250 attendees · By invitation or ticket · 4 days
Leading the coming wave
We are at a turning point. Technology accelerates without direction. Art speaks without amplification. Brave New Work brings together the people who refuse to accept that divide.
01 / The Question
What happens when the future arrives before we are ready for it?
Something is breaking down — in how we make culture, in how we build systems, in how we imagine what comes next. The institutions that shape our world are moving fast and mostly alone. Artists and technologists occupy different rooms, different languages, different assumptions about what matters.
This is not inevitable. It is a choice. And it can be unmade.
We are not here to solve anything. We are here to start a different kind of conversation — one where "good" is not assumed, but pursued. Together. In public. With care.
02 / The Format
An intimate congress. Not a conference.
Awe-Inspiring Work
Internationally recognized artists whose practice sits at the intersection of art, science, and technology are showcased.
The City as a Canvas
Exhibitions, installations, and public art across Santa Barbara. The event does not end at the door.
Real Conversation
Lectures are capped at only 250–300 people. You will speak to the speakers.
A Community, Not an Audience
Networking, receptions, and collaborative projects designed to outlast the event.
03 / The Inquiry
October 1st, 6th, 7th and 8th, 2026 · Santa Barbara, CA
04 / The Institutions
Multiple institutions. One conversation.
05 / Advisors and Team
The people who made this possible.
Michael Delgado
Executive Producer, Brave New Work
Iason Paterakis
Curator
Nefeli Manoudaki
Curator
Diarmid Flatley
Sound Designer
Dr. Daniel Gee
Director, SB Youth Symphony
06 / Support
This work is made possible by those who believe in it.
The Peter Brill Family Foundation
Founding support for the symposium program.
The David S. Bermant Foundation
Championing art at the intersection of science and technology since 1986.
Duende Foundation
Youth cultural education.
Sullivan Goss Gallery
Santa Barbara's finest art gallery.
Visit Santa Barbara
Partners in placing this city on the cultural map.
Santa Barbara County Arts Commission
Public investment in public imagination.
Register Now
Secure your spot at BNW 2.0 2026 and help guide the future of AI innovation, art and science.