In music, appoggiatura (Italian for “to lean”) is a note of long or short duration that sometimes creates dissonance before resolving into a main note. And so it is with the play by James Still: what begins on a cool rainy day inside an old-world hotel room in Venice ends on a hot sunny day outside at the Roman Forum in Rome. Appoggiatura is a play about an American family finding itself by completely losing itself. Italy is a good place to do just that.
Brush up on your Francais with local author Sonia Colasse as she promotes her newest French-English children’s book series, The Adventures of Enzo. Visit for a book signing outside Curious Cup bookstore on March 2 and Mon Petite Bijou on March 10. Sounds like fun, non?
Through March 10, Saccoccio Hoffman Calonne
Acquaint yourself with abstract art in this new exhibition featuring works by Wayne Hoffman, Linda Saccoccio and Pat Calonne. These Santa Barbara-based artists focus on the juxtaposition of color and line in their pieces. The exhibit is being held at MichaelKate Interiors & Art Gallery.
Learn more about the wilderness, hiking and visiting Southern California’s back-country from a line-up of speakers, hosted every Wednesday by the Montecito Public Library.
Prospero, the wrongly banished ruler of Milan, must decide whether to use his powers for forgiveness or revenge when those who betrayed him are in danger. Shakespeare’s play takes on new life when performed by some of Central California’s best.
This exhibition brings together a group of artists who utilize sculpture to craft a material vernacular at once ancient and contemporary. Spare and complex constructions made of wood, plaster, stone and bronze, or captured on the page or film, evoke archaic artifacts rooted to the earth, reaching back to the past and firmly securing the place of the object and its capacity to communicate in the present.
Natural materials and found objects from Molly Smith’s Santa Barbara wanderings are the medium through which she constructs her abstract forms and huge collages, making the gallery a reflection of the outside world.
This humorous and absorbing play focuses on the lives of a handful of members from a small Vermont community that gather each week for an acting class taught at their local community center. By the end, we see how acting has shaped each of their souls in a substantial way.
“Do any humans ever realize life while they live it—every, every minute?” says Emily from Thornton Wilder’s Pullitzer Prize-winning play Our Town. Come celebrate life and witness the classic play as imagined by Rubicon Theatre in Ventura. This year marks Rubicon’s 15th anniversary as well as the 75th anniversary of the play’s first performance.
There’s so much beauty to capture in Santa Barbara’s fauna and flora. Submit your best photos to The Garden’s 3rd Annual Photo Contest for a chance to win a spread in Ironwood and on The Garden’s and Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s websites.
Ojai Valley Museum is hosting a new exhibit that features over 150 years of local fiber arts (think quilts, wearable art and soft sculptures from modern and not-quite-ancient times). Enjoy history, beauty and interwoven relations at this special gallery production. Gallery hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10–4 p.m. and Sundays noon–4 p.m.
Throughout March, Wine Cask supports local nonprofit Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care (VNHC) in a lunchtime charity. Just mention VNHC after your devour your eats, and 10% of your bill will support the nonprofit’s remarkable devotion to providing high quality, comprehensive home-health and hospice-care to the Santa Barbara community.
The Atkinson Gallery is hosting the first U.S. solo exhibition by award-winning painter Claudia Perez-Pavon. Her oil paintings that are made on translucent surfaces must be examined from all angles to be fully understood. With each new view, the image changes suggesting that her subjects and our understanding of them are constantly evolving. Please note that the exhibition will be closed for SBCC’s Spring Break from March 23–March 31.
Beeswax Tiles, Penelope Stewart
Several artists offer their artistic interpretations of bees and hive culture, including such mediums as beeswax tiles and projections of bee images in a six-sided room, as well as other artistic offerings. Reservations required.
More than 70 paintings, sculptures, works on paper and photographs provide a glimpse into the multifaceted nature of art produced in Latin America during this dynamic 60-year period in the 20th century. Culled from the museum’s permanent collection and several private collections, exhibited works navigate a wide range of subject matter between the realms of myth and materiality, allowing us to consider works on individual and universal levels.
Marcia Burtt Studio features painter Anne Ward, along with other artists, to showcase her work with color and patterns.
Danny Lyon, Crossing the Ohio, Louisville, 1966.
More than 50 photographs and photographic montages, spanning the period from 1962 to the present, trace the fascinating and wide-ranging career of New York- and New Mexico-based Danny Lyon. Lyon uses his camera lens to directly engage his subjects and display his concern for those on the margin of society.
Celebrated for her ability to depict the brilliance of California’s rolling hills, Robin Gowen’s new exhibition, ”Night Must Wait,” is on viewing at Sullivan Goss through Sunday, June 2.
Between the 1830s and the end of World War I, American art came into its own, and now Santa Barbara Museum of Art, along with guest curator Peter John Brownlee, have compiled a selection of masterpieces in the American painting and Sculpture exhibition.
Early 20th-century paintings celebrating our state’s unique and specific topography and climate grace Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s walls, with plein air pieces depicting California nature from San Francisco to San Diego. Also called California Impression, this style of painting was adapted from French Impressionistic techniques and seeks to reproduce the natural light and beauty of this state.
The Museum of Ventura County’s Agriculture Museum debuts a collection of contemporary quilts inspired by farms, farmers, flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. The exhibit will display 20 unique pieces contributed by 15 quileters from the Ventura and Santa Barbara areas.
Local Artist Kim Snyder captures the beauty of Santa Barbara wildlife and nature in a way you’ve never seen before. Her newest exhibit, held at Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, features the “abundance” of creativity found in our beautiful environment. The exhibit opens March 28.
Join Trinity Episcopal Church in this concert series featuring music international and local, eclectic and familiar. They’re even throwing a birthday party concert for J.S. Bach! Check their website for a full schedule.
Come hear Claudia Perez-Pavon speak about her art at SBCC’s BC Forum! Claudia has exhibited her beautiful art all through Europe and Latin America – so don’t miss out on it here!
Come enjoy a taste of Italy as Nigel McGilchrist leads a virtual tour of his favorite secret Italian places!
African Children’s Choir, c/o UCSB Arts and Lectures
Ray Barnett’s goal when founding the African Children’s Choir in war-torn Uganda? To show the world that the orphaned and impoverished children of the choir have beauty, dignity and unlimited potential. Their heartfelt, soaring performances blend uplifting traditional music and dance from throughout Africa, including joyful gospel songs, spirituals and children’s tunes.
Come enjoy this monthly event featuring various dancers, singers and musicians. This month includes dancers Mizuho Sato, Ryan Zermeno and Pamela Lourant, singer Jesus Montoyo and guitarist Jose Tanaka. The event will take place at Center Stage Theatre.
Larry Keigwin’s electrifying brand of contemporary dance comes to life through this DANCEworks production, invigorating audiences with a refreshing vision of dance that embodies a theatrical sensibility of wit, style and heart. New York Times raves that “Keigwin’s uninhibited embrace of the theatrical is itself a form of high art.”
An artist with an international education (Mexico City and Florence, Italy), Claudia Pérez-Pavón has received numerous accolades and awards the world over. With more than 50 shows, including single and group exhibitions in Europe and Latin America, Pérez-Pavón will soon become a Santa Barbara favorite. Reception Mar. 1 from 5–7 p.m., Artist Talk Mar. 1, 6 p.m.
I.V. LIVE presents IMPROVABILITY, UCSB’s premiere Improv troupe! Don’t miss “Hobbit Comedy” this evening!
Sit in suspense during the thrilling films of Alfred Hitchcock… playing back-to-back!
March 1-24 Jim Brochu’s Zero Hour
Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio and That Theater Place present Zero Hour, featuring Howard Leader as Zero Mostel. Don’t miss this exciting performance directed by Academy Award winner Steve Grumette! Friday and Saturday performances are at 8 p.m., and Sunday performances are at 2 p.m.
Where else can you hear salsa, jazz and 70s funk all in one place? This month at SOhO Restaurant, great live performances keep on coming, so let your hair down and enjoy a few nights of musical bliss.
March 1, 7:30 p.m. Aida
Presented by Opera Santa Barbara, Aida is the story of a pharaoh’s daughter competing with her own Ethiopian slave for the love of an Egyptian general. The production is scored by Verdi, creating a compelling yet heartbreaking tale.
The students of the pre-professional training company Goleta Ballet Theatre come together at Center Stage Theatre in front of family and friends, performing a classroom demonstration, a preview of the upcoming Sleeping Beauty and a contemporary work.
A respected journalist, author and sought-after debate moderator, Gwen Ifill brings her veteran experience and trademark wit to bear on the day’s political headlines—including what’s going on inside the Obama Administration and Capitol Hill, her work on American politics, foreign policy and the trends that most affect business, family and government.
Part of Music Academy of the West’s “Met: Live in HD” series, the Parsifal opera comes to the big screen at Hahn Hall.
Danny Lyon’s photos inspire the community to take a look at documentary photography in the 21st century. How do artists think about and approach documentation in an era where everyone with a smartphone is photographing the world around them? A panel of renowned photographers including Ken Gonzales-Day, Mathieu Young, Martin Berger and Kevin McKiernan discuss this phenomenon.
When it comes to polar exploration, Børge Ousland is a natural. An avid outdoorsman and former member of Norway’s Marinejeger, he has the physical and mental toughness to survive extreme conditions, as demonstrated by his history-making solo crossing of the Antarctic, and has crafted expeditions replicating the feats of pioneers—in some cases accomplishing what they were unable to do.
Kat Galasso, c/o CAF
Sit down and chat with dancer, performance artist and choreographer Catherine “Kat” Galasso as she discusses her provocative narratives and media-crossing techniques in the Forum Lounge at Contemporary Arts Forum.
Oscar-, Golden Globe-, and Grammy-winning songwriter and musician Ryan Bingham graces the Lobero stage, playing songs from his newest album Tomorrowland.
Show your dog a little lovin’ at ”Suds in the Sun,” a dog wash fundraiser hosted by All for Animals and Monarch Pet Spas. Proceeds benefit All for Animals’ new ARF! (Animals + Reading = Fun!) literacy program for children.
March 3, 2:30 p.m. Aida
Presented by Opera Santa Barbara, Aida is the story of a pharaoh’s daughter competing with her own Ethiopian slave for the love of an Egyptian general. The production is scored by Verdi, creating a compelling yet heartbreaking tale.
After a year of intensive memory training, Joshua Foer discovered a vital truth we too often forget: we are the sum of our memories. Drawing on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of memory and venerable tricks of the mentalist’s trade, as described in his New York Times best-seller Moonwalking with Einstein, he’ll transform our understanding of human remembering.
Sit in suspense during the thrilling films of Alfred Hitchcock… playing back-to-back!
Support Legal Aid’s programs in North County by attending this mission-focused one-hour luncheon and hear first-hand from clients who have been helped by Legal Aid. Far Western Tavern, 300 Clark Ave., Orcutt.
Indulge your inner poet with Randall VanderyMey, professor of English at Westmont College, in this lecture on the role of poetry, located on the campus in Kerrwood Hall’s Hieronymus Lounge. VanderMey will read several selections of “occasional poetry,” a term for poems written specifically for public occasions.
One of the great violinists of our time, Anne-Sophie Mutter began her international career in 1976 as a soloist at the Lucern Festival. She has since performed in every major music center of Europe, Asia and the U.S. and now joins longtime collaborator Lambert Orkis on the piano with a show that shouldn’t be missed.
Come hear Julian Kreimer, Assistant Professor at the School of Art and Design at Purchase College (NY), speak for SBCC’s Arts Lectures series! The talk will take place at SBCC in room A211.
A sleuth of the human heart, Abraham Verghese, M.D. has written poignant books weaving issues of identity, personal reflection and medicine, including the best-selling Cutting for Stone. In an intimate and compelling talk, he shares his experiences of taking care of patients with HIV in mid-1980s rural Tennessee and the significant life lessons imparted by them.
Sculptures formed of jewelry, pottery, glass and gems are Santa Barbara artist Lucy Harvey’s forte. She brings new life to old pieces of common or discarded items, creating something beautiful out of something that may have never been appreciated before.
Head to Santa Barbara Museum of Art every 1st Thursday for a hands-on art experience. The museum’s teaching artists create exhibition-inspired art projects and fun for all ages. Also on April 4 and May 2.
Queen of the alternative comic strip, inimitable cartoonist, graphic artist and author Lynda Barry has blazed many trails over her long career. In recent years, Barry has written and illustrated award-winning books on creativity, Picture This and What It Is.
Wali Ahmadi, professor of Near Eastern Studies at UC Berkeley and author of Modern Persian Literature in Afghanistan, will discuss how the wars of the last three decades have been represented in contemporary fiction in Afghanistan. This event is sponsored by UCSB’s Interdisciplinary Humanities Center series Fallout: In the Aftermath of War.
TGIF with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden—watercolor classes begin! JoAnn McGeever Metzger teaches the basics and beauty of working with watercolor; amateurs and experienced painters invited!
Chouinard, Rite of Spring
Montreal artist Marie Chouinard’s pioneering award-winning choreography explores the poetics of the body in immediate and ever-surprising ways, creating sensuous imagery that commands attention. Compagnie Marie Chouinard performs its own unique version of Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, as well as 24 Preludes by Chopin, a jubilant yet solemn work evoking passion, introspection and rebellion.
Cymbidium Orchid
With bright blooms around every corner and several workshops for growing your own flowers, Santa Barbara International Orchid Show has something for everyone. Marvel at garden exhibits, floral arrangements, orchids as fine art, demonstrations and botanic photography. With the theme “Orchids in Focus,” you’re sure to find a new appreciation for these floral gems.
The beloved Nick Jr. television show comes to the Arlington stage, offering a chance to “get out your sillies.”
Noël Coward’s delightful comedy shows handsome yet self-absorbed Garry Essendine’s apartment being invaded by a love-struck ingénue, an adulterous producer and a married seductress, not to mention his wife and a young playwright. Garvin Theatre, 721 Cliff Dr. 805/965-5935, www.theatregroupsbcc.com.
I.V. LIVE presents IMPROVABILITY, UCSB’s premiere Improv troupe! Don’t miss “Nice and Naughty Shows” this evening!
Bruce Whitehouse, professor of Anthropology at Lehigh University, discusses how the country of Mali, in Africa’s western Sahel region, experienced an army coup. Just last year, the once stable democracy lost its northern regions to separatist and Islamist rebels. Whitehouse traces the origins of Mali’s crisis and discusses prospects for restoring peace and democracy in that region.
This program is put on by Student Companies of Dance Arts and involves hip-hop, Broadway and contemporary dance for the whole family to enjoy. Buy your tickets before shows sell out! Shows are on March 9, 15 and 16 at 7 p.m., and March 10 and 16 at 2 p.m.
Get creative this Easter with an art class on Pysanky eggs, traditional Ukrainian Easter gifts, held at Ojai Valley Museum. The eggs are painted with various symbols and designs and typically given to a family member or close friend. (Legend has it that the eggs have special powers!)
Come to this artist reception to enjoy Brady’s delightful art in her exhibit entitled “OCEAN” at the PORCH (3823 Santa Claus Lane). The exhibit will be open through April 30.
For the first time, youths of all ages and skill levels join together with their peers and teachers in a concert at First Presbyterian Church. Through this event, the music community demonstrates how music leads us to collaboration, community and friendship.
Come support our Maritime Museum while enjoying great wines, beers, spirits, and food with this year’s theme of “Harbor Treasures and Tastings”. This event will take place at SBMM.
Support Laguna Blanca at the annual Gala Auction taking place at Bacara Resort & Spa. Guests will have the chance to participate in both live and silent auctions and benefit the innovative programs and outstanding instruction provided for the students.
Become one with nature and support a great organization at Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s 100th annual Orchid Show Gala. This evening is sure to bloom with live music, yummy hors d’oeuvres and an opportunity to bid on various silent auction items.
Los Alamos Valley Men’s Club, a group committed to providing scholarships for local students and community service organizations, will host another dance with the live Rose Garden Dance Band providing fun, toe-tapping dance music. The dance will take place at the clubhouse (429 Leslie Street). Guests must be over 21. Order tickets in advance by calling Lisa Mendoza at 805/344-1948.
March 9, 8 p.m. The Formal Winter Quarter Concert
UCSB’s Middle East Ensemble performs at Lotte Lehman Concert Hall. Call 805/893-7194 to reserve your ticket.
Dubbed the “smart pianist” (The Washington Post), for the keen intelligence and imagination he brings to his performances, as well as the humor of his writing, Jeremy Denk has appeared as a soloist with many of the world’s major orchestras and toured extensively with Joshua Bell, most recently in support of their 2012 album, French Impressions.
Enjoy the gorgeous floral displays of the Internal Orchid show, along with live music and a silent auction! This year’s gala theme is “Natives in Bloom,” which highlights the beautiful California landscape. Be sure to enter in the raffle—you could win a trip to Puerto Vallarta!
Join SBBG’s Steve Junak for a rare glimpse at some of the last original native coastal landscapes in southern California. Reservations are limited!
Beauty and the Beast, photo by David Bazemore
March 9–10, Sat. 7:30 p.m. & Sun. 2 p.m. Beauty and the Beast
Emmy-award-winning choreographer Robert Sund brings the classic tale of love and magic to State Street Ballet. Tchaikovsky’s riveting score combine with lavish sets, masks and costumes to make this production an enchanting experience.
Santa Barbara’s premier voices perform renditions of Mozart’s Grand Mass in C minor and Beethoven’s Choral Fantasy. Dr. Stephen Dombek presents a lively discussion about the music 30 minutes before each performance.
The Granada Theatre Concert Series presents guitarist, singer and song-writer Dave Mason. Mason was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, known for his exciting blend of classic rock and blues.
Each month brings a different medium to participants of these hands-on art workshops. Expect to work with a number of materials, including clay, metal, ink, wood, photography and paper, gaining insight and inspiration from the museum’s collections. Also on April 14 and May 12.
Wynton Marsalis, photo by Clay McBride
Drawing from an extensive repertoire that includes original compositions by Wynton Marsalis, Ted Nash and other orchestra members, as well as masterworks of Ellington, Mingus, Coltrane and other icons of jazz, Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra’s swinging, lively concerts win raves from sold-out audiences the world over.
After a wildly successful tour with the Robert Johnson Centennial Concerts, Blues at the Crossroads returns to celebrate two late blues legends: Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf. Both musicians vied for the title “father of modern Chicago Blues” and are considered the key bluesmen who inspired Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Eric Clapton and others in the 1960s British blues explosion.
After a sold-out show last year, Instant Karma Improv Comedy is back in Santa Barbara to give you a few more laughs.
The entire community is invited to celebrate the beginning of SBCC’s “Show Us Your Love” six-week long campaign to raise funds for the college and its students. The kick-off event will include entertainment, music, art, food, prizes, and a special closing!
Take a break from your demanding schedule and rediscover your own wild wisdom during a unique event with Toni Frohoff, Ph.D. and Phoebe Greene Linden who will share their experiences and relationships with animals and the wild.
The community comes to life at Center Stage Theater as actors perform short stories that explore the community and the people that make up our world. Join the performers after the show for milk and cookies – the perfect complement for a good story.
The students from McKinley Elementary School are excited to display their creative artwork to the community! Join the Incredible Children’s Art Network (iCAN) to celebrate the students’ accomplishments at the McKinley Elementary School Auditorium.
A teacher who practices patience, exudes passion and demonstrates commitment, professor of English/English Skills Kathy Molloy has been given the honor of presenting the Santa Barbara City College’s 34th Annual Faculty Lecture.
Susie Crippen, a founding partner of J Brand, recently launched her own collection inspired by travel and those perfect wardrobe essentials. Meet the designer and check out her new line!
Come enjoy some wine, cheese and black bear talk at the beautiful Botanic Gardens! Today’s lecture is by Kate McCurdy, and entitled “Black Bears in the Neighborhood: Sightings and Behaviors of Ursus americanus in SoCal.”
The work of Neo-impressionist artist James-Paul Brown is on sale this weekend! Enjoy 50-70% off retail, both framed and unframed.
Come out and show your support for the finest ballet dancers in Santa Barbara County! The dancers range in age from 13 to 19 and will perform two different classical variations.
Montreal circus troupe, Les 7 Doigts, performs Traces with explosive acrobatics, music and dance! Don’t miss the theatrics and high-voltage experience that fuses the traditions of circus with the energy of street performance.
Acclaimed author Ron Hansen will help launch the inaugural Westmont Reading Series at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. The Reading Series will annually call upon writers of national reputation. Be sure to check back for future writers!
Houghton College Choir is stopping in Santa Barbara during their 2013 West Coast Concert Tour! A widely acclaimed choir known for its diverse range of music, Houghton College Choir covers music such as the Renaissance mass setting, the baroque motet and African American spiritual. The performance is free and open to the public!
March 28, 8 p.m. An Evening with
Jeff Bridges and the Abiders
with special guest David Crosby
Lobero Foundation hosts this concert in support of Encore: Lobero, a campaign to raise funds to preserve and revitalize the historic Lobero Theatre. Don’t miss this opportunity to rock out with legendary musicians in support of the Lobero!
Vietnam Veterans of America’s Chapter 218 is celebrating its “Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day” in recognition and celebration of all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during the Vietnam era.
The Gods are back! Come celebrate the return of Gods, as well as their first decade together. This show, “The Killer Bees,” features songs by artists whose names begin with “B”!
The exhibit includes never-before-exhibited photographs of the American Beet Sugar Factory in Oxnard, illustrating the rise of one of Ventura County’s most important historical crops.
Actor John Slade and his wife, actress Laurie Walter, bring audience and actors together for a potluck dinner and play reading! I Hate Hamlet is the first play in the series, so don’t miss out!
