Join historian Neal Graffy as he chronicles the origin and stories of our city’s patron saint, uncovering many places where her image and influence endure.

Finding Saint Barbara

In 1602, Spanish explorer Sebastián Vizcaíno gave her name to the Santa Barbara Channel, forever linking the saint to California's central coast.  Over the centuries that followed, her image moved beyond churches and devotional art into civic life, appearing in festivals, monuments, and community celebrations. Few places have embraced Saint Barbara as enthusiastically as the city that bears her name.

Presented in conjunction with the Museum's newest exhibition, Finding Saint Barbara, this talk traces her journey from church altarpieces to parade floats, and asks why one small city has embraced its patron saint so completely.