Yearly Archives: 2013

Mark Your Calendars for La Arcada Christmas Walk

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La-Arcada-ChristmasThe spirit of Christmas—both past and present—is alive and well at this favorite annual celebration taking place on Wednesday, December 4, from 5–8 p.m. The charming, historic arcade’s holiday open house has all the trimmings including twinkling lights, costumed carolers, refreshments and the chance to tell Santa what a good boy or girl you’ve been this year (and even snap a photo if you’ve been really, really good!).

In its 19th year, the La Arcada Christmas Walk is a festive way to start the holiday season, and spend time with the whole family in a beautiful setting wandering down the enchanting, tree filled courtyard as it is transformed into a winter wonderland.  Hungry? Andersen’s, Cielito, Jeannine’s, La Arcada Bistro, Petit Valentien and State & Fig will all be open for dining that evening.

Photos with Santa are FREE (5 to 7:30 p.m.), as are fresh popped popcorn, treats in shops and the chance to sing-a-long to familiar holiday tunes.

Retail stores and specialty shops including Chocolats du CaliBressan, Coast 2 Coast Collection, Encanto, Hampstead Village, Kathleen Cooper Fine Papers, Lewis and Clark, La Tavola, Peanuts, Oliver & Espig, Renaissance, Socorro, The Barber Shop, Urban Optics and the new Isabella Gourmet Foods and Sanford Winery will extend their hours for this very special evening.  Art enthusiasts will enjoy visiting Gallery 113, Santa Barbara Arts, Waterhouse Gallery and the historically significant permanent collection of interactive sculptures throughout the Historic La Arcada Courtyard.

La Arcada is located at 1114 State St. between Figueroa and Anapamu streets.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on November 26, 2103.

Local Arts and Culture Nonprofits Join Giving Tuesday Movement to Encourage Nonprofit Support

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image003First there was Black Friday. Then there was Cyber Monday and now we have Giving Tuesday on Tuesday, December 3.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, the Ensemble Theatre Company, Ganna Walska Lotusland, Lobero Theatre Foundation, Music Academy of the West, Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation, Santa Barbara Dance Institute, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, Santa Barbara Zoo, State Street Ballet, The Granada Theatre, and Wildling Museum have joined Giving Tuesday, a first of its kind effort that will harness the collective power of a unique blend of partners—charities, families, businesses and individuals—to transform the way people talk about, think about and participate in the giving season.

Coinciding with the Thanksgiving Holiday and the traditional kickoff of the holiday shopping season, the aim of Giving Tuesday is to inspire people to take collaborative action to improve their local communities, give back in better, smarter ways to the causes they support and ultimately help to create a better world.

Launched in 2012, Giving Tuesday welcomed more than 2,500 partners from all 50 states in the U.S. The collective efforts of partners, donors, and advocates helped fuel a 50% increase in online giving. Last year more than 50 million people worldwide spread the word about Giving Tuesday―resulting in milestone trending on Twitter.

Sounds like a lovely idea to us!

For more information about the Giving Tuesday initiative and to search participating nonprofits in the Santa Barbara area, visit www.givingtuesday.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on December 1, 2103.

Brad Nack’s Annual 100% Reindeer Art Show is December 5th

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Reindeer #9 by Brad Nack

Reindeer #9 by Brad Nack

Artist Brad Nack has been painting abstract reindeer portraits since 1996 and each year he has a big “one night show” that brings the new herd together. This year the exhibit will be at Roy (7 W. Carrillo St.) and there will be about 50 new pieces. These elegantly framed small oil paintings of reindeer will be on display and for sale from 6-8 p.m. on Thursday, December 5, which also happens to be 1st Thursday!

Now in its 16th year, the Brad Nack 100% Reindeer Art Show has become an unofficial Santa Barbara holiday tradition, often with all the work being sold on opening night. The paintings have been simultaneously described as fun and upbeat but also as pensive and morose.

“That’s what makes them special,” says Nack “each reindeer has it’s own emotion and then each person responds differently.” Nack continues, “I have yet to get tried of painting these reindeer, I always get drawn back into investigating where this series is going.”

Nack is a Santa Barbara based artist who also was manager of the band Toad The Wet Sprocket and is currently art curator at MichaelKate Interiors & Art Gallery.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on December 2, 2103.

Local Artist Christine Brallier Exhibits Mosaics and Signs Newly Illustrated “The Night Before Christmas”

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book_coverMosaic artist Christine Brallier‘s first children’s book was recently released: the classic, The Night Before Christmas, newly illustrated with her stained glass mosaics.  Brallier spent four years creating the 15 mosaics for the book, which were made by hand cutting thousands of pieces of stained glass and fitting them together to form the images.
For the month of December, all 15 of her mosaics will be on exhibit at Granada Books,  1224 State St. The book is also available locally at Chaucer’s Books.
In addition, for the 1st Thursday event of December (Dec. 5), Brallier will be on hand at Granada Books where she will read and sign books, as well as share her mosaics.
For more information visit  www.cbmosaics.blogspot.com or www.cbmosaics.com.
—Leslie Dinaberg
Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on December 2, 2103.

Cocktail Corner: Enjoy Cocktails With Culture at 1st Thursday: After Hours

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Figueroa Mountain Brewery

Figueroa Mountain Brewery

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg

It used to be that the fun was just getting started when 1st Thursday ended…but not anymore! Lobero Theatre, The Granada and The New Victoria Theatre have teamed up for a terrific new production: Historic Theatre District’s 1st Thursday: After Hours from 7:30–9:30 p.m., where you can enjoy your cocktails with culture every 1st Thursday.

Premiering on Thursday, December 5,  1st Thursday: After Hours  is a fun FREE event featuring entertainment by magician Mark Collier, bites from Sojourner Café, and beer tasting by Figueroa Mountain Brewery. This first one will be on the historic (newly reopened) Lobero Esplanade in front of the Lobero Theatre, 33 E. Canon Perdido St.

In addition, the party also features a no-host bar and additional live entertainment.

This is the first of six “1st Thursday After Hours” celebrations with Santa Barbara’s newly formed Historic Theatre District in which the Lobero Theatre, the Granada Theatre and The New Vic are teaming up for new ways to access the best in Santa Barbara’s performing arts. After enjoying the exhibits throughout the downtown galleries and local shops, guests are invited to keep the fun going  in Santa Barbara’s Historic Theatre District.

Hosted at a different theater each month, the 1st Thursday After Hours will feature sips and bites from one of the Theatre District’s restaurant partners and live local entertainment.

“This creative partnership between the three theaters is a great example of cultural organizations coming together to increase access to the arts and expand their audiences, while engaging the community,” says Ginny Brush, executive director of the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission. “1st Thursday has become an immensely popular tradition for local Santa Barbara arts and culture enthusiasts, igniting the Cultural Arts District after 5 p.m. With the addition of ‘After Hours’ at the theaters, that energy can continue!”
The schedule of 1st Thursday: After Hours through the Spring is:
·       December 5, 2013 at the Lobero Theatre
·       Skipping January due to holidays
·       February 6 at The Granada Theatre
·       March 6 at the New Vic
·       April 3 at the Lobero Theatre
·       May 1 at The Granada Theatre
·       June 5 at the New Vic

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Originally featured in Santa Barbara SEASONS Magazine on November 29, 2103.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

Sullivan Goss Presents 100 GRAND, 2013

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100grand2013smallIn what has quickly become a favorite Santa Barbara holiday tradition, Sullivan Goss presents the fifth annual 100 GRAND exhibition, curated by Susan Bush and featuring 100 WORKS OF ART FOR $1,000 OR LESS. 

Opening on 1st Thursday (December 5) and running through February 2, this exhibition has become “an incubator of emerging talent, an entryway for beginning collectors, a holiday celebration in the art community and an ever timely reminder that everyone’s life is improved by the addition of original works of art.”

100 GRAND features paintings, drawings, photographs, assemblage and sculpture by emerging and established artists that are priced to sell and sized (for the most part) to fit into smaller spaces. Contemporary curator Susan Bush was able to secure work from many of last year’s best­selling artists, but there are also 17 artists who have never shown with Sullivan Goss before.

Featured artists include: Will Adler, Sean Anderson, Meredith Brooks Abbott, Erik Berg, Ken Bortolazzo, Liz Brady, Lisabette Brinkman, Phoebe Brunner, Chris Chapman, Carlyle Chaudruc, Connie Connally, Joann Dufau, Mehosh Dziadzio, Pamela Enticknap, Peggy Ferris, Priscilla Fossek, Nancy Gifford, Dane Goodman, Robin Gowen, James Taylor Gray, Ruthy Green, Jason Hadley, James Hapke, Holli Harmon, Tracey Sylvester Harris, Derek Harrison, Kristen Hawkes, Cynthia James, Scott Kahn, Masha Keating, Philip Koplin, Mary­Austin Klein, Dan Levin, Mark Lozano, Clare Little, Laurie Macmillan, Virginia McCracken, Susan McDonnell, David Molesky, Jennifer Moses, Amalia Mourad, Zoe Nathan, Hank Pitcher, Lisa Pedersen, Rafael Perea, Angela Perko, Kimberley Pratt­-Shiber, Ian Putnam, Paula Re, Erik Reel, Maria Rendon, Brad Reyes, Joan Rosenberg­-Dent, Jourdan Ross, Lindsey Ross, Caren Satterfield, Susan Savage, Susan Shapiro, Elena Siff, Leslie Lewis Sigler, Barry Spacks, Nicole Strasburg, Marlene Struss, Makeda Tekle­-Smith, James David Thomas, Susan Tibbles, Casey Underwood, Taj Vaccarella, Sarah Vedder, Deborah Veldkamp, Roe Ann White, Monica Wiesblott and Abigail Zimmerman.

Sullivan Goss—An American Gallery is located at 7 E. Anapamu St. For more information click here.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on November 29, 2103.

Cocktail Corner: Thanksgiving With Friends

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Friends ThanksgivingA spirited toast to all things alcoholic! by Leslie Dinaberg

When I count my blessings this Thanksgiving season—gobble by gobble, of course—friends and family fall at the very top of the list.

So cheers to a happy holiday to all of you and yours … and a little bit of Friends fun to get us in the mood.

 

Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

Leslie Dinaberg

Leslie Dinaberg

When she’s not busy working as the editor of Santa Barbara SEASONS, Cocktail Corner author Leslie Dinaberg writes magazine articles, newspaper columns and grocery lists. When it comes to cocktails, Leslie considers herself a “goal-oriented drinker.”

‘Yachts of Love’ Raises $156,000 for Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care

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(L-R) Tom Parker (Chairman of the Charity Regatta), Robyn Parker (Regatta Steering Committee member), Lynda Tanner (President & CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care), Rick Keith (Executive Director of the Foundation of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care). Photo by Rhianna Mercier

(L-R) Tom Parker (Chairman of the Charity Regatta), Robyn Parker (Regatta Steering Committee member), Lynda Tanner (President & CEO of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care), Rick Keith (Executive Director of the Foundation of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care). Photo by Rhianna Mercier

Friends and supporters of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care gathered at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club to celebrate the 9th Annual “Yachts of Love” Charity Regatta. The event benefitted Serenity House, and successfully raised $156,000 for the organization’s 18-bed inpatient residential hospice home.

Before the first gun went off to start the race, the Harbor Patrol did a ceremonial ‘Fire Dance’ complete with fire hoses to send the racers on their way. Nearly 30 sailboats competed in this year’s Charity Regatta, and in the end, Prevail came in first for the “A” fleet, captained by Celebrity Skippers Todd Pazier and Hugh Montgomery (both with the Santa Barbara County Fire Department). Jim Rampton, Battalion Chief of the Carpinteria/Summerland Fire Station, steered Bullet into first for the “B” fleet.

After the race, guests made their way back to the Yacht Club for a delicious barbecue dinner, and a final chance to bid on the silent auction items.

 

Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care is the leading nonprofit provider of comprehensive in-home health care. The mission of Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care is to provide high quality, comprehensive home health, hospice and related services necessary to promote the health and well-being of all community residents, including those unable to pay. It serves the greater Santa Barbara area, and Santa Ynez and Lompoc Valleys and  is one of Santa Barbara’s oldest nonprofit organizations. For more information click here or call 805/965-5555.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on November 20, 2013.

PathPoint Wins Legacy Award at Clean Business Awards

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Congratulations to PathPoint for winning the Clean Business Investment Summit’s (CBIS) Legacy Award for 2013. The organization—a locally-based nonprofit organization that provides services, programs, and opportunities for people with disabilities and disadvantages since 1964—is the first nonprofit to receive the prestigious award, which honors those who have demonstrated significant contributions to education, leadership, innovation and the development of the entrepreneurial ecosystem to most effectively inspire and build new entrepreneurs while upholding the principals of Clean Business.
The award recognizes PathPoint’s nationally-recognized programs that support people with disabilities and disadvantages through employment, housing, and developmental training—enabling them to become integrated, productive members within communities. Thanks to PathPoint’s programs, more than 2,300 people in California each year are supported in their steps to live productive, independent lives within the five counties of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Los Angeles, and Kern. As a $24 million organization, PathPoint has an annual overhead of only 11% enabling it to give back 89 cents of every dollar that it receives to helping the people and communities it serves.
“This award is a validation to the men and women in our organization who have made it their life-long mission to serve people and communities,” says PathPoint president and CEO Cindy Burton, in her acceptance remarks. “We hope to continue with our work through collaboration with businesses and organizations who share our passion and mission to serve others.”
For extended more information, visit www.pathpoint.org.
—Leslie Dinaberg
Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on November 19, 2013.

Lobero LIVE presents Dawes with special guest Blake Mills

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The wait is almost over: the Lobero Theatre will be re-opening in December 2013 after completion of Encore: Lobero preservation work! Kicking off the Lobero LIVE Encore Season is a performance by California-based roots rock band, Dawes, and special guest Blake Mills on December 11.

While the city of Los Angeles has been both an inspiration and a home to the four members of Dawes, they found themselves traveling East last fall to record their third album, Stories Don’t End, in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina with newly enlisted producer Jacquire King. Stories Don’t End spotlights the group’s maturing skills as arrangers, performers and interpreters who shape the raw material supplied by chief songwriter and lead vocalist Taylor Goldsmith into an artfully concise and increasingly soulful sound. Opener Blake Mills has already stacked up a career’s worth of gigs as a session and touring guitarist, playing with a diverse array of musicians that span from Lucinda Williams to Fiona Apple. His flawless technique, uncanny confidence, and unique interpretation of every piece of music he touches has turned Mills into one of the most in-demand players in the music business.

Tickets for Dawes with special guest Blake Mills are on sale now at Lobero.com.


—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara SEASONS on November 17, 2013.