Celebrate Summer with The Artists of Solstice! Featuring the work of Beth Amine, Diane Arnold, Geoffrey Beeman, Stacy Bouffard, Claudia Bratton, Ann Chevrefils, Carlos Cuellar, Pali X Mano and more! Our DJ for the evening is Darla Bea of 91.9 KCSB-FM. Happy Summer!  Email

While We Teach We Learn: Eight Artists Inspired by Their Students opens at the AFS Gallery with a reception on Friday, April 26th from 5:00-7:00 pm. This exhibition features the work of eight artist-teachers who have dedicated much of their lives to art discovery in the classroom. Artists include Katie Acheson, Magda Barnes, Angela Lang,Sophie Friedman and Carissa Moline, five of the phenomenal educators from Santa Barbara’s Incredible Children’s Art Network (iCAN). Betsy Gallery will be exhibiting a series of small mosaics based on her collection of pictures drawn by children over 25 years ago. Another participant, Patti Post taught art for 41 years with over 30 years teaching at Ventura High School. Although she considers her primary medium to be painting, she credits her students for inspiring her to continue making assemblage art. Dug Uyesaka, an art teacher at Laguna Blanca, leads a teen mentorship program in printmaking through the Arts Fund. He is exhibiting collages he made which incorporate scraps of students’ abandoned work from his classroom. Save the date! While We Teach We Learn:Eight Artists Inspired by Their Students opens on Friday, April 26th from 5:00-7:00 pm and hangs in the AFS Gallery through May 25th, 2013.   Email

Start the weekend off right with an Art From Scrap Workshop. Weekly workshops for all ages every Saturday 10-12. Create art from our vast array of reuse materials. Children under age 5 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost: $8.00. Art From Scrap holds art workshops at the AFS Art Center almost every Saturday from 10:00 to 12:00. Join an Art From Scrap staff member or visiting Guest Artist to make a different project each week. Children 6 years and up can stay and have fun while their parents go shopping at the Saturday Farmer's Market – just one block away. This is a perfect way to spend a morning – for Artists of all ages! Check our calendar for these and other programs. Art From Scrap is a program of Explore Ecology. Venue: Art From Scrap.  Email   Website

Explore Ecology, a Santa Barbara based environmental education and art organization has selected Stephen MacIntosh to serve in a newly created role of Director of Development. MacIntosh is a skilled executive with diverse experience in the public and private sectors. With a broad administrative background and excellent management abilities that have been developed in several industries, MacIntosh’s areas of expertise include budgeting, strategic planning, finance, human resources, public relations and sustainability. MacIntosh previously contributed to Explore Ecology’s growth as a board member. “Over the past 16 years, I have been connected to the wonderful people and programs at Explore Ecology including Art From Scrap and the Watershed Resource Center at Arroyo Burro Beach. I’ve watched the organization grow and develop into what has become an indispensable non-profit organization that has impacted thousands of children in a meaningful and positive way!” MacIntosh holds a Masters degree in Public Affairs from Indiana University and a Multicultural / Bilingual Teaching Credential from San Jose State University. His previous work experience includes serving as General Manager at Republic Services of Oxnard and at Allied Waste Services and Environmental Services Supervisor at the City of Santa Barbara. Cay Sanchez, Explore Ecology’s Executive Director shares “We couldn’t have asked for a more knowledgeable and skilled addition to our staff. Stephen’s past work experience and his long involvement with our organization seems tailor-made for his new position as Development Director.” “There has never been a more important time to provide our children with a clear understanding of recycling, composting and the need to protect our watersheds and beaches in Santa Barbara County,” adds MacIntosh. “I look forward with great enthusiasm to helping Explore Ecology reach even more of our community’s youth with the critically important messages of protecting and conserving the earth’s natural resources. The future is bright!”   Email   Website

We are excited about MULCH and hopefully you are, too! See you at the MULCH Art Opening and Reception at the Art from Scrap Gallery on Friday, March 15th, 5-7pm. Inspired by early Spring and the scent of freshly planted soil, MULCH is a group art exhibition that features painting, ceramics, woodworking, horticulture, printmaking, and assemblage. Artists include: Scott Chatenever, Jamie Coxon, Francis Dawson, Judy Nilsen, Mary Price, Ron Robertson, Pali X Mano, and Pamela Zwehl-Burke. MULCH will be at the AFS Gallery until April 13th, 2013. AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap, 302 East Cota Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, and on Thursdays from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. For more information, please contact Art From Scrap at (805) 884-0459. Venue: AFS Gallery- at Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap.  Email   Website

The Worms Are Back at Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap! Red wiggler worms are ready and willing to turn your trash into vermicompost; a rich, nutrient-dense soil amendment. Tahara Ezrahti, Education Director at Explore Ecology, and Oscar Carmona, owner of Healing Grounds Nursery, are teaching a Worm Composting and Compost Tea Making Workshop on Saturday, February 2, from 2:30-3:30 pm. In the workshop you’ll learn how to create and take care of your own worm bin, harvest compost, and make and use compost tea. The Worm Composting Workshop is being offered above the Art From Scrap ReUse Store in downtown Santa Barbara. The workshop is open to the public and costs $5.00 at the door. Complete worm composting kits and worms will be for sale at this event; 20 gallon kits cost $55.00, 70 gallon kits are $70.00. Both kits include worms, bin, bedding, and a Garden Detectives book. Worms will be sold separately for $20.00/gallon. Pre-registration is required. If you intend to purchase anything at the event you must pre-order. Contact: Tahara Ezrahti at (805) 884-0459 x 12 or tahara@ExploreEcology.org Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap is located at 302 East Cota Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, (on the corner of Garden and Cota Streets in downtown Santa Barbara). Venue: Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap.  Email   Website

Don't miss the Art Opening and Reception for Plastic Planet on Jan. 18, 5-7pm at the AFS Gallery in downtown Santa Barbara. Plastic Planet features the art of Santa Barbara artist Holly and Northern Californian artist Richard and Judith Selby Lang. Much of the art in Plastic Planet is made from found marine debris.   Email   Website

Plastic Planet opens at the AFS Gallery on Friday, January 18 from 5:00-7:00 pm with an Art Opening and Reception. Plastic Planet features the sculptures of Holly Mackay and the photographs of Judith Selby Lang. "Plastic Plantet" is the first exhibition of 2013 at the AFS Gallery and will be at the AFS Gallery until February 23, 2013. AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap, 302 East Cota Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, and on Thursdays from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. For more information, please contact us at (805) 884-0459. Venue: AFS Gallery- at Explore Ecology/Art From Scrap.  Email   Website

CAN 23 ASSEMBLAGE ARTISTS CREATE ART USING ONLY 3 OBJECTS (AND NO DOLLL PARTS)? Find out on Friday, October 5th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm, at the Art Opening and Reception for "3'S A CROWD: MINIMAL EXPRESSION IN A MAXIMAL WORLD." 23 assemblage artists will present their work in a new invitational exhibition at the AFS Gallery. Curated by art collector and artist Nancy Gifford, "3's A Crowd: Minimal Expression in a Maximal World" will feature mixed media work created with a maximum of three objects. Another added challenge for the artists in "3's A Crowd" is that no doll parts can be used in the art. Join us for the Art Opening and Reception on Friday, October 5th, 5-7 pm. "3's A Crowd" will be at the AFS Gallery until November 3rd. The impressive list of artists include: Neal Crosbie, Tom Cummings, Cass Ensberg, Julia Ford, Jack Hewitt, Colleen Kelly, Dan Levin, Anne Luther, Holly Mackay, Jim Mahoney, Penny Mast McCall, Barbara McIntyre, Andre Mirzaian, Judy Nilsen, Zack Paul, Rafael Perea de la Cabada, Mary Price, Alf Ramirez, Maria Rendon, Joan Rosenberg-Dent, Barry Spacks, Susan Tibbles, and Dug Uyesaka AFS Gallery is located upstairs at Art From Scrap, 302 East Cota Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The gallery is open Tuesday through Saturday, from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm, and on Thursdays from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. For more information, please contact Art From Scrap at (805) 884-0459. Venue: Art From Scrap- AFS Gallery.  Email   Website

Santa Barbara County has dozens of creeks. Some run year round, others are seasonal. But, all of our creeks contribute to Santa Barbara’s beauty and provide benefits to us and to wildlife. If you want to learn about how your actions on land affect creek and water quality don’t miss the Creek Week Celebration on Sunday, September 23rd, 2012 from 11:00-3:00 at the South Coast Watershed Resource Center. The Creek Week Celebration is part of Santa Barbara’s popular Creek Week, an annual community event that celebrates our local creeks and the ocean. Hosted by environmental education and art center Explore Ecology (Art From Scrap), this free event is an educational buffet filled with talks, activities, and film screenings. Events scheduled throughout the day include: 11:30 am- a screening of the Watchdog Diaries and a talk on pollution monitoring by Penny Owens of Santa Barbara Channelkeeper. 12:30 pm- Barbara Hughes of the Santa Barbara Beekeepers Association will give a short presentation about bees, bee-friendly plants, and show an observation hive. At 1:30 pm- Brian Trautwein of the Environmental Defense Center will give a presentation on Mission Creek and Steelhead Restoration. At 11:00 am and 2:00 pm Dr. Ed Keller will hold Kids' Beach Walks where participants will look for sea glass and heart-shaped rocks. Environmental nonprofits and groups Explore Ecology, Channelkeeper, Ty Warner Sea Center, Agua Pura, Santa Barbara Beekeeper’s Association, and the Santa Barbara Green Living Co-op will be tabling at the celebration throughout the day. They will have information and displays about how to create healthy watersheds, rainwater harvesting, pollution monitoring, and bee-friendly plants. Don’t miss this FUN and FREE opportunity to learn about Santa Barbara watersheds, creeks, and wildlife at the South Coast Watershed Resource Center on Sunday, September 23rd, from 11:00 am-3:00 pm. Special thanks to County of Santa Barbara Project Clean Water and The City of Santa Barbara Creeks Division who make this event possible. For more information, contact Jill at (805)884-0459 x13 or email Jill at jill@exploreecology.org If you want to learn about local creeks, watersheds, and how your actions affect water quality, join us at this free community event and celebration! For a complete listing of Creek Week events, go to www.sbcreekweek.com. For information about Explore Ecology and the Watershed Resource Center, visit www.exploreecology.org. Venue: South Coast Watershed Resource Center.  Email   Website