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W W W. S A N TA B A R B A R A S E N T I N E L .CO M
ON CANVAS
by Margaret Landreau
In the last 18 years, Margaret Landreau has accumulated 13 years of serving on the Board of Directors of Santa Barbara County arts-related nonprofits and has worked as a freelance arts writer for 10 years. She creates her own art in her Carpinteria studio.
LEATHER FOR ARTS SAKE
I
n our world of constant change, visiting a favorite artisan in a familiar place you enjoy is a treasure. Shopping for quality handcrafts at the Santa Barbara Arts and Crafts (SBAAC) Show every Sunday is one of these treasures, especially if you are there visiting leather artisan Steve Junak. Junak joined the show in 1972, selling belts and purses he crafts himself. “Back then, the show was free until you had sold $200 worth of product and then it was just a $25 fee. There were 12 leather workers and a great feeling of camaraderie; we would share tips and techniques. Everyone wanted leather and appreciated it was handmade, and there were few fairs. It was hard to get leather. There was one guy at McPherson Leather in L.A. and several artists would carpool down there. If the guy didn’t like you, you couldn’t get the supplies. I’m self-taught, from trade, sharing ideas. It’s so competitive today, when I started it was just the opposite,” Junak shares. “They wear like iron, and I’m hard on
stuff too,” says customer Keith Gartzke at the show on Easter. “I bought one two years ago and just bought another one. Others don’t last, and he’s always
the same cheerful, happy-go-lucky guy to deal with.” He admits he is a collector and owns four or five belts Junak has made for him over the years since his first purchase here at the show in 1972. “Several people have come by today wearing a belt I made for them years ago – they say they last too long. One was wearing a belt I made in 1976. I’ve run into people in other towns when I was travelling who were wearing my belts” says Junak, who still sees some of the purses he made around town. Junak also taught classes about local medicinal and edible plants in the area
before becoming Herbarium Curator and a research botanist at the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden. Retired after 37 years, he continues leading trips and talks, and documenting the plant life of the Channel Islands. He speaks at length of the problems caused by non-native plants, their effects on the native flora and fauna, and how invasive species crowd natives out of the ecosystem. Junak says, “My situation is a lot different than others at the Art Show. It’s not easy to make a living as an artist and crafter, and I get to deal with a lot of totally different kinds of people in two different contexts. For me, I’ve really enjoyed that.” Junak invites you to come meet him in Crafts Space 10 at the SBAAC Show every Sunday along Cabrillo Beach.
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Call 564-5460 for a free Water Check Up. Visit SantaBarbaraCA.gov/Waterwise