SBPL Invites Public Input on Faulkner Galleries

Santa Barbara Public Library presented a plan as part of the FY24 budget cycle to align rentals for art exhibition space in the Faulker Galleries with City policies on cost recovery, to maintain consistency with policies for similar opportunities offered by other City departments, and to increase access to gallery spaces for emerging artists and those from diverse or traditionally underrepresented backgrounds as an initiative to put our mission statement into action. 

The proposal included:

• A change to the fee schedule
  • Regular cost increases associated with increased costs overall
  • Package rental that included the 1st Thursday reception
  • Marketing of the art exhibitions
• A change to the jurying and application process for gallery reservations beginning in 2024
• ​​​​​​​A process for facilitating art sales

This proposal was overwhelmingly supported by the Arts Advisory Board, Library Board, and City Council, but City Council did ask that a further discussion on commissions and art sales be taken to the Library Board before implementation. The purpose of this further discussion is to address the concerns surrounding the occasional art exhibition with sales benefiting a non-profit. All other aspects of art exhibitions’ fee schedule changes are moving forward as presented in the FY24 budget. The Library had received feedback over the years that it would be convenient to facilitate sales in the Library and that a lower commission rate than private galleries would be beneficial, which is why this was included in the updated policies.

Interested parties are welcome and encouraged to offer their input on these matters by emailing LibraryAdmin@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.  Staff will present a revised plan regarding art commissions to the Library Board at the next Library Board meeting on September 14th at noon at Central Library.

Santa Barbara Public Library is also committed to engaging with stakeholders on the future of the Faulkner Galleries. To this end, we will host two public workshops with opportunities for artists to provide input on the future of the Faulkner Galleries, including plans for upgrades to the Faulkner Galleries as part of a renovation to modernize the facility, and the workflow for jurying and/or applying for gallery space in 2024 and beyond. The two opportunities to participate in these changes are scheduled for August 28th at 5 p.m. and on August 31st at 11 a.m. Find more details in the SBPL events calendar.

SBPL is deeply committed to maintaining the legacy of the Faulkner Gallery as a space to highlight local artists and as an accessible venue for new and emerging artists to exhibit their work and collaborating with the public to solicit input on the process.