By Ava Miya Jewett
Sketching her favorite Disney and Pixar characters was more than just a childhood hobby for Amanda Harris. It was an early display of her talents and sparked a journey that ultimately led her to major in Art at UC Santa Barbara. Now, Harris uses that same spark to create unique pieces inspired by memory and the power of nostalgia.
Harris is set to graduate this spring as an art major in the College of Creative Studies, with an emphasis in painting. Her work has been featured in multiple exhibits on campus and beyond the university, including Painted Pianos on State Street in fall 2023. She hopes to pursue a career in art therapy.
For Harris, art is more than just a form of self-expression — it is a way to connect with the memories of her past self and her family. In a recent interview, she discussed her past projects, current inspirations, and her plans for the future.
UCSB student artist Amanda Harris working on her “Painted Pianos” art project, for a 2023 exhibition on State Street in Santa Barbara.
Q: How would you say your art has evolved during your time at UCSB?
A: I look back at my portfolio from when I applied and also what I was doing during my first year, and it was a lot more straightforward. I was still working a little bit more in acrylics, because I had that material at home and I didn’t have the space to work with more intense mediums, like oil. So, I was able to come to college and immediately have the space and the resources to actually expand a little bit more and push myself. It has let me create work that’s a little bit more meaningful, and a little bit more experimental and scary too. I don’t have to worry as much about whether or not I have the space or the time to make something.
Q: You have been involved in numerous projects during your time here. What would you say has been your favorite so far?
A: This past summer, I was the recipient of our summer undergraduate research fellowship within the Art Department where I got to propose a 10-week project to apply for a grant, where it would give me funds to be able to work on that project throughout the summer. The funds could help with either materials or for costs of living in the area over summer. That was a really amazing experience to have a summer where I actually just got to paint. I was able to create a series of five paintings by the end, and they were all related to art therapy. I was fortunate to get a different experience that was outside of a classroom, but still get to take advantage of the resources that we have in the department.
Q: What inspires your projects and artistic process?
UCSB Art student Amanda Harris next to her original artwork.
A: My biggest inspiration has always been the idea of memory and nostalgia. I do a lot that is based on my family and my time growing up. I’ve also started to adapt and switch to my mom growing up, and looking at her old photographs. I’ve done a lot from my childhood in the early 2000s, so now I’ve also been looking at stuff from the 70s and the 80s. It’s been a great way to connect not only with my family members, but also with my memories and those different parts of my life.
I grew up in Chico, with Paradise right nearby, where we had a bad fire in 2018. The act of losing a lot, like my grandparents’ homes and a lot of tangible things, has let me and the rest of my family appreciate things like photographs and memories to latch on to, so that we don’t forget certain people in certain places that we had growing up.
Q: One of your most notable projects was the piano painting on State Street. Can you share what inspired you to apply to this art display, what the selection process was like, and how it felt to bring your design to life?
A: The pianos on State Street is through SBCAW (Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop), which is a great organization that has a bunch of open art submissions for different local artists in Santa Barbara County. I had been really interested in the Pianos on State since I came to college here. I even applied the summer after my first year, and just didn’t get it. It’s a pretty intensive selection process, where you apply, make a design, and then you pitch it. I tried again the next year, and was selected.
Once I had been chosen, they gave us a three-day period where all 10 of us who were chosen got to go to the workshop that’s in downtown Santa Barbara. It was so much fun and I really loved how my piano turned out. It was inspired by stained glass that I see around the Santa Barbara downtown area. I incorporated some of the different plants and birds you see around the area. Once we were done, we had a little reception with all the pianos and their painters. Mine stayed up for a month and a half outside of World Market, which was really cool.
Q: What are your plans for after graduation?
A: Right now, I’m in the process of applying to graduate school, so I’m looking at different programs that are outside of California. There are different programs for art therapy specifically that I’m applying to. It’s a 2 - 3 year program where you end up getting your license to become an art therapist. You can work in a bunch of different settings, depending on the field that you choose, which can be in schools or hospitals or private practice. I’ve been really interested in art therapy for a good while, so at this point I’ve been looking at those programs and potentially art teaching, to work in elementary schools.
Q: What piece of advice would you give a younger student who may be passionate about art?
A: I recommend getting involved with all the different opportunities on campus. There are so many different routes. Even if you’re not wanting to do a major or a minor, there’s still ways to be creative on campus. I’m part of WORD magazine and we have people who are Psychology and Brain Science students but they really love art, and they get to have that outlet and creative field.
I suggest that if it is something that you’re interested in, that you try to find the way that you can balance having that way to express yourself creatively, and not get overwhelmed with academics or with just college life in general.
Ava Miya Jewett is a third-year UC Santa Barbara student, majoring in Communication. She wrote this piece for her Digital Journalism course in the Writing Program.