SHELLY CONE

It wasn’t very long ago that Santa Maria was a different place—a smaller place, and definitely a place with few venues devoted to appealing to children’s sense of curiosity about the world around them. These days, the Santa Maria Valley Discovery Museum fills that need. But it took a lot of brainstorming, planning, and, of […]

Living amid the sights of Santa Ynez wine country has its advantages for artists, who don’t have to go far to find inspiration. The vines stretching in the sun, the golden rolling hills, and the overall agricultural feel feed the artistic mind. Richard Rice was reminded of that truth recently when he moved back to […]

Conventional wisdom says persistence pays off, but Solvang resident Ruth Hoover never imagined how long she’d have to persevere in her quest to bring jazz to her town. After almost two decades of effort, Hoover has finally triumphed: Next month will mark the first appearance of the Cambria-based “Famous Jazz Artist Series” in the valley. […]

Calmenco! has performed all over the Central Coast as a duo made up of Tony Harmon and Ray Pannell, but for their upcoming “An Evening of Guitar” concert—a fundraiser for Equine Alliance Youth Foundation—they’ll be performing with an expanded lineup. Harmon and Pannell were practicing at Jensen’s Music in Orcutt one day when they heard […]

Curtis L. Cornell is the author of Leprechauns, Unicorns and Mark Kurrian. The former Santa Maria resident recently took some time to talk with the Sun about his latest book, which begins as 11-year-old Max Garret learns his mom is critically ill. A good friend of the family, Mark Kurrian, then reveals himself to be […]

Erin Kiniry, 25, thought she’d left her battle with anorexia 10 years behind her. In fact, she and her family were content to never think about how she was only 15 and the disease had taken control over her family’s lives. Then the Orcutt resident began to hear from others who were struggling to understand […]

There’s treasure in the hills above Orcutt, but it takes a special eye to see it—an eye like Dale June’s. He sees treasure all around him, which inspires him to create intricate, detailed works of art, and still not everyone can see what he sees without taking time to reflect. [image-2] June does a lot […]

This year was a year of firsts, finallys, and last-minute-saves in the local art world. Art aficionados were invited into the art world to take a closer look at how things are made. Some artists found the success they’ve been working toward, while others tapped into the creative process they didn’t know they possessed. Art […]