Category Archives: Arts & Culture

Fiesta Ranchera

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Fiesta Ranchera, photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

Fiesta Ranchera, photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

Come celebrate Fiesta in June at the always fun Fiesta Ranchera party! Truly a great night out for locals, this is an awesome way to get into the spirit of Fiesta, Goleta style!

On June 16, Fiesta Ranchera opens the Fiesta summer season with the help of Old Spanish Days and the Goleta Valley Historical Society for an unforgettable night of food, fun and merriment. The event begins at 5 p.m. at the historic Rancho La Patera & Stow House, 304 N. Los Carneros Rd. in Goleta.

The beautiful gardens make this a perfect place for a night of pre-Fiesta fun that includes sampling of food from local restaurants, wines from award-winning local wineries, craft beer and signature drinks. Guitarist Tony Ybarra will play as the crowd mingles, followed by performances from the 2016 Spirit and Junior Spirit of Fiesta. Then dance the night away to the ever-favorite sounds of Area 51.

Fiesta dancers, photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

Fiesta dancers, photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

“We look forward to welcoming you for a rare opportunity to enjoy this lovely, historic landmark after the sun sets for a magical night at the Ranch,” says Amanda De Lucia, executive director of Goleta Valley Historical Society.

Restaurants and chefs to showcase their fabulous fare include Anna’s Bakery, Angel Oak at Bacara Resort & Spa, Catering Connection, Country Catering & Meat Market, Goodland Kitchen, McConnell’s Ice Cream, The Nugget, Pepe’s Mexican Food, Rincon Events, Trattoria Grappolo, Caffe Primo, On The Alley, Benchmark Eatery, Farmer Boy, High Sierra Bar & Grill, Woodstock’s Pizza, Woody’s BBQ and Nothing Bundt Cakes.

Guests will sip wine by Alexander & Wayne, Arthur Earl, Bella Cavalli Vineyard, Sunstone, Windrun and Zaca Mesa, along with craft beer from Hollister Brewing Co., Enegren Brewing, Captain Fattys, Santa Maria Brewing, Telegraph Brewing and Knee Deep Brewing.

Fiesta photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

Fiesta photo by Fritz Olenberger, courtesy Old Spanish Days.

Tickets for the event are $65 and are now all inclusive (no more pesky drink tickets) and may be purchased online at http://www.sbfiesta.org. Tickets will also be available onsite for $80 at the door. Designated driver and group discounts are available, and guests must be 21 to enter. Attendees are encouraged to dress in Fiesta or ranch attire.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on June 9, 2016.

Editor’s Pick: I Madonnari Festival

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Tom Meaney, courtesy I Madonnari.

Tom Meaney, courtesy I Madonnari.

Memorial Day weekend brings a beloved Santa Barbara tradition to town—the colorful I Madonnari Festival of Italian street painting in front of the Old Mission (May 28–30). The otherwise drab grey pavement blossoms with vibrant pastels for these three days, as artists create dazzling works that delight visitors year after year. Not only is the festival beautiful, but all proceeds benefit Children’s Creative Project, a nonprofit arts education program that serves 50,000 children in more than 100 schools with visual and performing arts workshops and performances throughout Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties
For more information visit imadonnarifestival.com.

—Leslie Dinaberg

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Cocktail Corner: 2016 Live Downtown Art & Wine Tour

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Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

A spirited toast to all things alcoholic! By Leslie Dinaberg

Downtown Art and Wine Tour

Art and wine are always an excellent pair, and this year’s 2016 Downtown LIVE Art & Wine Tour is adding a fun new twist to the mix: Live Art!

Each of the participating venues north of Carrillo Street—including 10 West Gallery, Bella Rosa Galleries, Churchill Jewelers, Distinctive Art Gallery, Engel & Vӧlkers, Imagine X Functional Neurology, Indigo Interiors, The Painted Cabernet, Santa Barbara Arts, Santa Barbara Public Market and Sullivan Goss – An American Gallery—hosts a LIVE cultural event paired with a Santa Barbara restaurant and regional winery.

“Our ingenious venues are exhibiting everything from painting, spinning, live photo development—even aerialists, all performed LIVE,” says Maggie Campbell, Downtown Santa Barbara Executive Director.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

You can sip from your choice of ten wineries and one brewery along your cultural journey. Participants include: The Brander Vineyard, Buttonwood Farm Winery & Vineyard, Cebada Wine, Fess Parker Winery, Figueroa Mountain Brewing Co, Grassini Family Vineyards, Margerum Wine Company, Presidio Vineyard & Winery, Sanford Winery & Vineyards, Standing Sun Wines, Summerland Winery, Wine + Beer and Windrun Wines.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Downtown Art & Wine Tour, courtesy Downtown Santa Barbara.

Food offerings included in the ticket price are from: Blush, bouchon Santa Barbara, Brasil Arts Café, C’est Cheese, Ca’Dario, Chase Restaurant & Lounge, Enterprise Fish Co, Finch & Fork, Los Arroyos Mexican Restaurant, Nectar Eatery & Lounge, Nothing Bundt Cakes, opal restaurant and bar, Paradise Café, Pascucci, Patxi’s Pizza, Persona Wood Fired Pizzeria and Viva Santa Barbara.

Tickets, which are $65 for the tour and include the Final Party, may be purchased at www.DSBLiveArtWine.Nightout.com, or at the Downtown Santa Barbara office (27-B E. de la Guerra St., M-F, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., check or credit card only). A limited number of tickets are available, so advance purchase is a must if you don’t want to miss out on the fun.

For more information, please call 805/962-2098, ext. 804 or visit www.DowntownSB.org. The festivities take place in Downtown Santa Barbara on Thursday, May 26, from 5:30-10 p.m. Hope to see you there!

Cheers to art and wine together! Click here for more cocktail corner columns.

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.”

 Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 13, 2016.

SBMA Atelier: The Scent of Secret Gardens

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Courtesy SBMA

Courtesy SBMA

Santa Barbara Museum of Art‘s Atelier events are always chock full of creative fun, and this Saturday’s event—Atelier: The Scent of Secret Gardens— should be right on par with the best ones. This time around, Atelier takes India as inspiration in an evening embracing everything from Moghul to Modern, from Bombay to Bollywood. Music and dance, as well as fabulous flowers, food, and drink, celebrate the richly layered culture of the Indian subcontinent.

Have another round with the Raj at the Gin and Tonic Bar or sip the sweetly seductive Rose Petal Punch. Artist-designed activities include a Jain-inspired game of South East Asian Snakes and Ladders, match the deity to the vehicle, or spin the karmically competitive Wheel of Fortune.

The event is Saturday, May 14, from 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. at Santa Barbara Museum of Art, 1130 State St. Tickets can be purchased at 

 the Museum Visitor Services desks or online at tickets.sbma.net.

—Leslie Dinaberg  

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on May 12, 2016.

Local Lowdown: Let There Be Light!

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LightWorks: Isla Vista Illuminates a Vibrant Community

By Leslie Dinaberg

20150523-191

Photo by Robert Bernstein, courtesy Kim Yasuda

The parks and streets of Isla Vista will pulse with artistic spirit on May 19-21, when LightWorks: Isla Vista comes to life. This exciting series of temporary installations and performances that transform the parks of Isla Vista into illuminated evening spaces, engaging existing underutilized spaces and animating them through visually compelling experiences that contribute to the safety, economic viability and quality of night life and sense of place.

Spearheaded by UCSB Art Professor, Kim Yasuda, an Isla Vista resident who is passionate about using the arts as a positive force for community engagement, LightWorks is part of a long-term community development partnership effort with Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, and other key partnerships that include UCSB Visual and Public Arts; Offices of the 3rd District Supervisor and County Sheriff; Isla Vista Recreation and Parks District; Isla Vista Community Network; UCSB Materials Research Laboratory; Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science, and Technology and the Santa Barbara Foundation.

“This multi-agency arts initiative is the first of its kind for Isla Vista and offers a way to engage the leadership of artists and designers in helping Isla Vista reimagine its future as a creative community,” says Yasuda, who worked hand-in-hand with Santa Barbara County Arts Commission to secure grant funding for the project.

Building on momentum from last spring’s Blunite Memorial Vigil, which lit the UCSB campus and adjacent Isla Vista area with thousands of blue LED lights, Yasuda says, “All of that was really the momentum of post-tragedy healing, artists kind of moving into those spaces and engaging them. Art is always kind of a way to make a space more beautiful. …So art is our catalyst. Artists and art are, to me, catalytic in beginning something beautiful and positive and that’s kind of how…I hope this will work.”

IllumPardallTunnelNovak_May2015

Photo by Marcos Novak, courtesy Kim Yasuda

She continues, “I was thinking about the lighting as being a key feature that artists could tackle. Rather than having enforcement lighting or surveillance lighting or security lighting, we would have engaged lighting in beautiful illuminated spaces.”

“While public lighting and clear sight lines are critical components for safety, we have identified the arts as an integral component to affect the permanent cultural change our community so desperately needs,” writes Alex Rodriguez, board chair of Isla Vista Recreation and Park District.

Initial funding for LightWorks: Isla Vista is based on temporary art installations, but Yasuda envisions this project as the beginning of developing a more permanent exhibit. “What I imagine is that the campus and IV community actually embark on a partnership to host this event annually, so essentially we would have a kind of contemporary art festival. That’s my dream. And also that we would start a collection, an illuminated public works collection of different projects…We would actually be one of the first campus communities that would have a public art collection comprised of light and technology.”

With support from UCSB Materials Research Laboratory—the lab of UCSB Professor Shuji Nakamura, who won a Nobel Prize in physics in 2014 for the invention of efficient blue light-emitting diodes (LED lights)—Isla Vista certainly seems ideally suited to bring the long-term vision of LightWorks to life.

This story originally appeared in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Music Academy of the West Reaches $17.5 Million FINALE Campaign Goal

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A standing ovation for Music Academy of the West! The organization recently achieved a $17.5 million campaign goal, thanks in part to a $4.4 million leadership gift from the Hind Foundation.

Rendering of the Hind Hall Teaching Studio Building, courtesy Music Academy of the West.

Rendering of the Hind Hall Teaching Studio Building, courtesy Music Academy of the West.

The 15-month fundraising effort will provide monies to renovate the historic Marilyn Horne Main House, construct a new Teaching Studio Building, purchase 11 Steinway pianos, endow a long-range instrument fund propelling the institution to All-Steinway piano status in perpetuity and increase the Academy’s recently established maintenance endowment.

The new Teaching Studio Building will be named Hind Hall, commemorating a generous $4.4 million gift from the Hind Foundation that completed the $17.5 million campaign goal. The Hind Foundation’s mission is to fund community-based projects and programs that encourage people to work together to build an enduring legacy for future generations.

“Our philanthropic community has truly embraced our vision to create an extraordinary institution devoted to the next generation of great classically trained musicians. This project enhances our campus to provide our fellows, audiences, faculty, and community partners with world-class facilities for education and performance. We appreciate the Hind Foundation’s generous gift to the Music Academy’s future. They join a dedicated group of contributors who have all helped to make this project possible,” says Scott Reed, Music Academy of the West President and CEO.

Margaret Cafarelli, Academy Board Chair, adds, “We are grateful to our matching gift leaders, Shirley and Seymour Lehrer, who generously contributed a $3 million gift to name the Main House for Marilyn Horne. I would like to thank our Board of Directors, who all participated in the FINALE campaign. The commitment our donors have to our vision has been remarkable, successfully meeting our campaign goal.”

The Marilyn Horne Main House will officially be unveiled at an elegant Opening Night Gala on Saturday, June 4, celebrating the opening of the 2016 Summer School and Festival and honoring Horne, the legendary singer and Director of the Academy’s Voice Program.

The Hind Hall Teaching Studio Building will begin construction immediately following the Academy’s 2016 Summer Festival and will open in June 2017, as a part of the Music Academy of the West’s 70th anniversary celebration.

FINALE Campaign Contributors include: Leslie and Philip Bernstein, Linda and Peter Beuret, John C. Bowen and Shelby C. Bowen Foundation, Sharon and David Bradford, Michele and Arnold Brustin, Margaret Cafarelli and Jan Hill, Jo Ann and Howard Chase, Lynn and Andy Chou, Patricia and Larry Durham, Robert and Mercedes Eichholz Foundation, Margo and Robert Feinberg, Julia and David Geber, Judy and Ernie Getto, Bernie Gondos, Paul Guido and Stephen Blain, Hind Foundation, Jackie Inskeep, Ann Jackson Family Foundation, Michelle Joanou, Irma and Morrie Jurkowitz, Linda and Michael Keston, Shirley and Seymour Lehrer, Lucifer Lighting, Leatrice Luria, Kandy Luria-Budgor and Beno Budgor, Mercedes Millington and Jack Mithun, Margaret Morez, Ronnie Morris and Tim Cardy, Dot and Rick Nelson, Ellen Lehrer Orlando and Tom Orlando, Gamble Parks and Gary Douville, Ellen and John Pillsbury, Scott Reed, Dorothy Roberts, Joan and Jerry Rocco, Regina and Rick Roney, Santa Barbara Foundation, Maryan Schall, Lila Scher, Robin Schutte, Linda Seltzer Yawitz, Anitra and Jack Sheen, Eileen Sheridan and Roger Wilde, Maurice Singer, Stephen Singleton and Christopher Teasley, Mary Lynn and Warren Staley, Glenn Jordan and Michael Stubbs, Perrin Pellegrin and Tim Taylor, Elaine and Bob Toledo, Christopher Toomey, Patricia Toppel, Anne and Michael Towbes, Pam and Terry Valeski, Susie and Hugh Vos, Wade Fund, Patty and Nick Weber, Carolyn and Carl Williams, Pat and Joe Yzurdiaga and Cheryl and Peter Ziegler.

Music Academy of the West’s Summer School and Festival takes place from June 13 to August 6 at the Academy’s scenic Miraflores campus and in venues throughout Santa Barbara. For more information, visit musicacademy.org.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on April 22, 2016.

Stone Soup at Arts Fund

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StoneSoup11x17posterMost people have heard the story of Stone Soup, where “weary travelers enter town with nothing in their pockets and hunger in their bellies, but their pleas to local residents for food are rejected. Undeterred, they fill their pot with water and submerge a purported “magic” stone into it to attract the attention of the residents. The curious townsfolk are allowed to join the feast, but must contribute ingredients to supplement the dish. Before long, as residents bring food from their stores, a hearty soup has been created, and all are well fed and nourished.”

This age-old folk tale involves creative thinking, a con job and community sharing with disparate items brought together to create something for all to enjoy. The same is true of The Can(n)on Art Studios and the five studio mates— Elizabeth Folk, Rafael Gaete, Kimberly Hahn, Marco Pinter and James Van Arsdale—who created the work on view in this exhibition.

Established in 2010, The Can(n)on Art Studios in Goleta provides an affordable, open-floor-plan studios for local artists and a community-minded workspace. Periodically, the Can(n)on showcases guest artists, lectures, and open studios. Though there is this collective aspect to The Can(n)on, each artist produces unique work in diverse media, styles and conceptual frameworks that engage in the contemporary art dialogue. The show will include Folk’s video and sculptural work, Gaete’s abstract oil painting, Hahn’s photographic and Pinter’s interactive installations, and Van Arsdale’s mixed-media works and opening night sound/music performance. This exhibition features the work of active artists involved in the Santa Barbara contemporary art scene.

A public reception will be held at the Arts Fund Gallery (205-C Santa Barbara St.) on Friday, April 1 from 5-8 p.m. during the Funk Zone Art Walk, with a special performance by Heavy Cosmic Kinetic. The exhibition will be on view until May 21. Regular gallery hours are Wednesday-Sunday from noon-5 p.m. The exhibition is free and open to the public.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on March 29, 2016.

Editor’s Pick: UCSB Arts & Lectures Events

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Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, courtesy photo.

Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, courtesy photo.

Conan O'Brien, The Conan Gallery // Siren Studios Orange, Los Angeles, CA.

Conan O’Brien, The Conan Gallery // Siren Studios Orange, Los Angeles, CA.

David Sedaris, photo by Hugh Hamrick.

David Sedaris, photo by Hugh Hamrick.

Temple Grandin, courtesy photo.

Temple Grandin, courtesy photo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

UCSB Arts & Lectures has a fabulous lineup of speakers this year, including one of comedy’s most original and beloved personalities, Conan O’Brien (Apr. 16); Serial’s visionaries Sarah Koenig and Julie Snyder, who speak about creating what has quickly become the most popular podcast in the world (Mar. 3); perennial favorite humorist and author David Sedaris (May 1); and Temple Grandin Ph.D. (May 10), one of the world’s 100 most influential people, according to TIME, a best-selling author and the world’s most well-known adult with autism.

For tickets or more information visit artsandlectures.sa.ucsb.edu.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Originally published in the Spring 2016 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.

Photo Gallery: SBIFF Maltin Modern Master Johnny Depp

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Johnny Depp and Film Critic Leonard Maltin attend the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Johnny Depp and Film Critic Leonard Maltin attend the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Excited fans packed the streets outside of the Arlington Theater anxiously awaiting the arrival of the recipient of this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Maltin Modern Masters award, Johnny Depp.

Depp greeted his screaming fans on the Santa Barbara International Film Festival red carpet. Once backstage, the montage rolled with some highlights from his illustrious career—from Benny and Joon to Edward Scissorhands to Pirates of the Caribbean and Black Mass, Depp has had an impressive and varied career.

Moderator Leonard Maltin covered the full span of Depp’s career, from his start as a struggling musician who fell into acting, all the way through his most recent performance in Black Mass. Depp kept the audience laughing, with funny stories from his many attempts at getting fired from jobs (including one particular time when he refused to remove a turban filming 21 Jump Street) and the many subsequent apologies to his agent Tracey Jacobs who was also in the audience. When Maltin attempted to redirect the conversation towards a more serious route, Depp quickly responded “Is Barbara Walters here? Am I gonna cry?”

At the end of the conversation, Depp’s Black Mass director Scott Cooper gave a heartfelt presentation as he gave him the Maltin Modern Master Award.

—Leslie Dinaberg

Actor Johnny Depp attends the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Actor Johnny Depp attends the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Black Mass Director Scott Cooper and Actor Johnny Depp attend the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Black Mass Director Scott Cooper and Actor Johnny Depp attend the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Johnny Depp speaks onstage at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Johnny Depp speaks onstage at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Film Critic Leonard Maltin and ActorJohnny Depp speak onstage at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Film Critic Leonard Maltin and ActorJohnny Depp speak onstage at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Johnny Depp signs autographs for fans at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Johnny Depp signs autographs for fans at the Maltin Modern Master award tribute during the 31st Santa Barbara International Film Festival at the Arlington Theater on February 4, 2016 in Santa Barbara, California. (Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images for Santa Barbara International Film Festival)

Originally published in Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine on February 10, 2016.

Editor’s Pick: The Producers

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The-Producers

Courtesy photo

I’ve been a fan of The Producers since my childhood friend (and Santa Barbara local) Cady Huffman originated the part of Ulla and won a Tony Award for it in 2001. This Mel Brooks hit musical is still one of the funniest shows around. Just thinking about the geriatric Old Betties dance number with their walkers is enough to make me laugh. If you haven’t seen it before, you’re in for a treat! | Feb. 16–17, 7:30 p.m. The Granada Theatre, 1214 State St. 805/899-2222, granadasb.org.

–Leslie Dinaberg

This story originally appeared in the winter 2015/16 issue of Santa Barbara Seasons Magazine.