Vera Cruz, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County

Vera Cruz

Vera Cruz in Santa Barbara is described by one website as, “A small house inspired by all of the great artists in the world who have built their homes out of bottles, used materials and found objects, while disregarding norms. This project relied on having faith in hundreds of people showing up to paint a scene from their life, and was specifically inspired by Sanford Darling’s House of 1000 Paintings.” A bright-green house on Santa Barbara Street, covered in artwork, is the vision of architect Jeff Shelton, known for his creative designs and artistic elements. Shelton handed out panels and told artists to paint something from a place they traveled or the place where they grew up. It was left vague on purpose, so people could send a cityscape or the sign from their favorite restaurant, he said. Every single piece is donated.

Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara County
Photographer: Andrew Schmidt