VOICE Magazine: July 19, 2024

Photo by Sharon Green

Photo by John Palminteri

La Recepción del Presidente

Sunday, July 28, 2024

Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort

Join us as we honor 2024 El Presidente Brian Schwabecher, the past Presidentes, as well as this year’s Honorary Presidentes and Directors.

The Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort welcomes you for an elegant evening where 100 years of Fiesta continues to celebrate our history, culture and traditions. Join us as we kick off Fiesta week 2024.

Info at sbfiesta.org

Photo courtesy SB Historical Museum

Discover unparalleled privacy and elegance on one of Santa Barbara’s desired streets in the 93108 zip code. This Mediterranean inspired sanctuary, reimagined and extensively renovated in 2007 by renowned architect Mark Rios, boasts breathtaking ocean, city, and garden views. The meticulously crafted home features three luxurious ensuite bedrooms with private outdoor areas, including a sumptuous primary suite with panoramic ocean vistas. A versatile fourth bedroom/office with a private bathroom adds flexibility. Interior highlights include timeless French limestone finishes, high-end kitchen appliances, quarter-sawn wide-plank white oak floors, and three fireplaces. Expansive living areas bathed in natural light are perfect for intimate gatherings and grand entertaining, with every room opening to its own outdoor space. The outdoor oasis offers mature trees, vibrant plantings, and thoughtfully designed spaces for al fresco dining and relaxation, complete with water features, a gas fireplace, built-in heaters, and speakers. Enjoy luxury living at its finest. www.BeautifulViewHome.com COASTAL LUXURY - OCEAN VIEWS NEW

SUMMER JAZZ

Music Academy of the West

Academy Festival Orchestra and Leila Josefowicz

Current, Contemporary, & Classical

CBy

LASSICAL MUSIC TRAILBLAZERS WILL

JOIN FORCES with the Music Academy of the West’s Festival Orchestra when they next take the Granada Theatre stage at 7:30pm on Saturday, July 27th. Internationally-acclaimed conductor David Robertson will lead from the podium with violinist Leila Josefowicz, whose passionate playing has cemented her status as a “living muse” for composers in the spotlight.

Prior to the concert, attendees will gain insight on the night’s program in a lecture with Music Academy Chief Artistic Officer Nate Bachhuber and Robertson. The talk will begin at 6:30pm.

Two exciting works will come alive during the evening of dynamic music: contemporary composer John Adams’ Violin Concerto and Sergei Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 — a piece Prokofiev himself referred to as “a symphony on the greatness of the human soul.”

“What I think is cool about music, particularly the kind of music that we call classical music, is it’s

such a large landscape that you can’t help but come in and have your horizons widened by interacting with it,” Robertson shared with VOICE

Currently, Robertson is the Director of Conducting Studies, Distinguished Visiting Faculty of The Juilliard School. His past experiences have included serving as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as well as the Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. He has collaborated with the Music Academy of the West since 2007.

In planning next Saturday’s concert, Robertson immediately thought of adding Adams’ Violin Concerto to the program when he heard that Josefowicz would be a guest as well. Previously, the duo has recorded the piece, as well as Adams’ Scheherazade.2, which was Grammy-nominated.

“There’s no one who plays it like Leila Josefowicz,” said Robertson. “Her mastery of his [Adams’] sort of very demanding violin writing, as well as her musical understanding of how to make the piece sing is just second to none.”

He added that the Violin Concerto is unique in that it is rooted in part in “the American vernacular,” weaving moments that hearken Appalachian fiddle with more atmospheric, “Californian” melodies.

“The piece spoke to me on so many different levels,” Josefowicz shared with VOICE. “It has such a very strong rhythmic sensibility. I love how there are kind of elements of jazz and rock n’ roll to it. I found it extremely compelling and sort of a masterpiece in its own way.”

Josefowicz is the Artist-in-Residence of Iceland Symphony Orchestra for its 2023-2024 season and is a champion of contemporary classical music. Numerous composers have written works with her especially in mind for their premieres, including John Adams, Colin Matthews, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Luca Francesconi.

Josefowicz explained that she finds the

opportunity to understand and inform a piece’s creation from the beginning a thrilling change from traditional classical music training of deceased composers’ works. She considers it a great privilege to have a composer write a piece with the understanding of how she plays music as an individual performer.

“It made me feel like I was really relevant, that I wasn’t another great player trying to play music that everyone else is playing,” said Josefowicz. “I actually am really trying to make a difference in classical music by first enlarging the repertoire and then hopefully helping fantastic pieces get written and having them stay in the repertoire.”

Adams’ Violin Concerto holds a special place in Josefowicz’s heart. She shared with VOICE she considers the work as representing a “crossroads” in her career, marking a departure from her past training with more standard violin pieces. To date, Josefowicz has performed the Violin Concerto over 150 times, leading her to intimately understand this complicated work by heart.

Prokofiev’s Symphony No. 5 will round out the night’s program. By pairing the work with Adams’, Robertson shared that listeners’ focus will move from hearing solo work to appreciating the orchestra as a collection of individuals. He pointed to the 1944 symphony’s status as a wartime piece, highlighting that Prokofiev’s birthplace is currently impacted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

“This [piece] does not shy away from the real darkness and scariness that humans can bring upon one another, which makes it very timely,” said Robertson. “The thing that I feel happens in a symphony like this is that the music helps us to rise above — a little bit like astronauts looking at the planet and getting a different idea about how important it is to draw particular lines on the map. It’s there to really remind us of the human spirit with its joys and sorrows, but inevitably, with the kind of awareness that we can triumph over adversity.”

For tickets (7-17’s FREE; Community Access $10; Regular $18-115) visit www.musicacademy.org; email ticketoffice@musicacademy.org or call 805-969-8787. Community Access Tickets: The Music Academy is committed to ensuring the Santa Barbara community has access to and is inspired by the magic of music. $10 Community Access Tickets are available for the 2024 Summer Festival, subject to availability. Tickets are available in person at the Music Academy Carsey Ticket Office and online. The Community Access Ticket program is made possible in the loving memory of

Daisy Scott / VOICE

Guest Conductor David Robertson

Leila Josefowicz will perform John Adams’ Violin Concerto

Photo by Chris Lee

Photo by Tom Zimberoff

Photo by Zach Mendez

The Ethereal Études of Philip Glass

By Destin Cavazos / VOICE

DREAMLIKE AND DECADENT, EIGHT PIANISTS PERFORMED THE COMPLETE SERIES OF PHILIP GLASS’ PIANO ÉTUDES on July 13th in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West. Skillfully navigating complex rhythms, looping melodies, and deep echoing harmonies, Academy fellows delivered the ethereal otherworldly atmosphere that has become Philip Glass’ trademark.

Celebrated for his hypnotic style of minimalist music, Glass often explores repetitive elements and long, lulling melodies. Although his career as a composer has spanned numerous genres, including over 30 operas, 14 symphonies, and 45 film soundtracks, the études represent some of his most personal works. Taken from the French word for “study,” études are arrangements played by musicians in order to practice or demonstrate skill. Glass’ pieces, composed over two decades from 1991 to 2012, demonstrate his desire to challenge himself and others musically. Though short and often simple melodies, the études push players to bring both precision and tenderness to their work.

All twenty of the composer’s études were performed over the course of the evening, showcased by six solo piano fellows under the guidance of critically-acclaimed pianist Conor Hanick.

Hanick opened the performance with the first étude, a steadily sweeping mix of interjecting scales. Though most Glass compositions are recognized for their

foreboding aura, Po Han Chiu channeled sudden brightness in Étude No. 3, which stood out for its jovial bounciness among denser and darker melodies. Afterwards, Henry From evoked a sense of solemn peace through the wandering notes of Étude No. 8, before switching gears amidst the frenetic stings of the subsequent piece, Étude No. 9, highlighting the powerful dynamic range of both the piece and the performer.

The first segment of evening was closed out by visiting artist Timo Andres. A pianist and composer well-versed in the works of Glass, Andres recently revised a folio collection of the Glass Études last fall. His brisk and breathless performance of Étude No. 10 left attendees buzzing as they headed into intermission.

When the evening resumed, the intensity of the pieces picked up, with Sol Park demonstrating impressive skill as she dove into the fast-paced trills of Étude Nos. 11 and 12. Alice Zhang tackled some of the more measured pieces in the catalog, bringing life to the metronomic lilt of Étude No. 15 and the quaint quietness of Étude No. 16.

Andres returned later in the performance to deliver the evening’s final piece, the sprawling Étude No. 20, deftly handling the expansive builds that truly showcased Glass’s cosmic musical style. www.musicacademy.org

Get on board for our Hawaiian Cruise

Troy Fernandez, “Hawaiian Style Ukulele” celebrates the wonders of the tiny four stringed instrument as this world-renowned ukulele master will perform traditional and contemporary treasures along with his hula girls on board the Condor Express. To enhance the Hawaiian style, all lady passengers will receive a complimentary lei. Enjoy light appetizers, with great authentic Hawaiian entertainment. Have fun and dress for the occasion with several of your friends! No Host Bar on board.

When: Saturday, July 20th, 6pm sharp to 8pm

Where: Departs from landing dock in Santa Barbara Harbor

Tickets: Adults $80

Reservations: Call 805-882-0088

For more information: CondorExpress.com

Timo Andres closed out the night with Étude No. 20

Photos by Andre Yew

Sol Park played Étude No. 11 and Étude No. 12

State Street Advisory Committee Takes a Stand

Majority of Members Voice Concerns about Inefficient Process and Not Being Heard

By Daisy Scott / VOICE

FRUSTRATIONS FINALLY CAME TO

THE FORE at the State Street Advisory Committee on July 15th. After three years of intermittent meetings that have been largely structured as extensive City staff presentations with brief feedback sessions to guide decision-making, each SSAC member received five minutes of open comment on the current proposals for the future of State Street.

Numerous SSAC members used part of their allotted time to critique the City’s process of creating the State Street Master Plan draft in addition to sharing opinions on the issues of bicycles, re-introduction of cars on State Street, and other plan specifics.

All told, nine out of the 13 SSAC members present raised concerns over the City’s process, not feeling heard in open conversations, or the

decision to cast straw votes too early during their comments.

“I was hoping that by this point in the process, we would have a fully developed draft plan addressing land use, housing, mobility, homelessness, economic development, etcetera,” said SSAC Chair Dave Davis. “That was the plan. But we didn’t get it. A lot of the frustration is that this process ended up fragmenting...We should have basically just called ‘time out,’ let the professionals draft the plan, bring it back, and then we can get into all the items that people have talked about.”

“We joined this committee three years ago and I joined the members here who are all incredibly talented and visionary people, and we have never been allowed to have an open discussion about our ideas and exchanging ideas and exchanging visions,” said Roger Durling,

Kathryn Martin To Be Honored By California Association of Symphonies

FOR HER INSPIRING LEADERSHIP AT THE SANTA BARBARA SYMPHONY, Kathryn R Martin, President & CEO is being recognized and honored with the 2024 Executive Leadership Award by the Association of California Symphony Orchestras.

“When an organization becomes clear on its purpose, and that purpose fills an unmet need in the community it serves, great things can happen,” Martin stated. “I am deeply honored to receive the ACSO Executive Leadership Award as a testament to the unwavering dedication and resilience of the entire Santa Barbara Symphony family—our board, staff, musicians, faculty, and community supporters. Together—with our shared vision for artistic excellence and community impact and a belief that The Symphony is for Everyone—we’ve navigated challenges and created opportunities to envision a vibrant and sustainable future for The Symphony to enrich our community.”

The ACSO Executive Leadership Award celebrates chief executives who demonstrate extraordinary leadership in the classical music field. Recipients are recognized for their outstanding efforts in advancing their organization’s mission, creating inspiring visions, developing strategies to overcome challenges, and uniting teams to thrive in the evolving world of classical music performance. The award will be presented at ACSO’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Francisco from July 25 to 27.

ACSO Executive Director Sarah Weber said in the announcement, “We created this award because oftentimes the work of an orchestra leader is the last to be recognized. In our field, executives spend their time supporting their board members, mentoring and coaching their staff, shining the spotlight on their music director, and collaborating with musicians. They lift up everyone before themselves. But they truly provide a strong backbone and influence the internal culture of any successful orchestra. Kathryn certainly does all that and more for Santa Barbara Symphony, and she is truly deserving of this recognition.”

Martin was nominated by the Santa Barbara Symphony’s board, staff, and musicians for her achievements in revitalizing the orchestra following financial and leadership challenges that predated her tenure and were intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. In the announcement they noted, “Through Martin’s dynamic leadership, The Symphony is bucking national trends. It has a growing base of loyal season ticket subscribers, multi-year pledges of support via the innovative Crescendo program, continuity in the professional staff, a collaborative relationship with its musicians’ union, and dozens of volunteers committed to hosting the professional musicians during concert weeks. Martin’s experience as a turnaround expert with a 30-year career leading nonprofit organizations through times of change and uncertainty uniquely positioned her to help The Symphony advance its mission during and after the pandemic.”

The Symphony opens its 2024/25 Season on Saturday, October 19th, at 7:30pm and Sunday, October 20th, at 3pm with Tchaikovsky’s Fourth. This immersive concert includes a detailed discussion of the Fourth Symphony and features Pablo Sáinz-Villegas on Spanish guitar performing Rodrigo’s Concierto de Aranjuez. Special pre-sale discount tickets are available until August 30th. Subscriptions start at $27 per seat. For tickets or more info, visit www.TheSymphony.org

SSAC member and Santa Barbara International Film Festival Executive Director. “We’ve had three years of presentations upon presentations, which we should have been doing on our own and just being here prepared to discuss and talk.”

Early in the meeting, City Councilmembers Mike Jordan and Kristen Sneddon voiced concern over casting straw votes on important Master Plan details that evening, pointing to the fact that the City’s proposed plans had not changed since receiving additional public comment or feedback from the SSAC on June 26th.

Despite others indicating similar reservations, City staff conducted a series of hurried tally votes at the meeting’s conclusion, asking SSAC members to simply vote on key plan details with “yes,” “no,” or “yes if,” allowing them to tack on conditions to their positive vote.

The July 15th meeting was technically a continuation of the SSAC’s June 26th session, which was paused rather than officially adjourned. This meant that Monday’s meeting didn’t include any public comment session. Nevertheless, approximately 35 community members filled the Palm Park Beach House, along with about 20 viewing the meeting over Zoom.

City staff’s currently proposed plan outlines State Street being divided into three districts, including a pedestrian-centered Grand Paseo from the 700 to 900 blocks. Cars would be reintroduced for one lane on the 1000 to 1200 blocks, while the 500 and 600 blocks would focus on expanded outdoor dining, cyclists, and transit such as a trolley or pedicabs.

No representatives from MIG, Inc. were present or spoke at the meeting, nor were any of their proposals reviewed. The City of Santa Barbara hired MIG as the project’s external consulting group in 2022 with a $780,000 contract.

SSAC members all agreed on the necessity of a pedestrian-focused core area. Yet in the course of speaking to more specific preferences, such as the extent to which bicycles would be permitted on the street or experiential programming, a larger conversation emerged on the committee’s frustrations on the Master Plan creation process as a whole.

“What I’ve seen is basically a public process and not a design or a visioning process, and

I find that frustration being emulated by members of this committee to be something I just saw the day I started looking into this,” said John Baucke. Baucke is the Chair of the City’s Planning Commission and joined the SSAC earlier this year.

“I hear the words being used about the Master Plan: transformational, visionary, magnetic, being bold — and everything that I have seen, that’s been presented doesn’t fit that,” said Durling. “This is not visionary, this is cosmetic changes that we’re talking about.”

Ed Lenvik commented on the quick nature of the plan’s timeline as well as the need for a legal review of any limitations the Master Plan might face in planning pedestrians and bike lanes to co-exist. Currently, the City intends to use SSAC members’ feedback to finalize and release a draft Master Plan later this summer for a three months public review period. The plan will then go back to the SSAC.

“Are we going to assume that a pretty picture plan is going to be developed out of our recommendations here, going to be posted for three months, and we’re gonna come back then and it’ll have been to ABR and Landmarks and Planning Commissions and whatever, and we’ll wrangle again over an imperfect plan prepared by volunteers who are giving their time, for free, to come up with a scheme?” asked Lenvik. “I mean this is bizarre, really bizarre, guys.”

“Personally I’m disappointed that we’re all at this particular point,” Davis offered. “That said, it’s been three years and this community deserves something from us relative to moving the process forward.”

The meeting concluded with the SSAC delivering straw votes on nine questions regarding different facets of the City staff’s current proposals for State Street, including the pedestrian-focused Grand Paseo framework, curbless “flat and flexible” streets for select blocks, and when cyclists would share the street with pedestrians.

By the end of the session, it appeared that the majority of City staff recommendations were approved via these straw votes. It is anticipated that the next iteration of the draft State Street Master Plan will be revealed for a public comment period by summer’s end.

To learn more visit https://santabarbaraca.gov/ state-street-advisory-committee

The State Street Advisory Committee openly addressed their concerns to City staff on July 15th

Photo by Daisy Scott

Courtesy

Photo

Community ~ News

High School Bilingual Pathway Program Graduates First Class

THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN CALIFORNIA, THE INTERPRETATION/ TRANSLATION PROGRAM at Santa Barbara High School is celebrating its first graduating class. One of the newest pathway programs at Santa Barbara Unified School District, the class teaches students how to use their bilingual skills in English and Spanish to bridge the communication gap between people.

Boasting industry partners who volunteer as guest speakers and offer to host field trips for students, the program also highlights entrepreneurship and marketing from local guest speakers, and offers students the opportunity to shadow the district’s own Language Access Unit at district/school events. Students can also observe a Translation class at California State University Channel Islands and a graduate-level class from The Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

“My first language is Spanish, and I just wanted to sharpen my knowledge of it,” said senior Juliana Bermudez. “I don’t speak at school too much, and so I really wanted to incorporate it into my everyday life more than just speaking it at home.”

Focusing on the basics of translation and interpretation, the class also teaches about the code of ethics, professionalism, and different industries where these skills can be used.

Teacher Alison Mendoza said she tailors the exercises and curriculum to students’ interests in future careers, such as medical or legal jobs.

“I think watching a lot of them come out of their shells or gain a lot of confidence has been a big part of it for us,” said Mendoza. “We really promote both the translation interpretation field and being bilingual wherever you go, in whatever you do. We want

Eastside Paseos Project Nearing Completion

HALEY STREET IS GETTING AN UPGRADE UNDER the Eastside Neighborhood Transportation Management Plan. A part of Santa Barbara’s Vision Zero Strategy, the ongoing construction hopes to eliminate traffic fatalities and severe injuries while increasing safety and equitable mobility for all.

The updates will improve visibility for drivers and pedestrians and reduce pedestrian exposure to moving vehicles by shortening the street crossing distance along Haley Street. This will include sidewalk repairs and the construction of access ramps, curb extensions and crosswalks, better lighting, and a new traffic signal at Haley Street and Olive Street. There will also be asphalt pavement reconstruction on Haley between Castillo Street and Milpas Street. The construction on the curb extensions is expected to be completed by the end of September 2024, the project as a whole is expected to be finished by the end of November 2024.

To view the plan, go to www.santabarbaraca. gov/projects/eastside-community-paseos

students to know that language access is really something that we should all focus on everywhere.”

Next year, the Translation/Interpretation Pathway will launch a third class that will give more students tools to continue engaging in language access in their community. They’re also considering adding a certification component.

www.sbunified.org/showcase/sbhs-translation-and-interpretation-pathway

Summer Camp Registration Now Open

SUMMERTIME

MEANS SUMMER CAMP SEASON IS HERE! Santa

Barbara Parks and Recreation is offering many camps that are now open for registration, for ages four to 17. From sports such as basketball, golf, and ice hockey to activities like comedy, counseling, and entrepreneur camp, there is something for everyone this year. Scholarships and inclusion services are available for eligible families.

Camps fill quickly but vacancies always happen, so checking back regularly is a good practice as slots open up after cancelations. Registration for each camp will close at 11:30pm the Wednesday before the camp session starts. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/2tujp24y

Negotiations

between School District and Employees Reach Tentative Agreement

SOME TENTATIVE AGREEMENTS WERE MET AS OF JULY 8TH between the Santa Barbara Unified School District (SBUSD) and the California School Employee Association (CSEA). The agreements are centered around hiring procedures, unscheduled calls to work, and disciplinary action and appeal.

The District and CSEA agreed to change the makeup of hiring committees. The new language will allow Human Resources to designate a trained employee to conduct hiring panels. New contract language for unscheduled calls to work added the option to meet and discuss the potential for Hazard Pay during an officially declared emergency. And the SBUSD and CSEA reached an agreement on the Disciplinary Action Article as well, requiring written notification of any disciplinary warning.

Salary increase negotiations are close in agreement about the amount, but when disbursements will be rolled out are still in discussion. The CSEA requested a ten percent salary increase for July 1st, 2024, and five percent on July 1st, 2025. The SBUSD countered with ten percent on July 1st, 2024, and three percent on July 1st, 2025, with an additional two percent on January 1st, 2026. The District’s counter-proposal was consistent with the recent Tentative Agreement reached with Santa Barbara Teachers Association (SBTA).

Further negotiations will continue around the use of personal vehicles, working outside of class, maternity leave, and bilingual premium pay. The next negotiation sessions will be July 19th. www.sbunified.org

Courtesy of Parks and Rec

Courtesy of City of Santa Barbara

Photo courtesy of SBUSD Santa Barbara High School’s first graduating class, Interpretation/Translation program

From Tricycles to Tassels: Graduation a Time for Joy and Letting Go

Submitted by Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

GRADUATIONS CAN STIR INTENSE EMOTIONS AND MEMORIES.

Eighteen years ago, I was driving on the 101, looking at the cars to my left and right, seeing through bleary eyes, sleep-deprived as a first-time mom, having a fleeting curiosity about how I and so many others in the same situation were actually allowed to be operating heavy machinery.

Dotting some of the lines to the present, I think back to holding hands with our daughter as we crossed the street, and then watching her do it on her own, looking, listening, and then crossing. Then tricycling, bicycling, and now driving. In a blurry, imperfect snap of the fingers, here we are, 18 years later, after she has just graduated from high school, our family on the brink of a new chapter.

I hear that we’ll get through this. We may even look back at this time with longing. I can believe it. But, when you’re in the thick of it like me, I look to my left and my right, wondering if all the big feelings are happening in other families like ours. I trust that they are.

Beneath the shimmer of tassels and sea of smiling faces at graduation, this transition unfolds as a profound change for families. Everyone who has gone through it can now look back at high school and recognize that it was never a seamless linear progression from one success to the next. In fact, did anything really go exactly as expected? Friendships, coursework, college admissions processes— there are just no scripts for these things. As graduates look to the future, the terrain ahead is filled with important choices and challenges, all so essential to navigate, for us as parents, too.

As educators, we track rates and percentages to assess how graduating classes are progressing as a whole, but we recognize the diversity of human experiences and emotions encapsulated in the numbers.

As I close my eyes and imagine what these 5,500 high school graduates are experiencing right now, this very summer, I can see a host of possibilities: a mix of joy, gratitude, exhilaration, relief, worry, uncertainty, and hopefulness. Some students are off to work, others beginning their trade school, many starting Allan Hancock College and Santa Barbara City College. Some have saved up to travel, and others are preparing to move away for school in just a few weeks.

And as I think about parents and guardians, I can see another set of possibilities, a swinging pendulum of mixed feelings: We are so proud of what our kids have accomplished and yet uncertain if we’ve taught them enough to launch independently. We are learning how to parent young adults, navigating when to swoop in and when to step way back. We want our children to be safe and yet we know it’s good if they make important mistakes and grow from them.

One thing we know for sure: no one can possibly know how today’s choices and decisions will unfold. This is a time brimming with opportunity, possibility, and the promise, at the very least, of more choices and paths forward on the unpredictably exciting road ahead.

In Santa Barbara County this year, we had close to 5,500 high school graduates.

Across the county, we have seen impressive high school graduation rates, with 93.7 percent percent of our county’s high school seniors graduating with a diploma last year, compared with 88.7 percent statewide. The most recent figures show that 67.1 percent of students in our county go to a college or university, versus 62 percent statewide.

As we let our emotions run their natural gamut, perhaps we should simply bask in this milestone, acknowledging all the teachers, school staff, administrators, coaches, counselors, friends, neighbors, and family who helped in a thousand generous ways. To all of the helpers, and to the generations before us who have already experienced this rite of passage, thank you for proving that we are going to make it and thrive.

To our 5,500 graduates, 5,500 cheers to your achievements and the courage it takes to step into the unknown. May you find utter joy in discovering your gifts, be kind to people along the way, and please remember to call home.

De triciclos a borlas: la graduación, un tiempo de alegría y despedida

Por Susan Salcido, Santa Barbara County Superintendent of Schools

LAS GRADUACIONES PUEDEN PROVOCAR EMOCIONES Y RECUERDOS INTENSOS.

Hace 18 años, estaba conduciendo en la 101, mirando a los vehículos a mi izquierda y a mi derecha, mirando a través de ojos nublados y falta de sueño como mamá primeriza, con una breve curiosidad sobre cómo se me permitía a mí, y a tantas otras en la misma situación, operar maquinaria pesada.

Conectando algunos de los puntos con el presente, recuerdo estar tomada de la mano con nuestra hija al cruzar la calle y luego verla hacerlo por sí misma, mirando, escuchando y luego cruzando. Después, andando en triciclo, en bicicleta y ahora conduciendo. En un chasquido de dedos borroso e imperfecto, aquí estamos, 18 años más tarde, después de graduarse de la preparatoria, nuestra familia, al borde de un nuevo capítulo.

Dicen que vamos a seguir adelante. Puedo creerlo. Y que aún recordaremos este momento con nostalgia. Pero cuando estás en medio de esto como yo, miro a la izquierda, miro a la derecha, preguntándome si todos los grandes sentimientos también están sucediendo en otras familias como la nuestra. Confío que sí.

Bajo el brillo de las borlas y el mar de caras sonrientes en la graduación, esta transición se despliega como un cambio profundo para las familias. Todos los que han pasado por esto pueden recordar la preparatoria y reconocer que nunca fue una progresión linear sin interrupciones de un éxito al otro. En realidad, ¿sucedió algo realmente como se esperaba?

Amistades, tareas, procesos de admisión a la universidad – no hay guiones para estas cosas. Mientras los graduados miran hacia el futuro, el terreno adelante está lleno de importantes decisiones y desafíos, todos tan esenciales para navegar también nosotros como padres.

En el Condado de Santa Bárbara este año tuvimos casi 5,500 graduados de la preparatoria. A través del condado hemos visto índices impactantes de graduación de la preparatoria, con el 93.7% de nuestros alumnos del último año recibiendo un diploma el año pasado, comparado con el 88.7% en todo el estado. Las cifras más recientes muestran

que el 67.1% de los estudiantes en nuestro condado van al colegio o la universidad comparado con el 62% en todo el estado.

Como educadores, rastreamos los índices y porcentajes para evaluar cómo las clases de graduados progresan en general, pero reconocemos la diversidad de las experiencias humanas y las emociones encapsuladas en los números.

Mientras cierro los ojos e imagino qué están sintiendo estos 5,500 graduados de la preparatoria en este momento, este verano, veo una multitud de posibilidades: una mezcla de felicidad, gratitud, euforia, alivio, preocupación, incertidumbre y esperanza. Algunos estudiantes van a trabajar, otros aprenderán un oficio, muchos comenzarán Allan Hancock College y Santa Barbara City College. Algunos han ahorrado para viajar y otros están preparándose para mudarse para ir a la universidad en unas pocas semanas.

Y mientras pienso en los padres y tutores, puedo ver otro conjunto de posibilidades, un péndulo de sentimientos mezclados: estamos orgullosos de lo que han logrado nuestros hijos y aún inseguros de si les hemos enseñado lo suficiente para lanzarlos a la independencia. Estamos aprendiendo a cómo ser padres de adultos jóvenes, decidiendo cuándo precipitarse y cuándo dar un paso atrás. Queremos que nuestros hijos estén seguros, pero sabemos que es bueno si hacen errores importantes y aprenden de ellos.

Algo que sabemos por seguro: nadie puede realmente saber cómo las elecciones y decisiones de hoy se van a desarrollar. Este es un tiempo rebosando con oportunidades, posibilidades y la promesa, por lo menos, de más elecciones y caminos en la impredecible y emocionante ruta por delante.

Mientras dejamos que nuestras emociones corran su gama natural, tal vez simplemente debamos disfrutar este meta, reconociendo a los maestros, personal escolar, administradores, entrenadores, consejeros, amigos, vecinos y la familia que nos ayudaron de miles de maneras generosas. Gracias a todos los ayudantes y a las generaciones anteriores que ya han experimentado esta iniciación, gracias por probar que vamos a lograrlo y prosperar.

Para nuestros 5,500 graduados, 5,500 felicitaciones por sus logros y el coraje necesario para enfrentar lo desconocido. Que encuentren absoluta alegría al descubrir sus talentos, sean amables con las personas en su camino y por favor, recuerden llamar a casa.

Courtesy photo

SB County Superintendent of Schools Susan Salcido

Community ~ News

CommUnify Champions Dinner Raises $255,250 to Support Services

THE 18TH ANNUAL CHAMPIONS DINNER & AWARDS

CELEBRATED the individuals, nonprofit organizations, and businesses who have improved Santa Barbara communities through charity in 2024. A sold-out event with over 200 guests from across Santa Barbara County, Andrew Firestone served as emcee and auctioneer at the June event in Solvang.

Presented by CommUnify, there was a live auction, a paddle raise, and a medallion ceremony. The Champions Dinner raised $255,250 to support CommUnify’s Family & Youth Services division.

“We are so grateful for the generosity and continued support from our community,” said CommUnify CEO, Patricia Keelean. “The funds raised will help CommUnify to expand the programs which empower the youth of Santa Barbara County and provide them with additional support

Blue Sky Center Celebrates Ten Years of Community Building

services including case management, behavioral health, life skills, and educational activities, empowering these vulnerable adolescents and their families to transform their lives, and find a path to a brighter and more stable future.”

Among those recognized was the CEO of CalNonprofits Geoff Green, for his part in creating the SBCC Promise initiative, which has given thousands of high school students the opportunity to obtain a college degree at no cost. The Vikings of Solvang were honored for 50 years of providing financial support to county residents with medically related needs, and helping families of children who have disabilities. Finally, Hardy Diagnostics was recognized for

BLUE SKIES WILL KEEP SHINING IN NEW CUYAMA. Wednesday, July 10th marks ten years for the Blue Sky Center, a local nonprofit dedicated to building resilient and inclusive economies in the Cuyama Valley. Over the last decade, Blue Sky has worked to strengthen their rural community by supporting entrepreneurs and building up regional creative and economic resources.

“We do what needs to happen in ways that bring people along, build on what and who is here, and treat any issue at hand as best solved with an interdisciplinary approach,” explained Jack Forinash, Executive Director of Blue Sky Center. “Work here—in all rural communities—is complex; resources are stretched and bent, but not broken.”

The entire townsite of New Cuyama, including what is now Blue Sky Center, was built by the Richfield Oil Company in 1950. Richfield (later ARCO) exhausted much of the oil from the area and then divested in the 1970s. In 2012 the Zannon family of the Santa Barbara Pistachio Company made an investment which included land, assets, and equipment for the development of a nonprofit organization to support entrepreneurs and build creative and economic resources. From 2014 to 2016, Richfield Oil’s 25,000-square-foot former headquarters was reimagined, and in 2016, Blue Sky Center was introduced to Cuyama Valley. In 2020, the organization published a comprehensive report that established both current conditions and reported back “next steps” for furthering economic opportunity, rural resilience, and quality of life for Cuyamans. www.blueskycenter.org

donating their time and money—one percent of their net profits each year—to local charities, and providing PPE materials to county hospitals and clinics during the early days of the pandemic.

www.CommUnifySB.org

Foodbank’s Empty Bowls

Fundraiser

Returns to Lompoc on July 31st

LOMPOC WILL ENJOY A SPECIAL LUNCH WHEN THE FOODBANK OF SANTA BARBARA COUNTY hosts the 19th annual Lompoc Empty Bowls fundraiser on Wednesday, July 31st at the Dick DeWees Community & Senior Center, with seatings at 11:30am and 12:30pm.

Guests will choose a hand-painted bowl and receive a simple lunch of soup, bread, and water. Each bowl has been painted or created by community members throughout Lompoc, from art students at Lompoc Valley Middle School to other Lompoc residents at Bowl Painting Parties hosted by the Empty Bowls Committe. Gourmet soups will be donated by local chefs and restaurants including Alfie’s Fish and Chips, American Host, Cajun Kitchen, Mason Bar & Kitchen, Mi Amore, Rooster Creek Tavern, Savory and Sweet Eats, Southside Coffee, and more. Each guest will take home their one-of-a-kind bowl as a reminder of Empty Bowls’ mission to provide food for those in need. The event will feature a community drawing, a silent auction, succulents for sale, and a ceramic wheel bowl-making demonstration by Mike

of Allan Hancock College’s ceramics program.

All proceeds go to help the Foodbank provide healthy groceries, fresh produce, and nutrition education to Lompoc residents facing food insecurity.

To buy tickets ($25), visit www.donate.foodbanksbc.org/lompoc2024

Discount Hotel Rates for Fire Evacuees

TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY MEMBERS FORCED TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES AMIDST THE LAKE FIRE, multiple local hotels in the Santa Ynez Valley area are offering discounted rates for evacuees. Complimentary rooms are also being provided for firefighters and first responders.

Hotels include The Ballard Inn, A Kirkwood Collection Hotel, which is offering complimentary rooms for all firefighters and first responders and 20 percent off to evacuees. Firefighters and first responders not staying at the hotel are welcome to visit the hotel facilities to relax with refreshments and free WiFi.

Other participating hotels include Hotel Hygge ($59 per night room rate), The Winston ($99 per night), Sideways Inn ($69 per night), The Vinland Hotel & Lounge ($79 per night), and the Flying Flags RV Resort Buellton and Flying Flags Avila Beach in San Luis Obispo are offering 40 percent off.

Call or visit the websites of participating venues for more information.

Grape grafting at the Blue Sky Center

Photo by Liz Fish

CommUnify CEO Patricia Keelean and CEO of CalNonprofits Geoff Green

McNutt

Courtesy of Foodbank of SB

Hardy Diagnostics celebrating their recognition — standing: Licet Bird, Maurizio Bacigalupo, Anna Bacigalupo, Weston Maugin, Deanna Reyes, and Val Reyes; seated: Victoria Lopez, Vanessa Robertson, Jay Hardy, and Lauren Hamilton

Courtesy of Helene Glassman

Think Pink!

Legally Blonde: The Musical

By Daisy Scott / VOICE

PROVING THAT PINK AND AMBITION GO HAND-IN-HAND, Legally Blonde: The Musical is a love letter to comedy, fashion, and being true to yourself. Now at the Garvin Theatre, director Katie Laris has continued the Theatre Group at Santa Barbara City College’s summer musical tradition with fabulous flair.

Spirits were high on opening night as theater-goers packed the aisles. The excitement carried through the performance, with laughter, cheers, and gasps of surprise punctuating each scene. It was local theater at its peak and the feeling of community was palpable.

A live band conducted by David Potter performed the musical’s peppy score, which breathed new life into a familiar story with zippy, original songs like Omigod You Guys, Gay or European, and the quintessential Bend and Snap. The cast matched the music’s upbeat tempo with energetic singing and choreography that made numbers feel like spontaneous parties.

In its Broadway form, Legally Blonde: The Musical essentially follows the 2001 film’s plot. Elle Woods (impeccably performed by Cambria Metzinger) wants to marry her frat-boy beau Warner (Clayton Barry) when Warner announces that he is going to Harvard law school, dumping Elle because she’s “a Marilyn, not a Jackie.”

Determined to win him back, Elle studies hard and

gets into Harvard. Yet Warner has moved on, and Elle’s peers quickly dismiss her. This only fuels Elle’s convictions as she strives to uphold her values while navigating misogyny and a murder trial.

The musical’s main difference from the film is an expanded role for Emmet (Nik Valinsky), a research assistant for Harvard’s Professor Callahan (Rod Lathim). Emmet

does provide greater insight into Emmet’s background as a

warm chemistry and vocal talents between Metzinger and Valinsky quickly eased any reservations and united the two

Metzinger embodied Elle with vibrant energy, expertly

He acted especially well as a foil for Lathim’s deliciously despicable portrayal of Professor Callahan. Lathim, always a treat to see in local musicals, delivered a comically chilling rendition of Blood in the Water, a song on the toxic side of a law career.

Another musical standout was Felicia Hall as Paulette, Elle’s hairdresser and best friend. Hall’s impeccable comic timing combined with her resonant voice brought down the house with her romantic number Ireland.

As Emmet, Valinsky channeled an affable sincerity that

An energetic supporting cast rounded out each scene, building the musical up to its iconic courtroom conclusion. Detailed sets courtesy of Patricia L. Frank transported audiences from a UCLA sorority house to the halls of Harvard and beyond — a journey worth taking before the Theatre Group’s last performance on July 27th. www.theatregroupsbcc.com

Cambria Metzinger and Nik Valinsky as Elle Woods and Emmet

Photo by Ben Crop

SB FUNK ZONE LIVE

9 Doty

4 Rincon Brewery • 205

Santa Barbara St • Craft Brewery, full restaurant, local artists on beer cans & apparel; wine, kombucha, cider. Chris Potter prints for sale.

1 Assemblage • 111 Santa Barbara St • Retro collectibles, fine vintage, and community.

2 Lama Dog Tap Room + Bottle Shop • 116 Santa Barbara St • 20 revolving artisan craft beers on tap, wine on tap.

2

10 Kiva

Coworking Funk Zone •

10 E Yanonali St • Get work done and events planned in networking-friendly spaces.

5 Shalhoob’s Funk Zone Patio • 220 Gray Avenue • Creative American eats from regional ingredients are served outdoors 11 Commen Unity • 223 Anacapa St #B • The Funk Zone’s most unique venue - Hair & Art studio showcasing local artists

6 La Lieff Wines • 210 Gray Av • An exceptional experience blending top-quality wines in a welcoming, beautiful space.

Studio • 116 E Yanonali, 2nd Fl • Art by Cheryl Doty @doty-art 11 Tendrel • 223 Anacapa St #A • Men’s Clothing & Selvedge Denim. New location Grand Opening & launching of our Made in SB collection.

11 sbmidmod • 223 Anacapa St #C • Premier Mid-Century Modern Furniture, Art and Design Gallery.

15 Loveworn & Rodeo

Gallery • 11 Anacapa St • New summer designs and new artwork in the gallery!

St Anacapa St Santa Barbara St Yanonali St Gray Ave

3 Jess Conti Leather Goods • 121 S Santa Barbara St (Bright Blue Quonset Hut) • handmake everything on-site visit my LeatherStudio. Specializing in leather bags.

• 121 E Yanonali St • Tamar is a Middle Eastern fast-casual dining experience where tradition meets modern flair.

3

• 121

13 Dylan Star • 110 Anacapa St • Special pop-up featuring local jewelry artists showcasing handmade jewelry

Ave

Jules by The Sea

Santa Barbara St (Bright Blue Quonset Hut) • Handcrafted jewelry infused with SB’s coastal allure.

On the Street with John Palminteri

Photos and Stories by John Palminteri / Special to VOICE

The Old Mission Motor Show

MONDAY, JULY 15TH: Dazzling and polished cars and trucks were the draw for the first ever Mission Car Show which benefited the Mission and its restoration last Saturday morning. The event raised $25,000. Food trucks were on scene with refreshments and DJ Darla Bea spun tunes and entertained. Padre Larry blessed the event which was sponsored by Village Properties

REALTOR Ruth Ann Bowe, Milpas Motors, Montecito Bank & Trust, Firestone Walker, Mission Linen, Marborg, and the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation.

AWARDS INCLUDED: Best of Show Award: 1954 Jaguar XK120, Monte Wilson; People’s Choice Award: 1950 Mercury Chop, Greg Salgado; Hot Rod Award: 1934 Ford Five Window Coupe, Jeff Overeen; Pick-Up Award: 1949 GMC Pickup, Joshua Brovelli; American Muscle Award: 1967 Pontiac GTO Convertible, Peter Georgi; Pre-War Award: 1917 Templar, Dana Newquist; European Design Award: 1960 Fiat Jolly, Monte Wilson; and Modern Sports Car Award: 2023 Chevy Corvette, Stephen Crawford.

RIP, Diego Lake Nieves

SATURDAY, JULY 25TH: On July 3rd Diego Lake Nieves was hit on his motorcycle in the area of Highway 101 at San Ysidro Rd. He died on July 4th. I learned about this recently and was asked to share this Go Fund Me for a scholarship in his name at Carpinteria High where he graduated in 2023. He recently started a job at an ice cream shop near the crash scene and was attending Santa Barbara City College. Go Fund Me: https://tinyurl.com/8yyuj5yd

Overdose

TUESDAY, JULY 16TH: Reported overdose on the beach east of Hendry’s in Santa Barbara. Below 1000 steps. Difficult access. Santa Barbara fire, harbor patrol, AMR, police on it. Special UTV (utility task vehicle) called in. Parking lot may have access issues.

John Palminteri is a veteran news reporter and anchor for Newschannel 3-12 TV and both KJEE and KCLU radio in Santa Barbara/Santa Maria/Ventura. Off the air, he’s often bringing his smile and positive energy to the microphone at fundraisers and civic events. John’s social media presence has one of the largest followings in Santa Barbara, and this page has the weekly highlights.

Twitter: @JohnPalminteri • Instagram: @JohnPalminteriNews • www.facebook.com/john.palminteri.5

Tidy Up the Seas

TUESDAY, JULY 16TH:

Tidy Seas was looking for volunteers to be part of the new Wednesday evening clean up in the greater Santa Barbara waterfront area. They provided the bags, pickers, and all that was needed to be part of the beach area trash clean up crew. All ages were welcomed.

Wine Trail is Now Open!

SATURDAY, JULY 13TH: The Foxen Canyon wine trail is now open. The closure signs are down in the area where the Lake Fire started one week ago near Zaca Lake. Firefighting is still underway in another area of the fire footprint, but this end is in the clear. This sign is at Highway 154 at Foxen Canyon in the Santa Ynez Valley.

Winner!

1st Responders

SUNDAY, JULY 14TH: A teenager suffered a non life threatening stab wound in the 700 block of State St. Near Ortega Thursday night. Santa Barbara Police are looking for information and witnesses. The Medivac landed on the freeway.

TUESDAY, JULY

TUESDAY, JULY 16TH:

For the second year in a row, in just a few games I was a Loteria winner at the 67th St. Joseph’s Festival in Carpinteria. Verified by Miguel Garcia, announcer. I treated myself to one of their delicious tacos and later, enchiladas. All homemade. See you in July 2025.

18TH: It only takes a small crash in the Montecito construction zone to back up Highway 101 southbound for miles. K-rail on the left and a small right side shoulder makes for a tight squeeze.

FRIDAY, JULY 12TH: Santa Barbara police, AMR, Fire, responded to a reported pedestrian hit and run in the Smart and Final parking lot off Santa Barbara Street at Gutierrez Thursday evening, about 9:30pm. A dark colored Chevy Silverado truck was seen leaving the area. Medics were checking the man down for possible impact injuries.

Photo by Zack Lloyd

The 2024 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship

By Sigrid Toye / VOICE

IG NEWS FLASH! THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL WITH ITS FAVORABLE WINDS AND PICTURESQUE LOCATION was chosen to be the spot for the 2024 Melges 24 U.S. National Championship. Hosted by the Santa Barbara Yacht Club, a solid 20 teams were in full mode for three days of incredible sport boat racing. CoChaired by Staff Commodore Scott Deardorff and Geoff Fargo, with the expert hand of SBYC Race Director Brad Schaupeter, competitors arrived from up and down the United States’ West Coast and Canada.

“The Yacht Club is honored to be chosen to host the 2024 Melges 24 Championship,” Shaupeter exclaimed. “We’ve been preparing to welcome our guest competitors and accommodating boats and crew for this fun filled weekend of racing for quite some time … it was an all hands on deck operation.” Only a handful of official teams competed in the Open Division of the championship, while the remaining entries vied for dominance in the all-amateur Corinthian division, increasing the possibility that the Melges 24 class could see its very first combined Open and Corinthian U.S. National Champion.

The schedule for the weekend included an Opening Ceremony on Thursday, July 11th (and a fun practice run out on the water!), a beach party the next day, Saturday, culminating with an Awards Ceremony on Sunday, July 14th. From Friday to Sunday, the three day race schedule began each day at one in the afternoon. During those hours a magazine quality view of a yacht race could be seen from anywhere along the waterfront, plus those Melges 24’s aren’t all that hard to look at either … a beautifully designed sailboat indeed!

The reputation of the Melges 24 precedes itself. Best known for its very competitive disposition and easy-to-sail personality,

this modern sport boat maintains its status as a leader in highperformance, one design yachting. Since its inception in the mind of America’s Cup champion Buddy Melges to take one design sailing to the next level, his Performance Sailboats joined forces with Reichel/Pugh to deliver the ground-breaking Melges 24 in 1993. They pioneered the next frontier of competitive yacht racing by integrating high-tech materials and concepts used in the America’s Cup into a sport boat that was fun, affordable, easy to rig, set-up, and tow. Named Boat of the Year in 1994 by Sailing World Magazine, it raised the bar and leads the pack in high-performance one design sailing. How’s that for a resume?

Classic Santa Barbara conditions set the stage for the final three races of the Championship on Sunday. Over the three-day event, nine races were completed, with Geoff Fargo’s Sentinel and crew winning the Open division and earning his first-ever Melges 24 National Championship title. Capturing the Corinthian US Championship trophy was one of the hometown favorites: Jeff Grange, at the helm of Jon Bell’s Mocos, with crew members Graham Bell, Lauren Bell, and Sarah Schaupeter. Not only that, but they also finished in third place overall!

As one of the oldest clubs on the west coast, established in 1872, SBYC takes pride in hosting visitors from its current location overlooking the mountains, beaches, and harbor. Its members welcome all regatta participants to enjoy the club, the city, and the excellent sailing conditions of the Santa Barbara Channel.

“This yacht club has been an amazing partner to work with,” stated U.S. Melges 24 Class Administrator Joy Dunigan.“They have been working really hard to make sure teams enjoy this Championship to the fullest, including opening their homes and extending free accommodations to teams that need them … really thankful for all their efforts and impeccable hospitality. SBYC is first class.”

Photos by Sharon Green

L¡Viva la Historia!

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

AST YEAR’S OLD SPANISH DAYS FIESTA HADN’T

EVEN STARTED, and the team at the Santa Barbara Historical Museum was already hard at work for the Project Fiesta Centennial exhibition, which opened to great fanfare on July 12th, with Mariachi Las Olas welcoming guests dressed up in their Fiesta finest. You don’t turn 100 every day!

Inside the galleries, lots of treasure could be found, like footage of the very first 1924 El Desfile Histórico, old parade attire and saddles, numerous photographs, programs, sheet music, costumes, and a large selection of festive

By Heidi Schreck | Directed by Matt Hawkins

commemorative badges produced each year beginning in 1926.

Historians John Woodward and Neil Graffy are discussing a photo of the 1950 Desfile Histórico featuring a 90-foot-long float filled with dancers that recreated the 1837 wedding of Anita de la Guerra and Alfred Robinson. “According to the paper it was 300-feet,” says Graffy. “It must be true, because newspapers never lie.”

The museum also assembled the most complete public display of Old Spanish Days posters, from the first in 1924 to the latest by artist Holli Harmon. Most posters are from the Museum’s Fiestarelated collection, the largest found anywhere, with several on loan from community members.

If you pay attention, you’ll see that 1925 doesn’t have a poster (there was no Fiesta that second year) and neither does 1926. The only copy known to exist went to auction recently and the museum almost bought it, but they were outbid by a private collector. If you own a 1926 poster, you could donate it to the museum and be a hero!

You can also read about the artists on a digital display, as well as see all the Presidentes/as and Spirits of Fiesta on different screens.

“Project Fiesta not only commemorates the Old Spanish Days Fiesta centennial, but also salutes the thousands upon thousands of community members who through the decades have created the celebrations,” said Dacia Harwood, Museum executive director.

Outside, guests enjoyed margaritas, tacos and delicious churros, while Tony Ybarra played guitar. El Presidente 2024 Brian Schwabecher and Santa Barbara Mayor Randy Rowse welcomed attendees before dances by Junior Spirit and Spirit of Fiesta, Aleenah Soriano and Georgey Taupin respectively, the Sahagún Dancers and Francisco Espinosa Folklorico. The cherry on top was a lively performance by Area 51.

The Fiesta Project Centennial is a great visit to anyone who loves Santa Barbara and its history. You’ll have a good time and learn fascinating facts. For example, did you know that from 1927 to 1947 there was only one Presidente, Sam Stanwood?

SBHM Director Dacia Harwood and Jackie Abbud

Mayor Randy Rowse and SBHM Bd President Hilary Burkemper

Sahagún Dancers

Spirit Georgey Taupin

Historians John Woodward and Neil Graffy

Jr. Spirit Aleenah Soriano

Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Santa Barbara Historical Museum

An Evening of Art, Art History, & More

By Sigrid Toye / Special to Voice

THE

HISTORIC SANTA BARBARA

CLUB WAS TRANSFORMED into an art gallery for the evening of July 12th!

The Member’s Art Exhibition is held yearly for the benefit of the Art Foundation of Santa Barbara, featuring art from club members’ private collections. The event was attended by 120 guests treated to an evening of art, fine dining, and a fascinating lecture on notorious art forgers of the last 100 years by historian and current Director Emeritus of the Irvine Museum, Jean Stern.

The mission of the Art Foundation is to obtain, collect, preserve, and display important works of fine art, art objects, and appropriate items of historical significance. The Foundation also serves to educate the public on the heritage of art created and produced primarily in Santa Barbara County and along the central and southern coasts of California. To encourage the efforts of contemporary artists, the Art Foundation is developing a collection of work for exhibition at the Santa Barbara Club, itself an historical structure.

an art dealer and his Moroccan wife. The family emigrated to the United States in the mid '50’s, continuing in the family business with three brothers as gallery owners and operators. As a museum director and an expert in “California Impressionism,” a term he coined, Stern has lectured internationally and has written extensively on the subject, as well as on the technique of Plein Air painting influenced by the 19th Century French masters.

Stern’s lecture and presentation, peppered with surprising historical facts and humorous factoids, began with a question: “Do you know who is the most forged artist ever?” The image of French painter Camille Corot (17951875) appeared on the screen. “Corot was just a really nice guy who gave his paintings away to friends and anyone who asked,” chuckled Stern. “Plus his signature was easy to forge … those paintings, forged or not, floated around everywhere!”

The evening began with the cocktail hour honoring the Art Foundation’s outgoing President, Keith Moore, and an opportunity for guests to view the exhibition. John Doordan, President of the Club’s Preservation Foundation, introduced Frank McGinity, current Art Foundation President, after which trustee Maria McCall presented the evening’s speaker.

“Thanks to Diane Waterhouse we were privileged to have Jean Sterns speak this year,” added trustee Kathrine Murray-Mose, herself an artist. “We knew his lectures to be so entertaining and fascinating that we were completely sold out.”

Born in Casablanca, Morocco - “And no,” he laughed, “I don’t know Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman!” - Stern is the son of

Recent Alison Company Loan Closing

Recounted were stories of famous forgers, the development of paint technology, and the ease, or unease, of selling and discovering forged art into the 21st century. One story involved a Vermeer, stolen by the Nazis and prized by Hermann Goering. This ‘Vermeer’ was actually created by famed forger, Hans Van Meergeren, who was forced to admit his misdeed to avoid imprisonment for cooperating with the enemy. Today, Van Meergeren’s work is highly valued!

The twists and turns of forgery, tales of forgers over the centuries, and the verification and sales of forged art kept the audience enthralled, after which a three course gourmet meal was served on the lawn as the finale of a most entertaining evening.

Sigrid Toye volunteers for the Breakwater Flag Project. She is on the board of directors of the Maritime Museum and participates in Yacht Club activities. An educational/behavior therapist, Sigrid holds a Ph.D in clinical psychology. She loves all things creative, including her two grown children who are working artists.

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Katherine Murray-Morse, Maria McCall, Keith Moore, Linda Stern, and speaker Jean Stern

Jean Stern, Linda Stern, and Diane Waterhouse

Photos by Sigrid Toye

Carmen Seduces the Granada

By Robert F. Adams / Special to VOICE

TOASTING THE OPERA

CARMEN

, Music Academy of the West’s performance wove a musical spell over their Granada Theatre audience. The Academy’s Festival Orchestra and Lehrer Vocal Institute’s singers marched like toreadors to create a magical web and capture peoples hearts in performances, Friday and Sunday, July 12th and 14th.

To be expected, the stage direction sought a newer drift by angling a contemporary lens, especially evident with the thrift-store look of the outfits and the energetic staging from director Ken Cazan. If you looked closely for the little moments between characters, they revealed contemporary behaviors, whether sultry or covert. The premise of this interpretation was to displace the production from historical Spanish and traditional settings, while the musical elements referenced the original source material.

“The set uses a graffiti image that exists in Seville, Spain, a giant angel,” Director Cazan’s explained in his notes. “The Romany people believe their life is controlled by a circle of fate… their lifestyle is dangerous, alternately desperate and often living life on the edge.” The circle the director used was warped into a flattened ellipse, and Cazan and the production designers presented the cast with a minimal setting of an inescapable netting of violence and death.

The cast had a deep field of both principals and covers, with Maggie Reneé playing the title role developing a careless and unquenchable Carmen. Her duets with Xuyue Qings’ forlorn and lowly corporal Don José were dominated by her singing and provided many of the highlights, especially with her rousing seguidilla of Act One. The trio of Carmen, Alexandra Hotz’s Frasquita, and Meg Brilleslyper’s Mercédès deep within the fateful card games of Act III was riveting and clear. The whole concept of inescapable disaster was even ominously signaled

within the staging during the overture.

There was scant lightness within this netherworld of cigarette girls, Romany, and libertine soldiers, the exception being the children’s changing of the guard antics within the first Act. The singing cast was quite good, hitting all the high and low notes. It included Paul Jang as the matador Escamillo, a master of bravado and Don Jose’s main competitor for Carmen’s heart, along with Kayla Stein’s imploring yet bold Micaëla.

The talented conductor for this occasion of time-honored music was this season’s Principal Opera Conductor, Daniela Candillari. Maestro Candillari’s baton was a revelation of precision, and her confident leadership gave the audience a fluid journey through Bizet’s epic score. The score was exquisitely played by the Academy Festival Orchestra with often ravishing results.

The outstanding Carmen opera team was rewarded with ovations at the curtain call after the Fourth Act. The Sunday afternoon performance was dedicated to Gia Jannotta. Production sponsors included the Irene Cummings Endowed Opera in honor of Marilyn Horne as well as the Carol Franc Buck Foundation.

The production team included The Academy Festival Orchestra, MAW and Granada Production staff, the Lehrer Vocal Institute Faculty and Fellows, the Sing! directors and youngster performers. Special thanks went out to Luna Lux Lighting and Dr. Andrew Mester. All in all, a stunning afternoon at the Opera.

Maggie Reneé as Carmen, Xuyue Qing as Don José

Photos by Emma Matthews

Eisenhower: This Piece of Ground a Timely Look at Legacy

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

IF HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF, THEN

EISENHOWER: THIS PIECE OF GROUND, on a second run and a nationwide tour, is a strong argument for the case. At the ETC’s New Vic for a limited run July 11th to 14th, the one-man play, directed by Peter Ellenstein, starred Tony award winner John Rubinstein in a sobering, boots-on-the-ground performance. The play felt like both a glimpse into a time capsule and a stern consideration of today, right here and right now.

Eisenhower is a president who has, over time and consideration, become a revered leader and elder statesman in American politics. This Piece of Ground is a peek into his home on a stormy afternoon right after Kennedy’s election as he considers his legacy, spurred on by a newspaper’s low ranking of his time as president. Sitting in his study, taking a phone call before recording his memoirs, pouring himself a scotch: Rubinstein embodied such an ease within the role it was easy for the audience drop their guard. Set in a warm and reflective den at his Gettysburg home, here was a lesson on politics, on civics, the rights of all citizens, and in personal loss.

Then there was Eisenhower’s biography to consider.

A lifetime partnership with his wife Mamie, the loss of their first newborn child, the wages of war on a man’s family life, his unwavering dedication to his country. Beneath this, however, was the deeper uncertainty of sending promising young men to their death, and putting aside his own desires to serve a greater good. Eisenhower did not want the presidency, but he accepted his duty to serve in the Oval Office.

Rubenstein carried Eisenhower’s spirit in his shoulders and occasionally clenched fists. He appeared as if belonging to that era, demonstrating calm with an underbelly of take-action, no-nonsense decisiveness. Rubinstein did a magnificent job of exuding the undertow of consequences and action that Eisenhower had to bear.

While much of This Piece of Ground is a meditation on one man’s legacy, it also draws startling parallels to the current climate in American politics, offering a sobering lens. A four star general does not panic in the face of adversity, and Eisenhower’s steely resolve should offer calm in the face of current events. As Rubinstein bowed through two curtain calls to a standing ovation, there was a ripple of boldness

call for entries:

Echoing

Submissions are open for September 2024’s exhibition: Echoing

To participate: email up to three images to artcall@voicesb.art by August 17th. (Images must be labeled with artist name and the title of the piece Emails should also include: material, dimensions, price.)

Entry fee for accepted admissions: $40-1st piece; $35-2nd, & $30-3rd pieces. All pieces must be wired or pedestal ready.

Sales: 70% to artist / 30% to gallery. A portion of proceeds will be donated to the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area

Art Drop Off: Accepted art must be dropped off between 1pm and 5pm Saturday, August 31st 1st.

Exhibition Dates: September 2nd to 28th, 2024

Unsold Art Pick Up: September 28th - 3-5pm

1st Thursday Reception: September 5th • 5-8pm

3rd Friday La Cumbre Gallery Row Art Walk: September 20th • 5-8pm Questions?

and purpose in the audience, a sense of determination. Although a play set in the past, This Piece of Ground was soundly concerned about the future, and left this audience member with a firm footing in the present.

John Rubinstein embodies Dwight D. Eisenhower in This Piece of Ground

Photo by Maria Baranova

Home Hits the Big Screen

Steal Big, Steal Little

Film screening at the Granada on July 20th

By Daisy Scott / VOICE

ONLY A TRUE LOCAL COULD CAPTURE THE JOY, ENERGY, AND SOCIAL DYNAMICS of Santa Barbara’s community the way director Andrew Davis did in the 1995 film Steal Big, Steal Little. Filmed on location in Santa Barbara — including several shots filmed in the middle of the 1994 Summer Solstice parade — the film operates on multiple levels. For general audiences, it’s a heartwarming comedy starring Andy García and Alan Arkin. However, for longtime residents, the film is a time capsule speaking to the many ways the city has changed as well as remained constant over the past 29 years.

To celebrate the Granada Theatre’s centennial, a community screening of Steal Big, Steal Little, including Spanish subtitles, will be held at 7pm on Saturday, July 20th. Afterwards, actor Andy García will join Davis on stage for a special discussion about the film.

In anticipation of their upcoming screening, García and Davis spoke with VOICE about the making of Steal Big, Steal Little

“It felt like every day on the set was like Woodstock, or like the Monterey Pop Festival — it was like a traveling circus,” shared García, speaking to the deep sense of fun and connection shared by the cast. “And the movie has that effervescence which I really admire.”

Steal Big, Steal Little follows twin brothers Ruben and Robby (both played by Andy García) after their adopted mother, Mona (Holland Taylor), dies and leaves her enormous fortune and ranch to Ruben. Ruben values the workers and their families who have tended to the ranch’s citrus groves, and sets about restoring the land and sharing his newfound wealth. However, Robby is driven by greed and teams up with corrupt attorneys and police officers to challenge Mona’s will.

When ex-Chicago cop Lou Perilli (Alan Arkin) joins Ruben’s fight to protect the ranch, the film builds into a madcap comedy. Yet for all its antics, the film’s premise allows the story to explore issues such as greed, immigration, and prejudice against migrant workers.

“I’ve always tried to have some kind of a social conscience to whatever I’m doing,” said Davis.

Davis, who also filmed The Fugitive, has lived in Santa Barbara since 1984. shared that the film’s premise was born out of a true story of a private detective who championed a pair of adopted West Virginia brothers when they were challenged over their inheritance. Davis filmed a documentary about the tale, but felt compelled to expand the story and set it within Santa Barbara, moving the plot between wealth’s influential power in Montecito and Santa Barbara’s Mexican history and the Latinx community.

“It’s the little guy standing up and getting his due,” commented Davis. “It’s the largesse of this rich woman who gives the land and the property to this kid. And he says, ‘I’m going to share it. There’s enough to go around.’ This is what we’re facing today. We’ve got billionaires and trillionaires in this country that own as much as 70 percent of the country in value...it [has a] timeliness. And also, Alan and Andy — it’s some of their best work.”

García also reflected on the importance of the movie’s Santa Barbara setting. He especially remembers a scene where he stands on the top of the Santa Barbara Courthouse tower looking out at the oil rigs, saying, “There they are — the Spanish Armada waiting to take the land from the Chumash,” adding, “I thought, what a poignant line to stick a point in the history of this coast, of this state.”

In joining the project, García said he was drawn to the film’s “Fellini-esque” atmosphere. To this day, a photo hangs on García’s wall from the day he filmed at the Summer Solstice parade with his three daughters — one of whom, Dominik García-Lorido, actually played Ruben’s daughter in the film.

The film also allowed García to develop a steadfast friendship with Arkin, who passed away last summer. García shared that he felt a “kindred spirit” with the comedy legend, and that many of their scenes together hinged on improvisation. This includes a celebration scene that occurs shortly after Arkin’s character meets the ranch’s workers.

“At one point I got up from the piano with the musicians playing and I dragged Alan into the circle to dance with me,” laughed García, “And then Alan after the scene said, ‘Oh my God, I wasn’t planning on ingratiating myself to the group that early — I have to change my whole tactic now!’”

This screening kicks off the Granada’s Santa Barbara Home Movie series, which will screen movies made by local filmmakers through December. In honor of the Granada’s centennial year, tickets will be $20.24 for two people. www.granadasb.org

Andy García leading a conga line of actors in Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice parade

Photos courtesy of Andrew Davis

Rachel Ticotin and Andy García

Director Andrew Davis and Alan Arkin on set

Safari Local

and Donavon Frankenreiter at the Lobero

Groove along to the jam-pop of ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) and the surf rock vibes of Donavon Frankenreiter when the two groups unite for a joint concert at the Lobero Theatre at 7:30pm on Wednesday, July 24th. For tickets ($41-106) visit www.lobero.org

Friday 7|19

SPECIAL EVENTS

Extended Hours at the Sea Center • Sea Center, Stearns Wharf • 10am-7pm Fr & Sa, through 7/27.

SB Veterans Stand Up • Get connected to local services • SB Veterans Memorial Building • Register with matthew_nancarrow@yahoo.com

• 10am-2pm Fr, 7/19.

SB Antique Decorative Arts & Vintage Show and Sale• Shop 17th century to mid-century items • Earl Warren Showgrounds

• Free-$10 • 11am-6pm Fr, 7/197/20; 11am-4pm 7/21.

Photography in the Butterfly Pavilion • Photographer afterhours session • SB Museum of Natural History • $45-65 • www.sbnature.org • 5:30-7:30pm Fr, 7/19.

Open Knit Night • Knit with friends • The Knit Shop, 1221 State St. • 5:30-7:30pm Fr, 7/19.

Bingo Fundraiser • Bingo and treats, supports LEAP • Old Town Coffee Goleta • Free • 6-9pm Fr, 7/19.

California Wine Festival

• Sample fine wines and small bites • Hilton & Chase Palm Park • $75-205 • www. californiawinefestival.com • 6:309pm Fr, 7/19 & 1-4pm Sa, 7/20.

TEENS

Relax & Craft for Teens • Grafting for grades 7-12 • Central

Academy of the West’s Arancia Quartet • SB Museum of Art McCormick Gallery • Free with admission • www.sbma.net • 3pm Sa, 7/20.

Teaching Artists Showcase

• Music Academy artists • Lobero Theatre • $40-60 • www.lobero.org • 7:30pm Sa, 7/20.

Luis Angel "El Flaco" & Luis Antonio Lopez “El Mimoso”

• Regional Mexican music • Arlington Theatre • www.arlingtontheatresb.com • 8pm Sa, 7/20.

Anuhea • Hawai’i artist playing reggae and pop • SOhO • $25-30 • www.sohosb.com • 9pm Sa, 7/20.

OUTDOORS

Introduction to Native Plant Gardening • Outdoor garden walk and workshop • SB Botanic Garden • $25-40 • www.sbbotanicgarden.org • 9-11am Sa, 7/20.

Neighborhood Cleanup • Care for your neighborhood, materials provided • City of SB • Corner of Ortega and Salsipuedes • 9am12pm Sa, 7/20.

Busy Bee Q&A

Catch the buzz on bee societies and environmental challenges when the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History welcomes beekeeping expert Melissa Cronshaw for a Busy Bee Q&A from 12:30 to 2:30pm on Thursday, July 25th. This talk is included with museum admission. www.sbnature.org

MUSIC

Ziggy Marley • Reggae concert with guests Lettuce, Don Carlos • SB Bowl • $45-85 • www.sbbowl.com • 6pm Su, 7/21.

Library • Free • 12-1:30pm Fr.

Saturday 7|20

CHILDREN

Musical Learning with Lanny • Children’s music optimized for language enrichment • Grace Fisher’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse • Free • 11am-2pm Sa, 7/20.

Minecraft Day • Crafts and Minecraft fun • Central Library • Free • 2-3:30pm Sa, 7/20.

COMEDY

Bert Kreischer • Stand up comedy • SB Bowl • $45-131 • www.sbbowl.com • 7pm Sa, 7/20.

MUSIC

Performance of Carrot Revolution • Concert by Music

Coffee & Community –Beautify Goleta • Q&A with Mayor Pro Tempore Luz ReyesMartín (9am) and community cleanup (10am) • Berkeley Park, Goleta • Free • 9am-12pm Sa, 7/20.

Hike Arroyo Hondo Preserve

• The first & third weekends, Sat & Sun 10am-4pm. Free • https://tinyurl.com/n856y2yp

SPECIAL EVENTS

Lions Club Cornhole Tournament • Music, food, and cornhole games • Ben Page Youth Center • Team $50-250 registration • Call (805) 967-4655 • 10am-5pm Sa, 7/20.

Crafternoons: Summer Nature Crafts • Get creative with natureinspired crafts • Art From Scrap • $8 • www.exploreecology.org • 11:30am-1pm Sa.

Lotusland Celebrates • Gala celebrating and supporting Lotusland • Sold out • www.lotusland.org • 3:30-8pm Sa, 7/20.

Learn to Curl! • Curling workshop • Ice in Paradise • $25 • www.iceinparadise.org • 5:307:30pm Sa, 7/20.

Sunday 7|21

DANCE

Contra Dance • Community dance session • Carrillo Ballroom • $10 • www.sbcds.org • 6-9pm Su, 7/21.

Battle of the Brass • Brass Mash and Brasscals • SOhO • $15-20 • www.sohosb.com • 8-11pm Su, 7/21.

OUTDOORS

Ocean Ambassador Beach Cleanups • Show the shoreline some care • East Beach, meet behind Skater's Point skate park • Register: www.sbnature.org • 10am-12pm Su, 7/21.

Freedom Trax at Pismo State Beach • Wheelchair access to the beach • NatureTrack • Pismo State Beach, 555 Pier Ave. • Free, RSVP to (805)886-2047 or abby@naturetrack.org • 11am2pm Su, 7/21.

Monday 7|22

CHILDREN

Lunch at the Library • Free lunches for children and teens, part of USDA Summer Food Service Program • Central Library • 12-1pm weekdays, through 8/16.

Dinosaur Safari • Dino fun facts tour, best for ages 5-9 • SB Museum of Natural History • Free with admission • 1:30-2:10pm Mo, & Fr.

LECTURES/MEETINGS

PARLIAMO! Italian Conversation • All levels • The Natural Cafe, 361 Hitchcock Way • http://parliamo.yolasite.com • Free • 5-6:30pm Mon.

Tuesday 7|23

CHILDREN

Cooking Class: Local Kids, Local Chefs • Guided cooking for ages 8-14 • Central Library • Free, register 30 mins before • 2:45-3:45pm Tu, 7/23.

LECTURES/MEETINGS

Caregiver Resource Event • Learn about resources • Friendship Center • RSVP to events@friendshipcentersb.org • 5pm Tu, 7/23.

MUSIC

Music at the Ranch • Free outdoor concert with the Americana Cats, food trucks • Rancho La Patera & Stow House • 5:30-7:30pm Tu, 7/16.

Barbara Ghost Tours

Photo courtesy of SB Museum of Natural History ALO

Courtesy photo

Summer Jazz Concert

Relax to upbeat jazz when Santa Barbara City College students perform original pieces composed in a workshop with Grammy Award-winning composer and musician Ted Nash at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s front terrace from 5:30 to 7pm on Thursday, July 25th. www.sbma.net

Nate Birkey Quintet • Jazz trumpet • SOhO • www.sohosb.com • $15-18 • 7:30pm Tu, 7/23.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Open Knit Night • Knit with friends • The Knit Shop, 1221 State St. • Free • 5:30-7:30pm Tu, 7/23.

Wednesday 7|24

CHILDREN

Sing with a Princess • Sing Disney songs and meet princesses • Central Library • Free • 12-1pm We, 7/24.

Dungeons & Dragons for Tweens • Guided session for grades 5-8 • Central Library • Free, register: https://tinyurl.com/3kkrnjzr • 1:30-4:30pm We, 7/24.

LECTURES/MEETINGS

Disability Activism and Intersectional Advocacy

• Webinar on policy-focused activism • The FUND • Free, www.fundforsantabarbara.org • 10am-12pm We, 7/24.

Employer Sponsored Housing Consortium

Community Workshop • Info session for interested stakeholders

• SB South Coast Chamber of Commerce • Direct Relief, 6100 Wallace Becknell Rd • Register: www.sbscchamber.com • 10am We, 7/24.

Le Cercle Français • French conversation, all levels • The Natural Cafe, 361 Hitchcock Way • https://tinyurl.com/5ejbd9ye • Free • 5-6:30pm We.

Telephone Town Hall • With Congressman Salud Carbajal • https://carbajal.house.gov/townhall • Free • 5:30pm We, 7/24.

MUSIC

Summer Music Series • Free outdoor concert with The Goodlanders • 718 State St. • 5:30-7:30pm We, through 7/31.

ALO and Donavon

Frankenreiter • Pop concert • Lobero Theatre • $41-106 • www.lobero.org • 7:30pm We, 7/24.

OUTDOORS

Family Gardening Exploration • All ages gardening • Yanonali Community Garden • Free • www.exploreecology.org • 2-3pm We, 7/24.

TEENS

LGBTQ+ PROUD Youth Group • Support for ages 12-18 • Pacific Pride Fdn • Central Library, Teen Area • 4-6pm We.

Thursday 7|25

CHILDREN

Art Meets Nature: All-Ages

Activity • Create colorful butterfly crafts • SB Museum

of Natural History • Free with admission • 11am-12pm Th.

The Art of Science: Drawing Splendid Plumage • Drawing session for ages eight and up • SB Museum of Natural History • Free with admission • 1:30-2:30pm Th.

LECTURES/MEETINGS

B2B Networking Breakfast

• Meet local businesspeople • SB Zoo • $45-75 • https://shorturl. at/PAQrm • 9-10:30am Th, 7/25.

Busy Bee Q&A • Meet a beekeeping expert • SB Museum of Natural History • With admission • 12:30-2:30pm Th, 7/25.

MUSIC

Concerts in the Park • Free concert by Mezcal Martini • Chase Palm Park • 5-7:30pm Th, 7/18.

Summer Jazz • Free outdoor concert by SBCC jazz students with Ted Nash • SB Museum of Art • www.sbma.net • 5:30-7pm Th, 7/25.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Nutrition & Health Faire • Learn about growing food and local orgs • Eastside Library • Free • 1-2:30pm Th, 7/25.

Knit 'n' Needle • Sew, knit, and crochet with friends • Montecito Library • 2-3:30pm Th, 7/25.

TEENS

Dungeons & Dragons for Teens • Guided session for grades 9-12 • Central Library • Register https://tinyurl.com/mwwn9eba • 1:30-4:30pm Th, 7/25.

Friday 7|26

DANCE

Beth Amine's Wildcat Extravaganza • Latin International Ballroom, Hip Hop, Belly dance, and more • Wildcat Lounge • $20 • 7-9:30pm Fr, 7/26.

MUSIC

Summer Serenade Series • Outdoor popup concert in the garden • SB Botanic Garden • Sold out • www.sbbotanicgarden. org • 5:30-7pm Fr, 7/26.

Carpinteria Concert Series

• Free concert by Heart & Soul • Carpinteria Arts Center • 6-9pm Fr, 7/26.

Candlelight Concert • Tribute to Taylor Swift or Cold Play (9pm)• New Vic Theater • Starting $41 • www.etcsb.org • 6:30 & 9:00pm Fr, 7/26.

Play Bill: Covering the Music of and for Bill Lanphar • Concert by local musicians • Alcazar Theatre • $20 • www.thealcazar.org • 7pm Fr, 7/26.

Afterparty at MOXI

Celebrate your inner child and the summer Olympics when the MOXI Museum hosts an adults-only game night featuring Dave’s Dogs, drinks, and music by DJ Gavin Roy Presents from 7 to 10pm on Saturday, July 27th. For tickets ($35-45) visit https://moxi.org

MJ Live • Michael Jackson tribute • Chumash Casino • $3550 • www.chumashcasino.com • 8pm Fr, 7/26.

Summer Reggae Jam • Soul Majestic & True Zion • SOhO • $20-25 • www.sohosb.com • 9pm Fr, 7/26.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Funk Zone Live • Funk Zone businesses open late for art walk with music, food • Free • 5-8pm Fr, 7/26.

Fiesta Flower Hair Accessories • Paper flowers for hair decor • Art From Scrap • $20-30 • www.exploreecology.org • 6-8pm Fr, 7/26.

Una Fiesta de los Adobes • Dinner, flamenco, and history • SB Historical Museum • $1,000 • www.sbhistorical.org • 6:30pm Fr, 7/26.

Saturday 7|27

COMEDY

South Coast Stand Up • Comedian Adam Carolla • Alcazar Theatre • www.thealcazar.org • $40-25 • 8pm Sa, 7/27.

DANCE

Tablao SOhO • Flamenco Santa Barbara! performance • SOhO • $40-50 • www.sohosb.com • 8pm Sa, 7/27.

MUSIC

JÜPITER • SB Symphony with dancers and aerialists • Lobero Theatre • $45-83 • www.lobero. org • 7pm Sa, 7/27.

Academy Festival Orchestra • Adams and Prokofiev • Granada Theatre • www.granadasb.org • $35-115 • 7:30pm Sa, 7/27.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Red Cross Blood Drive • Give back • 2500 Lillie Ave, Summerland • 9am-3pm Sa, 7/27.

SB High School Swap Meet

• Shop variety of goods, visit library van • SB High School • 8am-1pm Sa, 7/27.

Forage & Feast: From the Garden to the Table • Dinner party celebrating native plants • SB Botanic Garden • Sold out • www.sbbotanicgarden.org • 5-8:30pm Sa, 7/27.

Afterparty at MOXI • Adultsonly games night • MOXI Museum • $35-45 • 7-10pm Sa, 7/27.

Gabriela Radu, CMT

Therapeutic Massage

Specializing in injuries, Sports massage, Swedish, Lymphatic, Somatic massage & Life Coaching v.gabriela@yahoo.com 805-453-1139 www.comefromyourheart.com

Image courtesy of MOXI

Photo by SB Museum of Art

Safari Local

This Week at The Music Academy of the West

Uprising/Rising Up

Experience music marking the search, discovery, and celebration of the human spirit when Lawrence Brownlee leads Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows in concert at Hahn Hall at 1:30pm on Saturday, July 27th. For tickets (Free-$65+) visit www.musicacademy.org

Friday 7|19

Solo Piano Masterclass • With Conor Hanick • Hahn Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm, Fr, 7/19

Fellow Fridays • Fellow faves • Hahn Hall • Starting $45 • 7:30pm, Fr, 7/19

Saturday 7|20

Teaching Artists at the Lobero • Academy faculty showcase • Lobero Theatre • Starting $40 • 7:30pm, Sa, 7/20

Monday 7|22

Collaborative Piano Masterclass • With Jonathan Feldman • Hahn Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm Mo, 7/22

Tuesday 7|23

Clarinet Masterclass • With Richie Hawley • Lehmann Hall • Free-$10 • 1:30pm Tu, 7/23

Viola Masterclass • With Milan Milisavljević • Weinman Hall • Free$10 • 1:30pm Tu, 7/23

Horn Masterclass • With Julie Landsman • Weinman Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm Tu, 7/23

Lawrence Brownlee & John Churchwell • Vocalist program, “Songs of my Youth” • Hahn Hall • Starting at $65 • 7:30pm Tu, 7/23

Wednesday 7|24

Salon Series III • Mahler & Williams chamber music • Lehmann Hall • Starting $45 • 7:30pm We, 7/24

Thursday 7|25

Bassoon Masterclass • With Benjamin Kamins • Weinman Hall • Free-$10 • 1:30pm Th, 7/25

Violin Masterclass • With Martin

Beaver • Lehmann Hall • Free-$10 • 1:30pm Th, 7/25

Lehrer Vocal Institute Masterclass • With Lawrence Brownlee • Hahn Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm Th, 7/25

Trombone & Tuba Masterclass • With Weston Sprott • Weinman Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm Th, 7/25

L'enfant et les sortilèges • Ravel’s fantastical opera • Hahn Hall • Starting $65 • 7:30pm Th, 7/25

Friday 7|26

Double Bass Masterclass • With Nico Abondolo • Weinman Hall • Free$10 • 1:30pm Fr, 7/26

Oboe Masterclass • With Eugene Izotov • Lehmann Hall • Free-$10 • 1:30pm Fr, 7/26

Solo Piano Masterclass • With Conor Hanick • Hahn Hall • Free-$10 • 3:30pm Fr, 7/26

Fellow Fridays • Chamber music concert • Hahn Hall • Starting $45 • 7:30pm Fr, 7/26

Saturday 7|27

Uprising/Rising Up • Lawrence Brownlee & Lehrer Vocal Institute fellows • Hahn Hall • Starting $65 • 1:30pm Sa, 7/27

Academy Festival Orchestra • David Robertson conducts Adams and Prokofiev • Granada Theatre • $18-115 • 7:30pm Sa, 7/27

Sunday 7|28

Sing! & The Young People's Chorus of NYC • Youth choral concert • Marjorie Luke Theatre • Starting $40 • 7pm Su, 7/28.

Heroes at Center Stage

Join three World War I veterans’ witty reflections on the nature of life, companionship, and war when Ed Giron, Van Ryker, and Bill Waxman star in Heroes at Center Stage Theater at 7:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays, July 19th & 20th; 26th & 27th. Matinees will be performed at 2pm on Sundays, July 21st and 28th. For tickets ($20-25) visit www.centerstagetheater.org

Theatre

Spamalot • Musical of Monty Python and the Holy Grail • Ojai Art Center Theater • $20-25 • www.ojaiact.org • Through 7/21.

Legally Blonde: The Musical • Elle Woods takes Harvard by storm • Theatre Group at SBCC • Garvin Theatre • $19-29 • Through 7/27.

Oxnard Salsa Festival • Delicious salsas, live music, and more • Plaza Park, Oxnard • Starting $7 • www. oxnardsalsafestival.com • 11am-7pm Sa, 7/27 & 7/28.

Sunday 7|21

LECTURES/MEETINGS

Wikipedia Edit-a-Thon • Learn how to write Wikipedia articles • Central Library • Register: https://tinyurl.com/3w7s2552 • 10am-12pm Su 7/28.

The Play That Goes Wrong • Fourth-wall breaking comedy • PCPA • Solvang Festival Theater • Starting at $25 • www.pcpa.org • 8pm Fr, 7/12, through 7/28.

Cabaret • Musical examining Berlin in the ‘30s • PCPA • Marian Theatre, Santa Maria • Starting at $25 • www.pcpa.org • Through 7/27.

Heroes • Three WWII veterans reflect on their past • Center Stage Theater • $20-25 • www.centerstagetheater.org • 7:30pm Fr, 7/19-7/20 & 7/26-7/27; 2pm 7/21 & 7/28.

The Game • Developing play that is part gameshow • PCPA • Boyd Hall, Santa Maria • $10 • www.pcpa.org • 7pm Sa, 7/27, 7/28 & 8/4.

MUSIC

Sandy Cummings & Jazz Du Jour • Jazz concert • SOhO • $10 • www.sohosb. com • 12:30-3:30pm Su, 7/28.

Sing! & The Young People’s Chorus of NYC • Children vocalists • Marjorie Luke Theatre • Free-$40+ • www.luketheatre.org • 7pm Su, 7/28.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Guelaguetza Popular • Festival celebrating Oaxacan culture • Santa Maria Fairpark • Free • 10am-6pm Su, 7/28.

La Recepción del Presidente • Fiesta kickoff celebration • Hilton Beachfront Resort • $200 • www.sbfiesta.org • 5-10pm Su, 7/28.

Courtesy photo

Lyrics by Laurence O’Keefe and Nell Benjamin Book by Heather Hach

Photo by Shervin Lainez

Blue Crush at the Courthouse

Follow Anne Marie as she grows ever determined to win the Rip Masters surf competition while navigating a budding romance when the UCSB Arts & Lectures hosts a free screening of Blue Crush at the SB County Courthouse Sunken Garden at 8:30pm on Friday, July 26th. Arrive early for music with DJ Darla Bea to set the mood! www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu

Applebox Free Family Films

• Free animated films • Riviera Theatre • www.sbiff.org • 10am Saturdays, 8/17.

Like a Rolling Stone: The Life and Times of Ben FongTorres • Documentary Q&A with filmmaker Suzanne Joe Kai •

Alhecama Theatre • Free-$5 • 6pm Fr, 7/19.

50 First Dates • Outdoor screening of this rom-com • SB Courthouse Sunken Garden • Free • 8:30pm Fr, 7/19.

Steal Big, Steal Little • Q&A with director Andy Davis and actor Andy Garcia • Granada Theatre • www.granadasb.org • $20.24 • 7pm Sa, 7/20.

Asian American Film Series • Finding Her Beat, taiko

drumming performance after screening • Alhecama Theatre • Free-$5 • www.sbthp.org/aafs • 6pm Fr, 7/26.

Blue Crush • Outdoor screening of this surf classic • UCSB Arts & Lectures • SB Courthouse Sunken Garden • Free • 8:30pm Fr, 7/26.

It’s Your Library

STAY & PLAY • Share stories with kids • Montecito Library ~ 9-10:30am Tu

MUSIC & MOVEMENT • For ages 2-5 • Central Library ~ 10:1510:45am We.

BABY AND ME • For babies 0-14 months • Courthouse Sunken Garden ~ 11-11:30am & 5-5:30pm We.

LIBRARY ON THE GO • Oak Park ~ 10am-12pm Fr, 7/19 • State St. Farmer’s Market ~ 4-6:30pm Tu, 7/23 • Franklin School ~ 10am12pm We, 7/24; 2:30-4:30pm Fr, 7/26 • Bohnett Park ~ 12:302pm & 3:30-5pm We, 7/24 • Shoreline Park ~ 10am-12pm Th, 7/25 • Ortega Pool ~ 2:304:30pm Th, 7/25 • Oak Park ~ 10am-12pm Fr, 7/26

READ TO A DOG • For grades 3-6 • Central Library ~ 12-1pm Th.

Photo

See Blue Crush at the Courthouse Sunken Garden on Friday, July 26th

Prices Are Falling!

By Harlan Green / Special to VOICE

TODAY COULD BE HISTORIC for inflation watchers. It’s the first time since July 2022 that retail prices as measured by the U.S. Consumer Price Index (CPI) have actually declined.

It will be history making and effect the financial markets, housing, and maybe the presidential election where inflation has seemed to be Americans’ major worry—at least according to the polls.

The easiest signs of actual deflation for consumers are the drop of gas prices to pre-pandemic levels. Gas prices dropped 3.8 percent in June, the government said. And the cost of used cars and trucks fell 1.5 percent.

It also tells us that housing (rents) have been declining after an initial uptick in the first quarter due to various shortages. Housing inventories have increased some 40 percent this year, per the National Association of REALTORS

This will cause bonds in particular to rally because interest rates, including mortgages, will finally begin to decline from their two-year highs.

By Harlan Green

San Francisco Fed Chairman Mary Daly was the first to jump on the rate cutting bandwagon this morning. She said she now supports cutting interest rates.

The cost of "imputed" housing, meanwhile, rose a scant 0.3 percent in June. That's the smallest increase since July 2021. This category, known to economists as OER, is a indirect proxy for how much the cost of housing is rising.

The Biden administration’s Treasury Department is doing its part with funds to support building more affordable housing.

I said last month that it will probably be hard to believe for many scarred by the post-pandemic inflation scare and who still believe inflation is too high, but there was no inflation increase in May for both wholesale (PPI) and retail (CPI) inflation indexes.

The FRED graph illustrates that we now have had two months of no price increases. It could have been predicted because consumers have known for months that stores were discounting, and have been shopping at big box retailers like Target, Walmart, and Costco.

“With the information we have received today, which includes data on employment, inflation, GDP growth, and the outlook for the economy, I see it as likely that some policy adjustments will be warranted,” Daly said in a roundtable with reporters cited by MarketWatch’s Greg Robb.

The increase in rents in the past twelve months, what's more, slowed to 5.1 percent in June from 5.3 percent in the prior month and touched the lowest level since April 2022. Rents are expected to slow even further, but just how much is unclear. Before the pandemic, they were rising about 3.5 percent to 3.9 percent a year.

“Executive agencies have the power to act quickly to promote homeownership. We applaud the Biden Administration’s comprehensive, multi-agency response targeting solutions at every level of government. It will take an all-ofgovernment approach to yield results in this fight,” said NAR’s Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn.

So, Fed Chair Powell was correct in saying at his latest congressional testimony that the Fed will not have to wait for inflation to decline to its two percent target rate before cutting interest rates.

He was making a brave statement, because the inflation hawks will now say easing credit could stimulate another inflation surge, because consumers will therefore be able to borrow more, thus increasing the demand side of the supplydemand equation.

But lower interest rates will also stimulate more home building and buying, increasing the supply side of the housing shortage that has kept most housing unaffordable for entry-level and first-time homebuyers.

Harlan Green © 2024 Follow Harlan Green on Twitter: https://twitter.com/HarlanGreen

Harlan Green has been the 18-year Editor-Publisher of PopularEconomics. com, a weekly syndicated financial wire service. He writes a Popular Economics Weekly Blog. He is an economic forecaster and teacher of real estate finance with 30-years experience as a banker and mortgage broker. To reach Harlan call (805)452-7696 or email editor@populareconomics.com.

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VOICE Magazine • Community Market • LEGAL NOTICES

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is doing business as CARITAS FELICES DAYCARE at 1663 N Kensington Ave, Santa Maria, CA 93454. ANA MARIA NAVARRO GUTIERREZ at 1663 N Kensington Ave, Santa Maria, CA 93454 . This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on June 24, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001497. Published July 5, 12, 19, 26, 2024.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is doing business as NEW ART ENTERTAINMENT at 618 Kentia Ave, 6, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. JULIE LECOMPTE at 1112 Montana Avenue Suite 353, Santa Monica, CA 90403

This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on July 2, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001582. Published July 12, 19, 26, August 2, 2024.

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Where to Learn About Local Government Meetings

The Santa Barbara City Council meets most Tuesdays at 2pm • To learn more about the council and other City department meetings, visit www.santabarbaraca.gov

The Goleta City Council meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 5:30pm • To learn more about the council and other City department meetings, visit www.cityofgoleta.org

The Carpinteria City Council meets on the second and fourth Monday of the month at 5:30pm • To learn more about other City departments visit www.carpinteriaca.gov

The Santa Barbara County Board of Supervisors meets most Tuesdays at 9am • To learn more about other County departments visit www.countyofsb.org

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is doing business as REPUBLIC LIGHTING SERVICES at 1011 Rinconada Rd, Unit D, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. CHARLES K MITCHELL at 133 East De La Guerra Street 2, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on June 17, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001445. Published June 28, July 5, 12, 19, 2024.

Structural Correction Work

Concrete Driveways • Virtual Building Inspections 805.698.4318

William J. Dalziel Lic#B311003 – Bonded & Insured BillJDalziel@gmail.com WilliamDalziel.work

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME STATEMENT: The following Limited Liability Company is doing business as THE SANDO TRUCK at 1103 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. SANDO SHOP LLC at 1103 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on July 10, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001624. Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2024.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Limited Liability Company is doing business as QUICK PUBLIC RECORDS and QUICKPUBLICRECORDS.COM at 3905 State Street, Suite 7228, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. SCALABLE COMMERCE LLC at 3905 State Street, Suite 7228, Santa Barbara, CA 93105 This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on July 9, 2024. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. I hereby certify that this is a correct copy of the original statement on file in my office. Joseph E. Holland, County Clerk (SEAL). FBN No. 2024-0001613. Published July 19, 26, August 2, 9, 2024.

Bringing the World of Dance to Santa Barbara

By Charles Donelan, UCSB Arts & Lectures

WITHIN ITS MISSION TO EDUCATE, ENTERTAIN, AND INSPIRE, UCSB Arts & Lectures harbors a not-so-secret desire to put bodies in motion. Look no further than the recently announced 2024-25 Dance Subscription Series for conclusive evidence that this organization loves to get on the good foot. Throughout the season, Arts & Lectures has booked six extraordinary dance companies, three American and three international, to fill the Granada and Arlington theaters with the most outstanding, innovative music and movement available anywhere.

Dance has long been a particular passion for Miller McCune Executive

Director Celesta Billeci, who describes what we will witness in this, the group’s 65th anniversary season, this way. “Of all the great things we program, dance is closest to my heart. For 25 years, I have sought to bring the best dance performances in the world to Arts & Lectures, and we have accomplished that this season.”

The series opens on Saturday, November 2nd, at the Granada with Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. Last here in February of 2016 with the mesmerizing Rice, Cloud Gate returns with another work of remarkable imagination and technical ingenuity called 13 Tongues. Experience the spellbinding folk tales of this island culture as refracted through the sights and sounds of Taiwan’s famous night markets.

One reason this year’s subscription dance series is extra large–six events instead of the usual five–is Batsheva Dance Company. Due to events in their home country, this Israeli company could not travel last year. Fortunately for us, the team at Arts & Lectures found a way to reschedule what is sure to be one of the year’s highlights. Check out choreographer Ohad Naharin’s latest, the multidimensional MOMO, on Tuesday, February 25th.

London-based Akram Khan boasts a brilliant reputation for his prolific original works and for reimagining classic story ballets such as Giselle. In Gigenis, the generation of the Earth, Khan takes to the stage himself, joined by six renowned dancers and seven live musicians, all trained in classical South Asian movement traditions. This extraordinary evening will only be available at a small handful of venues worldwide, and Santa Barbara’s Granada Theatre is one of them (Thursday, April 10th).

No Arts & Lectures dance season would be complete without visits from this country’s most significant contemporary companies, and 2024-25 is no exception. Tap sensations Dorrance Dance return on Thursday, December 5th with an all-new Nutcracker Suite, set to a jazz score by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn. Twyla Tharp, sharp as ever at 83, celebrates her company’s Diamond Jubilee on Tuesday, February 11th, with a program that includes her first collaboration with Philip Glass in 40 years. The Glass piece was cocommissioned by Arts & Lectures.

To cap it off, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater will present two different programs over two nights (Tuesday, April 15th, and Wednesday, April 16th), with the second night set to include Ailey’s iconic Revelations

There’s still time to get in on discounts of up to 25 percent on all of Arts & Lectures’ curated series subscriptions. To select the best seats, subscribe now before single tickets go on sale on August 2nd. There’s a Create Your Own Series option for those who desire more flexibility. Choose four or more events and receive a savings of ten percent on each ticket. Finally, for those with outsized cultural appetites (or lots of friends), there’s the Works, a 25 percent discount deal on tickets to every event of the entire season.

For more information or to subscribe, visit artsandlectures.ucsb.edu or call (805) 893-3535.

City Plan to Reach Carbon Neutrality Sets High Goals

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

WITH THE GOAL OF REDUCING GREEN HOUSE GASES (GHG) CITYWIDE, removing carbon from the atmosphere, and reducing emissions from all municipal, residential, and commercial sectors within city bounds, the City of Santa Barbara has adopted a Climate Action Plan, “Together to Zero”. With many foundational policies, programs, and projects already in place, “Together to Zero” aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035.

“When we’re looking at implementing any of these measures, we’re really looking at a wraparound approach and wraparound services,” said Melissa Herrick, from the Sustainability and Resilience Department. “There’s also an incentive or, a carrot, or ways to help people, especially those with less resources, achieve the goals and the plan. So one of the things we’re doing is really implementing in every category, whatever it is that we want the community to do — we’re trying to implement it first, at the municipal level.”

The City’s Sustainability & Resilience team is aware that to achieve their carbon neutrality goals there must be, besides funding and advances in technology, community education and empowerment. “Because of this, the Climate Action Plan must be a dynamic, living document, assessed and adapted regularly to address changes in the landscape,” states the City website.

“Together to Zero” considers five key areas: Building Energy, Transportation Emissions, Carbon Sequestration, Water and Waste, and Community Potential. The challenges between these key areas are many, one of which is the reliance on the best information available today; when data and technology is constantly in a state of flux, all concerned parties must be ready to pivot.

“Right now, with the with the technology that’s out there, carbon sequestration is one of those areas where in five years, we’ll have a completely different playing field, and different innovations,” continued Herrick.

“With any of the measures in the climate action plan, we’re trying to be nimble and update the plan regularly, and constantly be looking at new innovations, and be flexible in implementing those.”

Considering the scale of Santa Barbara County’s own CAP, released for review in June 2023, there is much to be done. Engaging with the public has been a key point in Santa Barbara, and the “Together to Zero” plan can be read online. It’s been important for the City to consider how their CAP integrates with the bigger picture, and most importantly, how such climate goals can involve City residents.

With the County’s 2030 plan being considered for adoption in August, the City’s “Together to Zero” plan will be a key additional component to the Central Coast’s environmental future.

Visit https://sustainability.santabarbaraca.gov/programs/climate-action-plan

Samantha Figgins of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater

Photo by Dario Calmese

Tree of the Month — July 2024

Moreton Bay Chestnut Castanospermum australe

By David Gress / Special to VOICE

THE MORETON

BAY CHESTNUT IS A MEDIUM-SIZED TROPICAL EVERGREEN TREE that bears luxurious shiny leaves and carries a broad rounded crown. Because of its distinctive beauty, it was one of the first ornamental trees introduced into the Santa Barbara area in the 1880s. Surprisingly, it is still considered a rare tree here.

In our Mediterranean climate, its dense canopy is symmetrical and reaches a height and spread of 35- to 45-feet. Its dark green leaves are pinnately compound (split into leaflets) and can reach up to two feet in length. Each leaf has nine to 17 leaflets; each leaflet is ovate to oblong in shape (three- to five-inches long and ¾- to two-inches wide) and bears a pale green midrib.

to be pollinated. This work is done by bees and hummingbirds, which are attracted by the copious amount of pollen and nectar the flowers provide.

After pollination, the small flowers develop their fruit in yellow-green bean pods that are comparatively gigantic - up to 10-inches long and 2½-inches wide! Each pod contains three to five brown seeds that are circular and rather large (up to 1¼-inches in diameter).

In the fall, the seed pods turn a light brown, drying slowly to split into two long sections - releasing the seeds in December and January. Caveat: unlike the tasty edible seeds of common European and American Chestnut trees, the seeds of Morton Bay Chestnut trees, unless carefully processed, are toxic to humans!

Young trees have bark that is smooth and gray-brown; with age, the bark develops shallow vertical fissures with prominent knobs.

render them quite inedible without extensive processing - this involves roasting, slicing, mashing, and repeated leaching in water – before they can be eaten as a paste or baked into a thick bread.

Beginning in July and continuing through August, its red to reddish-yellow flowers bloom. These are small (1¼- to 1¾-inches long) and appear in racemes (clusters) on older twigs in the upper crown. Since the flowers are well hidden within the foliage, deliberate inspection from underneath the tree is required simply to see them; but their interesting funnel-like shapes and striking colors make it well worth the effort.

Each flower is “perfect,” meaning that each has both stamens (male flower parts) and pistils (female flower parts). Nevertheless, they still need outside help

Moreton Bay Chestnut is endemic to tropical and subtropical areas of eastern Australia - on the coast of Queensland (where Moreton Bay is located) and in northeastern New South Wales - and on the southwest Pacific islands of Vanuatu and New Caledonia. In its native tropics, it can grow to the remarkable height of 130-feet.

For thousands of years, Moreton Bay Chestnut has been important to the Aboriginal peoples in Australia as an important source of food, as well as for its wood and bark. The seeds do contain saponins that

Commemorative Tree Plaques... Great Gifts & Great Memories

Designate a tree as a tribute to a family member or friend.

Santa Barbara Beautiful has funded more than 13,000 street trees in Santa Barbara! Find out more at www.SBBeautiful.org

For more information visit: www.sbbeautiful.org/commemorativetrees.html Santa Barbara Beautiful is a 501 (c) 3. Donations may be tax deductible. TAX ID: 23-7055360

Morton Bay Chestnut’s highquality timber resembles that of walnut trees and, consequently, is prized for fine carpentry and cabinetry. The Aboriginal people used the wood to carve strong spear shafts, and utilized the rugged bark fiber to craft animal traps, fish nets, and woven baskets. European settlers to Australia found it to be a lovely ornamental tree for landscaping - and distributed it to warmer climates worldwide for that purpose.

Moreton Bay Chestnut has many other common names, including “Black Bean”, “Lucky Bean Tree”, and “Bean Tree”. It was given the name “Moreton Bay Chestnut”, because its seeds are visually similar to those of the common chestnut trees, which are in an entirely unrelated plant family, the beech family, Fagaceae. Instead, the Morton Bay Chestnut is in the legume (bean) family, Fagaceae. (Yes, the two plant families also have confusingly similar names.)

Its botanical name is Castanospermum australe. Its genus name, Castanospermum, is derived from a combination of the genus name of the common chestnut trees, Castanea, and the Latin word, “spermum”, meaning “seed”; as combined, this refers to the similar appearance of the seeds. Its specific epithet, “australe” comes from the Latin word, “australis”, meaning “southern”, which was also applied in the naming of its native continent, Australia.

In our Mediterranean climate, Moreton Bay Chestnut, once established, is a longlived and very hardy tree. It is adaptable to many types of soil but prefers a well-drained loam. A young tree should not be planted out until it is at least 4-feet tall since younger trees are somewhat tender and difficult

to get established. Thereafter, it will need regular watering during at least the first two dry seasons. It can be planted in full sun or partial shade; however, it will benefit from added protection from full sun when still young. Until recently, Morton Bay Chestnut had appeared to be free from plant diseases and insect pests. Unfortunately, it has now been found to be susceptible to attack by “shot hole borer”, a nasty invasive beetle.

Morton Bay Chestnut is easy to propagate from seeds - and the method is very similar to how one grows avocadosfreshly collected seeds should be planted in a moist potting mix, exposing about ½ of the seed. Be patient - they can take up to two months to germinate.

Moreton Bay Chestnut has many attributes that recommend it as an ideal ornamental landscape tree for our area. Its uniform growth, stunning evergreen foliage, and fairly well-behaved roots make it useful for streetside planting, as well as for parks and residential gardens.

Curiously, it is not presently generally available in the nursery trade. However, as it can be readily propagated both by commercial nurserymen/women and by home gardeners, it really should be grown and planted in more locations around town.

Moreton Bay Chestnuts can be seen as street trees in our community: an outstanding specimen is in the 1400 block of Crestline Drive; and, two older trees are in the 2100 block of Oak Park Lane. The oldest and largest specimen, reportedly planted in 1883, is located at the southeast corner of the Victorian residence of Stow House in Goleta - It is a lovely old tree and certainly worth a trip to see it.

Tree-of-the-Month articles are sponsored by Santa Barbara Beautiful. www.sbbeautiful.org

Moreton Bay Chestnut Tree

Photos by David Gress

Moreton Bay Chestnut bark

Moreton Bay Chestnut flowers

Moreton Bay Chestnut seeds

More...

u Visit LCCCA’s three galleries, Illuminations, Elevate, and Fine Line. Chat with the artists while you enjoy a glass of wine and simple snacks.

u In the Elevate Gallery, check out Lydia Jablonski’s newest installation - the third of four mixed media group shows created by the Santa Barbara Grid Project.

u Visit Voice Gallery to see Raise Your Voice - the first Santa Barbara Art Association show held in this venue. Enjoy the art, conversation, small bites, and more.

u Visit the The Grace Fisher Foundation’s Inclusive Arts Clubhouse and learn about their programs.

u Take a complementary tour of the Museum of Sensory and Movement Experience.

u Don’t miss the entertainment – Nomad Tango will be performing to tango music and Mike Cregan will entertain on his guitar.

u Help create a new community painting. All ages welcome.

u La Cumbre Plaza also offers Ping Pong, Corn Hole, and childrens’ games.

u And what about dinner out?

GALLERY ROW

BREAKING THE MOLD:

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

THE

ART STUDIOS

ARE EERILY EMPTY.

Numerous throwing wheels, 3D printers for plastic and clay, and kilns fill the 24,000 square-feet of Maker House, the nonprofit art studio/academy in the hills of Goleta that was until recently known as Clay Space. The work is done, and everyone’s celebrating.

The 3D art at the gallery is surrounded with admiration and chatter as masters and pupils converse about the creative possibilities of ceramics (mostly), as well as glass, mixed media, and plastic.

The show features the artwork of the technicians, employees, and teachers at Maker House. There are plates, bulls, fish, a horse, cups, and vases, many vases, of all colors and forms.

26 artists from Maker House flex their creative muscles in a new exhibition, Under Our Roof

Elise Arnold, the Ojai artist who teaches Hand Building Clay, is showing two artworks, a raku jar in the shape of a goat, and a Cat Luminary, made out of ceramic, paua shell, and metal leaf, designed to host a light inside.

Sarah Shank, Studio Technician, also likes to work with clay. Her “Bull Skulls” hanging on the wall have intricate patterns made with found objects such as doilies she finds at thrift stores.

“Maker House is a community space geared towards creativity and making in all its forms and a constantly evolving space,” Shank shared. “The staff are a vital part of the day-to-day operations and are outstanding artists in their own right.”

“Without their contributions we would not be the incredible venue our members and students cherish every day,” said Matt Mitros, Maker House Executive Director and Gallery Coordinator. He has already programmed the gallery’s next two years. “Our exhibition programming is expansive. We support High School artists from the Santa Barbara School District, an annual juried exhibition called the Santa Barbara Clay National, a solo exhibition series, and multiple opportunities for our Members at Maker House to publicly display their art.”

Mitros explained that besides the 8-week adult education classes, there are also “private lessons, and memberships for those who wish to have a little more of a self-guided experience.” Over the next year they plan to expand programming to include 3D printing in clay, MoldMaking, Slip-Casting, and Jewelry Making.

“The creative energy at Maker House and the astonishing work exhibited by participants in this gallery show is nothing short of inspiration in its purest form.” - Lynda Weinman

Isaiah Porter, who teaches Intermediate Wheel Throwing on Wednesday afternoons, is showcasing a beautiful amphora in white and blue.

Hannah Croshaw has been working on fish heads, inspired by watercolors and prints she made back in 2019. “In these prints and drawings, the fish heads spring upwards from small bodies of water like a group of gaping, singing, synchronized swimmers”, she says. “Seeing their light playfulness on paper, I wanted to explore their solidity and surface in ceramics, ultimately working towards a body of art that explores the fish heads through drawings, paintings, and ceramics.”

Tomorrow the studios will be full of artists at work once again, either taking one of the courses (Wheel Throwing, Mosaic Tiles, Historical Techniques, Hand Building, The Creative Process…) or creating on their own.

“Under Our Roof” will be on display at Maker House, 1351 Holiday Hill Rd until the end of August. MakerHouse.org

Under Our Roof will be on view through the end of August at Maker House

Marie Bose and her plates

Sarah Shank and one of her bulls

Matt Mitros, Executive Director

Lynda Weinman, Board President

Reena Bajaj and her blue vase

Hannah Croshaw and her clay fish

Clay horse by James Haggerty

A cat by Elise Arnold

In all, 26 artists are showing their work Box by Michael Adcock

Photos by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

10 West Gallery • Surface Tension ~ Aug 4 • 10 W Anapamu • 11-5 We-Mo • 805-770-7711 • www.10westgallery.com

Architectural Fdn Gallery • Timely by Joan Rosenberg-Dent & Caroline Kapp ~ Aug 24 • 229 E Victoria • 805-965-6307 • 1–4 Sa & By Appt • www.afsb.org

Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB • re-opens Sept 7 • www.museum.ucsb.edu

Art From Scrap Gallery • Environmental Educ. & Artistic Expression • www.exploreecology.org

The Arts Fund • La Cumbre Plaza, 120 S Hope Ave • 11-5 We-Su; www.artsfundsb.org • 805-233-3395

Atkinson Gallery, SBCC • Closed for summer break • gallery.sbcc.edu

Bella Rosa Galleries • 1103-A State St • 11-5 daily • 805-966-1707

Casa del Herrero • Gardens & House • by reservation • 1387 East Valley Rd • tours 10 & 2 We & Sa • 805-565-5653 • www.casadelherrero.com

Casa Dolores • Between Naguales And Corrales ~ Aug 30; Bandera Ware / traditional outfits ~ ongoing • 1023 Bath St • 12-4 Tu-Sa • 805-9631032 • www.casadolores.org

Channing Peake Gallery • New Muralism • Inclusive Visions of Self and Place ~ Nov • 105 East Anapamu St, 1st fl • 805-568-3994

Colette Cosentino Atelier + Gallery • 11 W Anapamu St • By Appt • www.colettecosentino.com

Corridan Gallery • California Sojourns by Karen Fedderson • 125 N Milpas • 11-6 We-Sa • 805-966-7939 • www.corridan-gallery.com

CPC Gallery • Francis Scorzelli • Color Interaction ~ Jul • By appt • 36 E Victoria St • Gallery@CPCSB.org

Cypress Gallery • Claudette Carlton • Watercolor Creations ~ Jul 28 • 119 E Cypress Av, Lompoc • 1-4 Sa & Su • 805-737-1129 • www.lompocart.org

Modernist Artist www.jomerit.com JoMeritModern@gmail.com 10 West Gallery

James Main Fine Art • 19th & 20th Fine art & antiques • 27 E De La Guerra St • 12-5 Tu-Sa • Appt Suggested • 805-962-8347

The Carriage and Western Art Museum • SB History Makers Exhibit featuring Silsby Spalding, WW Hollister, Dixie; Saddle & Carriage Collections • Free • 129 Castillo St • 805-962-2353 • 9-3 MoFr • www.carriagemuseum.org

California Nature Art Museum (formerly Wildling Museum) • Message in a Bottle | Elizabeth Criss ~ Jul 24; The Birds and the Bees and More: Pollinators ~ Sep 2; CA National Parks ~ ongoing • 1511 B Mission Dr, Solvang • 11-4 Mo, Th, Fr; 11-5 Sa & Su • www.calnatureartmuseum.org

Casa de La Guerra • Haas Adobe Watercolors • $5/Free • 15 East De la Guerra St • 12-4 Th-Su • www.sbthp.org/casadelaguerra

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery: Emerging artists from around the country • 15 W Gutierrez • 805-963-1157 • 11–5 Tu-Sa • www.elizabethgordongallery.com

El Presidio De Santa Bárbara • Nihonmachi Revisited; Memorias y Facturas • 123 E Canon Perdido St • 11-4 Th-Su • www.sbthp.org

Elverhøj Museum • Under the Same Sun • From Low Riders to Farm Workers ~ Jul • 1624 Elverhoy Way, Solvang • 805-686-1211 • 11-5 ThMo • www.elverhoj.org

Faulkner Gallery • 40 E Anapamu St • 10-7 Mo-Th; 10-5 Fri, Sa; 12-5 Sun • 805-962-7653

Fazzino 3-D Studio Gallery • 3-D original fine art • 529 State St • 805730-9109 • www.Fazzino.com

Gallery 113 • SB Art Assn • 1114 State St, #8, La Arcada Ct • 805-9656611 • 11-5 Mo-Sa; 1-5 Su • www.gallery113sb.com

Gallery Los Olivos • Bobby Williams • Pillars • Agricultural Life on the Central Coast ~ Jul 31 • 2920 Grand Av • 805-688-7517 • gallerylosolivos.com

Ganna Walska Lotusland • Gardens • by reservation • 695 Ashley Rd • 805-969-9990 • www.lotusland.org

Goleta Valley Library • GVAA Artists Exhibit • 500 N Fairview Av • 10-7 Tu-Th; 10-5:30 Fr & Sa; 1-5 Su • TheGoletaValleyArtAssociation.org

Grace Fisher Fdn Inclusive Arts Clubhouse • Paintings by Grace Fisher • 121 S Hope, La Cumbre Plaza • We-Su 11-5pm • www.gracefisherfoundation.org

Helena Mason Art Gallery • Contemporary Art • 48 Helena Av • 2-6 Fr-Sa • www.helenamasonartgallery.com

Karpeles Manuscript Library & Museum • The flight of Apollo 13 documents & more~ Ongoing • 21-23 W Anapamu • 10-4 Tu-Su • 805-9625322 • https://karpeles.com

Kathryne Designs • Local Artists • 1225 Coast Village Rd, A • 10-5 MoSa; 11-5 Su • 805-565-4700 • http://kathrynedesigns.com

Kelly Clause Art • Watercolors of Sea & Land • 28 Anacapa St, #B • Most weekdays 12-5 • www.kellyclause.com

La Cumbre Center For Creative Arts • Three Multi-Artist Galleries at La Cumbre Plaza - Elevate, Fine Line, and Illuminations Galleries • noon-5 Tu-Su • www.lcccasb.com

Legacy Arts Santa Barbara • A Multi-Cultural Gallery & Listening Room • Irma Cavat: Still Light ~ Sep 30 • 1230 State St • 3-8 We-Su • LegacyArtSB.com

Lompoc Library Grossman Gallery • 501 E North Av, Lompoc • 805-588-3459

Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center • Carpinteria Dreaming ~ Aug 25 • 12-4 Th-Su • 865 Linden Av • 805-684-7789 • www.carpinteriaartscenter.org

themselves Gallery Row.

Located in the easy parking zone of La Cumbre Plaza, the half a dozen galleries and arts program venues offer everything classes, to studio and gallery space.

Gallery Row will host its 3rd Friday Art Walk with well over 100 artists as well as live music, tango, and community art making on July 19th from 5 to 8pm. It’s a great night for the family or an opporunity to hang out with friends.

Gallery Row is set amongst the beautiful setting of La Cumbre that includes options for food and shopping.

Just say to your friends, “Meet me at Gallery Row for 3rd Friday!”

See page 28 for details

www.porticofinearts.com

Art Venues

Maker House • 1351 Holiday Hill Rd • 805-565-CLAY • 10-4 Daily • www.claystudiosb.org

Marcia Burtt Gallery • Coastal ~ Aug 11 • Contemporary landscape paintings, prints & books • 517 Laguna St • 1-5 Th-Su • 805-9625588 • www.artlacuna.com

Maune Contemporary • Contemporary artists including Alex Katz, Donald Sultan, Mr. Brainwash, Taher Jaoui, Ted Collier • 1309 State St • 11-5 Tu-Su & By Appt • 805-8692524 • www.maune.com

MOXI, The Wolf Museum • Measurement Rules ~ Sep 22; Exploration + Innovation • 10-5 Daily • 125 State St • 805-770-5000 • www.moxi.org

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara •

The New Salon • Arte Del Pueblo ~ Jul 20 • 653 Paseo Nuevo • www.mcasantabarbara.org

Museum of Sensory & Movement Experiences • La Cumbre Plaza, 120 S. Hope Av #F119 • www.seehearmove.com

Palm Loft Gallery • Fine Bunch of Cool Cats ~ Jul 21 • 410 Palm Av, Loft A1, Carpinteria • By Appt • 805684-9700 • www.palmloft.com

Patricia Clarke Studio • 410 Palm Av, Carpinteria • By Appt • 805-4527739 • www. patriciaclarkestudio.com

Peregrine Galleries • Early California and American paintings; fine vintage jewelry • 1133 Coast Village Rd • 805-252-9659 • www.peregrine.shop

Peter Horjus Design • Studio & Gallery • 11 W Figueroa St • www.peterhorjus.com

Portico Gallery • Jordan Pope & Gallery Artists • Open Daily • 1235 Coast Village Rd • 805-729-8454 •

Santa Barbara Tennis Club2nd Fridays Art • Sizzle: Melissa Knapp, Serena Lee, Melinda Mettler, Melissa Mimms, Serita Reynolds, Marcia Rickard, Wanda Venturelli, Veronica Walmsley, Joyce Wilson ~ Sept 4 • 2375 Foothill Rd • 10-6 Daily • 805-682-4722 • www.2ndfridaysart.com

Slice of Light Gallery • Earth & Space Fine Art Photography by JK Lovelace • 9 W Figueroa St • Mo-Fr 10-5 • 805-354-5552 • www.sliceoflight.com

Stewart Fine Art • Early California Plein Air Paintings + European Fine Art + Antiques • 539 San Ysidro Rd • 11-5:30 Mo-Sa • 805-845-0255

It’s happening! Funk Zone Live

Returns July 26th - 5 to 8pm

FUNK ZONE VENUES ARE FOCUSING ON SANTA BARBARA AREA LOCALS and will open their doors late from 5 to 8pm on July 26th.

Featuring 25 venues and a collaborative business model, Funk Zone Live! will include new and familiar faces. Kelly Clause, the newest artist to participate is opening her gallery/studio is located at 28 Anacapa St.

Public Market • Quarterly exhibit by local artists • 11-9 Su-We; 11-10 Th-Sa • www.sbpublicmarket.com

Santa Barbara Art Works • Artists with disabilities programs, virtual exhibits • 805-260-6705 • www.sbartworks.org

Santa Barbara Fine Art • New Paintings by Richard Schloss; SB landscapes & sculptor Bud Bottoms • 1321 State St • 12-6 Tu-Sa & By Appt • 805-845-4270 • www.santabarbarafineart.com

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden • 1212 Mission Canyon Rd • 10-5 daily • 805-682-4726 • www.sbbg.org

Santa Barbara Community Arts Workshop • Mind the Gap - Sat, July 20, 5-9pm • 631 Garden St • 10-6 Fr & By Appt • www.sbcaw.org

Santa Barbara Historical Museum • Project Fiesta! Centennial! ~ Nov 1• 136 E De la Guerra • 12-5 We, Fri-Su; 12-7 Th • 805-966-1601 • www.sbhistorical.org

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum • Coastal Moments ~ Aug 18; The Chumash, Whaling, Commercial Diving, Surfing, Shipwrecks, First Order Fresnel Lens, and Santa Barbara Lighthouse Women Keepers ~ Ongoing • 113 Harbor Way, Ste 190 • 10-5 Th-Su • 805-962-8404 • www.SBMM.org

Santa Barbara Museum Of Art • Made by Hand / Born Digital ~ Aug 25; Robert Rauschenberg Autobiography:Works from the Collection ~ Ongoing • 1130 State St • 11-5 Tu-Su; 5-8 1st Th free; 2nd Sun free Tri-County residents • 805963-4364 • www.sbma.net

Santa Barbara Museum Of Natural History • Splendid Plumage ~ Sept 8; Images of Infinity ~ Sept 8 • 2559 Puesta del Sol • 10-5 We-Mo • www.sbnature.org

Santa Barbara Sea Center • Dive In • Our Changing Channel ~ Ongoing • 211 Stearns Wharf • 10-5 Daily (Fr & Sat 10-7 until 7/27). • 805-682-4711 • www.sbnature.org

Sullivan Goss • Patricia Chidlaw • Nighthawks ~ July 22; P-Town in SB ~Aug 26; The Summer Salon ~ Jul 22; Wosene: Labyrinth Of Words ~ Jul 26 - Sep 23 • 11 E Anapamu St • 10-5:30 daily • 805-730-1460 • www.sullivangoss.com

Susan Quinlan Doll & Teddy Bear Museum • 122 W Canon Perdido • 11-4 Fr-Sa; Su-Th by appt • 805-687-4623 • www.quinlanmuseum.com

SYV Historical Museum & Carriage House • Art of The Western Saddle • 3596 Sagunto St, Santa Ynez • 12-4 Sa, Su • 805-6887889 • www.santaynezmuseum.org

Tamsen Gallery • Work by Robert W. Firestone • 911.5 State St • 12-5 We-Su • 805-705-2208 • www. tamsengallery.com

UCSB Library • Sea Change ~ Dec 13 • www.library.ucsb.edu

Voice Gallery • SB Art Association • Lift Your Voice ~ Jul • La Cumbre Plaza H-124 • 10-5:30 M-F; 1-5 Sa-Su • 805965-6448 • www.voicesb.art

Waterhouse Gallery Montecito

• Notable CA & National Artists • 1187 Coast Village Rd • 11-5 Mo-Su • 805-962-8885 • www.waterhousegallery.com

Waterhouse Gallery SB • Notable CA & National Artists • La Arcada Ct, 1114 State St, #9 • 11-5 Mo-Sa • 805-962-8885 • www.waterhousegallery.com

“I love to see the mutual support and cooperation of the Funk Zone business owners,” shared Jana Brody, coordinator of SB Funk Zone Live.

SB Funk Zone Live is an eclectic experience for locals and visitors alike, suitable for all ages. Each registered venue will feature an art element; non-art venues are encouraged to host a local artist or band.

The next Funk Zone Live! events are set for September 27th, and December 6th.

A hub for arts, dining, wine, beer, spirits, retail shops, hotels, creative energy, and unique culture,

Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum Of Art • Temporarily closed for installation • 805-565-6162 • Mo-Fr 10-4; Sat 11-5 • www.westmont.edu/museum

Art Events

La Cumbre Plaza Art Walk • Meet local artists and explore galleries • LCCCA • La Cumbre Plaza • Free • 5-8pm Fr, 7/19.

Carpinteria Dreaming Opening Reception • Works by area artists • Carpinteria Arts Center • 4-6pm Sa, 7/20.

Art Show: Mind the Gap • Works by local artists, supports The Starfish Connection • Community Arts Workshop • Free • 5-9pm Sa, 7/20.

Opening Reception: Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal • Hear artists Tanya Aguiñiga and

Artists • See your work here! Join Voice Magazine’s Print & Virtual Gallery! To find out more, email Publisher@VoiceSB.com

Porfirio Gutiérrez in conversation • Museum of Contemporary Art SB • Free • 6-9pm Sa, 7/20.

Opening Reception • Carpinteria Dreaming • Paintings, sculpture, and more by local artists • Carpinteria Arts Center • Free • 4-6pm Sa, 7/20.

Timely - Art Panel • With Tony Askew and Joyce Wilson • SB Architectural Fdn Gallery, 229 E. Victoria • Free • 2-3pm Sa, 7/27.

SB Arts & Crafts Show • Local artists & artisans • Free • 236 E Cabrillo Blvd • 10-5 Su.

Carpinteria Creative Arts • Shop locally made pottery, beach art, cards, jewelry, and sewn articles • 8th St & Linden Av • Free • 2:30-6 Th.

New on the walk this month is Kelly Clause Art located at 28 Anacapa St. The venue includes Kelly’s Studio and gallery with coastal-inspired watercolors, prints, cards, apparel, and housewares.

Art & Soul, located at 116 Santa Barbara St #C will present art by and of Belle Hahn with Michael Haber, Pedro De La Cruz.

Alzheimer’s study finds diet, lifestyle changes yield improvements

New intensive regimen upends prior results, but researchers say larger, longer trials needed

By Alvin Powell / Harvard Staff Writer

TANTALIZING NEW RESEARCH SUGGESTS INTENSIVE DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES may not only forestall cognitive decline related to Alzheimer’s disease but possibly bring some improvement to those in early stages.

The small, limited study varied from earlier findings, which concluded a healthy lifestyle could lower risk but showed little promise in reversing damage. That result had co-authors on the paper, published in June in the journal Alzheimer’s Research & Therapy, tempering excitement with caution.

“To get significant results on these cognitive tests in just 20 weeks, in just 50 patients, only altering lifestyle, to be very honest was just shocking to me, but shocking because it says maybe this matters,” said senior author Rudolph Tanzi, Harvard Medical School’s Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Child Neurology and Mental Retardation, and co-director of the MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease. “But I’m the first to say that it’s a small study. It was only 20 weeks, so let’s not jump to any conclusions. But boy, what a great start.”

Steven Arnold, professor of neurology at HMS, Massachusetts General Hospital’s E. Gerald Corrigan Chair in Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Science, and senior author on the paper, said the findings showed promising results but cautioned against “overinterpreting” them and advised against making wholesale diet and lifestyle changes based on this study alone.

“I think this is a well-done study. It needs to be bigger. It needs to be longer,” Arnold said. “I want people to be intrigued and enthused by its findings, but not overinterpret them because more data is needed.”

The trial took an everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach to treating Alzheimer’s disease, pulling together an array of interventions that individually have been seen to lower risk. In addition to their comprehensiveness, researchers said the interventions were also intensive. That is a possible reason, they suggested, their results varied from earlier studies that employed more moderate interventions.

The study’s 51 subjects, whose average age was 73.5, were in the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease. and all had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment or early dementia. Twenty-six were randomly assigned to the intervention group and 25 to the control group.

example, 10 — more than 40 percent — improved after 20 weeks, seven were unchanged, seven worsened slightly, and none worsened moderately. Among the controls, by comparison, none improved, eight were unchanged, and 17 worsened slightly or moderately. Two other tests showed that the intervention group improved on average, while the control group worsened. The fourth test showed both groups doing worse, with the control group worsening significantly more.

Researchers, who hailed from institutions in the U.S., U.K., Finland, and Sweden, also examined participants’ blood and microbiomes. One biomarker, called pTau 181, showed little change between the controls and the intervention group, but researchers found improvements in another marker, which measures the ratio of two forms of the amyloid beta protein, which forms plaques in the brain that are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.

“In my heart of hearts, I think there is something real here.”

Over 20 weeks, those in the intervention group were asked to eat a strict vegan diet, with all meals plus snacks for subjects and their spouses delivered to their homes. The regimen, which was not calorie-restricted, was augmented by supplements believed to support cognition, including omega 3 fatty acids, curcumin, a multivitamin, vitamins C and B12, magnesium L-threonate, coenzyme Q, a probiotic, and lion’s mane.

—Steven Arnold, Professor of Neurology at HMS

Measures associated with cardiac and metabolic health like cholesterol, A1c, hemoglobin, and others also improved. The intervention group’s microbiome shifted, with populations of beneficial bacteria increasing and those thought to be associated with Alzheimer’s disease decreasing. In addition, there was a dose-response effect in both biomarkers and cognitive tests, with the degree of change positively associated with adherence to the lifestyle interventions.

The work received financial support from more than two dozen private foundations and charitable funds and comes at a moment of optimism about Alzheimer’s disease. After years of failed drug trials that had researchers questioning whether they really understood the disease, a drug called lecanemab gained FDA approval last year after a study of 1,800 people over 18 months showed it to be the first treatment to slow progression in those in early stages of the disease.

Tanzi and Arnold acknowledged their study’s relatively small sample size was a shortcoming but said the its design as a randomized controlled trial, considered a scientific gold standard, was a strength. The trial was designed to be multimodal, but the fact that so many different lifestyle factors were at play made it difficult to tease out the effect of each, said Tanzi, who is also the director of MGH’s Genetics and Aging Research Unit and its Henry and Allison McCance Center for Brain Health.

Those interventions were coupled with 30 minutes of aerobic exercise daily and strength training three times a week. For stress reduction, subjects meditated, did yoga poses, stretching, and breathing exercises in a daily hour led by a stress management specialist.

To boost social support, subjects and spouses participated in an hourlong support group three times a week led by a mental health professional. In all, subjects received 12 hours per week of professional support — delivered via Zoom — for the lifestyle interventions.

“In my heart of hearts, I think there is something real here,” said Arnold, who is also MGH’s head of translational neurology and managing director of its Interdisciplinary Brain Center. “If you do significantly change the metabolic, inflammatory, vascular milieu of the body and the brain, that is good for our brain function. And this diet, exercise, stress reduction/socialization intervention may work as well or better than some of the drugs we use for Alzheimer’s disease.”

To establish a baseline and gauge progress, participants took four standard tests used to measure cognitive performance in FDA drug trials. The results varied by test but generally showed the intervention group improved or stayed the same while the control group stayed the same or worsened. On the Clinical Global Impression of Change, for

The next step, he and Arnold said, would be a larger study to see whether the results are replicated. Arnold said that among questions such a trial would answer is whether subjects would stick with such an intensive intervention over the long term.

Conduct of the trial was significantly affected by the pandemic. Enrollment, which occurred between 2018 and 2022, was still underway when COVID-19 hit in early 2020, curtailing enrollment, which originally had targeted 100 participants. The need for distancing forced researchers to shift sessions to online, which may have altered the effect of the social support sessions. It did, however, allow expansion of the study population from a single site in San Francisco to others around the country, including Massachusetts General Hospital.

“This should be looked at as a pilot study, but the pilot data are significant and strongly suggest that lifestyle intervention was effective,” Tanzi said.