Since I came to Santa Barbara from Budapest Hungary in 1990 I have participated in the Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade and Celebration each year. As Artist in Residence I create giant inflatable floats up to thirty feet tall and up to sixty feet long. Aerial acrobats dance inside. I also design headdresses for my seventy five to one hundred characters who accompany the float. I enjoy the creative process and the involvement of the community members who come to our workshops and bring recycled materials. They jump in to make some magical creations out of simple unlikely “junk” materials. The highlight of our three day event is the Solstice Parade, when all the creativity culminates into a wonderful synthesis of the energy of one thousand float characters, dancers, and musicians. For many years I have been a painter, creator of assemblage art, and teach a free gentle yoga class for all ages at the Jewish Community Center. I love living in our Santa Barbara paradise and being a part of this whimsical Santa Barbara event.
