Local Artists Celebrated in ‘On the Edge’

(Above: Marcia Rickard's "Lebanon 2024")

Montecito’s longest running juried exhibition for tri-county artists May 15-June 14 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A public opening reception for “On the Edge,” featuring juror Adam Belt, is Thursday, May 15 from 4-6 p.m.

The museum received a record 458 entries by 216 artists. From these submissions, Adam Belt selected 41 works by 39 local artists. All works are for sale with 30 percent benefiting the museum.

“Artists interpreted the ‘On the Edge’ theme in numerous ways, from literal to symbolic, using a range of mediums from ceramics and rubber to video projection, pen and ink to pastel,” says Chris Rupp, interim director of the museum.

Belt, a San Diego-based artist, Belt, exhibited “Wish You Were Here” in the Westmont museum in 2022. He was born in Seattle, grew up in Albuquerque and began his career as a landscape painter before shifting his interests to making visible the unseen energies at work in our universe. In 2001, he received a Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University, where he was introduced to the Christian monastic tradition and became particularly interested in the practice of contemplative prayer. The aspects of prayer, silence and time became key components in his work along with an understanding of his creative practice as a religious vocation.

Westmont began exhibiting works from local artists when the Reynolds Gallery opened in 1986. It began hosting annual juried exhibitions for local artists called “Views and Visions” in 2006 and continued the tradition when the art department moved to the Adams Center for the Visual Arts in 2011.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. It’s closed Sundays and college holidays. For more information, please visit westmont.edu/museum or contact the museum at (805) 565-6162.