In the mid-1970s, illustrator Bobette Stanbridge was hired to design a cast of animal characters for a line of children’s clothes, quilts, pillows, and other items. Decades later, Stanbridge’s daughter brought the characters up out of the blue, after finding one of the illustrations in a family member’s home. The conversation rekindled her own affinity […]
Caleb Wiseblood
Feathers and Fur showcases art from local environmentalists at Gallery Los Olivos
After moving to Santa Barbara in 2011, retired biologist and lifelong artist Emil Morhardt found a new muse in the form of plovers, pelicans, and other avians inhabiting the city’s shoreline. “[I] realized that the birds on the beach were approachable, relatively easy to photograph, and had very interesting behaviors,” said Morhardt, who upgraded his […]
Soul and R&B legend Gladys Knight to perform at Chumash Casino Resort
No need to keep soul searching, the iconic Empress of Soul can be found at the Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez on Friday, Sept. 6, at 8 p.m. Gladys Knight was only 7 years old when she started performing in 1952, forming her own musical group, The Pips, with her brother, sister, and cousins. […]
PCPA’s The Importance of Being Earnest is an engagement not to be missed
The trivialities of high society get thrown on the chopping block in the Pacific Conservatory Theatre’s (PCPA) rendition of Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. In order to win their loves’ hearts, Jack Worthing (Michael Brusasco) and Algernon Moncrieff (Yusef Seevers) must be christened new identities, for both Gwendolen Fairfax (Emily Trask) and Cecily […]
Ann Foxworthy Gallery projects digital video art from Bryn Forbes
Using long exposures and intentional camera movement, digital artist Bryn Forbes strives to capture “the essence of motion” in his abstract photography and video art. While eliminating certain details that the human eye usually perceives, the process leaves only broad strokes of color behind, allowing viewers to bridge the gaps for themselves. “It’s the photographic […]
Local sound designer Jesse Flower-Ambroch combines music and meditation in Los Olivos
The sounds of bells, chimes, and singing bowls are set to enrapture participants at St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church during A Night of Meditative Sound, which takes place on Thursday, Aug. 22, at 7 p.m. Local musician, sound designer, and mixer Jesse Flower-Ambroch will utilize a variety of instruments to lead an experimental meditation during this […]
SMCT’s production of August: Osage County is poignant and heartfelt
Fade in: We eavesdrop on a job interview between employer Beverly Weston (Gary Prober) and potential employee Johnna Monevata (Maleah Rivera). Beverly is seeking a live-in cook and caregiver for his cancer-stricken wife, Violet (Sally Buchanan). But we join the scene mid-conversation, and at a rather ambiguous point. We slowly begin to realize the purpose […]
Passages exhibition explores the journey between birth and death at Valley Art Gallery
Local beaches serve as the backdrops for photographer Heidi Gruetzemacher’s latest figurative works, currently on display at the Valley Art Gallery in Orcutt. The new exhibit is named Passages, and it will run through Saturday, Sept. 28, at the gallery. Each featured piece centers on a woman during different stages of her life—more specifically, her […]
Filipino artists Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez reunite for Two-gether Again Tour
The Chumash Casino Resort will be rolling out the red carpet for music royalty this weekend. Martin Nievera and Pops Fernandez, known in the Philippines as the Concert King and Queen, respectively, perform at the Santa Ynez venue on Saturday, Aug. 17, as part of the duo’s Two-gether Again Tour. Over a career spanning more […]
Ameriprise Financial showcases abstracts and landscapes from local artist Mikel Naccarato
Over the years, Central Coast artist Mikel Naccarato has become well-known for diving into various mediums, from enameled jewelry to cold-cast sculpture. But Naccarato’s latest show, which runs through Friday, Sept. 27, at Ameriprise Financial in Santa Maria, spotlights his acrylic paintings. The exhibit ranges from abstracted landscapes and seascapes to pure abstracts. “My aim […]
Annual NatureTrack Film Festival gears up for third year in Los Olivos
Since 2011, the NatureTrack Foundation has hosted more than 20,000 cost-free outdoor activities and field trips for students throughout Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. Demand for the curriculum-coordinated program has increased every year with more and more teachers using the foundation’s docent-led excursions that align with classroom instruction. In 2017, the nonprofit hosted its inaugural […]
Local funk/hip-hop band Wordsauce headlines Form Over Function concert
Three Central Coast-based groups are uniting for the seventh annual Form Over Function fundraiser at Presqu’ile Winery in Santa Maria on Saturday, Aug. 10. Proceeds from the show will benefit the Ian M. Hassett Foundation, a local nonprofit that offers scholarships, grants, and art supplies to young artists and students. The festivities kick off with […]

