Gary Robinson has worked closely with Native American tribes for 45 years, but his cultural heritage wasn’t a big part of his upbringing. He was a city boy from Texas and doesn’t remember his parents taking interest in their Native culture. “I had a couple of generations of people who ran from it because in […]
Music, Arts & Culture
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The Cypress Gallery displays tributes to winter
To kick off 2026, artists of the Cypress Gallery are putting together a tribute to winter’s cozy and serene delights. Simple Pleasures will be up from Jan. 2 to 25. “As January brings some of the darkest and coldest days of the year, take a moment to find comfort in the simple pleasures that make […]
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Art Spot on Wheels hosts mixed media classes for kids
The Solvang studio Art Spot on Wheels is hosting two six-week-long art camps for kids starting in January. For ages 7 to 12, the fun begins on Jan. 12. Each week, instructors teach a new medium and allow students to explore their own creativity. The class will meet on Mondays from 4 to 5:30 p.m. […]
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The Housemaid is twisted but ham-fisted
Paul Feig (Bridesmaids, A Simple Favor) directs this psychological thriller by screenwriter Rebecca Sonnenshine based on Freida McFadden’s 2022 novel of the same name about Millie Calloway (Sydney Sweeney), a troubled woman with a sketchy past who goes to work for a Nina (Amanda Seyfried) and Andrew Winchester (Brandon Sklenar), whose affluent household has dark […]
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All Her Fault follows the fallout of a child abduction that reveals a buried family secret
All Her FaultWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Peacock Marissa’s (Sarah Snook) world turns into a nightmare when she shows up at the address provided by fellow mom, Jenny (Dakota Fanning), to pick up her young son, Milo (Duke McCloud), from a first-time play date. However, the nice older woman at the […]
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Down Cemetery Road pits a wily private investigator against government conspiracy
Down Cemetery RoadWhat’s it rated? TV-MA When? 2025 Where’s it showing? Apple TV+ Based on Mick Herron’s novel of the same name, this British TV series follows wily and resourceful private detective Zoë Boehm (Emma Thompson) as she unravels a government conspiracy and searches for a missing child. The case centers on Sarah Trafford (Ruth […]
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Christine Fossemalle’s passion of four decades is still going strong
Every day when Christine Fossemalle arrives and parks across the street from her dance studio, she sees her name on the sign. It never gets old, even though the studio is about to turn 40 next summer. “When I look at my sign, Fossemalle Dance Studio, I smile every time,” the owner told the Sun. […]
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Flying Goat Cellars presents exhibit by contemporary artist
Reena Howmiller’s art show, titled What Lies Beneath, is up at Flying Goat Cellars in Lompoc through January. She created colorful, abstract paintings and scarves made with Indian silk that are inspired by her other artwork. The scarves are “colorful, wearable art to swaddle one’s decolletage in an affordable luxury item,” Howmiller said in an […]
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Enjoy holiday movies at the Santa Maria Public Library this month
Friends and families can see three movies during winter break in the Santa Maria Public Library’s Altrusa Theater. The showings will each last an hour and a half. To kick things off, the library will show Elf on Dec. 23 at 3:30 p.m. alongside interactive activities designed to help the audience engage with select scenes, […]
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is another worthy entry into the whodunit franchise
Writer-director Rian Johnson (Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi) returns with the third installment of his Knives Out franchise about private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). This time around, the droll Southern investigator is brought in to solve the murder of Catholic Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), stabbed in the […]
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Sean Combs: The Reckoning examines the many personal and professional travails P Diddy
Sean Combs: The ReckoningWhat’s it rated? TV-MAWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? Netflix Delving into Sean Combs’ past is not what the world needs right now; any attention is ill-deserved. Despite that, it’s nothing less than fascinating to see how the once big-time music mogul snaked his way up the proverbial ladder and became someone who believed […]
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You Got Gold—A Celebration of John Prine plays The Palm Theatre of San Luis Obispo on Dec. 20 and 21
You Got Gold: A Celebtration of John PrineWhat’s it rated? Not ratedWhen? 2025Where’s it showing? The Palm Theatre in SLO on Dec. 20 (4 p.m.) and Dec. 21 (1 p.m.) Michael John Warren (Shrek the Musical) directed this concert documentary shot over two nights in Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium in October 2022, two years after Prine’s […]