Santa Barbara Maritime Museum and TVSB: Hand in Hand Educating the Community. 

The Santa Barbara Maritime Museum opened its doors on July 19, 2000, and since its early years, the Museum has hosted a series of distinguished speakers from diverse backgrounds, careers, and fields of study. What unites them all is a shared passion: the sea and the life that exists beyond the land we walk on.

For several years now, TVSB has partnered with SBMM to make these lectures accessible to everyone—including those who are unable to attend in person at the museum each month. Thanks to the incredible work of our producers, TVSB is able to cover the Distinguished Speakers Series and share these talks with the wider community.

One of the most recent lectures featured Ethan Estess, an artist and scientist who offered fascinating insight into his work protecting—and even artistically honoring—a creature that has clearly captured his heart: tunas. From the California coast to Japanese waters, Estess shared his perspective as part of the Distinguished Maritime Speakers Series.

Founder and owner of the Estess Arts and Science Gallery in Santa Cruz, Estess is a marine science specialist who transformed his background in research into a thriving artistic career. With both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Earth Systems from Stanford University, he began his professional journey in marine science before making the bold decision to dedicate himself to art.

Guided by his ability to see beauty in materials that others view as waste, Estess merges his love for marine landscapes with the recycling of objects that once polluted our shores. His work not only celebrates the ocean’s beauty but also challenges viewers to reflect on conservation and the health of our coastal and marine ecosystems.

To learn more about Ethan Estess and other remarkable speakers, check out the Maritime Museum’s Distinguished Speakers Series, produced by TV Santa Barbara.