Santa Barbara Museum Of Art — Attraction in Santa Barbara

I purchased tickets for the Van Gogh exhibit last Saturday, two tickets for a total of $50. The museum website stated that the museum would close at 5 p.m. We arrived at 3:30, having traveled from Thousand Oaks. We had left in time to arrive by 2:30, but there was an accident causing a delay. We attempted to call the museum en route to inquire whether we would still be permitted entry, but despite trying every line on the phone tree, nobody answered. When we arrived, signs posted outside said that the museum would be closing at 4 p.m. due to a private event. Thinking we would make the most of our 30 minutes, we entered the museum. We were met by a security guard who very loudly and brusquely told us "the museum is closed" the moment we opened the door. We told the guard that we had tickets and that there had been no indication of the early closure on the website. And, further, we mentioned that the sign outside said the museum was open for another half hour. The guard said "well we aren't letting anyone else in"; he gestured to the side and said " they might give you a refund." We went to the front desk and explained our situation. The woman at the counter took down my order number and said that a refund would issue the next day when a staff member who could process it returned to the desk. I took down her name and left. Five days later, I checked my credit card statement and no refund has issued. I called and left a voicemail; again, nobody was able to take my call. I sent an email to the ticketing department and have received no response. It was disappointing, to say the least, to be treated so rudely. Not being issued a refund added insult to injury.

*Update full refund issued. Thank you for taking the time to respond....

I have visited many museums before, but I had never encountered such an uncomfortable situation until now. While exploring place , I noticed one of the male white guards continuously focusing on me, which I found to be unwarranted and unsettling. This behavior persisted even as I moved to the second floor, where it seemed like another guard began following me discreetly. When approached him to inquire about the matter, he couldn't provide any valid reason for their attention towards me.

The uncomfortable level of attention I was receiving made it difficult for me to continue enjoying my visit, and as a result, I couldn't finish exploring the museum as I had initially intended. To rule out any potential misunderstandings, I asked if their concern was due to the size of my canvas tote bag, which I thought might have violated the museum's bag policy. However, the guard assured me that this was not the case.

I’d to emphasize that I have always been considerate of others' personal space and the objects in the museum. Is it because I am a woman of color? I hope this was not the case, as every visitor should be treated with the same level of respect and courtesy, regardless of their background.

I hope next time this experience doesn’t happen to others. Visitors should feel welcomed, comfortable, and respected during their visits. On the other note, I don’t think I’ll ever want to return to this...

What we heard about how the new director, Amanda Cruz, and the board dismissed years of collaborative work of a highly acclaimed curator is shocking and defies any professional ethics. The criterion of a lack of diversity in a historical show about a key chapter of American art history is even more shocking. The museum could have used the exhibition to create discussion and discourse exactly about these issues, in how American art history evolved. But to simply cancel an entire show in a censorship mode, after it had been approved and lots of work invested, and fire the curator as "too scholarly" is truly truly shocking. It will not contribute to the museum's national and international reputation and I can only hope that Amanda Cruz will not destroy more of a genuine mission orientation of an art museum, given her incredible controversial reputation and lousy scholarship on Takashi Murakami, one of the most corporate artists today. It is really saddening to know that all of this could even happen. It is an extreme example of how museums can turn corporate, give up quality, and true engagement with art and the country's very own art history. I am convinced this event and more like this will damage the reputation of the museum for years to come. You might get local visitors, but you offend an entire professional art...