IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF DIEBENKORN
MARCH 15-20
SANTA CRUZ ISLAND
Richard Diebenkorn’s close friend and fraternity brother at Stanford, Casey Stanton, inherited Santa Cruz Island as a young man. Diebenkorn visited and painted there regularly for decades. The nature Conservancy now owns most of the island, and we will be among the few visitors allowed to stay overnight, near TNC headquarters in the central valley, close to where the Stanton Ranch is located.
From March 15th -20th this trip is planned for working artists to sketch and/or paint in the same places that Diebenkorn worked. This will definitely include Prisoners Harbor, and may, depending on weather and road conditions, also include Christy Ranch, coastal areas, beaches, and inland valleys and hills. We may be able to visit the Stanton Ranch itself, now owned by the nature Conservancy, and see the additional views Diebenkorn painted, as well as the Santa Cruz Flag Diebenkorn designed.
We hope to hold an exhibition and sale of artwork from the trip to benefit the UCSB Natural Reserves SCI Research Station.
DATES: March 15 - 20, 2026
ONLY 10 SPACES AVAILABLE: First come, first serve.
COST: $700 covers food and lodging at the Research Station. $96 ($91, seniors) covers your boat ride to Santa Cruz on Island Packers out of Ventura. Alcohol is available on the premises but you will be expected to contribute towards its cost. (You can also bring your own.) There will be Santa Cruz Island hats available for purchase at $25 each.
Conditions are rustic. While we will have access to pick-up trucks to traverse the island, the trucks are old, the roads are rutted, and seating is mostly outside. There will be hiking with equipment daily. We will be staying at a small field station for researchers. Cabins are shared and unheated, but there is running water and a working kitchen. Your packing list (to be sent later) will include a sleeping bag. For an additional fee, there are a few rooms available for couples, with one double bed each.
Questions? Contact Michael Marzolla at ammarzolla@mac.com
TO BOOK BOAT PASSAGE: Please visit island packers.com or call 805-642-1393 to buy tickets.
The following book will be very useful for artists who join this trip. It is only available secondhand and is expensive, but you may find a copy at the library. Richard Diebenkorn and Carey Stanton: A Private Collection, by Marla Daily, Santa Cruz Island Foundation, 2005.