Jo Fry to Speak at the 2023 SBSGOAF

SBSGOAF is delighted to announce Jo Fry, artist, writer and sea glass historian who will be speaking both days at this year’s festival. The title of her lecture is “What did I Find"?.

Jo Fry is a self-proclaimed history and glass geek, who finds beauty and inspiration in the waste of the past.  Beachcombing rekindled the love that she had for creating, painting and writing, spurring her to research her sea glass and beach finds as thoroughly as she can.  She is a docent, volunteer archivist and the Bottle Curator for the Half Moon Bay History Association and has authored multiple articles on glass and history.  She knows that sea glass, pottery shards, and twisted old metal each tell a story: someone made them, used them, discarded them.  Who they were, why they did what they did, and what was happening in the world when they were discarded is fascinating to her.  It brings the history of a place alive and drives her to share her passion and education.  She will be talking about glass history, and how you can use this knowledge to help identify your finds.

Where:

Elks Lodge #613, 150 N Kellogg Ave, Santa Barbara

When:

Saturday, September 9th from 12:00 PM - 1:00PM

Sunday September 10th, 2023 from 11:45PM -12:45PM

Topic: “What Did I Find?

Announcing Sage Harmon to Speak at the 2023 SBSGOAF!

SBSGOAF welcomes Sage Harmon in an official capacity this year as a speaker. Sage has been a familiar face at our festivals and is an avid sea glass hunting enthusiast and collector. His entries in our annual Treasure Contest have been winners. This is a great opportunity to learn from a West Coast beachcombing expert.

Usually if you want to talk to Sage, your best chance is to catch him at one of several secluded coves along the California coast. He is a lifelong beachcomber and weaver, who now creates one-of-a-kind jewelry with the sea glass he finds. His work has been worn by the USA Olympic women's team as well as soul music legend, Patti Labelle.

Now, as a professional educator, he will discuss exclusive sea glass topics for the first time publicly during this year's Santa Barbara Sea Glass and Ocean Arts Festival.

Where:

Elks Lodge #613, 150 N Kellogg Ave, Santa Barbara

When:

Saturday September 9th, 2023 from 2:00PM - 3:00PM

Lecture 1) "The Allure of Davenport Sea Glass" 

We will be discussing the lure of the most colorful sea glass in America. In order to find the glass, one must possess a combination of skill, good timing, and luck. Is the risk worth the reward? We will be taking a deeper dive into the ethics of sea glass hunting at this famous sea glass hunting ground.

Sunday September 10th, 2023 from 1:00PM -2:00PM

Lecture 2) "Iconic Beach Finds" 

Sage will be sharing information on his top picks of iconic items that can be found along the west coast of North America, but focusing mostly on California beach finds. From sea glass, shells, animals and landscapes....every bit of the California coast will be "combed" in search of the most spectacular and noteworthy beach finds to discuss during this talk.