The city of Santa Maria chose four local artists—Matthew Betancourt, Edward Chavarria, Melissa Johnson-Barash, and Ruben Espinoza—to beautify traffic signal utility boxes along Main Street and Cook Street. The artists went to work on the weekend of April 15 and 16. The artists were chosen by a panel of 13 judges to hand-paint murals with […]
Caleb Wiseblood
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Bree Foerster
Nineteen-year-old Bree Foerster made the transition from dance student to dance teacher when she started working at the Coastal Dance and Music Academy (CDMA) in Arroyo Grande. Foerster got the job almost immediately after graduating from Nipomo High School in 2016, where she spent freshman to senior year dancing with the Nipomo High School Dance […]
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Royal Family KIDS host benefit with Dave Stamey
Dave Stamey is performing at a benefit barbecue dinner hosted by Royal Family KIDS on April 22. Tickets are on sale now for the concert, dinner, and auction event. All proceeds go to Royal Family KIDS’ Summer Camp and Mentoring Club for foster children ages 6 to 12. Stamey, who was recently inducted in the […]
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PCPA seeks young performers for ‘Newsies The Musical’
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) is seeking young actors to audition for its upcoming production of Disney’s Newsies The Musical. Auditions for the role of Les Jacobs take place April 27 at 6 p.m. in PCPA’s rehearsal studios. PCPA is looking for a boy or girl to play Jacobs. The character is described as a […]
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Jayden Csotya
Soccer is hereditary in the Csotya family. Five-year-old Jayden Csotya, a kindergartner at Joe Nightingale Elementary School, inherited the soccer gene from his father, who also started playing the sport at a young age. “Playing soccer as a kid was one of the fondest memories of my childhood,” Kyron Csotya, Jayden’s dad, told the Sun. […]
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Mobile murals hit Lompoc
The city of Lompoc’s Mobile Mural Contest gives artists in Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County a chance to have their work displayed on the city’s new refuse trucks. Submit original artwork in the theme of “Public Works Connects Us” in media including acrylics, crayons, oils, pencils, and watercolors. Entrants can submit group […]
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Santa Ynez Valley Arts Association offers art scholarships
The Santa Ynez Valley Arts Association (SYVAA) is offering art scholarships to graduating seniors from Santa Ynez Valley high schools. Graduating seniors from accredited home schooling programs are also eligible for SYVAA scholarships. The deadline for students to apply is May 4. The SYVAA will also give individual merit awards to students who will attend […]
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Dominic Nevarez
Eight-year-old Dominic Nevarez’s life-long dream is to play baseball at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, the home of his favorite team. Even though this dream might be a few years away, Dominic experienced the next best thing last summer when he played at the Dodger Stadium replica in Las Vegas, NV. “The 805 Baseball Club […]
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Santa Barbara Foundation continues partnership with Santa Ynez Valley Foundation
The Santa Barbara Foundation (SBF) announced the continuation of its partnership with the Santa Ynez Valley Foundation (SYVF) through a $40,000 grant for organizational capacity building. The purpose of the grant is to increase the capability of the SYVF and further build philanthropic capital throughout the area. “We are honored to continue our partnership with […]
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Lompoc Theatre Project prepares for full restoration
The Lompoc Theatre Project (LTP) announced several renovations as part of the restoration of the historic Lompoc Theatre, including the removal of all asbestos from the theater’s lobby and auditorium. The theater’s leaking roof has also been temporarily sealed with a specialized tarp that will prevent further rain damage. “We have been relatively quiet since […]
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John Gutierrez
Anyone who has seen 17-year-old John Gutierrez of Santa Maria run would probably say he was born to do it. Although Gutierrez has only been running cross-country and track at Pioneer Valley High School for less than two years, he’s already beat three school records. “I joined cross-country my junior year with no running experience […]
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Omar Guevara
Twenty-six-year-old Omar Guevara leads a double life—organic farmer by day, aspiring martial artist by night. Guevara works for Rancho La Familia, an organic farm in Santa Maria. But if you’re looking for Guevara after hours or on his days off, you’ll probably find him at Paragon, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Cardio Kickboxing of Santa Maria. “I […]
