Tag Archive for 'tracy smith'

Learn to Labour and Wait with SBMA

Published on June 18, 2013 in Cultural Calendar, Datebook, Fine Art and Web Exclusives.
Grayson Perry, Map Of Truths And Beliefs, 2011, wool and cotton tapestry, 78 3/4 x 185 1/8 in. Courtesy of SBMA

Grayson Perry, Map Of Truths And Beliefs, 2011, wool and cotton tapestry, 78 3/4 x 185 1/8 in. Courtesy of SBMA.

It is no secret that we live in a technologically driven society. Laptops, smartphones and iPads are a critical part of our everyday lives. With that being said, however, consumer demand for authentic, handcrafted products has reached new heights within recent years. Why the sudden fascination with the artisanal? Come by Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s summer exhibition Labour and Wait to find out.

Labour and Wait will be on view from July 2–September 22 and contain over 38 sculptures, videos and drawings that explore contemporary culture’s obsession with the handcrafted, as well as issues concerning manufacturing and labor. Works in the exhibition include pieces from the early 1990s to the present, encapsulating the period of time in which artists shifted from industrial fabrication to a do-it-yourself mindset. The display features 15 highly influential international artists and artist collaboratives, including renowned British artist Grayson Perry and Los Angeles artist Tim Hawkinson.

Perry is known for his medieval design-inspired ceramic pots embellished with contemporary and sexual subject matter. In addition to his pots, he crafts magnificent tapestries that contain contradictory references of fast food icons and urban slang. Several of his pots and a large tapestry will be on view in the exhibition. Also featured are two major works from Hawkinson, who uses store-bought materials and found objects to represent nature, machines, mortality, the body and human consciousness. One of his works on display, entitled “Foot Quilt,” uses silver polyester fabric and batting to recreate a large scale human footprint. Other artists in the exhibit include Tonico Lemos Auad, Andrea Bowers, Colin Darke, Wim Delvoye, Theaster Gates, Dewar & Gicquel, Fischli and Weiss, Josiah McElheny, Mika Rottenberg, Allison Smith, Ricky Swallow, David Thorpe and Jane Wilbraham.

You won’t want to miss this fascinating display! For more information on Labour and Wait, visit SBMA’s website or click here.

-Ashley Somerfeld

Lobero Theatre Preservation Work Begins

Published on June 13, 2013 in Film, nonprofits, Theater and Web Exclusives.
Courtesy of Lobero Theatre

Courtesy of Lobero Theatre

The Lobero Theatre is one of Santa Barbara’s crown jewels. Originally founded in 1873 as a hotel, the historic venue has entertained for over a hundred years, and Santa Barbara wants it to entertain for hundreds more—which is precisely why the Lobero Theatre Foundation has spent the past two and half years fundraising, planning and fighting for permits for the preservation project titled Encore: Lobero. And finally, the fruit of its labor has started to bloom.

Preservation work on the Lobero officially began earlier this week. The first step will be the theatre’s entryway; bricks from the original entry will be removed and stored away until they are reused on the reconstructed entry.  During the next six months, the theatre will also receive some extreme TLC in the form of new seats, ceiling preservation, interior painting, improved airflow, expanded restrooms and ADA compliance upgrades.

Courtesy of Lobero Theatre

Courtesy of Lobero Theatre

The Lobero Theatre Foundation’s all-volunteer board would like to thank the entire Santa Barbara community for contributing to the success of Encore: Lobero. With the communities help, Encore: Lobero is continuing a 140-year tradition of care and excellence.

Unfortunately, the theatre will be closed for the next six months, but its encore will begin in December 2013. If the Lobero could talk, it surely would thank everyone who contributed to its extended longevity. Thanks for showing your love for the Lobero!

-Alexis O. Kafkis 

 

Carpinteria Chamber Offers Nature Trip to Costa Rica

Published on June 12, 2013 in Datebook and Web Exclusives.

Do you need a break from work? Are you dying to travel but don’t have time to plan your trip? Take that much needed vacation you deserve, without needing to plan a thing! Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce (CVCC) invites you to join them on a nine-day nature trip to the beautiful Central American nation of Costa Rica.

Courtesy of Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce

Courtesy of Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce

The “Natural Wonders of Costa Rica” tour is scheduled for November 6–14 and includes round-trip airfare, deluxe lodging in first-class hotels, daily sightseeing tours, admissions, 18 delicious meals, the guidance of a naturalist tour director and so much more. Some of the tour highlights include visits to Poas Volcano National Park, Arenal Volcano National Park, Monteverde Cloud Forest, Selvatura Park & Hanging Bridges, Butterfly Garden, Hummingbird Gallery, Carara Biological Reserve, Orchid Garden, Sarchi Artisan Village, a coffee plantation, a jungle crocodile safari cruise,and a folklore show. Where do we sign up?

Courtesy of Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce

Courtesy of Carpinteria Valley Chamber of Commerce

To learn more about the tour, make sure to attend the FREE information and preview meeting on Wednesday, June 19 at 6 p.m. at Shepard Place Apartments Club House (located at 1069 Casitas Pass Road in Carpinteria). The meeting will feature a Chamber Explorations tour operator representative and Carpinteria Chamber staff who will answer any and all questions you may have about the trip. There will also be complimentary refreshments! RSVP by June 17 to Stephanie at 805/684-5479 ext. 10 or stephanie@carpinteriachamber.org. A full itinerary of the trip, as well as details on payment, accommodations and trip inclusions, can also be found by clicking here.

Learn more about the CVCC by visiting its website here.

Pura Vida!

-Ashley Somerfeld

Environmentally Minded Peruvian Artist to Bring Recycled Art to SB

Published on June 11, 2013 in Fine Art, Galleries and Web Exclusives.
Please try and find caption info for this, courtesy of the artist

One of Ccopacatty’s vibrant plasti-collages, entitled “Ccopacamaya Achachila.” Image courtesy of Aymar Ccopacatty.

This summer, Peruvian artist Aymar Ccopacatty—who creates repurposed art from recycled materials—will lend a number of his pieces to an exhibition at Plum Goods, a contemporary art gallery and gift store located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s State Street.

Although Ccopacatty’s work will be on display and for sale at Plum Goods through the entire month of July, any and all art appreciators are encouraged to attend a reception on June 29, where—from 5–8 p.m.—they can meet Ccopacatty and ogle his extraordinary artwork. Composed entirely of recycled plastics, Ccopacatty’s vibrant collages and textiles are designed not only to please the eye but also to inspire discussion regarding the use and disposal of plastics all around the globe.

Ccopacatty is an intercultural artist through and through, conflating the traditional textile art of the Aymara, an indigenous ethnic group in South America, with modern sculpture, which he studied at the prestigious Rhode Island School of Design. Now, about seven years out of RISD, Ccopacatty splits his time between the U.S. and his hometown of Puno, Peru, working to purvey fine art along with sustainable principles.

All proceeds from the Plum Goods reception will benefit Ccopacatty Andean Library-Cultural Center, as well as the SB-based Tribal Trust Foundation. The following day, on June 30, Ccopacatty will take his talents to the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, where he will demonstrate weaving and knitting with plastic bags from noon–5 p.m. For more information on Ccopacatty, including images of his work, please visit his official website.

-James Moore

Frankie and Johnny Steal the Show

Published on June 10, 2013 in Cultural Calendar, Datebook, Theater and Web Exclusives.

Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara has saved the best for last (at least, until their move to the New Vic). The production company and executive artistic director Jonathan Fox have chosen to close the 2012–13 season with Terrence McNally’s hit Broadway comic-drama Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune. From now through June 23, experience the ingenuity of Ensemble in its final production at the historic Alhecama Theatre. This is a must-see event!

Courtesy of Ensemble Theatre Company

Courtesy of Ensemble Theatre Company

Directed by award-winning actor, writer and director Saundra McClain, Frankie and Johnny is a bittersweet romantic comedy set in 1987. The play takes place in a run-down apartment in New York’s Hell’s Kitchen, where two lonely, adrift people spend the night together. Yearning for a deep, romantic connection, the two strangers must first contend with the emotional baggage of their past. Frankie is a cynical waitress who has been burned by love before. Johnny is a headstrong romantic and a short-order cook who is hoping to take this encounter beyond a “one night stand.” Complemented by beautiful music, the play is both sexy and funny and has been deemed a “first-rate comic-drama” by The New York Times. It is also one of McNally’s most popular plays.

McNally has won four Tony Awards for his plays Master Class and Love! Valour! Compassion!, and for the books for the musicals Ragtime and Kiss of the Spider Woman. His other plays include Corpus Christi; A Perfect Ganesh; Lips Together, Teeth Apart; The Lisbon Traviata and It’s Only a Play. Frankie and Johnny marks Ensemble’s fourth production of a McNally play. Dee Ann Newkirk, who appeared in Ensemble’s production of Creditors last season, stars as Frankie. Opposite Newkirk is Rick Gifford in the role of Johnny. This will be Gifford’s first role in an Ensemble production.

Be sure to catch this exciting play while it lasts! Purchase your tickets by clicking here. Note: play contains some brief but tasteful nudity.

-Ashley Somerfeld

“Midsommer Musik” Solstice Celebration in Solvang

Published on June 10, 2013 in Cultural Calendar, Datebook, Music, Music, Restaurants, Shopping and Wineries.

Nothing says “Velkommen to Solvang” like a day-long celebration with discounted shopping, great food, drinks, music and culture! On June 19, Solvang hosts a Summer Solstice event that shouldn’t be missed.

Courtesy of Solvang Third Wednesday

Courtesy of Solvang Third Wednesday

The “Midsommer Musik” celebration is a musical twist on Solvang’s monthly “Third Wednesday” tradition that offers a farmers’ market, a wine and beer walk, and discounts on food, fare and favors from local shops, restaurants and boutiques. What’s special about this particular Third Wednesday is, as the name of the celebration suggests, the music! From noon ’til midnight, live bands serenade your escapades throughout Solvang.

Continue reading ‘“Midsommer Musik” Solstice Celebration in Solvang’

Taste of the Nation was a Delicious Success!

Published on June 9, 2013 in nonprofits, Restaurants, Web Exclusives and Wineries.
Courtesy of Share Our Strength

Courtesy of Share Our Strength

With all of the supermarkets and fields of food throughout our vast country, it is sad to think that some children in the U.S. are still going hungry. Additionally, with all the beautiful restaurants and plentiful plates in Santa Barbara, it is even more disheartening to know that some children in Santa Barbara go to sleep every night without a meal in their bellies. In fact, there are almost 22,000 food-insecure children in Santa Barbara who do not have consistent access to adequate food because of a lack of monetary resources.

Hundreds of Santa Barbara residents who share concern and passion for this woe recently joined together for Share Our Strength’s sixth Annual Taste of the Nation at Montecito Country Club. Share Our Strength is an organization dedicated to fighting childhood hunger locally and nationally. Together, Share Our Strength and local residents celebrated the beauty of food and raised over $55,000 at the event.

Courtesy of Share Our Strength

Courtesy of Share Our Strength

The dinner featured the region’s finest chefs, restaurants, breweries and wineries. Participating restaurants included Anchor Woodfire Kitchen, The Lark (opening up this summer), Bella Vista at the Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore, Montecito Country Club and Bacara Resort & Spa, among others.

Not only did the event host the finest chefs around but the attendees also had the chance to watch them compete in a sort of  Taste of the Nation-style Chopped! In the end, the team composed of the Bacara’s David Reardon, Santa Barbara City Fire Department’s Captain Michael Hoose and Fairview Gardens intern, Druien Barton, took home the top honor. 

The local charities that benefited from the money raised include FoodBank of Santa Barbara County, United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, California Food Policy Advocates and California Association of Food Banks. In fact, since its beginnings, Taste of the Nation has raised more than $236,000 in Santa Barbara alone!

So next time you visit one of these participating restaurants, wineries or breweries, thank them for providing for local children in need!

-Alexis O. Kafkis

The Montecito Inn Returns to Hollywood Heyday

Published on June 8, 2013 in Web Exclusives.
The Montecito Inn renovations are scheduled to be completed August 2013. Picture courtesy of Montecito Inn

The Montecito Inn renovations are scheduled to be completed August 2013. Picture courtesy of Montecito Inn.

The Montecito Inn is getting a makeover! As beautiful as she is, the historic 1920s gem needs a little face lift. So, for her 85th birthday, Smith Firestone Associates (sfa designs) plans to give the famous hotel a great present!

Santa Barbara-based sfa designs will tap into the inn’s original ties to Charlie Chaplin and life back in the Hollywood heyday by swinging the style back to the 1920s. Think “champagne and tuxedos,” as sfa designs says. The 61 quaint rooms will exude glamour and elegance so timeless and classic you will swear you spotted the elusive Gatsby at the bar.

Renovations are set be completed in August of 2013, resulting in an inn that “even Chaplin would be proud of,” says general manager Danny Copus. So take this summer to collect your nicest champagne, dust off your homburg hat and bob your hair because old Hollywood is coming back to town!

 -Alexis O. Kafkis

CALM’s I Will Not Be Silent Campaign Helped Community Raise Voices

Published on June 7, 2013 in nonprofits and Web Exclusives.

With its annual “I Will Not Be Silent” campaign, the local nonprofit agency CALM (Child Abuse Listening Mediation) has successfully encouraged residents of Santa Barbara County to raise their voices against family violence.

Courtesy of CALM.

Courtesy of CALM.

Held throughout this past April, which was National Child Abuse Prevention Month, CALM’s “I Will Not Be Silent” campaign included several free public events across Santa Barbara and Santa Maria, and raised a lot more than just voices. Hosting the second annual “I Will Not Be Silent” Silent Auction & Gala, as well as open houses, lectures and conferences addressing positive parenting, CALM raised approximately $18,000—a sum it has promised to match—for programs and services that prevent, assess and treat child abuse in SB County.

“Through our efforts and outreach, our goal is to create a community of responsibility,” says Cecilia Rodriguez, executive director at CALM, in a written statement. “By raising awareness surrounding child-abuse prevention, more people are coming forward and recognizing that they need help. This has been demonstrated by our growing waiting list of people needing our services.”

It is an unfortunate truth that instances of child abuse happen every day, in a wide variety of different forms. For more than 40 years, CALM has worked directly with community members to raise both awareness and funds to prevent physical, emotional and sexual mistreatment of children. For more information about all of CALM’s services, including ways that you can donate and get involved, please visit its website or call 805/965-2376.

-James Moore

Enjoy “Sunday Funday” at Waxing Poetic!

Published on June 7, 2013 in Datebook, nonprofits, Shopping and Web Exclusives.

Summer is just around the corner! What better way to kick off the season than with live music, ice cream and shopping? (Did I mention ice cream?) On June 9 from noon–4 p.m., jump-start your summer with a “Sunday Funday” celebration hosted by Waxing Poetic and Santa Barbara Channelkeeper.

Waxing Poetic's Summerland storefront, courtesy of Waxing Poetic

Waxing Poetic’s Summerland storefront, courtesy of Waxing Poetic

Santa Barbara-based jewelry retailer Waxing Poetic is teaming up with Santa Barbara Channelkeeper, a local conservation nonprofit that promotes science-based advocacy, education, fieldwork and enforcement of the channel and its watersheds, to raise awareness and support for our most valuable resource—the ocean! Come by Waxing Poetic’s Summerland boutique at 2350 Lillie Ave. and enjoy live music by Carpinteria blues band Deja Blu, mouthwatering ice cream from Sugar & Salt Creamery’s ice cream truck and, of course, shopping. To make the deal even sweeter, purchase an heirloom-quality design from Waxing Poetic’s handcrafted collection and enjoy a free sorbet from the Sugar & Salt truck. It doesn’t get much better than that!

Continue reading ‘Enjoy “Sunday Funday” at Waxing Poetic!’

WordPress database error Table 'jwscott_blog.wp_skysa_apps' doesn't exist for query SELECT * FROM wp_skysa_apps WHERE app_id = '50240601a0170' made by require('wp-blog-header.php'), require_once('wp-includes/template-loader.php'), include('/themes/k2/index.php'), get_footer, locate_template, load_template, require_once('/themes/k2/footer.php'), wp_footer, do_action('wp_footer'), call_user_func_array, wp_print_footer_scripts, do_action('wp_print_footer_scripts'), call_user_func_array, SkysaApps_Output, skysa_plugins_constructor->Output, include('/plugins/skysa-rss-reader-app/skysa-required/output.php') Website Apps