••• “A monumental sculpture by a legendary artist has mysteriously vanished from a Montecito property acquired by billionaire toymaker Ty Warner.” The artwork in question is Herbert Bayer’s Walk in Space Painting (1981), which used to be at 1180 Chanel Drive, the former conference center next door to the Biltmore. “In May, a pair of Bayer fans attempting to view the sculpture from over a short brick wall on the backside of the property alerted Koko Bayer [the late artist’s daughter] that the sculpture had disappeared. She flew to Santa Barbara to investigate and found Walk in Space Painting was indeed gone, apparently ripped from the ground and replaced with a roughly sodded lawn.” The space is currently being used to store outdoor furniture. “Koko Bayer does not believe the sculpture could have been removed without destroying it. Archival photos of its 1981 construction show intricate in-ground foundation systems for its water features and freestanding walls. No demolition permits have been recently issued for the Walk in Space Painting property, according to the Santa Barbara County planning and development department, and no work at all has been permitted on the site since 2009.” Bayer also created the Chromatic Gate rainbow on Cabrillo Boulevard. —The Hollywood Reporter (photo courtesy Herbert Bayer Estate)
•••”Ty has made the classiest swim rafts in the shape of butterflies” (in the words of Warner attorney Chip Wullbrandt), which the Biltmore hopes to install off Butterfly Beach, possibly as soon as April. —Montecito Journal
••• “The new county Board of Supervisors set in motion a requirement for the use of state-of-the-art odor-control technology at each of the cannabis greenhouses of the Carpinteria Valley [….] It would amend the county’s cannabis ordinance to require the installation of advanced carbon filtration units, commonly known as ‘scrubbers’—or some ‘equivalent effective technology’—inside each of the 29 greenhouse operations approved by the county, just outside the limits of the City of Carpinteria. […] The growers would have 12 months to install scrubbers, unless they applied for an extension because of time-consuming electrical upgrades or other ‘legitimate challenges.’ A failure to comply would result in the revocation of their county business licenses.” —Independent
••• The Macy’s store at La Cumbre Plaza was not among the 66 store closings recently announced. More closings are expected to follow at an undetermined point. —Yahoo Finance
••• “Santa Barbara’s Metropolitan Transit District currently charges $1.75 as its regular fare. It’s looking at two proposed alternatives. One would raise the base fare from $1.75, to $2.25. The second would take it to $2.50. Rates for kids, and seniors would also go up, as would multiride passes.” —KCLU
••• “Six people were injured after a minivan hit both a sedan with four people in the car and another two pedestrians on Stearns Wharf just before 4:00 p.m. Saturday, according to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department. The minivan, a catering truck, [hit] the sedan, 10 additional vehicles and the two pedestrians, causing moderate injuries.” Car crashes are outside of my purview, but this one raises the question yet again: why are cars allowed on Stearns Wharf? —KEYT
••• “Santa Barbara to Keep Italian Stone Pine Trees Along E. Anapamu Street.” —Noozhawk
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As a born and raised local, I can tell you why cars are allowed on sterns warf. Without that access, the business at the end would fail.
Great news about the Stone Pines!
Oh no! I was planning to go peek at those sculptures and hoped to someday gain access, what a loss.
Ty’s monumental destruction continues. What a shame
Totally! How dare he… *checks notes* … remove art he owns from his own private property. What a shame that people can to do what they want with what they own, maybe the government can help stop this kind of shameful behavior.