If you grew up a Disney kid, those simple hour-and-a-half-long animated films are deeply embedded in your mind. The songs, the characters, and the artwork are a part of you no matter how long it’s been since you last saw your favorite. Beauty and the Beast was always at the top of my Disney list […]
Joe Payne
Santa Maria Public Library brings a variety of artists together to show and share
The Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall is a large room with plenty of wall space, which for the last few years has been reserved for showcasing single artist exhibits every month or few months. But in July, the library decided to change it up. Ever since then, the Shepard Hall has showcased the art […]
In defense of musical snobbery
We all know them. Those people who can’t wait to regale you with the most obscure B-sides of the most underappreciated bands. Or maybe they don’t own any audio media that came after the 8-track. Maybe you know lots of these people. Maybe you are a music snob. I don’t mind saying it loudly and […]
Valley Speaks features talk about Frank Shields
The Santa Maria Valley Historical Society’s monthly history talk, Valley Speaks, features Jim Glines speaking about his late uncle, Frank Shields, on Nov. 12 at 11 a.m. at the Santa Maria Public Library’s Shepard Hall. Shields was “the epitome of old time banking,” according to a press release from the Historical Society, and came to […]
Los Alamos Library showcases Artistic Works of Science exhibit
The Los Alamos Library currently shows a collection of intricate and colorful geological maps of northern Santa Barbara County created by Thomas Dibblee, who worked for the U.S. Geological Survey before the wide use of satellite imaging. The exhibit is part of an ongoing series sponsored by the Friends of the Los Alamos Public Library […]
AJ Hobbs will perform in Santa Ynez bringing an exclusive new album with him
AJ Hobbs has performed in bands for years as a singer/songwriter, but under the pseudonym Cal King with the band California Kings. Now, he’s embraced his own identity as an artist and songwriter and is ready to release his first full-length country music album. The California Kings was a country music group as well, but […]
Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum presents annual Vaquero Show and Sale
The Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum will bring its 32nd annual Vaquero Show and Sale event to the museum on the weekend of Nov. 11 through 13. The annual tradition is a fundraiser for the museum that features special events, demonstration, performances, and art for show and sale, all of which celebrate the cultural heritage […]
Santa Maria calls on artists to paint utility boxes
The Santa Maria Recreation and Parks Department is seeking artists to beautify five traffic signal control boxes with “captivating and inspiring” artwork, the city detailed in a release. The city wants artists who can “enhance the utility boxes in a vivid way.” The opportunity is open to residents in both Santa Barbara and San Luis […]
The Los Padres Artists Guild celebrates 40 years of its Christmas Show
An artists’ group is a special thing of which to be a part. Just ask any of the members of the Los Padres Artist Guild. Many members have been involved with the group for more than a decade, and some since the guild’s founding in the 1970s. Lori Traylor has been a member for 14 […]
The Santa Ynez Valley Quick Draw Festival celebrates its 30th year
Every year, on one day only, a cavalcade of artists converges on the Santa Ynez Valley for an afternoon of creativity. The Santa Ynez Valley Quick Draw and Arts Festival celebrates the mastery necessary to create a piece of fine art in just a few hours. Painters, sketch artists, and even sculptors come together to […]
Picture perfect: New Times Media Group presents annual Winning Images exhibit
A photograph can capture a moment in a way that words simply can’t. And the way in which that point in time is portrayed has everything to do with the person behind the camera. The New Times Media Group celebrates those moments and the people who captured them with an exhibit of our annual Winning […]
Santa Maria Public Library holds reception for Shepard Hall artists
The Santa Maria Public Library will hold an artist reception on Oct. 28 for the myriad artists currently showing their work in the Shepard Hall. The current exhibit in the hall showcases a variety of work by known local artists, like the recipient of the Sun’s Best Local Artist distinction in the Best Of readers’ […]

