POSTER/T-SHIRT HISTORY & ARCHIVES
We are continuing to update our merchandise offerings with past Solstice T-Shirt and Poster designs. Please continue to check back if you don't find what you are looking for! Thank you for your support
of this heartfelt offering to our community.
Explore our on-demand merchandise including, tanks, tees, sweatshirts, water bottles, posters and more. A selection of past years designs are also available!
ABOUT THE POSTER AND T-SHIRT ART
Since the beginning of the Summer Solstice Celebration, there has been a flier or poster announcing the Celebration to the community. Michael Gonzales, the originator of the Solstice Celebration, designed the early fliers and posters. Since the first poster competition in 1974, local artists have submitted their artwork in January or February and we have a show featuring the submitted artwork and encourage the community to vote for their favorite. Sales of our Poster, T-Shirt and Hats generate revenue that contributes towards producing the Solstice Celebration Festival and Parade.
2022 Shine
"Shine" by local mixed media graphic artist Heather Andrew was selected as the winner of Santa Barbara's Summer Solstice 2022 Poster & T-shirt Contest.
Heather's colorful and energetic interpretation of this year's theme was inspired by her twins River Sea and Indie Ocean, who share her love of Santa Barbara. Heather is a Santa Barbara Native and has enjoyed almost every Solstice Celebration here in beautiful Santa Barbara. Heather says "As a Native Santa Barbarian Solstice means celebrating all the different cultures of Santa Barbara. To me, it is really the celebration of our unique community where everyone comes together to enjoy all the beautiful and eclectic things about Santa Barbara; a celebration of this beautiful life and the abundance of community we are so lucky to have." Heather added: This year is going to be a very special celebration as we return back to a sense of normalcy and our resilient and vibrant community comes back together to "Shine" once again.
2021 Bloom
"Rain of Blooms" by local artist Wanda Venturelli has been selected as the winner of Santa Barbara's Summer Solstice 2021 Poster & T-shirt Contest.
Wanda is energized by the natural beauty of our local environment. A fine art major who gravitated to architecture, she studied at Sci-Arc in Southern California and has teamed with local architects on residential projects as well as with her husband Bruce Venturelli. Drawing is the foundation of her art practice, and while she devotes herself to painting full time at her downtown studio, she also incorporates years of creation in many other mediums, such as kiln formed glass.
An important focus for Wanda has been her community work in Santa Barbara. For many years she has dedicated her time and creative energy to Kids Draw Architecture, Montessori Center, Santa Barbara International Film Festival, State Street Ballet Young Dancers, and in recent years, the Community Arts Workshop Outreach Committee, helping to produce many events celebrating fellow artists. Wanda anticipates the Santa Barbara Solstice Parade every year as an artistic high point, with abundant opportunities for a variety of artists to produce handmade works of incredible dimension at the CAW workshop. Ultimately for Wanda, her love of family and friends is the air and water and soil from which her creativity grows. It is in this spirit of effusive creativity that the oil painting “Rain of Blooms” was created, as a celebration of verdant growth, renewal, and the holistic cycle of all life forms.
2020 Beautiful Earth
Katreece Montgomery was selected as the winner of the 2020 Santa Barbara Summer Solstice t-shirt and poster contest for Beautiful Earth.
Katreece said "I have dabbled in various areas of art and design throughout my life, but my true passion has always been in illustration. I especially love drawing whimsical botanicals and food. Beautiful Earth was inspired by my parent's beautiful Santa Barbara garden. I am beyond thrilled and honored to be selected, thank you!"
2019 Wonder
David Mark Lane was selected as the winner of the 2019 Santa Barbara Summer Solstice t-shirt and poster contest for Wonder.
David Mark Lane, an artist and architect, was born in Hartford, Connecticut. He has worked and lived in Santa Barbara, California since the '90s. For this year’s poster art, David worked with his hand-drawn sketches and completed the work in Photoshop. He has created a new media form he likes to call 'primitive digital.” David says, “This artwork recalls the era when the Solstice Celebration began. I’m so happy to be selected this year. Number 3 is a charm. It’s my 3rd time entering the contest."
David’s additional work can be seen at https://society6.com/davidmarklane
2018 Heroes
Victor Elsey is the artist behind the 2018 Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Solstice t-shirt and poster contest for Heroes.
An Art Director whose creative career took him from London to New York City to Santa Barbara to San Francisco, Elsey has fond memories of Santa Barbara through the years and had this to say about his Solstice poster: "I am honored to be selected by the Summer Solstice Committee to design their 2018 poster and T-shirt. In my painting, I wanted to capture all the excitement, color and spirit of the wonderful solstice parade of carnival characters. This has been a year of so much tragedy in our small community, so this year the solstice theme is Heroes- paying tribute to all the courageous men and women who came to our rescue."
2017 Celebrating Unity
Caroline Hambright's "Solstice Universe" was selected as winner of the 2017 Summer Solstice Celebration t-shirt and poster contest for Celebrating Unity.
Born in Los Angeles, Caroline moved to Santa Barbara with her family when she was ten. One of the first graduating classes from Santa Barbara High’s VADA, Caroline went on to study art at SBCC and San Francisco State, where she received her BA in Studio Art. Caroline’s art has been featured around Santa Barbara and San Francisco. Now she teaches art, math, and reading to Kindergarten through sixth grade at Brandon Elementary. Her other interests include singing and playing guitar as well as designing and creating sets for local theatrical productions.
“Solstice Universe” is a representation of Caroline's early years with Solstice. When she moved to Santa Barbara, she was afraid the town would not be accepting of an eccentric artist such as herself. Then, her sister’s dance teacher, Steven Lovelace, asked her to help him work on a float for the Summer Solstice Parade. This experience with Solstice helped her feel accepted in the community. “Solstice Universe” was inspired by that experience. The characters are based on Solstice Artists and amalgamations of people she has seen over the years participating in the parade. To Caroline, this is what Solstice is about; letting your imagination soar, not being afraid to be yourself and celebrating the unique, wild-haired, creative beauty in us all.
