November 1st Thursday

The Season of Giving Begins at November’s 1st Thursday!

November 3, 2011

5:00 - 8:00 pm

SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – Visit Downtown Santa Barbara for 1st Thursday, an evening filled with FREE art, culture, music and fun! The November 3rd event will include more than 30 cultural art venues eager to show off exciting new exhibits, welcoming artist receptions, intriguing demonstrations and energetic live music.

As the holidays are rapidly approaching, the season of giving is right around the corner. Acts of kindness can be seen from near to far and generosity comes in all shapes and sizes. At this month’s 1st Thursday, a number of cultural venues are feeling the festive cheer as they give to a good cause with heartfelt contributions and raise awareness about critical issues around the world.

Begin your evening at Ultimate Bagels to help celebrate health conscious baking as a global project. Sweet Hearts Bakery and Have a Heart for Rwanda will sponsor the event as Taste and See will donate goodies. Handmade items by the women of Rwanda will be on sale and 100% of the proceeds will be donated to feed orphan children in Rwanda. Next, stop by Encanto as local non-profit Africa Schools of Kenya displays their hand-beaded jewelry collections made by the Maasai women in Kenya. 100% of the profits will go directly to Africa to help enrich the lives of Maasai students at Esiteti Primary School. Then, head over to Bella Rosa Galleries to see the artwork of Shumulik Krampf’s hand blown-glass installation Glass Catharsis along with the featured Art of Writing of Faber-Castell. A wine tasting by Carina Cellars will benefit the Breast Cancer Resource Center. Make sure to visit Jodi House as they showcase The Purple Crayon, who provides instruction in the use of art materials as their teachers guide students through the creative process in an effort to elicit and support each student’s individual style of visual expression. Purchases will support brain injury survivors and their families.

While 1st Thursday offers extraordinary exhibits and artwork indoors, be sure to check out the live performances outdoors. In relation to the 2011 New Noise Digital Music Conference & Festival, Pianos on State will host pianos placed at various locations along State Street. Amateur and professional musicians alike will be scheduled to perform and during open times anyone is welcome to sit down and allow creative inspiration take over. The event will raise awareness for the 3rd Annual Instrument Drive 4 Youth that collects new and used music instruments and equipment for disbursement through the school district and other non-profit organizations. In preparation for the 59th Annual Downtown Holiday Parade, the annual Prince and Fairy Art Contest returns as children ages 6-10 are invited to create a holiday masterpiece to submit for judging. The winners of the contest will be named the Holiday Prince and Fairy, will ride along the parade in a horse drawn carriage and will light the Downtown Holiday Tree. Art stations will be set up in Paseo Nuevo Center Court and at the corner of State and Anapamu Streets. Make your way to the Marshall’s patio at 900 State Street to enjoy the sounds of local band Kalinka whose acoustic sound is joyous, sweet and gutsy. Finally, finish off the night with a touch of sparkle from Temp Air Tattoos in Paseo Nuevo where you can choose from hundreds of fun, glitter airbrush body art designs for free!

All of these attractions and many more are FREE during 1st Thursday on November 3rd. With more than 30 stops on this month’s 1st Thursday map, there is sure to be something for everyone. For more information and a complete listing of the specific programming at each gallery as well as all public performances and interactive exhibits, go to www.santabarbaradowntown.com.

###