Caleb Wiseblood

COVID-19 couldn’t keep the House of Pride and Equality (HOPE) from hosting its annual Santa Maria Pride festivities—albeit online through Facebook Live and Twitch in place of traditional gatherings this year.  “It’s the government, they’re after me!” California-based poet and activist Yosimar Reyes said for levity’s sake after some moments of technical difficulty during HOPE’s […]

It was as if the stars aligned when Leadership Santa Maria Valley (SMV) first pitched its community observatory concept to the Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department, which is currently in the process of modifying its mobile nature trailer to include said observatory. Emily Kitts, co-chair of the program’s Observatory Committee, described the project’s early […]

Contrary to the timeless Alice Cooper adage, school’s in for summer—at least for Youth ARTS Alive, a nonprofit dedicated to providing free courses in arts education in Santa Maria since 2017. Tentatively starting July 13, local students ages 12 through 17 can take advantage of free classes in theater, music, dance, and visual arts at […]

In February 2016, Goleta-based photographer James Studarus experienced the Northern Lights for the first time, during a trip to Iceland.  “I traveled to Iceland with very limited knowledge of the aurora,” Studarus told the Sun. “I found myself deep in the Westfjords on the night of a predicted aurora storm. Sure enough, a monstrous light […]

Having grown up in Orcutt, I can’t help but wish I had a book like Strawberry Moon says, Goodnight, an upcoming children’s book set in and around the Santa Maria Valley. The book is full of clever rhymes that lovingly celebrate all things Santa Maria, from tri-tip to one of my favorite pieces of local […]

For still life painter Patti Robbins, using coloring books as an adult is more about meditation than nostalgia—although that’s definitely a big plus too. “It is great for the soul. I highly recommend it as a peaceful pastime,” Robbins told the Sun. “As a child, coloring was my introduction to the world of art.” Robbins, […]

It all started with a casual Instagram post from Jody Williams, assistant director of the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art in Solvang. “As face masks become our new fashion accessory, we can’t help but think about our past show, The Art of Dress, and how those talented artists would’ve explored this new daily garment,” […]

When COVID-19 mitigation measures first went into effect, a landslide of wedding postponements left professional photographer Alexandra Wallace with plenty of downtime. Armed with the Procreate app on her iPad Pro, Wallace decided that now might be the perfect time to try her hand at an art form she’d admired for a while but never […]

When performing arts student Jackie Thompson returned home to Santa Maria from Seattle during spring break in mid-March, she didn’t realize her senior year at Cornish College of the Arts was about to change significantly. “It wasn’t long after I got home that Seattle was starting to shut down, and stay-at-home orders were being put […]

A resident of Los Angeles for the past two decades, photographer Noe Montes first collaborated with Blue Sky Center in 2017. Over the past few years, between various creative endeavors, most of Montes’ trips to the Cuyama Valley have doubled as family outings—refreshing breaks for him, his wife, and children from the hustle and bustle […]