Coastal Voices will hold a “gourmet” spaghetti dinner fundraiser on June 27 from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Fellowship Hall of St. Andrew United Methodist Church, 3945 S. Bradley Road, Santa Maria. Dinner will be by “Joy of Cooking,” with entertainment by Coastal Voices. There will also be special guests, a silent auction, a […]
Arts
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Take the tour
Join the members of the Los Padres Artist Guild for their seventh annual Studio and Garden Tour and Sale on June 20 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests will tour 10 of Santa Maria’s lush floral gardens, working studios, and spectacular yards with trees and ponds. Sixty guild artists will be at the studios, […]
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Insider information
Two artists present their take on Lompoc
Having lived in Lompoc for nearly 30 years, Gil and Vicki Andersen know a thing or two about the area. That retro storefront in Lompoc’s Old Towne? They know it. The way the light creates shadows at La Purisima Mission? They’ve seen it. And given that they’re artists, they don’t just look at things—they examine […]
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Go West
A wandering gallery moves from one Town Center to the other to find a home
The empty storefront in the breezeway of Santa Maria’s Town Center West has potential. Lots of windows make for plenty of natural lighting. The white walls stand tall and barren, devoid of even a drop of color. It’s all a big blank. To the artists at the Town Center Gallery, no gallery space has ever […]
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Art students get recognized
Two student artists got a little help from the Town Center Art Gallery in their pursuit of the arts. Michelle Kohler of Grover Beach and Kimberly Saylor of Guadalupe received $250 apiece as part of the Town Center Gallery’s art scholarship program. The gallery gives out three scholarships each year: two to Hancock students and […]
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Solvang jazzes things up
Since its inception in 2007, the Solvang Jazz Festival has grown to include world-class stars and bright new talent—and has expanded the musical education opportunities it offers. Stix Hooper—drummer, composer, vocalist, and president of the nonprofit Universal Guild for Jazz and Progressive Music that puts on the Solvang Jazz Festival—announced this year’s lineup, which includes […]
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Celebrate a sweet history
Lompoc Museum commemorates 100 years of its official city flower
Long before it became the City of Arts and Flowers, Lompoc was simply the City of Flowers. The moniker was an obvious one, given the fields in bloom and the many seed manufacturing companies that dotted the area. Lompoc resident Bess Christensen recalled first coming to Lompoc in 1964 and getting a tour of the […]
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It’s tea time!
Ceramics artist Bill Shinn uses a special technique to create attention-grabbing pieces of work
There’s no other way to describe artist Bill Shinn’s ceramics studio: It looks like the aftermath of the Mad Hatter’s tea party. Shinn isn’t slighted by that description. “Someone else said that, and I kinda like it,” he said. Since this story is about a little teapot, the description is even more fitting. Tucked in […]
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Santa Maria style blog-b-que
With the summer barbecue season just around the corner, the flavorful secrets of Santa Maria Style Barbecue are being shared for all to savor at a new blog: santamariavalleybbq.com. Created by the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce, the blog has already been featured as a “best web find” on sunset.com, the website of Sunset […]
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Get wild up north
A few spots are available for a guided trip to see the spectacular scenery in Glacier National Park, Banff, Lake Louise, and Jasper, along with the crew at the Wildling Art Museum in Los Olivos. The 10-day trip is scheduled for Aug. 24 to Sept. 2. Led by board president and artist Patti Jacquemain and […]
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Bugs, kids, and books
The Santa Maria Public Library gets a whimsical new mural
As you make your way into the children’s theater at the Santa Maria Public Library, a look outside might convince you you’re in another world: children at play with bugs of all sorts decorating the wall directly across from the theater. Artist Glenda Stevens’ newest mural for the library was made possible with a donation […]
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New perspectives
Latest exhibition showcases alternative photography methods
Artists are always looking for means of invention, exploring untapped frontiers in search of the original. Then again, sometimes what’s old is new again. In the latest exhibition at the Betteravia Gallery, photographers explore early, low-tech photographic methods to express themselves. The Santa Barbara County Arts Commission will present Iron and Plastic: Alternative Photography, curated […]
