Junípero Serra in Mexico: Five Missions in the Sierra Gorda de Querétaro

In honor of the 300th anniversary of the birth of Fray Junipero Serra, the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation is hosting the traveling exhibition “Junípero Serra in Mexico.” Dramatic images by professional photographer Jeffrey Becom and original pen and ink drawings by local artist Richard Perry highlight spectacular but little known missions founded by Serra in the remote reaches of Mexico’s Sierra Gorda region. 

Exhibit Dates: February 2 - June 30, 2013
Saturday - Sunday, Noon to 4:00 PM
Casa de la Guerra
15 East De la Guerra Street, Santa Barbara
For more information (805) 965-0093

Nihonmachi Revisited: Santa Barbara's Japanese American Community in Transition, 1900-1940

Nihonmachi Revisited covers forty years of life in Santa Barbara’s Nihonmachi, or Japan Town, which was located on the Presidio site during the first half of the 20th century.  The exhibit includes rarely seen historic photographs donated by local families, accounts of life in Nihonmachi from members of the community, and beautifully reconstructed Japanese ceramics excavated on site by SBTHP’s Archaeological Field School.    

Daily, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park
123 East Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara
For more information (805) 965-0093

Ceramics Rediscovered: Science Reshapes Understanding of Hispanic Life in Early California

Discover how ceramics were made, used and traded in early California with the newest exhibit at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, Ceramics Rediscovered: Science Reshapes Understanding of Hispanic Life in Early California. Based on a decade-long investigation of ceramic production using archaeological evidence and scientific analysis, the exhibit offers a rare glimpse into daily life during California’s Spanish and Mexican periods (1769-1848). Featuring period artifacts and reproduction pottery, this groundbreaking exhibit traces the evolution of California’s earliest potters and the material culture they helped shape.

10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park
123 East Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara
FREE with museum admission, $5/adults, $4/seniors (62+),
Free/children 16 & under & SBTHP members
For more information (805) 965-0093

*This exhibit has been developed by the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation in collaboration with the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History,  Santa Clara University, California State Parks, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the University of Texas-Pan American. The exhibit received generous support from the Smithsonian Latino Center.

Memorias y Facturas

Based on the book Documenting Everyday Life in Early Spanish California, "Memorias y Facturas" offers a glimpse into life at the Santa Barbara Presidio between 1781 and 1810. Featuring transcriptions and translations of fifty-two memorias (requisitions) and facturas (invoices) for goods delivered to the Presidio, along with artifacts found on site,
"Memorias y Facturas" helps imagine life on the fringes of the Spanish Empire.

Exhibit Dates:
Daily, 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM
El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park (Northeast Corner)
123 East Canon Perdido Street, Santa Barbara
For more information (805) 965-0093

Ceramics Rediscovered: Science Reshapes Understanding of
Hispanic Life in Early California

Can't make it to El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park. View the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation's latest exhibit at El Presidio online below. Be sure to stop by and see it in person! More information.