01
Annual Scholarship
One emerging Santa Barbara artist receives a year of one-on-one mentorship and direct career support, selected from the fall Plein Air Santa Barbara show.
In memory of Chris Potter, 1974 – 2024
Light, salt air,
and the next
brushstroke.
The Chris Potter Art Foundation supports emerging Santa Barbara artists with scholarships, materials grants, mentorship, and free plein air classes — carrying forward the practice Chris gave so much of his life to.
Santa Barbara, plein air
Our mission
To remove the barriers that keep talented Santa Barbara artists from making the next painting — through direct financial support, mentorship, and a community that makes the work feel possible.
What we do
Four ways the Foundation shows up.
02
Materials Grants
Direct funding for supplies — paints, canvas, brushes, framing — so cost never decides whether the next piece gets made.
03
Mentorship
Free consultations with established local artists. Real working painters, real working sessions, no gatekeeping.
04
Free Plein Air Classes
A five-class series with rotating instructors. Bring a panel, leave with a painting, learn the way Chris learned — outside, in California.
Who Chris was
A working painter who believed art shapes a community.
Chris Potter spent his life painting the Santa Barbara coast — Leadbetter, Hendry's, the Gaviota bluffs — outside, in the wind, directly from observation. He passed away in February 2024. The Foundation exists because he asked it to: a way for the practice he loved to keep reaching the next artist who needs it.
Read Chris's story →For supporters
Give in Chris's name.
Every dollar goes to a Santa Barbara artist's next canvas, brush, or class. Donate via Zelle today — Venmo coming soon.
For artists
Apply for a grant.
If you're an emerging Santa Barbara artist, the Foundation wants to help. Applications are simple and routed straight to our team.