Make It: Building a Public Art Practice

Santa Barbara County Office of Arts & Culture is hosting Make It: Building a Public Art Practice, a workshop series for artists is designed to support artists interested in working in a public art context.

Led by nationally respected public art professionals Susan F. Gray and Pat Gomez, this 10-session  workshop series provides practical guidance on navigating public art opportunities—from finding calls and preparing applications to budgeting, fabrication, installation, and long-term care of artworks.

Most sessions will be held on Zoom, and registration is required for each workshop. Participants are welcome to register for the full series or select the sessions that are most relevant to them.

For more information and to register, visit Professional Development Workshops

This workshop series is funded by UPLIFT Central Coast, a regional initiative supported through California Jobs First that invests in workforce development and economic opportunity across the Central Coast.

Open the Door: Understanding public art and how projects are managed
Thursday, March 5, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

Opportunity Knocks: Finding Calls, Curating Your Portfolio, and Applying with Confidence
Thursday, March 12, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

Money Talk: Budgets, fees, and financial management
Thursday, March 19, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

From Dream…: Developing design proposals and presentations
Thursday, March 26, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

…to Reality! Fabrication, installation, and scaling up work
Thursday, April 2, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

Make It Social: Connect with Fellow Public Artists
Thursday, April 9, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Santa Barbara Public Market (38 W. Victoria St., Santa Barbara)
*The April 9 Make It Social is an informal, artist gathering designed for connection and conversation. No workshop content will be presented, and facilitators will not be present.

Build it, and they will come: Coordinating with architects, engineers, and construction teams
Thursday, April 16, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

Tomorrowland: Planning for durability, maintenance, and conservation
Thursday, April 23, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

The Heavy Stuff: Contracts, insurance, and legal considerations
Thursday, April 30, 2026
6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Zoom

The Public Part of Public Art
Saturday, May 2, 2026
1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Channing Peake Gallery (105 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara)