Santa Barbara Bank & Trust may donate building, funds to create SP Collection Museum

March 29, 2002
Santa Paula News

The 400-plus paintings known as the Santa Paula Collection may soon find a new home and life, showcased in one of the city’s most notable buildings through a gift from Santa Barbara Bank & Trust to a foundation to be established by the Santa Paula Historical Society.

“We’ve been working on this a good year to bring it to the point of presenting it to the community,” said SBB&T Senior Vice President Sue Chadwick at a meeting held in the historic building, located at the corner of Main and Mill streets.

By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe 400-plus paintings known as the Santa Paula Collection may soon find a new home and life, showcased in one of the city’s most notable buildings through a gift from Santa Barbara Bank & Trust to a foundation to be established by the Santa Paula Historical Society.“We’ve been working on this a good year to bring it to the point of presenting it to the community,” said SBB&T Senior Vice President Sue Chadwick at a meeting held in the historic building, located at the corner of Main and Mill streets.SPHS President Mary Alice Orcutt Henderson said it was time to “share the vision we share of what this building can become,” a museum-gallery and centralized home to the acclaimed - but scattered - Santa Paula Collection of paintings.The paintings for the most part are the best of show winners since 1937 of the annual Santa Paula Art & Photography Show. Over the years the Chamber of Commerce (which later donated their collection to the city which, in turn, purchased more), Santa Paula Memorial Hospital, elementary and high school districts and library collected the paintings.The building, formerly the longtime home of Citizens State Bank, became SBB&T property through a buy out several years ago. Chadwick said SBB&T “knew we would have to renovate the building,” its massive second floor the long-ago home to the Masonic Temple; there is a smaller third story.During the renovation, including seismic upgrading offset by a generous FEMA grant, the SBB&T moved its branch operations to the middle of the complex; a building tenant, the Santa Paula Times, is located at the west end of the building.Bank officials decided the branch would be best served by remaining in the scaled-down space; if the plans go through, the bank would donate the building to the foundation, remain in the branch office for $1 a year, while the foundation benefited from other its other rentals.Chadwick said SBB&T “obviously wants to do something for the community,” and will donate $100,000 “seed money” to help the project along.Henderson said a foundation would oversee the acquisition; an anonymous donor has already offered to match the SBB&T donation if plans come to fruition.
The interior of the building is stripped down to the bare bones and would have to undergo upgrading; in addition, an elevator and system to control the humidity to protect the paintings would have to be installed.“There are no detailed plans,” said architect Doug Nelson, who specializes in historical properties. But, the building shows much promise with its “good bone structure,” and classic adaptive rehabilitation would restore it to its former grandeur.A bonus would be the attraction such a museum-gallery would hold for cultural tourism: “I’m personally passionate about the project,” said Nelson. “. . .the Heritage Valley concept is strong and a museum with the art collection would enhance this beautiful valley.”Bill Orcutt noted that the collection includes up to 15 works by acclaimed artists Jesse Arms and Cornelis Botke, two of the founders of the annual art show. Each Botke is worth $60,000 to $100,000 each.In the past, each graduating class would purchase a painting as a gift to the high school.Orcutt noted that many of the paintings in the collection are in “great disrepair” with those in schools often hung in auditoriums near cafeterias, exposed to grease, dust and, in some cases, vandalism. Amateur attempts at restoration have further damaged some paintings while others have simply disappeared. “Santa Paula has a heritage here that needs to be protected,” and any foundation overseeing the collection would be generous in lending them back to the original owners, he added.Such public owners now have new reporting laws to contend with that would make a foundation assuming ownership of the paintings realistic, said Interim City Manager Paul Skeels.Grants “small to significant” are plentiful, said Meg Phelps, with both public and private entities eager for opportunities to fund many facets of such an art foundation effort. “The collection as it exists is under appreciated and in dreadful condition. . .a foundation would allow the collection to be organized, centralized and preserved. It’s about getting people to the art and art to the people.”“Santa Paula is the art capital of Ventura County,” said John Nichols. “Most people just don’t know it. . .” A gallery owner and curator, Nichols said portions of the collection have been widely exhibited throughout the county and a traveling exhibit, as well as prints, could be sources of continued foundation income.A museum featuring the Santa Paula Collection is such a historic building would be a “great benefit to the downtown and to its economy,” said California Oil Museum Executive Director Mike Nelson, who noted that such attractions could reach “critical mass” and attract more and more visitors.



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