A project of the
Apply to Design a Piano for Pianos on State 2025
Applications open on June 1st and close on July 10th at midnight.
PIANOS ON STATE is an interactive public art and music experience that takes place each October.
This year the pianos will be reside on State Street between September 30 - October 19th the streets of Santa Barbara.
Each piano becomes its own interactive piece of art as painted by local artists. The pianos are displayed on designated pads along State Street for the public to play. Every year piano-painting at the Community Arts Workshop is a weekend of artists of all styles and stripes rubbing shoulders, trading tips and information, and making art together.
As a public art program, this is an opportunity for emerging and professional artists alike to showcase their work through a unique project. Individual artists and collaborative teams are both eligible, though teams must use one application.
Artists or artist teams whose designs are chosen will be given a $650 stipend to purchase materials of their choice for a designated piano. Artists will be given a space at the Community Arts Workshop (CAW) to paint pianos. All pianos will be provided and transported by the Pianos On State team. Participating artists will be recognized on the Pianos On State Street website, piano banners, and all other marketing and publicity materials.
PIANOS ON STATE is a collaborative experience between local organizations:
Some Videos from Previous Years of POS:
A video produced by the Santa Barbara Bowl in 2012, explaining Pianos on State's history and purpose.
Pianos on State 2020 — an extraordinary year.
An example of one of the many spontaneous videos posted to YouTube by artists. In this instance, pop-violinist Lindsey Sterling had just finished a show at SOHO, and she and her band wandered out to State Street late at night and found the piano on the corner of State and Victoria. This is the video of what happened next.