For Immediate Release
Friends of VADA - friendsofvada@gmail.com | (805) 9101 ext. 5055
Santa Barbara, CA – June 2024 – Santa Barbara High School’s Visual Arts & Design Academy (VADA) proudly announces the official completion and opening of its new creative arts facility. Opening its doors in the fall of 2024, the 3,350‑square‑foot building now serves as a dynamic, flexible, and inspiring home for visual arts, design, and creative education.
The new facility features an integrated Design Lab, digital design workspace, analog art studios, photography suite, and indoor/outdoor exhibition areas—meticulously designed in collaboration with industry experts from KBZ Architects, Adobe, Deckers, and Patagonia to mirror professional creative environments.
Since the building's opening, VADA students have embraced the cutting‑edge, adaptable learning environment. “Flexibility was a key design value,” notes Program Director Daniel Barnett. “We’re doing things in the building that we had no idea we would do, but the building allows us to do because we’ve made it so flexible.”
This project was made possible through a collaborative funding effort: the California Department of Education, Santa Barbara Unified School District, and community support via Friends of VADA contributed generously—raising over $7 million toward the $10.75 million campaign goal.
“This new space symbolizes our commitment to education that equips students for creative futures,” says Andy Beall, president of Friends of VADA. “It links our historic legacy with a bold vision for what’s next.”
VADA looks forward to fostering creativity, critical thinking, and professional readiness in an environment built for innovation.