Curated by Executive Director Stacey Otte

The Wildling presents a one-of-a-kind exhibition that pairs, for the first time, both the art and conservation stories of all eight Channel Islands. The museum chose to include all eight as many people don't realize, depending on where they live, that the chain includes both the Northern islands around the Santa Barbara and Ventura areas, as well as the four islands that are off the coast from the Los Angeles and Long Beach regions.

The islands have many commonalities, but also many differences. Surprisingly, given the ocean that separates the island from the mainland, sheep and cattle ranching are common to many of the islands. Ranching significantly altered the landscapes of the islands, from issues of over-grazing leading to erosion to introduction of non-native grasses and weeds which can crowd out more fragile species endemic to the islands. Islands are an oasis of animal and plant species that, over the generations, have become uniquely adapted to their isolated habitats. For instance mainland quail are noticeably smaller than the quail on Catalina, but in the case of the Island fox, they are much smaller than the Red fox seen in the Valley.

The exhibition includes both historic and contemporary artwork to share the varied landscapes and sweeping vistas of all eight islands. Historic artists include Elmer Wachtel, Carl Oscar Borg, and Lockwood de Forest. Contemporary artists featured include Marcia Burtt, David Gallup, Ron Guthries, Marc Muench, Whitney Abbott, Bill Dewey, Bud Bottoms, and many more. We hope you will visit this exhibition and that it will inspire our you to explore the islands yourself one day.

Click HERE to learn about island inspired and other programming!