishment

Send a message to Santa Paula Art Museum:

Shortcuts

Share

Category