For the second year running, Allan Hancock College’s Fire Academy won a grant through the Metallica Scholars Initiative, which will cover scholarships and the cost of textbooks, protective gear, and other training materials. “When I first heard it, I was like, ‘Wait, Metallica, like the band?” first-year Fire Academy student Conner Lee said. “I listen […]
Allan Hancock College
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Corazón del Pueblo displays paintings and photos by migrant farmworking students
In the second or third grade, Alicia Blanco took cover in her elementary school classroom amid the chaos of a shooting threat. Her family had just moved to Santa Maria from Mexico, and Blanco, now 16, didn’t realize how frequent lockdowns would become at school. “People would just be messing around. I thought it was […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
See All That Remains by Ojai painter Tom Pazderka at Hancock’s gallery
Artist Tom Pazderka’s solo exhibition will be up at Allan Hancock College starting on Aug. 24. Wander into the Ann Foxworthy Gallery (Building L) to see his work through Oct. 2, and don’t miss the reception on Sept. 2 from 4 to 7 p.m. Pazderka titled the show All That Remains, combining paintings from two […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
After gaining decades of experience nationwide, PCPA’s new artistic director heads back to Santa Maria
Full season aheadBuy tickets for upcoming productions at the Pacific Conservatory Theatre online at pcpa.org. Season 63 kicks off with La Comedia of Errors running from Sept. 10 to 27. As Valerie Rachelle prepares for her return to the Pacific Conservatory Theatre (PCPA), she can’t help but notice a few coincidences. The actor and director […]
Posted inNews
County Workforce Development Board hosts a free youth career summit
Career exploration, scholarship wins, and industry connections are some of the possible outcomes for young adults if they attend a free workshop put together by the Santa Barbara County Workforce Development Board. Operations Manager Alyssa Stovall and her team organized the board’s first youth career summit in years, which will be held in Santa Maria […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
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 […]
Posted inFood & Drink
West Coast schools shined at Allan Hancock College’s annual wine festival
Frank Perez’s favorite memory from his first year studying winemaking was when he and his classmates bottled their 2025 vintage. The April day was a master class. It illustrated how big of a team it takes to make a bottle of wine. “It started the day before. We were sterilizing or filtering a lot of […]
Posted inNews
Orcutt students graduate with high school diplomas and Hancock associate degrees in a new college readiness program
Jackson Payne took his first college class when he was a freshman in high school. He arrived around 7 a.m. to Orcutt Academy High School. The campus was quiet except for his 29 other classmates in the Early College Cadre program. Soon enough their professor showed up and introduced the group members to their first […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
The Betteravia Art Gallery makes way for another exhibit
A new ongoing exhibit is heading to the Betteravia Art Gallery. The opening reception for Post-Wild: Nature in the 21st Century will be held on May 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. Following an open call for submissions, there’ll be 54 pieces by 34 artists featured in the show ranging from photographs and paintings to […]
Posted inMusic, Arts & Culture
Allan Hancock College students display artwork on campus
Local fine arts students proudly present their creativity at the Ann Foxworthy Gallery through May 7. The Allan Hancock College gallery is located on campus in Santa Maria, and the show is free of charge to the public. “The exhibition brings together work from students across a variety of disciplines and media, highlighting the creativity, […]
Posted inSpotlight
The Cloverlane Foundation supplies Hancock’s Fire Academy with new equipment
Every morning at 6:30, cadets arrive to start training at the Allan Hancock College Fire Academy. For the next nearly 12 hours, they complete physical fitness training, classroom studies, and in-field exercises. “These are long, long days,” the program’s coordinator, Leonard Champion, said. “Then when they get home, there’s studying to do. There’s preparation for […]
