100th anniversary Old Spanish Days Fiesta poster and pin revealed at the Old Mission
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. – The 100th anniversary poster for this year's Old Spanish Days has been revealed on the steps of the Old Mission.
El Presidente Brian Schwabecher was flanked by Old Spanish Days board members and the special moment was shown live on News Channel 3-12. The mission bells were ringing exactly at 6 p.m. when the cover was pulled back and the poster was shown to the TV audience.
He said, "On behalf of the Old Spanish Days Board of Directors I give you the 100th anniversary Old Spanish Days poster." It was followed by a loud cheer.
In thinking of the poster, he said, "how do I celebrate the past one hundred years while celebrating the present." His concept was a theme, "four nations, one spirit. We are so proud and thrill to give the community this poster," he said.
The poster was created by artist Holly Harmon. It uses the mission as the back drop under a full moon.
It features historic dancers, an indigenous ceremony with fire, a mariachi performer and modern western era images. Overhead a streak in the sky is described as a rocket launch from Vandenberg on one side and the North star on the other side. Harmon says, the poster has images representing the Chumash, Spain, Mexico and the United States. "My heart really is in this community and California," said Harmon. She said, "it was a pinnacle" for her career.
"Fiesta was originally created where we have a full moon so I wanted to incorporate that," she said. It also has the Santa Ynez mountains and palm trees.
"Celebrating dance is one of the biggest ways we celebrate Fiesta so wanted to celebrate that," said Harmon.
Schwabecher said, he worked on it, "probably six months or so, but with research and digging in with what I wanted to do thematically, probably the last 12 years of my work of my volunteerism with this organization."
The poster will be on sale throughout Santa Barbara including at the Old Spanish Days office at the Carriage and Western Art Museum. Many businesses also put up special displays including the ACE Home Improvement Center.
This year's Fiesta pin has also been released. It has an image of a dancer, similar to the poster.
