SANTA BARBARA, CA.- The end of 2006 marks a shift in the wind for SBMA - this time it blows toward the west. Flanked by two photography exhibitions that look at the art of Pictorialism, Artists at Continent’s End: The Monterey Peninsula Art Colony, 1875-1907 is the anchor for a theme that focuses on our own state of California as a point of inspiration and beauty in the overall history of art. Included in this exhibition are some 70 paintings, photographs, and works on paper drawn from museums and private collections throughout California and beyond. It features artists of major importance to California’s, and America’s, art history - including Jules Tavernier, William Keith, Evelyn McCormick, and photographer Arnold Genthe – as well as other artists, both well- and little-known, who each contributed to the reputation of what is now widely recognized as one of American’s most important art colonies.

Few regions rival the magnificence of California’s Monterey Peninsula. In the late 19th century, the beauty of the landscape, together with a mild climate, rich history, and simplicity of lifestyle, attracted artists of all disciplines. Whereas previous accounts date the establishment of the Monterey Peninsula colony just after the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, this groundbreaking exhibition reveals that the Monterey Peninsula was a gathering place for artists well before 1906.

These kindred spirits shared their ideals and respective arts as they crafted a defining style of California art. Artists of the Monterey Peninsula worked in three major styles: French Barbizon, Tonalism and Impressionism. Beginning with Jules Tavernier’s arrival in 1875, art produced in the area signaled a move away from the strict description of nature toward a more subjective, meditative and harmoniously simple approach. By the turn of the century, the majority of artists in the region had arrived at a deeply personal, tonal style, featuring close-value colors and moody atmospheric effects.

Organized by the Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA, this exhibition is the first to present an in-depth examination of Monterey Peninsula painting and photography from this critical period in California’s art history. After premiering in Sacramento earlier this year February, SBMA receives this collection after having traveled to the Laguna Art Museum and before it makes its way to the Monterey Museum of Art in February 2007. This exhibition has been made possible in part through the generous support of Kathleen Barrows, The Schultz Foundation in memory of George L. Schultz, and Santa Barbara Bank & Trust.