Celebrating Local Life and Culture
This May, experience the beauty of Santa Barbara by celebrating its magnificent gardens. Public gardens across Santa Barbara County invite you to “Get inspired!” by attending their special tours, lectures and other fun activities happening not only on National Public Gardens Day, Friday May 10, but also for the entire month of May!
Continue reading ‘Bloom into Spring with Santa Barbara Public Gardens!’
Lotusland’s Aloe Garden in bloom
Photo by Virginia Hayes
By Jenn Kennedy
Inviting communities to explore the beauty of their local green spaces, National Public Gardens Day is an annual celebration of public gardens designed to raise awareness of the important role that botanical gardens and arboreta play in promoting environmental stewardship, plant and water conservation, green spaces and community education.
Last year, Santa Barbara was the first city in the U.S. to collaborate on a citywide celebration of gardens—a model other cities now follow enthusiastically. This collaboration includes ten public gardens and some private venues as well. Continue reading ‘Gardens of Delight’
ReVisions, a group exhibition featuring gallery artists, comes to Marcia Burtt Studio at 517 Laguna Street. Here, each artist is represented by several works incorporating common motifs, places and styles. This unique exhibit offers art-buffs an insightful look into the artists’ various creative processes.
Between the 1830s and the end of World War I, American art came into its own. In this exhibit, guest curator Peter John Brownlee highlights the evolution and maturation of our country’s art, and the various international influences that affected it, to depict the history and changing ideas of America.
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 our state.
Celebrate the work of America Martin, critically acclaimed Columbian-American painter, at the Montecito Aesthetic Institute.
Tony Ybarra, music maestro for this year’s Old Spanish Days-Fiesta, will release his new album Fiesta!—a collection of his most popular cover songs. Get into the swing of Fiesta a few weeks early and delight yourself with the sounds of Ybarra’s Latin guitar.
Join the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden on a day trip to the Huntington Gardens & library to visit the When They Were Wild exhibit, the Japanese Teahouse and Gardens, and a variety of other exhibits. When They Were Wild explores the history of California flora, from its origins to present popularity. $50 for members, $65 for non-members.
Contemporary female authors from a plethora of backgrounds, including Celeste Fremon, Attica Locke, M.G. Lord, Demetria Martinez, Aimee Phan, Elyn Saks and Amy Wilentz, share their life and writing experiences over an afternoon of delicious food and food for thought.
Tina the Ballerina is the story of Tina, a young French girl who always dreamed of being a ballerina. When she and her friends make an exciting journey to Paris to see the Paris Opera Ballet, the star ballerina suffers an injury. However, Tina steps in to save the day, taking center stage and delighting the audience with her beautiful dancing.
Unleash your inner detective with SBMA women’s board and follow the clues hidden in the masterpieces. Wine, cocktails and hors d’oeuvres help bring out the cunning and wit necessary to crack the mystery.
The Foodbank of Santa Barbara County seeks to raise both awareness and funds for its efforts and specifically to increase support for meeting the needs of hungry children during the summer months. Join this community-wide one-day campaign to raise funds to serve 21,000 nutritious meals to hungry local children over the summer.
Continue reading ‘Datebook Seasonal Events for June’
March 9, 6:30-9:30 p.m. Natives in Bloom
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.
March 8-April 12, Wild for Watercolors
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!
Courtesy of Santa Barbara Botanic Garden
Besides being my mom’s all-time favorite flower, orchids also signal the arrival of spring—and it’s almost here! To celebrate the lovely orchid, as well as the amazing beauty of the California landscape, the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden presents its 10th Annual Orchid Show Gala called Natives in Bloom. It will take place on March 9 from 6:30–9:30 p.m. at Earl Warren Showgrounds. Continue reading ‘Botanic Garden Hosts Bloomin Orchid Show Gala’
Beeswax Tiles, Penelope Stewart
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.
Marcia Burtt Studio features painter Anne Ward, along with other artists, to showcase her work with color and patterns.
What better way to celebrate spring than to take a stroll through Santa Barbara’s beautiful Botanic Garden? Every day during the month of April, from 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Botanic Garden comes alive with lush and exotic plant life for sale.
This month, dine at Santa Barbara’s Wine Cask for lunch and 10% of your check will be donated to support The Granada Theatre’s efforts. Please note that lunch is served Tuesdays-Saturdays.
This April is National Poetry Month, and Waxing Poetic invites you to celebrate by entering its contest for the chance to win a personalized heart emblazoned necklace. Submit your entries to Waxing Poetic’s Facebook page and you could be the lucky winner!
Continue reading ‘Datebook Seasonal Events for April’
Santa Barbara Botanic Garden (SBBG) will re-open its historic Campbell Bridge in a ribbon-cutting ceremony and “Community Crossing” on Valentine’s Day, Thursday, February 14 at 10:30 a.m. Just four years ago, the 2009 Jesusita Fire‘s flames tore through Mission Canyon and scorched the majority of SBBG’s 78 acres, completely demolishing the garden’s historic Campbell Bridge. Thanks to community support, Campbell Bridge is being rebuilt.
SBBG invites community members to celebrate the bridge’s reconstruction on Valentine’s Day as an act of the Garden’s deep gratitude for the community’s efforts in resurrecting this iconic bridge. And, in keeping with the holiday of love, the event is the Garden’s “Valentine” to the community.
The reconstruction of Campbell Bridge, photo courtesy of sbbg.org
Originally constructed in 1941 as a gift from Ina Therese Campbell, the bridge plays an important role within the garden, connecting the two sides of Mission Creek and enabling the community to enjoy the serenity and expansiveness of the Garden. And the community certainly gave back! More than 400 individual donations totaling $81,353 enabled the reconstruction of such a wonderfully historic and integral part of the Garden.
“We are so pleased to welcome the public to this celebration,” says Dr. Steve Windhager, SBBG’s executive director. “Rebuilding the bridge has truly been a community effort, and we are very grateful for their support. Not only does the rebuilding of this structure provide an easier way for our visitors to explore the west side of our grounds across Mission Creek, it provides our staff with vital access to our living displays to the gardens in that area.”
The new Campbell Bridge, built by contractor Peter Lapidus, incorporates the original elements of the first bridge while implementing current safety standards and using sturdier materials. Lapidus added a little bit of heartfelt flavor as well, since he has personal ties to the Garden. His grandfather, Campbell Grant, was a trustee and later board president for the Garden. Lapidus has several other family members who contributed to the growth and maintenance of this beautiful garden.
SBBG is a pronounced community space that celebrates the collective efforts of its visitors; Lapidus and his extended family is only a representative example of such commitment and love toward the Garden.
For more information on all that the Garden has to offer, please click here.
-Grace Piro Delia
Santa Barbara Electric Shuttle, courtesy of santabarbaracarfree.org
Travel green and save in Santa Barbara! Through the Santa Barbara Car Free Project, you can get amazing discounts on your own customized car-free vacation! Discounts apply to Amtrak, hotels and multiple tours and attractions all over SB, including 10-50% discounts from 66 partners.
You could plan a vacation like the “Active Green” model, which includes a discounted Segway tour of SB, bike rental from Wheel Fun Rentals and kayak tour with SB Adventure Company. It also includes a mountain or road bike ride with Bikes-to-Go, or a wine country ride guided by I Bike Santa Barbara.
Or you may prefer a vacation more like the “Nature’s Green” model, which includes a bus ride to the Old Mission, Museum of Natural History, Casa Dolores and Botanic Garden, and a 50-cent electric shuttle ride to the Zoo, Ty Warner Sea Center and the Maritime Museum. This model also incorporates a ride on “Lil Toot” (a water taxi) and a water adventure with Celebration Cruises, Sunset Kidd Sailing Cruises, Condor Express (whale watching) or Santa Barbara Sailing Center. Your choice!
And you don’t even need to choose one of the multiple packaged vacations already offered; you can dream up your own combination of bliss. In order to create your own vacation, click here! Next, you can select lodging from 33 options spanning from ocean-front hotels to bed-and-breakfast inns. “Choose great deals to create your personal customized green vacation,” says Mary Byrd, manager of the award-winning project at the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District.
When you register at www.SantaBarbaraCarFree.org, you are eligible to receive 20% discounts on Amtrak Pacific Surfliner and San Joaquin (and linked buses) to and from the nine Amtrak stations in SB County through December 19, 2013. The nine stations included are Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Solvang, Buellton, Lompoc, Surf, Guadalupe & Santa Maria. Blackout days and other restrictions apply, so check the Car Free website for the details you need and to make reservations! Tickets must be bought three days in advance.
For more information, contact Mary Byrd at byrdm@sbcapcd.org .
~Elise Kimball
Cooler winds, leaves changing, knit hats and scarves – come welcome autumn with Santa Barbara Botanic Garden‘s special celebration of the changing season. Living Among the Oaks: Lessons From California’s First People on Saturday, November 10 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The Garden will showcase the various ways 
that native plants have been used for food, clothing and homes.
The event will include demonstrations and hands-on activities led by the Garden’s experienced staff and docents. Grind corn, weave tule mats, play walnut-dice games, make rope and learn about our local oak woodland habitats!
The Garden is located at 1212 Mission Canyon Rd., Santa Barbara. For more informations visit the Santa Barbara Botanic Garden’s website.
-Grace Piro Delia
