Santa Barbara Maritime Museum Events

Thursday August 13 10:00am - Sunday November 29 5:00pm PST

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA, 93109, United States

SBMM Presents Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum PresentsPlay: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin On View August 13 – November 29, 2026A playful, story-rich exhibition exploring the breadth of human emotion through bronze, silhouettes, and poetry SBMM is delighted to present Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan (Susie) Read Cronin, on view August 13 through November 29, 2026. With humor and imagination at its heart, Play invites visitors to experience the full spectrum of human feeling through Cronin’s allegorical bronze sculptures — alongside her silhouettes and poetry. Cronin’s pieces are imaginative and disarmingly joyful: small scenes that feel like fables, visual puns that reward a second look, and characters that seem to carry on secret conversations. Cronin takes the word “play” literally, as she plays with words, scale, perspective and sometimes danger. While the work often begins in laughter, it doesn’t stay on the surface. Play explores tenderness, longing, mischief, vulnerability, and wonder — reminding us that imagination and play can be both a refuge and a way of discovering the truth. In her own words, Cronin calls her work “figurative and narrative,” grounded in gesture and emotion. Her titles unlock new layers of meaning across sculpture and text. Play invites us to slow down, look closer, and rediscover the simple joy of being human. Bronze has a long and distinguished relationship with maritime history. For centuries, it has been valued for its strength, beauty, and resilience, appearing in tools, trade goods, ship fittings, and other objects shaped by life at sea. At the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, bronze resonates not only as a historic material, but also as one deeply tied to craftsmanship, exploration, and endurance. In Play, Susan Read Cronin reimagines this storied medium through sculptures that are imaginative, lyrical, and unexpectedly expressive. Her work offers a contemporary perspective on bronze, transforming a material long associated with utility and permanence into one of wit, emotion, and wonder. In doing so, the exhibition creates a thoughtful bridge between maritime legacy and artistic invention. As an added bonus, for those of you who have always longed to understand how a bronze sculpture is made, part of the show explains and simplifies the lost wax bronze casting process. Exhibition Details Exhibition: Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan (Susie) Read CroninDates: August 13 – November 29, 2026Location: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Suite 190, Santa Barbara, CA 93109Hours: Open daily, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.Admission: Included with museum admission (SBMM members free). About the Artist Susan (Susie) Read Cronin is a sculptor, writer, and multidisciplinary artist known for bronze sculptures that blend craft with playfulness and narrative charm. Educated at The Madeira School, she earned a B.A. in English from Williams College and studied with sculptors Jane B. Armstrong and Walter Matia. After many years working in Vermont, Cronin relocated full-time to Santa Barbara in 2016. Her work has been exhibited widely, including solo shows across Vermont, New York City, Denver, and California, and her exhibition Fables, Foibles, and Fairy Tales has traveled to 18 museums and other venues around the country.

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, CA, 93109, United States

Tuesday September 1 through September 30

A New Way to Support SBMM

Our New Fundraiser with HighTide is Live! HighTide is a mobile app that gives members over $4,000 in deals at local businesses while raising money to support our mission. Memberships are $40 each, and every membership purchased in support of SBMM earns $20 to help advan......More

Monday September 21 10:00am - 11:30am PDT

Museum on the Move: Carpinteria Salt Marsh

Go Beyond the Museum: Exclusive Access to Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve We’re excited to introduce Museum on the Move, a new series of special experiences that takes the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum beyond its walls. Created exclusively for Navigator Circle members at the Officer Level ($1,500+) and above, Museum on the Move offers access to places, people, and experiences that are not always available to the general public. Throughout the year, members will be invited to enjoy unique outings, behind-the-scenes opportunities, and special adventures celebrating our region’s maritime history and natural environment. Join Us for Our Inaugural Excursion UCSB’s Carpinteria Salt Marsh ReserveMonday, September 2110:00–11:30 a.m.Estero Street, Carpinteria For our first Museum on the Move adventure, enjoy the rare opportunity to explore UCSB’s Carpinteria Salt Marsh Reserve, a protected area not open to the general public. Guided by SBMM naturalists, we’ll venture into this remarkable coastal ecosystem to discover its unique plants and wildlife and learn about the important role the marsh plays in our local environment. Because access to the reserve is limited, we want guests to know what to expect before attending. The outing includes approximately 0.5 miles of walking on an unpaved dirt path, and entry to the reserve requires crossing unmarked railroad tracks. Street parking is available nearby on Carpinteria Avenue. If you have mobility or accessibility concerns, please contact us in advance so we can provide additional information about the route and help determine whether the experience will be comfortable and appropriate for you. Space is limited and advance reservations are required. Reserve Your Spot by Wednesday, September 16 To RSVP, ask accessibility questions, or learn more about upgrading your membership to enjoy Museum on the Move experiences, please contact Emily Duncan, Director of Development, at [email protected] or 805-456-8744. Thank you for your continued support of the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum. We look forward to exploring with you during our first Museum on the Move adventure!

Saturday September 26 9:30am - 2:30pm PDT

Girls in Ocean Science Conference Middle School

The Girls in Ocean Science Conference takes place annually in September with one session open to middle school (6th-8th grades) students and two sessions open to high school (9th-12th grades) students. This year, the middle school conference will take place on Saturday,......More

Sunday September 27 8:30am - 4:30pm PDT

Girls in Ocean Science Conference High School

The Girls in Ocean Science Conference takes place annually in September with one session open to middle school (6th-8th grades) students and two sessions open to high school (9th-12th grades) students. This year, the high school conference will take place on Sunday, Sep......More

Thursday October 15 7:00pm - 8:30pm PDT

October Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series Presents "Discovery & Education in the Wild at UCSB’s Hidden Gem: The Natural Reserve System"

SBMM is pleased to welcome Conner Philson, PhD, Executive Director of UC Santa Barbara’s Natural Reserve System, for the October installment of its Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series. Philson will present “Discovery & Education in the Wild at UCSB’s Hidden Gem: The Natural Reserve System” on Thursday, October 15, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. at the museum. SBMM members are invited to a pre-lecture reception from 6:15–6:45 p.m. Tickets: Free for Navigators Circle members, $10 for SBMM members, $20 for the general public, and $5 for students and educators with valid school ID or email. For reservations, visit sbmm.org, email [email protected], or call (805) 456-8750. Register Today Tucked into the hills, coastlines, mountains, and Channel Islands of some of California’s most distinctive ecosystems, UC Santa Barbara’s Natural Reserve System is one of the university’s best-kept secrets. The network of seven protected wildlands serves as a living laboratory where scientists, students, and conservation partners study the natural world and develop new approaches to understanding and protecting it. During the presentation, Philson will offer an inside look at the Natural Reserve System—what it is, how it developed, and why its protected sites, research programs, and educational opportunities are increasingly important. Drawing from a portfolio of more than 270 active research projects, Philson will highlight discoveries spanning ecology, evolution, climate science, marine biology, and related fields. Topics will include rare species recovery, long-term climate monitoring, and collaborative research that helps scientists better understand the ecosystems supporting clean air, water, food, wildlife, and human communities. The program will also explore the reserves’ vital role as classrooms without walls. Through field-based, experiential learning, students gain direct exposure to ecosystems and scientific methods in ways that cannot be replicated in a traditional lecture hall. “Conner brings a leading perspective on what it means to conduct research and learn in California’s wildest and most distinctive ecosystems,” said Executive Director of SBMM Dean Noble. “His work directing the UCSB Natural Reserve System reflects the kind of partnership among science, education, and land stewardship that is essential to understanding and conserving the ecosystems on which we all depend.” Philson is driven by advancing discovery and connection in the natural world through protected wild places and field-based science and education. As Executive Director of the Natural Reserve System at UC Santa Barbara, he oversees a network of protected lands and field laboratories supporting research, teaching, and conservation across California’s diverse ecosystems. He earned his PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from UCLA, where he studied the social behavior of wild mammals at field sites around the world. Philson also serves as President of the Organization of Biological Field Stations, a global network of field research laboratories. Whether attendees are longtime Santa Barbara residents, students, educators, or simply curious about the natural world, the presentation will offer a deeper appreciation for the wild spaces and living laboratories advancing science, education, and conservation throughout the region. Event DetailsDate: October 15, 2026Time: 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.Location: Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, 113 Harbor Way, Santa BarbaraTickets: Free for Navigators Circle members, $10 for SBMM members, $20 for the general public, and $5 for students and educators with valid school ID or email.

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SBMM Presents Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin

A New Way to Support SBMM

Museum on the Move: Carpinteria Salt Marsh

Girls in Ocean Science Conference Middle School

Girls in Ocean Science Conference High School

October Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series Presents "Discovery & Education in the Wild at UCSB’s Hidden Gem: The Natural Reserve System"

Group Results

Tag sale

Pelham Jewish Center

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

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About Us

Contact Information

About Us

Contact Information

SBMM Presents Play: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin

A New Way to Support SBMM

Museum on the Move: Carpinteria Salt Marsh

Girls in Ocean Science Conference Middle School

Girls in Ocean Science Conference High School

October Maritime Distinguished Speaker Series Presents "Discovery & Education in the Wild at UCSB’s Hidden Gem: The Natural Reserve System"

Group Results

Tag sale

Pelham Jewish Center

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