The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History kicks off summer with new exhibit
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. — The Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History reopened its doors with a new summer exhibit "Rare Earth" on Saturday in the museum's Fleischmann Auditorium.
Photo by Robert Mosley
With more than 200 specimens in a rainbow of colors and abstract shapes, Rare Earth sought to tell the story of how people can value "the natural world in a new light," according to director of marketing and communications Briana Sapp.
The summer exhibit also showcased sparkling crystals, minerals, and rock formations, which owner and founder of The Arkenstone Fine Minerals, Robert Lavinsky, Ph.D., loaned from his personal collection. Lavinksy attested that with this exhibition the world of art, culture and science connect with "crystal treasures found within the Earth."
SBMNH Earth Science Collection, donated by Ed Womack
“These are the raw materials crushed to build our civilization and make our jewelry for thousands of years, and yet seldom seen in their natural glory as collectible and valuable objects of art, in their own right," said Lavinsky. "Minerals not only make life and civilization possible, but also empower and inspire the arts and culture.”
Fossils were on display, aside from the various sparkling crystals, minerals and rocks.
The skull of a juvenile Triceratops that lived over 66 million years ago and a pair of Colombian Mammoth tusks were several of the fossils in the exhibit.
A local collector who brought the fossils to the museum will donate the historic dinosaur after the exhibit comes to an end.
The exhibit is open Wednesday to Monday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and ends on September 5.
For more information visit sbnature.org/RareEarth.
Editor's Note: A prior version of this story listed the name of the local collector who brought the fossils to the museum. We have removed the collector's name at their request.
