After a tremendous inaugural exhibition at the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang, we have quietly been planning our next portrait subjects. We always are looking for new clues for cultural appreciation and we found several suggestions made by our friends who follow the project.
Obviously, ART carries culture.
But where to begin? and in what medium? One person's name came through several sources....Sojourner Kincaid Rolle, our Poet Laureate in Santa Barbara. She is a phenomenal wordsmith who captures our surroundings and community through her poetry.
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle
Not as obvious, but completely relevant and at the top of our newsfeed
....WATER.
How do we manage water, and what is unique about water in the Central Coast? What is the future of this imperative resource? What is different today and what has stayed the same? Well, a good person to ask is Kelley Dyer, Santa Barbara's Water Supply Manager. Yes, there are a LOT of people involved in managing water. And, we have a lot of history with water, or the lack of water. Just ask our Chumash friends.
Kelley Dyer, Santa Barbara Water Supply Manager
And speaking of our Native Americans, I was recently contacted by Steve Schwartz, Navy Archeologist to see if we could create a more accurate portrait of the
Lone Woman from San Nicolas Island
(better known as the character in O'dells Island of the Blue Dolphins, a required read in many California elementary schools). New evidence has been found, giving us first hand descriptions of what she actually looked like. This photograph associated with her, ( which I obviously altered for fun!), most likely dates 20 years after her death. As always, I am intrigued with documenting our earliest culture in the region.
Jauna Maria, Lone Woman San Nicolas Island