by Anne Petersen
This Friday, July 18 the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation opened a new exhibit at Casa de la Guerra titled Orpha Klinker and Bill Dewey: Landmarks of California. This special project brings together Orpha Klinker’s 1930s paintings of California’s historic resources with contemporary images of the same sites by Santa Barbara photographer William B. Dewey. SBTHP is grateful to Sullivan Goss Gallery for the loan of the Klinker collection and five Dewey photographs. The remainder of the Dewey collection was donated to SBTHP by the photographer, and this is our first opportunity to display them.
Viewing the paintings and photographs side by side produces both moments of satisfaction at the graceful continuity experienced by some of the historic places and some pangs of loss at the irrevocable change wrought upon others. The combined stories of these special sites, conveyed through the powerful pairing of images, reminds us how historic preservation contributes to a sense of place in our communities. This message is especially intrinsic to our mission at SBTHP, and we are proud to host this special exhibit.
Intern Kate Borchard with her favorite Klinker Dewey pair, El Palacio de Abel Stearns, and the same site today. Photo by Anne Petersen.
Volunteer Sam Majewski checks measurements while hanging the artwork. Photo by Anne Petersen.
Special thanks go to Sullivan Goss gallery for making the Klinker collection available for loan, and to SBTHP Artifacts and Exhibits Committee member Bill Dewey for his generous donation of photographic prints and assistance coordinating the project. Thanks also go to SBTHP intern Kate Borchard for assisting with the planning and production of the exhibit, and to volunteer Sam Majewski for helping with the installation.
We will celebrate the opening of the exhibit on August 7 from 5:00 – 8:00 pm as part of the Downtown Organization’s free First Thursday program. The exhibit will be open through October 19, 2014. For hours and directions to Casa de la Guerra, click here.
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Anne Petersen is the Associate Director for Historical Resources at the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation
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