I’m amazed by how locals foster so many arts communities in northern Santa Barbara County. Creative circles come to life in small towns and bigger cities, rounding up eager residents and seasonal visitors.
There’s not nearly enough space to capture all the impactful work we saw in 2025. I think back to the Lompoc muralist who returned to his elementary school—where he did his first mural—to paint more; the first-time novelist who employed local businesses for design and print; and the artist who opened a contemporary gallery in a barn among the vineyards.
No matter if you’re an art creator, aficionado, or a little bit of both, I think it’ll serve us all well to take part in a community that strikes our fancy. We’re much stronger together.
LIVELY LULU
In February, the California Nature Art Museum (CalNAM) installed a troll designed by Danish artist Thomas Dambo. She’s called Lulu and sits inside the Solvang museum, curled up in a small room next to CalNAM’s entrance. Lulu is Dambo’s first permanent troll in the state. The artist is known for working with recycled materials, like Lulu’s wooden pallets and old wine barrels. Troll enthusiasts from across the country travel to CalNAM to be in Lulu’s presence as part of their hunts to find Dambo’s more than 100 trolls around the world.
LOTS TO TALK ABOUT
Corazón del Pueblo hosted the Nuestra Lotería exhibition in May for students of Ernest Righetti and Santa Maria high schools to express their views on culture and social justice. High schoolers depicted personal experiences of ICE’s presence on the Central Coast. One Righetti sophomore, who remains anonymous, was concerned about her and her parents’ safety as ICE agents targeted undocumented immigrants. The student said, “It’s frustrating—having to be like, ‘Should I worry about school? Am I even going to be in this country tomorrow?’”
A CHALK REPUBLIC
Hosted by the Lompoc Theatre Project, the sixth Lompoc Chalk Festival drew more than 40 professional and amateur artists to the Veterans Memorial Building one weekend in October. “Chalkers” spent hours sketching and coloring their designs, which is why artist Katherine Taylor called them “the athletes of the art world.” Taylor illustrated her square with an underwater scene of a turtle and fish swimming through seaweed. “The purpose of my work is to create spontaneous smiles that make the world happier,” Taylor said.
IN THEATERS ONLY
Two Santa Maria residents made names for themselves in the world of independent film and brought some of that recognition back to the valley. The Filipino-American movie, Umbag (meaning punch), tells the story of estranged sisters who fight inside and outside the boxing ring for forgiveness and redemption. Producer Rose Dumadara Koerner organized screenings of Umbag in Santa Maria in August and December. Her daughter, Marie Dumadara, starred in the film, which was shot in the Philippines from 2022 to 2023. Umbag won multiple awards at film festivals in the U.S. and internationally.
ARTISTRY MEETS ECOLOGY
Block printer Angelina LaPointe lived part time in a cabin at Jalama Canyon Ranch for two months as the first official artist in residence, an initiative organized by the White Buffalo Land Trust. The nonprofit’s goal is to support stewardship of the land, bringing in an artist to help connect the community to its mission. During her residency, LaPointe hiked through the Lompoc hills, sketching and photographing scenes to make prints. “This is a really special experience because I get to actually make work in the ecosystems that I’m familiar with,” LaPointe said.
Send your community’s goals to Staff Writer Madison White at mwhite@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in January 1 – January 8, 2026.