Though he now calls himself an artist, Joe McFadden spent his career in the tech industry. While he was advising software companies by day, McFadden found balance by slathering oil paints on canvases in his free time. “I wanted something I could develop over many years and maybe develop someday into a real skill and […]
Arts
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The Santa Maria Camera Club presents its finest June submissions
Right before pausing for its month-long summer hiatus, the Santa Maria Camera Club announced the winning images from its June competition. “Each photographer brings a unique vision and artistic perspective, demonstrating the talent and skills that have earned recognition in club, regional, and national competitions,” according to press materials. The group’s monthly competition meetings are […]
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Build your own wreath at an annual lavender festival in Lompoc
Catch the last two weekends of the Lavender Festival in Lompoc on July 18 and 25. The event, hosted by Santa Rita Hills Lavender Farm, is free to the public from noon to 5 p.m. both days. The highlight will be a lavender wreath-making class. For a $55 fee, participants will receive all the necessary […]
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A Guadalupe muralist is one step closer to opening an arts academy in town
Stephanie Krouse was trained as a scientist. In her early career, she worked for seed companies, studying different treatments that impact plant growth. But a Chicago company’s acquisition of the business left Krouse and many others out of a job. As cliché as it may sound, another door opened for her. “Once that happened, I […]
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Chris Jeszeck’s paintings are featured at the Cypress in July
After watercolorist Claudette Carlton’s June show at the Cypress Gallery, Chris Jeszeck recently took over as the featured artist. Her Pouring My Art Out exhibit will be up through July 26. Jeszeck—a longtime member of the gallery’s operating body, the Lompoc Valley Art Association—paints using fluid art techniques to blend realism and abstraction. Flowing color, […]
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Watch a movie in the vineyard at Demetria Estate
Enjoy summer evenings with the family by catching a movie at Demetria Estate in Los Olivos. Pretty Woman is screening on July 18, A Fish Called Wanda on Aug. 22, and Fast Times at Ridgemont High on Sept. 19. Each of the three available dates offers a sunset dinner buffet on the patio beginning at […]
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From the Sunset Strip to Old Town Orcutt, Faultline keeps moving and grooving
When the opportunity arose for five Central Coast rockers to perform at Los Angeles’ Whisky a Go Go earlier this year, sound check fell just a few weeks after the band’s youngest member celebrated her 21st birthday. Orcutt local Milania Jubilee was 20 when she became Faultline’s lead vocalist in 2025, after wowing her bandmates—four […]
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Local musician and piano instructor selected for Carnegie Hall performance
Prolific pianist and Allan Hancock College faculty member Adea Badivuku is joining one of her longtime collaborators for a July 8 performance at Carnegie Hall in New York. Earlier this year, Badivuku and Santa Barbara-based violinist and composer Deniz Caglarcan performed as a duo at New York’s Golden Classical Music Awards Competition, where they won […]
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Santa Maria Philharmonic Society presents intimate concert with Suri Kim
As part of its next Music at the Library program, the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society will present an intimate afternoon of music performed by featured artist Suri Kim, on Saturday, Aug. 1, at 3 p.m., at Shepherd Hall in the Santa Maria Public Library. Admission to the concert is free. The Music at the Library […]
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Residents learn a variety of skills in tuition-free Community Education courses at Hancock
In a lifelong learning class, Nick and Deborah Carpenter crafted pieces of jewelry that can also last a lifetime: their wedding bands. The couple has spent the past two decades exercising their creative muscles in tuition-free arts courses at Allan Hancock College, they told the school. While shaping their rings, the Carpenters engaged with other […]
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Lompoc invites the community to its 73rd Flower Festival
The annual hometown tradition and quintessential Lompoc experience returns to the valley from June 25 to 28. This year’s Flower Festival in Ryon Memorial Park also recognizes the country’s milestone birthday with a theme titled America in Bloom: 250 Years. “It is a long-standing community event honoring the region’s deep roots in the flower-growing industry,” […]
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The Elverhoj Museum celebrates the 100th birthday of a Danish American painter
Artwork by Roland Petersen is up at the Elverhoj Museum of History and Art through Aug. 9. The Danish-born American artist is best known for his Picnic series, defined by geometric abstractions and striking colors. “This exhibition celebrates Petersen’s 100th birthday and honors a remarkable life in art that continues today through his ongoing dedication […]
