Earlier this year, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Board of Trustees faced a difficult decision. An architectural assessment of the museum’s Ridley-Tree Educational Center in McCormick House revealed that the 85-year-old building required extensive renovations to bring it up to code.
Originally a private home, the property at 1600 Santa Barbara St. was inhabited by benefactress Katherine McCormick from the 1940s until her death at age 92. She bequeathed the property to the museum in 1967, and it was renovated in 1991 thanks to the generosity of Lord Paul and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree.
After months of research and discussion, the board made a bold move. Rather than raise funds for renovation, the board chose to put the property up for sale and use the proceeds to endow a fund to support ongoing and future education activities. The decision was unanimous…