Vera Cruz House
521 Santa Barbara Street,
Santa Barbara, California
93101
Architect Jeff Shelton has created numerous unique properties throughout the Santa Barbara area. One such property built in 2013 on Santa Barbara Street is known as the Vera Cruz House. The entire front of this green house, and much of the sides is covered in all sorts of colorful panels and amazing art pieces.
Shelton and artist Richard Wilke painted about sixty of the panels, but the rest are all painted by local artists who volunteered for the task and donated their art work. Shelton handed out the panels to the local artists asking them to paint something from a place they had traveld or a place where they had grown up. He put some limits on the art, stating no profanity, no nudity, and no political statements. Additionally, he banned the use of clowns, rainbows and dolphins in any of the artwork. One of the paintings was even done by the plumber, Jose Hernandez, who installed the irrigation for the house. Apparently, he use to paint pottery. Hernandez's piece is located on one of the sides of the house, and is of the Sonoran Desert. It is below a guitar and above a mountain peak, right on the right most edge of the building.
Jeff Shelton's inspiration for the Vera Cruz House came from a house way back in the sixties and seventies known as the House of a Thousand Paintings. Located in Santa Barbara, the House of a Thousand Paintings was created by local artist Sanford Darling, born in Santa Barbara in 1894. Shortly after his retirement, his wife sadly passed away, and he decided to temporarily leave Santa Barbara to take several extended trips throughout Europe and Asia, returning to Santa Barbara in 1963. Upon his return, he decided to take up painting and began recreating scenes memoralizing the places which he had visited on his trips. He covered the walls, floors, furniture and even the appliances inside his house, and when he needed more space, began hanging his artwork outside, eventually painting the entire exterior of the house, as well. When he passed away ten years later on April 17th, 1973, his artwork was broken up and sent to a variety of collectors and museums.
The painted panels use UV paint and a special coating in order to help them survive the outside elements, but they will eventually fade and require replacing. The house is a private residence and is rented out. Please do not disturb those who live there. Jeff Shelton has designed many other buildings throughout Santa Barbara; one of the more famous ones being the very unique Ablitt Tower.
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First Created: 2021-07-11
Last Edited: 2021-07-11
