“A boy. A girl. A rabbit. An unspeakable evil.” The epigrammatic descriptor of Brian Silveira and Lisa Nguyen’s graphic novel barely scratches the surface of the provocative and stirring work that is Bun. Based in Santa Maria, the comic book creators have penned a unique work published and distributed almost entirely on their own. They […]
REBECCA ROSE
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Great American Melodrama’s ‘The Tavern’ brings comedy, mystery to Oceano
The history of George M. Cohan’s play The Tavern provides an illuminating insight into the mechanics of playwriting and Broadway politics in the 1920s. Originally penned by Cora Dick Gantt as a serious and twisty melodrama, Cohan’s version turned the piece into a satire, serving an edgy, before-its-time meta spoof of popular stage genres of […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Winemaker Marc Piro quietly makes a name for himself in Santa Maria
You won’t find Piro Wine Company among the sprawling properties that line Foxen Canyon where tourists flock to gather up logo-stamped merchandise and Instagram themselves lounging on luxurious patio furniture. And for now, Marc Piro is happy with that. Inside Au Bon Climat, a short turnoff from Santa Maria Mesa Road, wine barrels are stacked […]
Posted inNews
Center stagers: Local home stagers take the spotlight in our annual Indoor/Outdoor issue
On a serene drive to Lompoc, Patty Ouellet is chipper and eager to get to her next project. A vacant house awaits her special skill. She will arrive and take note of things like natural lighting, landscaping, and more details that casual observers might miss. By the time she’s done, her work will help someone […]
Posted inFood & Drink
La Rocco’s brings Chicago-style hot dogs to Santa Maria
In 1993, when I was living in the great city of Chicago, I got off my stop on the L red line at Fullerton and realized there was nothing to eat in my tiny studio apartment (as was the case with many of my days in college). I had been in Chicago for only a […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Wildling Museum hosts tree-themed photography competition
Some of the images are hard to pinpoint at first. A speck of red stands out in a cluster of black matter. A broken branch stretches out into a stark sky. In another, a cluster of twisted and fragile paper-like eucalyptus stand out against a tranquil blue sky. For such a straightforward organism, trees can […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
PCPA receives NEA grant
The Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA) received a $10,000 Arts Works grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. PCPA was one of 133 organizations to receive funding from the NEA this year. In the spring of 2017, Art Works granted almost $4 million in theater and musical theater grants. The NEA grant will go toward […]
Posted inFood & Drink
Wine under the stars: The second annual International Wine Film Festival showcased the best at Presqu’ile
Santa Maria is going Hollywood. Don’t worry; I don’t mean that our traffic is going to get worse (is that possible?) or we’re suddenly going to be hosting huge movie premieres attending by thousands of people. But our region is home to one particularly unique event that took place from June 22 through 30. The […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nancy Yaki’s vibrant landscapes celebrate love of Alaska, Central Coast
When Nancy Yaki was in the eighth grade, people finally stopped asking her what she wanted to be when she grew up. “It never changed,” she said. “Whenever they would ask me what I wanted to be, I would always say, ‘I’m going to be an artist.’” Growing up in the Berkshires in Connecticut with […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Ian M Hassett Foundation brings a new art program to people with disabilities at VTC
The artwork that adorns the walls at the Valley Art Gallery in Orcutt is all unique and beautiful, but one nook in particular stands out from the rest. Vibrant and colorful, filled with smiling faces and abstract imagery, the work is distinct for not just what it depicts, but for who made it. The pieces […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
In the wild
Rebecca shows how easy and liberating it is to delete that pesky Twitter
Editor’s note: This excerpt is from a journal found by a team of archaeologists who happened to be eating at a table at Panda Express where it was left. The whereabouts of the author are still unknown. Day 1: Well, I finally did it. I deleted my Twitter. That’s right, I finally said goodbye! I’m […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Nipomo Arts Commission unveils new mural
A mural featuring some Nipomo historical structures set against the backdrop of the Temettate Ridge will serve as the centerpiece for the planned Jim O. Miller Park. Painted by Visalia artist Colleen Mitchell-Veyna of Veyna Design Studios, the 9-foot-by-30-foot mural is painted on the side of the Casa Grande Center facing the park on Carrillo […]