The Branciforte Library Friends are proud to present Drawn to Nature: A Retrospective — My 50-Year Journey in Art, a solo exhibition by local artist Bela Ravikumar, now on display at the Branciforte Branch Library through July 31.
Watercolor and Pen & Ink Branciforte Branch Library — 230 Gault St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062 Now through July 31
For over five decades, Bela’s life has revolved around two enduring loves: nature and art. This retrospective brings together work spanning pen & ink drawings, watercolors, serigraph and etching prints, acrylic paintings, and photography — each medium offering its own way of capturing nature’s ever-shifting moods.
Bela’s artistic journey began in India, where the early years were spent in quiet studio solitude, transforming memories of travel into imagined landscapes. A move to California’s central coast opened an entirely new chapter. Here, Bela found endless inspiration in the region’s native trees, sweeping meadows, farmland patchworks, changing skies, rolling hills, and the vast Pacific — themes that continue to shape the work on view today.
For the past thirty years, Bela’s art has been a familiar and beloved presence in Santa Cruz galleries, alongside a long-running exhibition history in India dating back to the 1970s.
In Bela’s own words: “I am delighted to share some glimpses of nature and invite you to explore these in my art. Hope they resonate and offer you a moment of connection. Welcome to my retrospective solo exhibition.”
Stop by the Branciforte Branch Library before July 31 to experience this beautiful collection in person. The exhibit is free and open during regular library hours.
Branciforte Branch Library 230 Gault St, Santa Cruz, CA 95062
