Hope in art Located at 3596 Sagunto St., the Santa Ynez Valley Historical Museum is open Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 4 p.m., and the From Trauma to Hope: Stories of Foster Care exhibit is on display until July 26. For more about the exhibit, visit at sbcasa.org. It was past midnight when a […]
Arts
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Gallery Los Olivos hosts Deborah Kalas exhibition showcasing birds from Santa Ynez Valley, across country
Spreading her wings Find Deborah Kalas on Instagram and Pinterest or at deborahkalas.com. Located at 2920 Grand Ave., Gallery Los Olivos is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit gallerylosolivos.com or call (805) 688-7517. Lying on her stomach in mud, Deborah Kalas shivered for hours as she photographed American avocets […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cypress Gallery hosts Lompoc’s Jasmine Gonzalez for Creating Through Chaos display
Jasmine Gonzalez’s Creating Through Chaos exhibition will be on display at the Cypress Gallery in Lompoc from July 31 to Aug. 24. “It’s a bit of a mixed media fever dream,” Gonzalez told the Sun. “I have a collection of eccentric masks, interactive assemblage, layered collage, odd photography, and interactive photo books.” Both messy and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Lompoc Public Library announces dates for Books and Bubbles, Edible Books Contest
The Lompoc Public Library’s Charlotte’s Web Bookmobile expanded its Books, Bubbles, and Family Fun Fridays at Ryon Park. A bilingual story time with play in mind, the free summer program brings stories to life with special guests and crafts. Lompoc police cadets and Lompoc firefighters will be stopping by this summer to read. Books and […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Chumash illustrator John Khus highlights cultural heritage, fight for social justice with colorful imagery
When pen meets pad Chumash artist John Khus has been keeping the spirits of his Central Coast ancestors alive for more than four decades. You can find him on Instagram @john.khus. A faceless Statue of Liberty with flowing, black hair dons a colorful array of Indigenous tattoos. The white “Be Human” book she holds in […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Cellist-led rock band will blend blues, classical music at Lost Chord Guitars in Solvang
A globetrotting blues, rock, and Americana band will take the stage in Solvang on July 25. With a set list ranging from Jimi Hendrix to Charlie Daniels, Dirty Cello will perform at Lost Chord Guitars at 8 p.m. Instead of a guitarist, cellist Rebecca Roudman leads the band. “We’re all about the fun at our […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Guadalupe Buddhist Church hosts annual Obon festival to honor ancestors
Savor Japanese cuisine, partake in traditional dance, and bask in the Taiko drummers’ traditional booms. The Guadalupe Buddhist Church will host its annual Obon festival July 27 from 12 to 6 p.m. at the Santa Maria Veterans’ Memorial Building. Join community members in the sea of smiles and colorful kimonos to honor Japanese Buddhist ancestors’ […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
South Side Coffee Company captures Lompoc’s artistic spirit with gallery of local art vendors
Fill your cup with art Located at 105 S. H St., South Side Coffee Company is more of a community art center that serves coffee and food than a cafe decorated with art. Owner/operator Halle Bedford hosts exhibits by local artists with pieces for sale all throughout the shop. South Side Coffee Company is open […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Barbara County awards 12 arts and culture organizations up to $5,000 each
Santa Barbara County awarded arts grants to 12 nonprofits on June 16, providing more than $50,000 to support community development through arts and culture. For the 2025-26 Arts Making Impact (AMI) program, the Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors selected a dozen organizations to receive grants of up to $5,000 funded by the Santa Barbara […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Local artist’s metal sculpture exhibit now on display at Elverhoj Museum in Solvang
The Elverhoj Museum of History and Art is now displaying Suzi Trubitz: Through the Years. The exhibit focuses on how the Santa Ynez sculptor transforms raw metal into art. Each piece demonstrates Trubitz’s conversation between fragility and force as a physical testament to her approach to making steel art with flames, according to the museum. […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Monster trucks to mash at Mid-State Fair in Paso Robles
Don’t have plans for the last weekend of July yet? The California Mid-State Fair has you covered. Tickets to the July 26 805 Country Rodeo Finals and July 27 Monster Truck Takeover are on sale now on the Mid-State Fair’s website. Both shows start at 7 p.m. inside the Main Grandstand Arena. Rodeo finals tickets […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Santa Maria artist Tommy Ruiz highlights unconventional beauty with surrealist imagery expressing the trans experience
Trans-forming narratives As a trans man, Santa Maria artist Tommy Ruiz illustrates conventional people with bizarre body parts to highlight unorthodox forms of beauty. You can find him on Instagram @bunniesaregay. Tommy Ruiz was lying in bed as a 13-year-old girl when he suddenly realized he was transgender. It was July 2015. Caitlyn Jenner had […]
