Photo credit: Jen Zahigian
Santa Barbara is known for its perfect Mediterranean climate and picturesque coastline, but did you know that culture thrives along the American Riviera? Take the Architectural Foundation of Santa Barbara, for example. With the goal of enhancing the community’s awareness and appreciation of architecture, the charitable organization offers and supports a diverse array of programs serving Santa Barbara County: from educational opportunities to special exhibits and more.
Currently, the foundation is presenting “Street Scene Daydream,” a solo exhibition by photographer Jen Zahigian whose work has become synonymous with California style. Known for her use of color, taking ordinary scenes beyond our everyday view, Zahigian often produces photos depicting California historical roadside monuments – monuments of travel, transience, and movement.
Her appreciation for roadside attractions and their dated aesthetic and patina of rust and neglect comes to life in these meaningful photographs. More than 20 photographs are currently on exhibit through February 18, 2016, draw from a body of work spanning seven years. With “Street Scene Daydream” Zahigian’s lens captures worn-out, offbeat and forgotten corners from California to Detroit, with both a quiet watchfulness and the “dreamy, sunny, colorful” expression for which she’s gained recognition.
Zahigian’s work has been featured in a variety of publications including The Sun and NBC New York’s “Roadside America in Pictures.” Several of her photographs can be found in galleries across the state, including SFMOMA Artists Gallery, SLATE Contemporary in Oakland, Wallspace in Los Angeles, and in private collections internationally.
This is just one example of how culture thrives along the American Riviera. If you want to become a culture vulture here and are looking to buy a home in Montecito, Hope Ranch or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities, please call me at 805.886.9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. Consistently rated in the top 1% of Sotheby’s International Realty® agents nationwide for the past 25 years, I represent the highest level of clientele and specialize in the sale and acquisition of extraordinary estates and land here. Let me go the extra mile for you in your search for the perfect home!