Fifty Shades of Rose
A courtyard cheers to our H+G special issue
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Photography by Ingrid Bostrom
Few settings incarnate the artistic ethos of Santa Barbara better than the Meridian Studios, a complex of colorfully patinaed 1830s adobe buildings on De La Guerra Street, making it the ideal locale to fete Santa Barbara Magazine’s 50th year.
Guests gathered to celebrate the magazine’s Spring Home and Garden issue. The cover features a whimsical watercolor image of a classic Santa Barbara abode (“The Palm Façade”) by local illustrator/writer Olivia Joffrey, one of four local artists commissioned to design covers for the magazine’s seasonal issues in 2025.
To toast the issue, Anna and Bion Rice, owners of Artiste Winery in Santa Ynez, poured glasses of The Palm Façade Rosé with Joffrey’s cover art on the label. Artiste, which is known for its wines with specially designed labels, will release for sale three additional wines bearing Santa Barbara Magazine cover images by local artists during 2025.
Hosted by editorial director and CEO Jennifer Smith and executive editor Gina Tolleson, the gathering included a gaggle of creatives, including designers Penelope Bianchi, Rita Chan, Lawren Howell, Jeffrey Alan Marks, and Christina Rottman; artist Olivia Joffrey; marketing maven Alice Ryan Miller; boutique owners Matt Albiani and Ron Brand (Mate) and Maja Smith (Found by Maja); photographer Sara Prince; and writers Jennifer Blaise Kramer and Lorie Dewhirst Porter. Noted chef and cookbook author Pascale Beale provided an edible still-life of garden vegetables and dips to accompany The Palm Façade Rosé.
Special thanks to Fieldbar, Field + Fort, Hallstein Water, and Pavilion Paper
