Celebrating the Spirit, Adventure and Legacy of the Old West
The City of Santa Clarita is pleased to present its latest art exhibition, “Saddle Up Santa Clarita,”on view in the First Floor Gallery at City Hall (23920 Valencia Boulevard) now through Wednesday, May 14. A special reception will take place on Friday, April 11, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m., offering guests an opportunity to meet the artists and experience the exhibit firsthand.
“Saddle Up Santa Clarita” is a juried exhibition that highlights Santa Clarita’s rich Western heritage, celebrating the rugged spirit and enduring legacy of the Old West. Through a diverse array of paintings, photographs and mixed-media works, the exhibit captures the untamed beauty of the frontier, cowboy culture, historic landmarks and Western storytelling that helped shape our region’s identity.
Among the featured artists is Don Vernon, who presents three works—Pancho and Lefty, Evening Camp and Dusty. Vernon, a longtime Santa Clarita resident, draws inspiration from his upbringing in Osage County, Oklahoma, and a lifelong love of Western stories and characters. His artwork reflects the imagery of his youth and captures the passage of time and the mystique of a culture built on resilience.
Also included is Meghann Flaherty’s piece Rest Under the Glory of the Valley, a tribute to the 400-year-old oak tree in Pico Canyon that was recently named a Los Angeles historical landmark. Flaherty imagines a cowboy and his steed finding rest under the tree’s canopy—a quiet moment of reflection and connection to the land and its history.
The exhibiting artists include Taylor Thomas, Jayme Sun Thomas, Laurie Morgan, Josh Anderson, Georgette Arison, Christopher Veselich, Nick Kahn, Silvestre “Sal” Vasquez, Scott Parker, Don Vernon, Kerry Clark, Teri Garcia, Tabetha Herr, Eileen Chong, Felicia Tausig, Rachel Patterson, Arthur Anderson, Meghann Flaherty, Coty Schack, Advay Mengle, Dakota Zumsteg, Anthony Forzaglia, Chayliel Quintanilla Flores, Meryl Goudey, Nicholas Jeffries, Isabella Gonzalez, Claudia Koch Godinez, Jasper Martinez and Laura Ledesma.
To learn more about “Saddle Up Santa Clarita” and upcoming art opportunities with the City of Santa Clarita, please visit SantaClaritaArts.com or contact Garrett Fagan at ArtistCall@SantaClarita.gov.
