Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara archives, 1976-2022

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Summary

Creators:
Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara
Abstract:
Materials of the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), including administrative files, correspondence, clippings, promotional materials, photographs, and audiovisual items.
Extent:
43.23 Linear Feet (39 boxes, 1 doc box, 12 scrapbook albums, 16 flat oversize boxes, 1 poster tube, 1 flat file, 158 videocassettes, 21 DVDs, 4 audiocassettes, 2 audio CDs, and 1 portable hard drive)
Language:
English .
Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara archives, SBHC Mss 138. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Background

Scope and content:

The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCSAB) archives contains materials related to exhibition planning, design, and implementation. The collection contains administrative records, artist catalogs, promotional materials, posters, guides, artist research materials, event documentation, press clippings, photographs, negatives, and slides of artworks and exhibitions, and correspondence with artists and galleries. The majority of the collection materials are paper-based; however, there are also moving image, recorded sound, and born digital materials.

Biographical / historical:

"The Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) was founded as alternative arts space Santa Barbara Contemporary Arts Forum (CAF) in 1976 by artists and art supporters seeking a venue dedicated solely to contemporary art as a "forum" for the display of and discussion about artwork being made today, both locally and in the larger national and international art community.

CAF found its first home in the historic Balboa Building in downtown Santa Barbara, before moving into the current 3,500 square foot venue in the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center in 1990. From 2011 to 2018, MCASB operated a satellite location at the Hotel Indigo Santa Barbara on lower State Street, near the Funk Zone neighborhood and the Cabrillo coastline. This site enabled MCASB to further its mission by offering cutting-edge exhibitions and public programs to an even larger segment of the community—free of charge. The space also enhanced MCASB's capacity for creative partnerships with local neighborhood associations such as the Funk Zone, Santa Barbara Waterfront, Urban Wine Trail, Stearns Wharf, and the Historic Downtown Santa Barbara Arts District.

In 2012, CAF became Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) with a refined mission toward education and the arts. MCASB became an American Alliance of Museums accredited institution in 2016. Operating as a kunsthalle, MCASB continues to function as a non-collecting, non-profit museum dedicated to innovative and experimental contemporary art and arts education.

Its world-class roster features solo and group exhibitions of artists of diverse media, ethnicity, geography, and gender, with accompanying scholarly publications serving as critical contributions to the field of art. MCASB promotes avant-garde performance art and has been the only Santa Barbara museum with an ongoing roster of new music, dance, video, and performance art, often co-sponsored with local institutions. MCASB presents 3-4 exhibitions and over 30 special events each year. Admission to the MCASB remains free and open to all."

[Excerpts from Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, mcasantabarbara.org/about/history]

Acquisition information:
Gift of Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara Board of Trustees, 2023.
Arrangement:

This collection is arranged into nine series by content theme, material type and date.

  • Series 1, Administrative Records, 1976-2019
  • Series 2, Exhibitions and Artist Research Files
  • Series 3, Brochures, flyers, Catalogs, and Posters
  • Series 4, Press Clippings
  • Series 5, Photographs
  • Series 6, Slides
  • Series 7, Moving Images
  • Series 8, Audio Recordings
  • Series 9, Born Digital Materials

Physical location:
Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library
Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

The collection is open for research. Audiovisual materials must be reformatted for access.

Terms of access:

Property rights to the collection and physical objects belong to the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at the UCSB Library. All applicable literary rights, including copyright to the collection and physical objects, are protected under Chapter 17 of the U.S. Copyright Code and are retained by the creator and the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns.

All requests to reproduce, quote from, or otherwise reuse collection materials must be submitted in writing to the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB at special@ucsb.edu. Consent is given on behalf of the Regents of the University of California acting through the Department of Special Research Collections at UCSB as the owner of the physical items and is not intended to include or imply permission from the copyright owner. Such permission must be obtained from the copyright owner, heir(s), or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to determine who holds the copyright and pursue the copyright owner or their assigns for permission to publish where the UC Regents do not hold the copyright.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of Item], Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara archives, SBHC Mss 138. Department of Special Research Collections, UC Santa Barbara Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.

Location of this collection:
UC Santa Barbara Library
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-9010, US
Contact:
(805) 893-3062
special@library.ucsb.edu
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