VOICE Magazine: February 14, 2025

State Street Ballet’s World Premiere

of

The Little Mermaid

By Kerry Methner / VOICE

URED BY THE HOPE FOR NEW SIGHTS AND SOUNDS and seeking to satisfy her curiosity about the world above, The Little Mermaid is drawn to the surface in State Street Ballet’s World Premiere production of the classic story. Opening at the Lobero Theatre with three performances, Saturday, March 1st, at 7:30pm and Sunday, March 2nd at 2pm, and a sensory-friendly performance on Saturday, March 1st at 2pm, The Little Mermaid promises to be a magical adventure to satisfy all ages.

Featuring all-new sets, costumes, and large-scale puppets designed by Christina McCarthy, alongside an original musical score by Charles Fernandez, this unique reimagining follows the mermaid’s daring journey as she sacrifices her tail and voice to become human in pursuit of love.

Megan Philipp and Cecily MacDougall teamed up again, creating vibrant choreography for the new production.

“The Little Mermaid is an enchanting ballet, perfect for introducing young children to the magic of dance,” related Artistic Director and Choreographer Philipp. “Bursting with vibrant colors, captivating adventures, and heartwarming charm, this unique twist on the classic tale is sure to delight audiences of all ages.”

McCarthy’s stunning life-sized puppets and the production’s intricate sets and beautiful costumes will transport audiences into an enchanting underwater world.

Thanks to funding from The Manitou Fund/ Nora McNeely Hurley, the production will feature live accompaniment by the Opera San Luis Obispo Grand Orchestra, led by Maestro Brian Asher Alhadeff, bringing the worldpremiere score to life in an immersive and powerful performance.

Executive Director and Choreographer MacDougall added, “Through this ballet, I hope to inspire a deeper reflection on how we treat those whose abilities differ from our own. Whether she is learning to walk or navigating the world without use of her voice, The Little Mermaid’s journey encourages us to approach every being with the compassion and respect they deserve.”

To that end, the show will integrates American Sign Language,

expanding accessibility for a broader audience. Special outreach performances for local students will take place on Friday, February 28th, and a sensory-friendly performance on March 1st at 2pm, as State Street Ballet acts to make the production inclusive for all. The Ballet also developed on-line lesson plans for a range of grades to help children and teachers get the most out of their Little Mermaid experience.

Whether you are familiar with the tale or discovering it for the first time, The Little Mermaid follows an unforgettable journey into the world of magic, love, and adventure.

For tickets and more info visit: www.statestreetballet.com or call 805-845-1432.

Families with special needs or small children are invited to SSB’s first sensory-friendly performance on March 1st at 2pm. During sensory-friendly performances, the lights in the theater stay on, the music is played more quietly, fidget items are welcome, and patrons can move, vocalize, and behave in ways that are often unfamiliar in other performance settings.

Tickets are $20; subsidized tickets are available upon request.

State Street Ballet, founded in 1994 by Rodney Gustafson, is an internationally acclaimed dance company based in Santa Barbara, California, and led by Artistic Director Megan Philipp and Executive Director Cecily MacDougall. A pioneering collaborative that supports international ensemble members, the company consistently strives for new and innovative artistic opportunities to serve a broad audience. Each season is dedicated to bringing the highest standards of artistry and originality to tried-and-true classics, and creating innovative works that reflect the contemporary nature of the ensemble. Public performances, educational outreach, community partnerships, and training programs are fundamental to their mission, at home and on tour.

Photos courtesy of State Street Ballet

Young audience members are invited to enter the theater at 1:15pm on March 2nd to take a photo with a real ballerina and hear her tell the story of The Little Mermaid.

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Happy Valentines Day!

Love is in the air

Valentine’s Day Dinner • at the Stonehouse Restaurant • 14% of proceeds from the love-themed speakeasy menu will go to Los Angeles fire relief efforts • San Ysidro Ranch • $115-$260 • sanysidroranch.com • 5pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentine Truffle Making Day • Make your own heart shaped Chocolate Box and the Truffles to put inside • Menchaca Chocolates • $169/couple • menchacachocolates.com • 11am-7pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentine’s Day Sweethearts Concert • Benefiting KEEP THE BEAT! A program of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation • SOhO • $10-$15 • 5pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentines Day with Legendary Soul Singer Ron Paris • With Julie Carson on keys • The Blue Owl • free • theblueowlsb.com • 7pm, Fri, 2/14.

San Ysidro Ranch will host a Galentine’s Day celebration, with afternoon tea in the gardens, and a Galentine’s Night, at Speakeasy at Plow & Angel. On Friday, February 14th, a special four-course Valentine’s Day dinner will be at the Stonehouse Restaurant. All month long, 14% of proceeds from the love-themed speakeasy menu will go to Los Angeles fire relief efforts.

For reservation ($115-$260), visit sanysidroranch.com

Valentine's Day Sip & Stroll • 21+ champagne promenade, live music • Ganna Walska Lotusland • $85/non-members, $60/Supporter Members, $30/ Patron Circle Members • lotusland.org • 12-2pm & 3-5pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentine's Show with the HEARTados • Classic love songs w/ the The Traveling Hurtados • The Alcazar • Single/$15, Couples/$25 • thealcazar.org • 7pm, Fri, 2/14.

FACULTY RECITAL

UCSB FACULTY PIANIST PAUL BERKOWITZ PRESENTS A PROGRAM OF CONTRASTS WITH PERFORMANCES OF WORKS BY LATE MOZART AND EARLY SCHUMANN IN LOTTE LEHMANN CONCERT HALL ON FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2025 AT 7:30 PM

Valentine’s Day Wine Tasting at Pali Wine Co. • Valentine’s Day tasting flights for gatherings or a romantic evening for two, with live music from local artists • Pali Wine Co. Funk Zone Wine Garden • 12–8pm, 2/14–2/16.

Valentine’s Day at Finch and Fork • Enjoy a special five-course prix fixe dinner w/ a thoughtful wine pairing • Finch and Fork • $110, +$40/wine pairing • finchandforkrestaurant.com • 5pm ongoing, Fri, 2/14.

BEA MINE • Valentine’s Set by DJ Darla Bea w/ Kissing Booth Photobooth

BEA Mine

For singles, galentines, lovers, and friends, party with DJ Darla Bea—enjoy a Kissing Booth, Photo Booth, signature drinks, and romance on the dance floor at Seven Bar & Kitchen from 8:30pm on Friday, February 14th. sevensb.com

• Seven Bar & Kitchen • free • sevensb.com • 8:30pm, Fri, 2/14.

Ana Nicolle Chavez and Will Block

Photo: Zach Mendez

Police Blotter

Barricaded Assault Suspect Taken into Custody

OFFICERS RESPONDED TO A CALL ABOUT A PERSON WHO HAD ASSAULTED SEVERAL RESIDENTS at an apartment complex located in the 600 Block of Garden Street, on January 24th at approximately 8am, following a call from the Santa Barbara Police Combined Communications Center who had received multiple 9-1-1 calls regarding the incident.

Once on scene, officers learned that one resident threatened and physically assaulted three other residents of the complex. He retreated into his apartment when officers arrived and refused to come out. The resident was identified as Donovan Madden, 47.

Due to the circumstances, a Santa Barbara Police Department Co-Response Team (an officer and a licensed mental health clinician) responded to assist. The Co-Response Officer established phone communication with Madden. Madden told the officer that he would not surrender and repeatedly ended the phone calls. Additional Crisis Negotiation Response Team members responded to assist. Officers maintained phone communication with Madden. After nearly eight hours of negotiations, Madden peacefully surrendered and was safely taken into custody.

Madden was later booked into Santa Barbara County Jail for several charges including Assault with a Deadly Weapon, Criminal Threats, Kidnapping, Attempted Residential Burglary, and Resisting Arrest.

The successful resolution of this incident was due to incredible teamwork and patience at SBPD.

Community News

Housing Authority Breaks Ground for Bella Vista

Carpinteria Street Bank Robbed On Tuesday

IN A DAYLIGHT ROBBERY, a women entered the bank on the 900 block of Carpinteria Street on Tuesday, February 11th at 1:06pm.

According to the police report, the woman entered the bank and informed the teller that she was armed with a gun, though no weapon was seen. The suspect fled on a bike with an undisclosed amount of money southbound on Milpas St.

The suspect, who was photographed by the bank surveillance camera, was described as a white female adult in her mid-to-late 20s with long light brown hair wearing a light pink sweatshirt and black leggings. There were no reported injuries during this robbery.

The SBPD is requesting that anyone with information is encouraged to call (805) 897-2376.

CELEBRATING THE OFFICIAL GROUNDBREAKING OF BELLA VISTA AFFORDABLE

HOUSING PROJECT, the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara joined dignitaries and friends on Friday, February 7th, to mark the occasion with the community at 200 N. La Cumbre Rd in Santa Barbara.

The project will feature a two and three-story building, with 48 apartments constructed on top of a podium. The development will also include a semi-subterranean garage with 58 parking spaces for the tenants and a 10 space surface parking lot for the guests accessed off Via Lucero.

Emergency Town Hall Meeting Brought a Big Show of Support

OVER 1,000 PEOPLE SHOWED UP AT THE UNITARIAN CHURCH on Saturday, February 8th, in response to the rapid action taken by the White House to dismantle American civil rights and liberties. Congressman Salud Carbajal and Supervisor for the 2nd District Laura Capps were present to speak about the latest events and answer questions from concerned citizens. State Senator Monique Limón and Assemblymember Gregg Hart were also present.

With a capacity crowd filling the auditorium and spilling into the courtyard and sidewalk, the “Stop the Coup” event was organized by Indivisible Santa Barbara, Commit to Democracy, and Democratic Women of Santa Barbara.

After soberly informing the attendees about the damage done, Carbajal struck a hopeful note, stating that the best thing for citizens to do is remain focused on restoring civil rights and ignoring the shock and awe tactics employed by the White House. “Don’t react to all the stupid things he says, react to the actions he takes,” said Carbajal.

Resources for taking action were provided, such as flyers with the contact info of organizations like Drivers Listos, which provides rides to immigrant neighbors in fear of driving themselves. QR codes for the organizers like Indivisible Santa Barbara were available for scanning, and energized crowd disbursed when the meeting was closed.

Lisa Carlos, Vice-Chair of the HA Commission; Pat Wheatley, Chair of the HA Commission; Stephen Faulstich, HA Commissioner; Wendy Santamaria, City Councilmember; Rob Fredericks, Executive Director/CEO of the HA; Randy Rowse, Mayor of the City of Santa Barbara; Steve McGillivray, McGillivray Construction; Sara Erickson, Enterprise Community Partners; Elias Isaacson, Community Development Director - City of Santa Barbara; Mike Hemmons, Citi Bank; David Rowell, HA Commissioner; Dale Aazam, Deputy Executive Director of the Housing Authority; and Skip Szymanski

Community News

Local Director Receives DGA Award For Shogun

By Mark Whitehurst / VOICE

AWARDED TWO OF THE FILM INDUSTRY’S HIGHEST AWARDS, Frederick E. O. Toye has received great praise for his exceptional work on the FX series Shogun,“Crimson Sky," and honored with both a Directors Guild Of America Award and an Emmy for Best Director of a Drama Series. Toye is a Montecito resident and graduate of UCSB. His parents also live in Montecito and his proud mother Sigrid is a screenwriter and a member of the Academy. She also writes for VOICE Magazine and the Montecito Journal.

Toye received the Outstanding Directorial Achievement in a Dramatic Series Award at the 77th annual Directors Guild of America Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on Saturday, February 8th. Judd Apatow hosted the ceremony before an audience of more than 1,000 guests. The 2025 Lifetime Achievement Award was awarded to acclaimed Director Ang Lee. Unit Production Manager (UPM) Mary Rae Thewlis received the Robert B. Aldrich Award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the DGA and its

membership. UPM Thomas J. Whalen was the recipient of the Frank Capra Achievement Award, which is given to an Assistant Director or UPM in recognition of notable career achievements in the industry and for outstanding service to the DGA.

Toye is a television director, editor, and producer. He has directed episodes of several TV series. His career began as a production assistant, and editor for 15 years before he became a television director.

Shogun, the FX series, finished its first season this year. The story is a retelling of the 1975 James Clavell novel about the struggle for power in 1600s Japan. The series is significant for is representation of Asian and non-English language TV. Shogun is the very first majority non-English-language series to receive an award in the outstanding drama series category Star of the show Hiroyuki Sanada, who is also the show’s cocreator and producer, and Anna Sawai are the first Japanese actors ever to win Emmys.

Frederick is married to Sandy Toye and they have three daughters.

Steven Sharp’s Hometown Roots Run Deep

By Jennifer Goddard Combs / Special to VOICE

NAME ANY STREET, BUSINESS, SCHOOL, OR LANDMARK in the Ojai Valley, and chances are good that Steven Sharp can tell you about it.

The local father of two grew up in the picturesque valley, attending public schools, playing on the Nordhoff High School football team, working the snack bar at the Oak View baseball fields, and as a lifeguard at Lake Casitas water park. After graduating and settling in the valley with his high-school sweetheart, Sharp worked for several years at a local bank and then at area water companies, driving to project sites across the region to assist with – and later oversee - maintenance and repairs.

A realtor since 2021, Sharp now uses his hard-earned insights about the place he grew up to help clients find the perfect home and to assist local homeowners. He recently joined the independently owned real estate agency Village Properties, becoming the Santa Barbara-based brokerage’s first representative in Ojai.

“I’ve driven almost every street in this town multiple times, I know the ins and outs,” Sharp said. “I can tell people about different neighborhoods, the pros and cons of specific areas, or where homes are most likely going to appreciate more. I have a lot of embedded knowledge because I grew up here.”

Sharp said he didn’t always appreciate his hometown when he was growing up. In fact, after he and his now-wife, Molly, had their first child just months after finishing high school, they worried they might not be able to make a living in the small town. But the couple worked hard and pushed through the challenges to stay in Ojai and raise their young daughter, now 16, and later their son, age nine. Both kids go to local schools and Sharp’s wife is a Speech Language Pathologist Assistant.

“We have a lot of family, so that kept us in the area initially,” Sharp said. “Now, as I get older and especially selling to people from different areas, I realize how special Ojai is. It holds a special energy. It’s a relaxing place with a ton to offer. It’s so close to the beach and yet in the valley with hiking trails and rivers, and great restaurants.”

As a realtor for Village Properties, Sharp said he is now also able to tap into the brokerage’s resources for marketing high-end properties, increasingly important as Ojai’s reputation for luxury grows.

When not working with clients and hosting open houses, Sharp enjoys spending time with his wife and kids and giving back to the community. He volunteers for Ojai’s 4th of July Committee and donates supplies to local schools and to Help of Ojai.

Donate to Keep the Beat Instrument Drive

STRENGTHENING SCHOOL MUSIC PROGRAMS, the Santa Barbara Education Foundation and 99.9 KTYD are teaming up for the Keep the Beat Instrument Drive.

“Our Keep the Beat Program is integral to sustaining the top-notch music education provided to our Santa Barbara Unified School District students. Community support of donated instruments and funds to repair them ensures all students interested in playing have access to the instrument of their choice,” commented Katie Szopa, SBEF’s Programs Manager.

As part of this exciting campaign, SBEF invites the community to attend the Valentine’s Day Sweethearts Concert at SOhO Restaurant & Music Club on Friday, February 14th, from 5 to 7pm. Featuring love songs performed by talented local musician couples, this enchanting evening is a perfect way to celebrate Valentine’s Day while supporting music education. Tickets are $10 for Santa Barbara educators and $15 for the general public when purchased in advance, or $20 at the door. Doors open at 4:15 PM, and all ages are welcome. Proceeds from the concert will fund new instruments, repairs, and other resources for Santa Barbara Unified music programs.

Now in its seventh year, this month-long radio campaign aims to amplify community support for music education in Santa Barbara Unified schools. Throughout February, 99.9 KTYD Morning Mojo host Lin Aubuchon will feature inspiring interviews and performances by Santa Barbara Unified music students and educators, showcasing how music inspires, educates, and transforms young lives. Special guests will include Donna Greene and Greg Loeb, beloved local musicians, and Steve Moretti, a drummer and percussionist who is a two-time Grammy® Award nominee, Juno nominee, and winner of two Telly Awards.

Instrument donations can be dropped off at Nick Rail Music, 2801 De La Vina St, Santa Barbara or Raymond Music, 7320 Hollister Ave #6, Goleta. Please note that pianos and drum sets cannot be accepted.

Frederick E. O. Toye

Photo courtesy of DGA Awards

Conclave Star Graces the Arlington

By Robert F. Adams / VOICE

ONE OF THE MOST RESPECTED ENGLISH CHARACTER ACTORS, Ralph Fiennes visited with Scott Feinberg of the Hollywood Reporter for SBIFF’s Outstanding Performer of the Year Award. Fiennes has an unusually longstanding career as a film actor with a distinguished body of work. He was here in celebration of his portrayal of a managing cardinal in Edward Berger’s film Conclave. Part of an ensemble, director Berger and lead actor Fiennes galvanized the cast in a fascinating look at the Vatican. The movie is energized by the exquisite storytelling ability of Berger, its distinguished score, the colorful cinematography, and is graced by Fiennes’ delicate performance as a figure under great pressure to elect a new pope. The film is fictional, yet it has messages that echo current political upheavals. Audiences have been able to feel what is said and not said, with a multitude of close-ups, as Fiennes’ character deliberates on the forward fate of the Catholic Church. Fiennes is magnificent and his full talents are on display as a figure who lives with remorse and doubt.

encouraging all her children to pursue the arts.”

In the conversation he was appreciative of his career opportunities, from Steven Spielberg in Schindler’s List to the role offered by Robert Redford on Quiz Show, early milestones in Fiennes’ career. He also looked back at The English Patient, recollecting, “Anthony Minghella, who directed this film, he’s a very special human being who had this amazing quality of bringing all his crew and cast into a sort of deeper sense of collaboration with what he was doing… It was an amazing experience. When I read books about filmmaking in the 50s and 60s — particularly about David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, with long days on film locations — this film was just like that. The Tunisian desert was extraordinary. The light in the desert and the cold. And the feeling of community between everyone, led by Anthony Minghella, and the producer Saul [Zaentz], was simply unforgettable.”

shared, “Sometimes there’s a spirit in a screenplay, you go on a gut feeling about something, and you sort of have a feeling, dare I say it, where you go ‘I’m meant to do this.’ It doesn’t happen very often, but I had that feeling about Conclave.”

Presenting the award, Edward Berger exclaimed, “Ralph, I learned so much from you, from your deep kindness, from your generosity, and, your ability to listen. As I say this, I’m eternally grateful for the trust that you gave to me on this film. It is a honor that I hand you this award.”

The interview took place with a series of contextual film clips, so the audience could understand Fiennes’ illustrious route through his career in both theatre and film. On his beginnings, Fiennes stated, “She, my mother, read to us, she took us to the theater, she took me to see my first Shakespeare experience, which was going to Laurence Olivier’s film of Henry V. And she was fantastic at

Fiennes touched on his more recent screen roles, in a comedic era of his career, remembering the days of working with Wes Anderson in The Grand Budapest Hotel. In the film he played a haughty, larger than life hotelier, sharing, “I have to thank Wes, because it was just an extraordinary part, Monsieur Gustave. Wes really trusted me with it, and I loved playing the part, with a wonderful company of actors in the ensemble. Wes’s films guide you with very particular rhythms. Maybe some part of me is very much like Monsieur Gustave, well, probably.”

About his Oscar nominated role in Conclave, Fiennes

The actor and director embraced, followed by Ralph saying, directly to the audience, “Life is fragile. And looking back at some of my work tonight, I just realized how profoundly lucky I’ve been…. to have had all these opportunities and to have shared them with so many remarkable people in all these films.”

It is ironic that Fiennes has never won an Academy Award. But this is of little consequence as the appreciative Arlington audience rewarded this gifted actor with resounding applause in a fitting conclusion to an enlightening evening.

SBIFF.org

Film Editor Walter Murch at SBIFF

Film obeys the language of dreams - Walter Murch

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

MASTER FILM EDITOR WALTER MURCH,

the man behind the sound of The Conversation, Apocalypse Now, and The Godfather, and the only person to win an Academy Award for Best Sound and Best Film Editing for the same picture (The English Patient) brought a bit of his wisdom to Santa Barbara.

Murch spoke about his upcoming book, Suddenly Something Clicked, sharing insights on sound and editing. “If you have a film with bad photography and great sound, the audience stays with it, but if you have great photography and bad sound, people will leave,” he related.

He explained how in the early years audiences had to learn to understand the language of film editing, because we normally experience life as a point-of-view shot. “Film obeys the language of dreams,” he continued. “In a dream, where’s the camera that sees me talking to somebody else?”

Murch expressed that an editor is “always trying to get it shorter and better, as intelligible and emotionally compelling as possible. Do people know what’s happening; are they touched by it?”

He explained the advantage of being editor and sound editor, because as he cuts the picture, he’s already thinking about how to improve it with sound. He discussed in detail the restaurant scene in The Godfather (1972), where Michael Corleone (Al Pacino) kills Sollozzo and McCluskey in the restaurant. Murch decided to add the sound of an elevated train in the background, because Michael unnaturally pauses before shooting, “adding a Bernard Herrmann train screech. Then the sound cuts off, which means it wasn’t a real sound, but something going on inside Michael’s head.”

Murch invited attendees to see his two documentaries screening at SBIFF, Coup 53 (2019), which he co-wrote with director Taghi Amirani, as well as edited, a documentary about the CIA / MI6 staged coup in Iran in 1953, and Her Name Was Moviola (Howard Berry, 2024).

In the latter, Murch shows the way films used to be cut manually, before digital filmmaking came into the picture in 1995. In 69 minutes, Murch and Marion Bailey demonstrated the editing of one scene of Mr. Turner (Mike Leigh, 2014), using a number of old machines they bought and restored and the Steenbeck that Stanley Kubrick used to edit The Shining (1980). The result is a fascinating documentary about a lost art, in probably the last time anyone will ever edit on a Moviola system with synced magnetic sound. SBIFF.org

Photos courtesy of SBIFF

Director Edward Berger (Conclave) and honoree Ralph Fiennes

Master film editor Walter Murch with film studies students

Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Variety Artisans ~ Cinema’s Creative Voices and Visionaries

By Destin Cavazos / VOICE

THE BIGGEST NAMES BEHIND THE SCENES gathered at the Arlington on Saturday, February 8th for the Variety Artisan Award ceremony, part of the 40th Annual SBIFF celebrations. Dedicated to highlighting the many efforts that go into moviemaking, the Variety Artisans Award gives recognition to the individuals working on some of the year’s biggest films, from the sets, to the score, to the sound editing.

“Film is an art that takes a lot of people to collaborate. In my book it’s the most incredible collaborative art,” shared SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling as the night kicked off. “Tonight showcases that it in fact takes a village to make a film.”

Moderated by Variety’s senior artisans editor Jazz Tangcay, the evening’s celebrations and conversations spoke to the artistry and dedication of artisans acting in the different facets of film industry, including Judy Becker (The Brutalist – Production Design), Kris Bowers (The Wild Robot – Original Score), Clement Ducol and Camille (Emilia Perez – Original Song), Nick Emerson (Conclave– Editing), Jomo Fray (Nickel Boys –Cinematography), Tod Maitland (A Complete Unknown – Sound), Pierre-Olivier Persin (The Substance – Hair/Makeup), Paul Tazewell (Wicked – Costume Design), and Erik Winquist (Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – VFX). Over the course of the night, each artist shared the inspirations behind their projects, the challenges they faced, and the exciting discoveries made on and off the set.

“I’ve done 16 music based films before, but I’ve never done one without playback, not without an earpiece, not without a timing mechanism. Basically what we caught on camera was there, there was no safety net,” said Tod Maitland, sound editor for the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown. “To be able to do that and have everything ride on that moment was a pretty amazing feeling.”

Charting new artistic territory and breaking visual boundaries was a common theme for this year’s artisans. From Judy Becker’s realization of the striking architectural marvels of The Brutalist and Jomo Fray’s unique POV camerawork in Nickel Boys, to the stunning world of Oz rendered in Paul Tazewell’s Wicked costume work and the apocalyptic world of apes made lifelike by VFX artist Eric Winquist in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes, each film demonstrates the lengths that these artists are willing to go to for their craft.

One featured artist, Pierre-Olivier Persin, the makeup mastermind behind the

terrifying transformations in The Substance, professed the importance of pushing back on what others expect possible, thanking his director Coralie Fargeat, for encouraging him to act without limits.

“It can look gruesome but there is love, we put lots of love into them,” explained Persin on some of the monstrous makeovers that take place in the film. “When we shoot the monster, each angle is interesting, hopefully.”

One creation, the full-body ghoul known in the script as ‘Gollum’, took six to seven hours for Persin and his team to realize each day. The driving force behind conjuring these creatures for the screen, according to the seasoned makeup artist, was to aspire for something as over the top as possible, regardless of the limits of biology or logic.

In addition to filmmaking discussions, the evening also featured a few performances from the night’s honorees. The Wild Robot composer Kris Bowers stepped behind the keys to play a few pieces from the film’s score, including the sweeping space-age inspired theme for the movie’s titular robot, Roz.

“I started out as a jazz pianist, and jazz really spoke to me because I have core memories when I was eight or nine where I had emotions that I didn’t feel like I knew how to articulate them verbally, like anxiety or anger or sadness, and I remember deciding to play piano from that emotional headspace and processing that emotion,” shared Bowers before his performance. “I was having this secret intimate communication with this instrument and I knew exactly what I was saying, but everybody around me couldn’t know the details. So my first conversation with [director] Chris Sanders was so inspiring because in our first meeting he talked about music being a character in the film. That was so exciting for me as a composer because I feel like so often I’m writing music that’s behind dialogue and needs to be supportive and at times ambiguous, so to have a director tell me that we’re going to write music that is bold and unashamedly emotional took me back to that childhood relationship with music.”

Clement Ducol and Camille also returned to the stage for a delicate rendition of “Papá”, the intimate lullaby-like number from Emilia Pérez.

The featured artisans then gathered onstage for group discussion, talking TV binges and creative blocks, before David and Sandy Wesco joined them onstage to present them with their awards. sbiff.org

A Glimpse Into Creativity in Action

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

WRITERS EAGER TO GLEAN NEW INSIGHT into both the artistry and the business of writing in Hollywood were as well informed by writers such as Joslyn Barnes (Nickel Boys) and Peter Straughan (Conclave) as they were entertained by Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain). Clint Bentley (Sing Sing), Mona Fastvold (The Brutalist), and Tim Fehlbaum (September 5) rounded out this year’s Writer’s Panel one of the most popular events at the film festival. With IndieWire’s Anne Thompson, Editor-at-Large, as the moderator, the panel offered advice and anecdotes into the creative process, the art and craft of writing, and what makes an award-winning screenplay.

The most innovative screenplay of the year, Nickel Boys, was a challenge for Barnes, when her team decided to shoot the entire film from the POV (point of view) of the characters. They had to write while keeping in mind a “sentient camera…creating a way for inviting the viewer into the point of view of the two main characters in the film, it’s kind of treated as an extension of Consciousness, the way that the camera moves.”

Jesse Eisenberg spoke about finding what serves the story beyond just the truth, saying, “Maybe it sounds awful to say this but my fealty was always to fiction, it was always to the story and so there are parts that come in and out that are kind of autobiographical but that was always like the lowest priority, my highest priority has always been writing the story.”

Straughan offered salient practical advice to the new writers in the room, saying “When I finish for the day, I try and make sure that the thing I’m going to pick up on the next day—I’ve already slightly started, or I know at least what I’m going to do, ‘cause the hardest thing is to finish, and come back in the next morning, and just have a blank space in front of you.”

The questions, ranging from the abstract about creativity to the nuts and bolts of telling a story, gave the audience a glimpse into what makes a successful screenplay. The Q & A ended with the question of what’s next for these writers, and judging by the prolific output in the works for these creators, the panel gave inspiration and hope for the many writers in the room, dreaming of finding their own success one day.

Screenwriters Mona Fastvold (The Brutalist), Jesse Eisenberg (A Real Pain), Joslyn Barnes (Nickel Boys), Peter Straughan (Conclave), Clint Bentley (Sing Sing ), and Tim Fehlbaum (September 5), with moderator Anne Thompson

Courtesy of SBIFF

Photo courtesy of SBIFF

Tragedy and Madness Shine in ETC’s Hamlet

IMPOSING

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

SLABS OF BRUTALIST GREY SLASHED WITH SHARP LIGHTING sets the Nordic Noir atmosphere of Ensemble Theatre Company’s new Hamlet, which premiered last Saturday at the New Vic. A triumph of mood and character, deeply engaging and highly entertaining, the production is atmospheric yet shot through with biting humor, poetic yet grounded in viscerally emotional performances.

In director Margaret Shigeko Starbuck’s hands, Hamlet makes royal intrigue personal, and makes madness, loss, and betrayal maniacal fun. The dark cold setting serves as a backdrop, a foreboding place for what is to come: murder, manipulation, and the price of family loyalty.

The stage is contrasted nicely with a modern wardrobe that is more grounded, that even compliments Hamlet’s is-he-mad-or-not act with the kind of all day pajamas that comes with depression and brooding. The soundtrack is more ambient tension than notable music, and ratchets up the suspense as the story unfolds. Beyond the richness of the visual/audio subtext, however, Hamlet is also a thriller, as it should be, and will have you on the edge of your seat, whether you know the outcome or not.

This interpretation of Hamlet examines the idea that the Melancholy Prince is merely playing mad, as a means to an end. Will Block, in the title role, does an impressive job of signaling this. His frenetic shifting of gears between a nudge and wink to his allies (See? I’m not really crazy) to fully inhabiting the madness, living in the moment, is bracing to see. Block hooks the audience into his mania early on and, in my case, I went happily along for the ride.

Within this mania, however, are acidic moments of humor that Block delivers razor sharp, and to great effect. Ana Nicolle Chavez, playing Ophelia, rises to these beats, smartly matching his energy in their scenes together. She holds her own as she slips into a deep, grieving madness after her father’s death. She steals the show when she is on stage, and her final scene, weaponizing karaoke to level against those who would harm her, is brilliantly funny and terrifying at the same time.

Every actor had a moment to shine, and they did. Corey Jones, playing Claudius, was captivating in his confessional soliloquy—and then, a few scenes later, equally so as he returns to the sly manipulator in pursuit of power, a side of him that he just cannot shake. A truer villian than ever, Claudius is wracked with guilt and yet unable to stop himself from targeting Hamlet with absolute malice.

Paige Lindsey White, as Gertrude, navigates that delicate place of feeling complicit to the crimes being committed and yet is still her son’s mother. She is painfully aware that all is not well, and yet she seems to earnestly want it all to go away. White occupies that space gracefully.

And Rafael Goldstein, as Laertes, vibrates with the earnest good will of the young and carefree, in the beginning—but when he returns, hell bent on revenge, he is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, a grim foreshadowing of the tragedy to come.

Hamlet is on record as the world’s most performed play, somewhere around tens of thousands of times since its debut around 1600. Perhaps finding new ideas within its text is impossible, but the soil is rich with centuries of

interpretations and remixes, zeitgeist and era. What ETC has done, here, is till the creative soil to the particular talents of its director and actors, and allowed that space to grow an entertaining, engaging, and very gripping family drama. It’s something ETC seems to excel at. Of their last two seasons, I can say this production is their finest work yet.

For tickets ($28-$98), visit etcsb.org

Ana Nicolle Chavez as Ophelia, Rafael Goldstein as Laertes

Photo by Zach Mendez

VIRTUOSOS: A Main Feature of SBIFF

By Robert F. Adams, Special to VOICE

AN ‘A’ LIST OF UP AND COMING ACTORS cruised the red carpet and lit up the Arlington stage on Sunday night, even brighter than Super Bowl lights.

These exceptional artists were honored with the help of emcee Dave Karger of Turner Classic Movies, who has been heading up this event for 15 years with one-on-one interviews that provide interest for the throngs of excited fans eager to learn about their acting careers.

The electric Ariana Grande, so intelligent, was first onstage with Karger. She described the close bond she forged with co-star Cynthia Ervio in last year’s biggest hit movie, Wicked. Grande seems to be an unequivocally optimistic performer. Her approach as Galinda the good witch in Wicked was grounded in the ensemble work alongside her fellow performers. She also cited the flexibility of director John Chu. She shared that the second installment of Wicked, coming out in December, “will be very special, very emotional. I think the second movie really embodies unconditional love and forgiveness and friendship and you’ll have to wait and see, but it’s quite different. You’ll see people bear the consequences of their choices.”

Nominated for an Oscar for co-writing a screenplay for the film Sing Sing, the former prison theater performer Clarence Maclin was a positive force. He described his emergence into the film world, with a slowly developing stop and start timeline to bring the vividly realized, modestly budgeted movie Sing Sing to the big screen. “It took a while, but when things started to happen, it all went down really quick. I had the benefit of seminars with visiting film actors and directors, who taught us theater folks about film acting, so that was a head start. I realized everything happens on its own time. I have been involved with Successful Steps, a program that helps people transition from prison to a larger world.” He added, “The main message is that people in prison are just that, they’re just people, and they have the ability to change. That message was more important than the apprehension I suffered getting the film done.” Articulate and graceful, he was happy to be included for his role as a prisoner tackling the role of Hamlet in a prison theater group.

Fernanda Torres, who just won a Golden Globe for her show of strength in Walter Salles’ Brazilian riveting political film I’m Still Here, was jubilant to be on the panel. She spoke about the importance of the subject matter, in a fight against political oppression. She also spoke about her ongoing, tight relationship with director Walter Salles over the years, collaborating on scripts and casting. At one point, in his preparation to shoot the historic story set in 1970s Rio de Janeiro, he asked her to play the lead. Flabbergasted, she accepted the challenge, revealing, “I was like ‘Are you sure?’ I was so moved, and then I started to work very hard, actually before the first reading because I wanted to find the character.” The part was a dramatic turn, and Torres has done plenty of comedies, a departure from her mainstay roles. Torres indelibly portrayed the strong and stoic real-life figure that resisted and badgered the juggernauts of the police state at the time.

Mikey Madison from Sean Baker’s Anora, made an appearance to rapt applause. Madison was sensational as the main character in the dark comedy and spoke about her research for the role and the year-long process she had before location shooting commenced. She spoke about throwing herself into the role and acknowledged the supportive environment on the set, as well as being invited by director Sean Baker into the editing room. She stated, “The experience of making Anora was transformative. As a person, as an actor, I grew.” Anora is the now the current front runner for an Academy Award for Best Picture.

John Magaro, informal and funny, has been catapulted to attention for his work in September 5, looking at the ABC sports coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics terrorist events. He also memorably appeared in Greta Lee’s drama Past Lives. Basically his career is on fire, as a youngish character actor, who can probably play anything. He spoke about his research for the role, including spending time in sports broadcasting booths, absorbing the hectic behind the scenes work that is often invisible, that goes in sports live programming.

Monica Barbarao was a last minute addition to the lineup, adding a strong quality playing singer Joan Baez in A Complete Unknown. She spoke about her approach of embodying the spirit of Joan Baez versus an impersonation. That is often a tricky balance in movies about real-life characters. She mentioned how she learned to sing and relished the challenges as a performer in learning new things. Her first rehearsal with Timothée Chalamet was a music rehearsal in a recording studio, and it set the tone right since that is how Bob Dylan met Joan Baez, who had both a personal and professional relationship in their early recording and concert careers. She first gained recognition for playing a pilot, a rare female among men, in the sequel to Top Gun. For that role she also went into pilot and physical training, proving to be a young performer who seems to stretch into every role.

Selena Gomez was also there for her work as the neglected wife and mother in Emilia

She spoke about visiting a girls’ volleyball team when she attended the Telluride Film Festival, and the about the importance of being supportive to her fan base. She also mentioned, “I think I’m ready to just focus on films for a while, film and art-making and being around talented people who uplift me along the way. I think it’ll be hard for me to go back to music after this movie.” She is was direct and honest, and was resplendent in a white cocktail dress.

Sebastian Stan, who played a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice this year, also was invited into this illustrious group. Stan has had quite a breakthrough year, also getting accolades for his performance as a disfigured character in A Different Man.

Jane Lynch presented the awards with staff from the festival carrying the trophies to each actor, spread wide across the Arlington stage. Applause was heavy from an audience that was witness to Karger’s lively and knowledgeable questions.

Robert F. Adams, Film Correspondent for VOICE, is a Santa Barbara landscape architect and a graduate of UCLA’s School of Theatre and Film, as well as Cal Poly. He has served on the film selection committees for the Aspen Film Fest and the SB International Film Festival. Email him at robert@earthknower.com

Pérez.

John Magaro, Sebastian Stan, Monica Barbarao, Ariana Grande, Selena Gomez, Mikey Madison, Fernanda Torres, and Clarence Maclin

Santa Barbara Permaculture Network Presents:

WHY CALIFORNIA BURNS

Booksigning & Talk With Author Obi Kaufmann

FEBRUARY 20

6:30 – 8:30pm; FREE SBCC West Campus, Fe Bland Auditorium/ BC Forum • 800 Cliff Dr, Santa Barbara, 93109

Books available for purchase at event

Joined by panel of community members & Santa Barbara Poet Laureate, Melinda Palacio

Obi Kaufmann, author of the best-selling California Field Atlas, now asks: How do we live with fire?

From the creator of The California Field Atlas, a book of stewardship, resilience, and hope.

Fire is an essential part of California’s ecology. Humans have been using it to shape the California landscape for thousands of years.

But today many Californians’ relationship to fire is one of fear.

Goleta: Ca’Dario Cucina Italiana 250 Storke Road • 805-884-9419. #4 Regular Menu SB Public Market: Ca’Dario Pizzeria Veloce 38 W. Victoria • 805-884-9419 Regular Menu

Art that turns you on, heats you up, and lights your eye

Submissions are now open for Voice Gallery’s March 2025 Exhibition. Area artists welcome. Sculpture and 2D work is welcome.

To participate: email up to two images to artcall@voicesb.art by February 15th. (Label images with artist name and title of the piece. 1000 pixels wide - jpeg or tiff) Email must also include: material, dimensions, price.)

Entry fee will be collected for ACCEPTED pieces at ingathering: $40-1st piece; $35-2nd.

• All pieces must be wired or pedestal ready. NO brackets, saw tooth, etc.

Sales: 70% to artist / 30% to gallery.

Art Drop Off: Accepted art must be dropped off between 10am and 12 noon Sunday, March 2nd.

Exhibition Dates: March 2nd to 28th, 2025

Unsold Art Pick Up: Friday, March 28th - 3 to 5pm

1st Thursday Reception: March 6th • 5-8pm

3rd Friday Gallery Row Artwalk

La Cumbre Plaza • March 21st • 5-7pm

Questions? Call Kerry Methner • 805-570-2011

Rick Steves to Host Milestone Celebration for TV Santa Barbara

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF COMMUNITY TELEVISION,

TV Santa Barbara has invited Rick Steves, PBS legend and travel guru, to host An Evening with Rick Steves for their 50th anniversary at the Arlington on Friday, February 21st, at 7pm. An icon in travel media,

Steves is an ardent supporter of community TV. With over 50 travel books published, the public radio show Travel with Rick Steves, and his ever popular Rick Steves’ Europe (now streaming on Amazon Prime), no doubt Steves will have plenty of anecdotes of his travels and his philosophy to share.

Obi Kaufman to Explore West Coast Wildfires at Book Talk and Signing

REALIZE THE RESILIENCE AND RENEWAL OF THE CALIFORNIA

LANDSCAPE when Santa Barbara Permaculture hosts naturalist, artist, and award-winning author Obi Kaufman for a discussion and signing of his book, The State of Fire: Why California Burns. The free event will take place Thursday, February 20th, in the Fe Bland Auditorium on SBCC’s West Campus from 6:30 to 8:30pm, featuring a panel of community members as well as Santa Barbara poet Laureate, Melinda Palacio.

“Because fuel is contingent on life, fire may be unique to this planet, or at least as rare as life is across the cosmos,” writes Kaufman in his book. “What makes fire essential to a healthy and biodiverse Golden State, and how do we benefit from its teachings?”

Though fire is a key part of the region’s ecology and humans have been using it to shape the California landscape for thousands of years, today many Californians’ relationship to fire is primarily one of fear. Kaufmann presents fire as a force of regeneration rather than apocalypse. Throughout his book, he considers the long history of ecological burns, the varied ways fire behaves across the state, and the lessons we can learn from California’s largest fires of recent decades. Complete with Kaufmann’s signature watercolor maps and paintings, The State of Fire confronts one of California’s most pressing social and ecological challenges.

Born in California, Obi Kaufmann is the author and illustrator of several bestselling books on California’s ecology, biodiversity, and geography, including The State of Water and The California Lands Trilogy.  Based on decades of exploring the backcountry of the Golden State, Kaufmann blends science and art to illuminate the multifaceted array of living, connected systems in all of his books. sbpermaculture.org

“We are extremely excited to kick off TV Santa Barbara’s 50th year of broadcasting with such an extraordinary event and talent like Rick Steves,” said Erik Davis, Executive Director of TV Santa Barbara.

Advocating “travel as a political act,” Steves has always encouraged travelers to engage with the world and step out of their comfort zones. With an emphasis on understanding history, art, and local life, his guidebooks and shows highlight human connection and embracing cultural differences.

As detailed in his twelve season show Rick Steves’ Europe, he extensively covers all that Europe has to offer, in the spirit of kinship, sharing, and mutual respect. Beyond

publishing and his Travel Tips, Rick Steves’ Europe also offers tour packages of various sizes and travel times.

TV Santa Barbara, local provider of two access TV channels, offers training, equipment, and studio access, and supports public dialogue, free speech, and participatory democracy.

“Throughout 2025 we will continue to celebrate our noncommercial media access center, which lifts up local voices and airs programming most relevant to our community,” Davis noted.

Sponsorships and private reception reservations for An Evening with Rick Steves are currently being accepted. There will be a VIP Meet & Greet before the show, in the Arlington courtyard.

For tickets ($40-$200), visit tvsantabarbara.org

Rare Santa Barbara Horse Property

Rick Steves Courtesy of Rick Steves

On the Street with John Palminteri

Montecito Mysteries

TRIAL BEGINS FOR CRAIG CASE who faces more than 50 felonies after a fraud and conspiracy investigation. It involved funds from a wealthy Montecito woman. He has been in jail since July of 2023.

First Responders

A ROLLOVER CRASH SHUT DOWN MILPAS ST. at Jennings St. in Santa Barbara at 3pm Friday afternoon. A Toyota SUV and a city pickup truck were involved. No major injuries.

A SANTA BARBARA CHP OFFICER was not hurt when his patrol vehicle was hit by an out of control car on Northbound Highway 101 in Carpinteria Wednesday morning about 5:30am. The officer was responding to a vehicle crash at the time around Bailard Ave. It was a mess with several incidents in that area about the same time including a vehicle that lost a load of tools across the lanes.

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

211 Community Day

THE 3RD ANNUAL 211 COMMUNITY DAY CELEBRATION hosted by CommUnify’s Energy Services and Head Start programs brought out over 70 nonprofit organizations, health services, kid’s activities, haircuts, live music, door prizes, and more on Saturday at the Earl Warren Showgrounds all FREE! There were also no-cost vaccines and health screenings for both children and adults. Music from the 80’s cover band JOYSTIX along with San Marcos High School Jazz Ensemble entertained guests.

The Saga Comes to SB

THE U.S. PREMIERE of Kevin Costner’s Horizon: An American Saga – Chapter 2 on Friday featured an appearance by Costner (a Montecito resident) and many of those involved in the film. It was part of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

Vans Burgled

SMASH. GRAB. NAB. Employees of the Vans store on State St. in Santa Barbara said police caught a burglar Saturday morning inside the store who was loading up items into a bag after the front glass window was broken out.

A SPACEX FALCON 9 ROCKET LAUNCH just after 6pm on Monday from Vandenberg Space Force Base lit up the skies over Southern California. 23 Starlink satellites were sent into a low earth orbit. It was seen as far away as Nevada and Arizona.

SBIFF Barriers

HARDENED SECURITY BARRIERS are in place at a key crowd gathering area for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. This is the 1300 block of State St. where the Arlington Theatre is located and thousands of people see movies, the arrival of special guests, and attend special tributes. The metal barriers replace the older wooden ones often seen at other road closures around the city.

Photos and Stories by John Palminteri Special to VOICE

Rockets Galore

Photo by Santa Barbara CHP

Photo by - SBIFF

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Chaplin's Masterpiece: The Gold Rush

Charlie Chaplin’s cinematic masterpiece, The Gold Rush, turns 100 this year, and is celebrated with GRAMMY award-winning conductor Lucas Richman and the Santa Barbara Symphony in a special two day event at Granada Theatre, February 15th at 7:30pm, and again on Sunday, February 16th, at 3pm. For tickets ($42-$192), visit granadasb.org

Friday 2/14

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Valentine Truffle Making Day • Make your own heart shaped Chocolate Box and the Truffles to put inside • Menchaca Chocolates • $169/ couple • menchacachocolates.com • 11am-7pm, Fri, 2/14.

MUSIC

The Rhythm Industrial Complex • Electrifying afrobeat and soul-stirring roots reggae • Night Lizard Brewing • free • tricsb.com • 8pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentine’s Day Sweethearts Concert • Benefiting KEEP THE BEAT! A program of the Santa Barbara Education Foundation • SOhO • $10-$15 • 5pm, Fri, 2/14.

Paul Berkowitz, piano • An evening of classical piano w/ UC Santa Barbara Music Faculty Paul Berkowitz • Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall • $10-Free/UCSB students • 7:30pm, 2/14.

Valentines Day with Legendary Soul Singer Ron Paris • With Julie Carson on keys • The Blue Owl • free • theblueowlsb.com • 7pm, Fri, 2/14. Tower of Power • Funk, Jazz & Soul fusion legends winter 2025 tour • Chumash Casino • $39-$79 • chumashcasino.com • 8pm, Fri, 2/14.

OUTDOORS

Valentine's Day Sip & Stroll • 21+ champagne promenade, live music • Ganna Walska Lotusland • $85/non-members, $60/Supporter

Wasted Potential Comedy’s 1 year anniversary show

• With emcee Riley Jane • Java Comedy Club Station • $10-$15 • wastedpotentialcomedy.com • 7:30pm, Sat, 2/15.

Santa Barbara Improv: The Longform Show • A night of improv comedy, creativity, & laughter • Jefferson Hall, Unitarian Society Of SB • $10 • 9:30pm, Sat, 2/25.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Crafternoons: Hearts and Crafts

• Hands-on workshops using upcycled materials • EE Makerspace • $8 • exploreecology.org • 11:30am, Sat, 2/15.

Collage with Altered Papers • Alter paper and make contemporary collage with Kathy Leader • Carpinteria Arts Center • $105-$95/ members • carpinteriaartscenter.org • 10am-3pm, Sat, 2/15.

MUSIC

Members, $30/Patron Circle Members • lotusland.org • 12-2pm & 3-5pm, Fri, 2/14.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Valentine's Show with the HEARTados • Classic love songs w/ the The Traveling Hurtados • The Alcazar • Single/$15, Couples/$25 • thealcazar.org • 7pm, Fri, 2/14.

Valentine’s Day Wine Tasting at Pali Wine Co. • Valentine’s Day tasting flights for gatherings or a romantic evening for two, with live music from local artists • Pali Wine Co. Funk Zone Wine Garden • 12–8pm, 2/14–2/16.

Valentine’s Day at Finch and Fork • Enjoy a special five-course prix fixe dinner w/ a thoughtful wine pairing • Finch and Fork • $110, +$40/wine pairing • finchandforkrestaurant.com • 5pm ongoing, Fri, 2/14.

BEA MINE • Valentine’s Set by DJ Darla Bea w/ Kissing Booth Photobooth • Seven Bar & Kitchen • free • sevensb.com • 8:30pm, Fri, 2/14.

Saturday 2/15

COMEDY

The Good Good Show • Featuring the hottest established and up & coming comedians working today • Night Lizard Brewing Co. • $10 • goodgooddec14th.eventbrite.com • 7:30pm, Sat, 2/15.

Storytime at the Sea Center • 15-minute storytime w/ tales from the sea; all ages are welcome • SBMNH Sea Center • free with admission/ members free • sbnature.org • 10:30am, Sat, 2/15, and Sun, 2/26.

Mosaic Makers Market • Handcrafted goods from local makers: jewelry, ceramics, candles, art, and more • Mosaic Locale Courtyard • free • mosaiclocale.com • 11am-4pm, Sat, 2/15.

Book Signing: Ann Shepphird • Author of romantic comedy The Italy Affair will be available to say hello and sign books • Tecolote Book Shop • free • tecolotebookshop.com • 3pm, Sat, 2/15.

Sunday 2/16

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

SPECIAL EVENTS

Black History Month • With music, arts & crafts, resources, and more, hosted by the NAACP of Santa Maria-Lompoc • Lompoc Library • free • 12-5pm, Sun, 2/16.

Monday 2/17

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Parliamo • Italian conversation, all levels • Natural Cafe, 361 Hitchcock Way • parliamo.yolasite.com • Free • 5-6:30pm Mon.

MUSIC

Mariposa Concert Series • London Symphony Orchestra & Music Academy alums collaboration • Hanh Hall • $65 • musicacademy. org • 7:30pm, Mon, 2/17.

Way Down Yonder in New Orleans• Derek Douget with the UCSB Jazz Ensemble • $10-free/ UCSB Students • Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall • music.ucsb.edu • 7:30pm, Sat, 2/15.

Choir Tour Concert • Westmont Department of Music • St. Patrick's Episcopal Church • free • westmont.edu/music • 7pm, Sat, 2/15.

Which One’s Pink? • Pink Floyd tribute band • SOhO • $20 • sohosb.com • 9pm, Sat, 2/15.

Chaplin's Masterpiece: The Gold Rush • 100 year anniversary w/ the Santa Barbara Symphony • Granada Theatre • $24-$192 • thesymphony. org • 7:30pm, Sat, 2/15; 3pm, Sun, 2/16.

Creative Lab: Wadada Leo Smith and Redkoral • Featuring the World Premiere of Smith’s String Quartet No. 19 • Red Canteen at Matilija • $25 or pay-what-you-can • ojaifestival.org • 7:30pm, Sun, 2/15.

OUTDOORS

Pathfinders: Cutting Clones

• Create clones from plants doing vegetative cuttings • Santa Barbara Botanic Garden • free for youth participants (age 8-13) • sbbotanicgarden.org/calendar • 11am, Sat, 2/15.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Santa Barbara Black Culture House • Book Talk w/ Prof. Greg Freeland: Music & Black Community in the Segregated South: It’s All Right • Soul Bites Restaurants • free • 1pm, Sat, 2/15.

Authors & Journalists Kirk and Mira Advani Honeycutt • Book talk & signing of Sideways Uncorked: The Perfect Pairing of Film and Wine • Chaucer's Books • free • chaucersbooks.com • 3pm, Sun, 2/16.

MUSIC

Tucanes Time • With Los Tucanes de Tijuana, Tapy Quintero, and Banda Malecon • Earl Warren Showgrounds • $20 • earlwarren.com • 11pm, Sun, 2/16.

An Evening w/ Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra • International sensation’s unique border-style flamenco • SOhO • $40 • sohosb.com • 8pm, Sun, 2/16.

The Iron Maidens • All-female tribute band to Iron Maiden • Maverick Saloon • $28 • mavericksaloon.com • 6pm, Sun, 2/16.

OUTDOORS

Sea Center’s Beach Cleanup

• Be part of the solution to marine pollution • East Beach, near Skater’s Point • free • sbnature.org • 10am12pm, Sun, 2/16.

Tuesday 2/18

COMEDY

Carpinteria Improv Drop-In Class • Learn improv with friends • Alcazar Theater • $10 at door • thealcazar.org • 7-9pm Tue.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Yarn Buddies – Crochet and Knitting Circle • Crochet hooks, knitting needles, stitch counters, and yarn provided • EE Makerspace • $12 • exploreecology.org • 6pm, Tue, 2/18. Ghosts, Bells, and the Ongoing Breath • Tonia Ko presents recent compositions and discusses the technologies involved, orchestration tools, and techniques • Building 387, UCSB • free • music.ucsb.edu • 3pm, Tue, 2/18.

Turbulence: From Your Coffee Mug to Galaxies • Astronomy on Tap, with Zirui Chen, Joey Chatelain, and Katarzyna Kruszyńska • M Special • free • lco.global • 7:30pm, Tue, 2/18.

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

THEATRE

The Wind in the Willows

From the open road to the river bank, Mr. Toad, Mr. Badger, Moley, Ratty, and friends embark on misadventures that highlight nature, friendship, and loyalty in a new adaptation created especially for the Westmont Festival Theatre, from Friday, February 21st through Sunday, March 3rd at the Porter Theatre, Westmont College.

For tickets($12-$29), visit www.westmont.edu/boxoffice

Agnes of God • Revisit the strange case of Sister Agnes, who has given birth in a convent, and the mysterious death of her newborn • Ojai Art Center Theater • $10-$20 • ojaiact.org • 7:30pm, Fri-Sat, 2pm Sun, 1/24–2/16.

Hamlet • Return to the Shakespeare classic with all the power, betrayal, family dysfunction, cutting wit, and existential angst • ETC at The New Vic • $25-$94 • etcsb.org • Wed, 2/12 to Sun, 2/23.

Much Ado About Nothing • Relive the classic comedy full of love, wit, and mischief • Marian Theatre • $25-$50 • pcpa.org • Fri, 2/13 to Sun, 3/2.

Constellations • An enchanting journey through the

MUSIC

London Symphony Orchestra • Co-presented by CAMA and Music Academy of the West, Music Director Sir Antonio Pappano, with violin soloist Janine Jansen, playing the Shumsky-Rode Stradivarius from 1715 • Granada • $13-$173 • granadasb.org • 7:30pm, Tue, 2/18.

Night Flight–A Night on Acousmatic Music • Featuring Vuelo Nocturno, by Federico Schumacher, Eremia, by Clemens von Reusner, and more • Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall • free • music.ucsb.edu • 7pm, Tue, 2/18.

Sam Grisman Project with Ladyfinger • SOhO • $20 • sohosb.com • 8pm, Tue, 2/18.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

V is for Vulture • Santa Barbara Audubon Society lecture series presents Dennis and Jess Beebe, birders extraordinaire, with Everything about Vultures • Fleischmann Auditorium, SBMNH • free • sbnature.org • 7pm, Wed, 2/19. Crafternoon: Hearts & Crafts • Hands-on workshops using upcycled materials • EE Makerspace • $8 • exploreecology.org • 2:30pm, Wed.

MUSIC

DoosTrio • With Kayhan Kalhor, Wu Man & Sandeep Das highlight the ancient traditions of Iran, China, and India • Campbell Hall, UCSB • $15-$58 • artsandlectures.ucsb.edu • 8pm, Wed, 2/19.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Downtown Santa Barbara Annual Meeting & Awards Breakfast • Highlighting the accomplishments of 2024 and honoring outstanding businesses and organizations • El Paseo Restaurant • $45 • elpaseosb.com • 7:30am, Wed, 2/19.

Racial and Restorative Justice

• In a time of Awakening, Repair, and Reimagining • With Dr. Fania Davis, PhD in Indigenous Knowledge • MCC Theater • free • mcc.sa.ucsb.edu

• 5pm, Thu, 2/20.

Jonathan Haidt • The author of The Anxious Generation, presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures • Arlington Theatre • $18-$44 • chaucersbooks.com

Conversing with the Afrofuture

Dr. Nalo Hopkinson, Professor of Creative Writing at The University of British Columbia, and the 2021 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master for lifetime achievement in science fiction and fantasy, author of Brown Girl in the Ring and Midnight Robber, speaks about Afrofuturist thought, art, and practice in a free lecture at Mosher Alumni Hall, UCSB, at 6pm, Friday, February 21st. For more, visit ihc.ucsb.edu

Friday 2/21

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

stars, where every choice sparks a new constellation of possibilities

• Rubicon Theatre Company • $20-$70 • rubicontheatre.org • Wed, 2/19 to Sun, 3/9.

Strange Birds • In a remote mountain cabin, five women reckon with dark forces in this fierce and funny feminist thriller

• UCSB Performing Arts Theater

• $14-$18 • theaterdance.ucsb.edu

• Thu, 2/20 - Sat, 3/1.

The Wind in the Willows

• Revisit Kenneth Grahame’s celebration of nature, friendship, and loyalty in a new adaptation created especially for the Westmont Festival Theatre

• Porter Theatre, Westmont College • $12-$29 • westmont.edu/boxoffice • 8pm, Fri, 2/21 to Sun, 3/2.

Wednesday 2/19

DANCE

Country Line Dancing • Dust off your boots for a boot-scootin’ good time • Soul Bites • $10 • soulbitesrestaurants.com • 6pm, Wed.

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

COMEDY

Birdhouse Improv of UCSB Improvability! • Food, drinks, and improv comedy • SOhO • $8 • sohosb.com • 7:30pm, Wed, 2/19.

Thursday 2/20

DANCE

Theater Show 2025 • Arthur Murray Santa Barbara presents students and staff in amateur and professional ballroom dance numbers • Center Stage Theater • $30 • centerstagetheater.org • 2pm, Sun, 2/23.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Dos Pueblos Ranch and Its Vision for a Sustainable Future

• Geoff Alexander speaks on Dos Pueblos Ranch, its human history, and environmental significance • Santa Barbara Maritime Museum • $20 • sbmm.org • 7pm, Thu, 2/20.

Obi Kaufman Book Talk & Signing • The State of Fire • Fe Bland Aud, SBCC • Free • sbpermaculture.org • 6:30pm, Thu, 2/20.

• 7:30pm, Thu, 2/20.

Key Passages Talk: Black History’s Warning to the World • With Vincent Brown is the Charles Warren Professor of American History and Professor of African and African American Studies at Harvard University • McCune Conference Room, UCSB • free • ihc.ucsb.edu/events • 4pm, Thu, 2/20.

Voyage from Outer Space to Inner Space • From Gravitational Waves to the Higgs Boson, with Lance Dixon (SLAC/Stanford) • Kohn Hall, UCSB • free • kitp.ucsb.edu • 7pm, Thu, 2/20.

MUSIC

Formosa Quartet • On the program: J.S. Bach: Four Contrapuncti from The Art of Fugue, A Formosa Quartet Set, Schubert: String Quartet No. 13 in A minor, and D. 804 Rosamunde • Mary Craig Auditorium, SBMA • $20/members-$25/non-members • sbma.net/events • 7pm, Thu, 2/20.

SPECIAL EVENTS

An Evening with Kristin Hannah • Bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Women; ticket includes a limited 10th Anniversary Edition of The Nightingale • the Granada • $57-$87 • granadasb.org • 7:30pm, Thu, 2/20.

Sip & Dip: Chocolate, Churros & Chess • Weekly specialty Hot Chocolate with games like chess, cards and Uno • Menchaca Chocolates • free • menchacachocolates.com • 5-8pm Thu.

An Evening With Rick Steves • The beloved travel guru will speak on the joy of travel; special VIP reception and meet-and-greet will be held in the Arlington Courtyard from beforehand with a catered VIP reception • Arlington Theatre • $30-$175 • arlingtontheatresb.com • 7pm, Fri, 2/21.

Conversing with the Afrofuture • An Evening with Nalo Hopkinson, Professor of Creative Writing at The University of British Columbia, and the 2021 Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master • Mosher Alumni Hall, UCSB • free • ihc.ucsb.edu • 6pm, Fri, 2/21.

MUSIC

Opera Santa Barbara's The Marriage of Figaro • Mozart’s masterpiece of seduction, mistaken identities, & rivalries set on a luxury ocean liner in the 1920’s • Lobero Theatre • $99-$199 • lobero.org • 7:30pm, Fri, 2/21, & 2:30pm, Sun, 2/23.

Jason Campbell & The Drive • Barrel Room Sessions, with live music, empanadas, and $10 glasses of wine • Carr Winery • free • carrwinery.com • 7pm, Fri, 2/21. Jason Libs & the Liberation • Celebrate Gail Hansen's Birthday, with a special guest • SOhO • $12 • sohosb.com • 8pm, Fri, 2/21.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Hollywood Fight Nights • Premier boxing series showcasing both rising stars and established fighters • Chumash Casino • $60$110 • chumashcasino.com • 6pm, Fri, 2/21.

2025 Regional Business Awards Gala • The Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce celebrates local businesses • Hilton Santa Barbara • $175/person • sbscchamber.com • 6pm, Fri, 2/21.

Ghost Tours

Courtesy University of British Columbia

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday 2/22

CHILDREN

Storytime at the Sea Center • 15-minute storytime w/ tales from the sea; all ages are welcome • SBMNH Sea Center • free with admission/members free • sbnature.org • 10:30am, Sat, 2/22, and Sun, 2/23.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Dario Robleto: The Signal • A Lecture by the artist on his multiyear exploration of the Golden Record and his 70-minute film Ancient Beacons Long for Notice • Mary Craig Auditorium, SBMA • free for students/ teachers-$10/members-$15/non-members • sbma.net/events • 3:30pm, Sat, 2/22.

Writer’s Rume • Poetry & prose workshop for writers and creatives of all levels and disciplines • Explore the written word • Free • Wylde Works, on State St • 3-5pm, Sat 2/22.

Crafternoon: Hearts & Crafts • Handson workshops w/ upcycled materials • EE Makerspace • $8 • exploreecology.org • 11:30am, Sat.

MUSIC

Layers: The Odyssey of Donavan Walker • Story-driven concert with live music & acting by OBSD Vision Fellow Donavan Walker • Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall • free • music. ucsb.edu • 4:30pm, Sat, 2/22.

Santa Ynez Valley Concert Series: Trio Céleste • With Iryna Krechkovsky, violin, Ross Gasworth, cello, and Kevin Kwan Loucks, piano • St. Mark’s-in-the-Valley Episcopal Church • $25-$45 • smitv.org • 7pm, Sat, 2/22.

Opera Santa Barbara's The Marriage of Figaro

Mozart’s masterpiece of seduction, mistaken identities, and rivalries, set on a luxury ocean liner in the 1920’s, stars Colin Ramsey and Sunwoo Park. with Kostis Protopapas leading the Opera Santa Barbara Chorus and Orchestra. Playing at the Lobero on Friday, February 21st at 7:30pm and Sunday, February 23rd, at 2:30pm. For tickets ($99-$109), visit lobero.com

Me Sabor Presents: Salsa Night • SOhO • $18 • sohosb.com • 8:30pm, Sat, 2/22.

OUTDOORS

Seasonal Native Plant Maintenance • Learn about the seasonality of native plant maintenance • Santa Barbara Botanic Garden • $25-$40 • sbbotanicgarden.org/calendar • 9am, Sat, 2/22.

SPECIAL EVENTS

SBCAA’s Chinese New Year Festival • Celebrate the Year of the Snake with traditional dance and folk music ensembles • Marjorie Luke Theatre • $35 • luketheatre.org • 5:30pm, Sat, 2/22.

Cate School Winter Performing Artist Showcase • Showcasing the Cate Rock Band, the Jazz Combo, and the Chamber Ensemble, plus dance and one-act plays • The Alcazar • $30 • thealcazar.org • 7pm, Sat, 2/22.

Try Hockey Free • Providing kids ages 4 to 9 the opportunity to try hockey in a safe environment with trained coaching staff • Ice in Paradise • free • iceinparadise.org • 12:30pm, Sat, 2/22.

Girls Inc of Carpinteria Gala • Be a driving force behind directly impacting the lives of girls and helping them achieve their fullest potential • 5315 Foothill Rd • $200 • girlsinc-carp.org • 5pm, Sat, 2/22.

Casa Toscana • A fundraiser benefitting CASA of Santa Barbara County • Santa Ynez Valley Marriot • $175-$275 • sbcasa.org • 5pm, Sat, 2/22.

Sunday 2/23

DANCE

Company Show 2025 • CSD School of Performing Arts presents choreography by Aika Doone, Jermaine Turnbow, Pablo Gatica, Nicole Powell, Lauren Serrano, and Juliette Martinez • Center Stage Theater • $25-$50 • centerstagetheater.org • 2pm, Sun, 2/23.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Darrell M. McNeill • Reading & Signing with the author of The Isley Brothers: 3+3 • Chaucer's Books • free • chaucersbooks.com • 3pm, Sun, 2/23.

Richard Powers • Author of The Echo Maker, Bewilderment, and The Overstory in conversation with Pico Iyer • UCSB Arts & Lectures• Campbell Hall • $10-$48 • artsandlectures.ucsb.edu • 7:30pm, Sun, 2/23.

MUSIC

Sandy Cummings & Jazz Du Jour • Woody DeMarco, keys, Hank Allen, bass, Craig Thatcher, drums, Sandy Cummings, vocals • SOhO • $10 • sohosb.com • 3pm, Sun, 2/23.

Benefit Concert for the Santa Barbara Chamber Players • Featuring Gene Pokorny, principal tuba, and Mi-Young Kim, pianist • Trinity Lutheran Church • $25 • sbchamberplayers.org • 3pm, Sun, 2/23.

A Winter Showcase Recital • A repertoire of Beethoven, Chopin, Debussy, and more • First Congregational Church • $5-$10 • sbmtac.org • 4pm, Sun, 2/23.

It’s Your Library

10am - 12pm, Thu, 2/20 • Oak Park ~ 10am - 12pm, Fri, 2/21

Sunwoo Park, Soprano

Colin Ramsey, Baritone

Photos courtesy Opera Santa Barbara

SBIFF Closing Night: A Missing Part

98min • Belgium, France • US Premiere • Guillaume Senez • For nine years, as he drives his cab all around Tokyo, Jay has searched for the daughter he lost touch with when his wife divorced him. Hopeless, he’s about to move back to his French hometown, when his daughter Lily hops into his taxi• Arlington Theatre, 8pm Sat, Feb 15th.

Cinema Events:

Archives of Anonymous Labor: From Farce to Liberation • Followed by an after screening discussion w/ curators Maggie Hennefeld and Michelle Baroody • Pollock Theater, UCSB • free (reservation recommended) • carseywolf. ucsb.edu • 7pm, Thu, 2/20.

Missing From Fire Trail Road • On the case of Mary Ellen Johnson-Davis, a Native American woman who disappeared in 2020 • MCC Theater • free • mcc.sa.ucsb.edu • 6pm, Wed, 2/19.

Hope in the Water, Episode 1 • New approaches to sustainable fishing on the open ocean: screening followed by a Q&A • Campbell Hall, UCSB • free • www. artsandlectures.ucsb.edu • 7pm, Tue, 2/18.

Carpinteria Community Matters: Cycling Without Age • Screening followed with a panel discussion with filmmaker John Seigel-Boettner • The Alcazar • free • thealcazar.org • 6:30pm, Wed, 2/19.• 7pm Tu, 1/28.

Courtesy photo

Was It A Good Employment Report?

By Harlan Green / Special to VOICE

Total nonfarm payroll employment rose by 143,000 in January, and the unemployment rate edged down to 4.0 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported recently. Job gains occurred in health care, retail trade, and social assistance. Employment declined in the mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction industry.

THE ECONOMY ADDED JUST 143,000 NEW JOBS in January as massive California wildfires and a cold snap in much of the country acted as a drag on hiring. The details of the employment report point to a robust labor market that gained strength at the end of 2024. The economy averaged 233,000 new jobs from November to January, well above the 180,000 average in the decade before the pandemic.

One economist determined that most of the new jobs were in the service sector, as I’ve been reporting, hence favored immigrants who tend to fill the lowest paying jobs that U.S. Americans don’t want.

effects of continuing wars and more climate disasters.

It would be nice if consumers continued to shop, in spite of what’s happening, which means they remain somewhat optimistic about their future.

However, the latest University of Michigan sentiment survey was a downer. Its gauge of consumer sentiment fell to 67.8 in a preliminary February reading, down from 71.1 in the prior month and the lowest reading since July.

But it’s not just more wildfires we will have to worry about this year as world temperatures rise, but more hurricanes and floods, such as hit the East Coast.

By Harlan Green

So what does that mean for 2025? It depends on what tariffs are enacted, what the Federal Reserve does with interest rates, and how many immigrants are deported, for starters. Then we still must worry about the

Inflation was their biggest worry. Americans’ expectations for overall inflation over the next year jumped to 4.3 percent in February from 3.3 percent in the prior month, according to the survey. That’s the highest level since November 2023, and it is only the fifth time in 14 years that there has been a one-month gain of that size.

It’s really how American consumers react that determines economic growth and hence the job market. The Los Angeles fires were one reason the January nonfarm payroll total was low. The recent hurricanes also punched another hole in employment.

Forbes Magazine reported last October that Hurricane Helene was expected to cause a reduction of 40,000 to 50,000 payroll jobs with Hurricane Milton adding to the total.

And I won’t even try to predict when the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts will be resolved, or what it might do to the world economy with energy prices soaring.

The bottom line seems to be that the U.S. economy is escaping much of the damage because the Fed has been proactive over the inflation danger, and has been saying it wants to lower interest rates further to support the job market.

President Biden’s massive new, New Deal investments with the infrastructure, CHIPS, climate change, and healthcare legislation will also be benefiting U.S. economic growth for years to come.

Economists are also estimating that the three million new immigrants added to the

workforce over the past two years have made such growth possible. Will that continue if our worker shortage worsens?

“The flood of fresh labor eased a worker shortage after the pandemic and allowed the economy to add more jobs without driving up wages and inflation. Normally, rapid job creation tends to exacerbate inflation,” explained MarketWatch’s Jeffry Bartash.

Did the influx of new immigrants hurt American workers? Economist Wendy Edelberg, director of the Hamilton Project at the Brookings Institution, estimates the labor force is about 172.6 million strong, instead of a reported 169.6 million at the end of 2024. Edelberg said the newly revised figures should show employment for nativeborn workers also rose in 2024.

So what are consumers to do? It is really too early to know what the 2025 job market will look like.

Harlan Green © 2025 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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PUBLIC NOTICE

City of Santa Barbara

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Council of the City of Santa Barbara will conduct a Public Hearing on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, during the afternoon session of the meeting, which begins at 2:00 p.m. in the Council Chamber at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, California, for the consideration of the Measure A Local Program of Projects for Fiscal Years 2026-2030.

Public comment may be given in person at the meeting or remotely via Zoom. Members of the public who wish to give public comment remotely may do so by completing the Zoom registration using the link provided on the agenda posted for this meeting date.

Written comments are also welcome up to the time of the hearing and should be addressed to the City Council via the City Clerk’s Office, P.O. Box 1990, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1990, or by sending them electronically to Clerk@SantaBarbaraCA.gov.

On Thursday, March 6, 2025, an Agenda with all items to be heard on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, will be available at City Hall, 735 Anacapa Street, and at the Central Library. Agendas and Staff Reports are also accessible online at www.SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CAP. The Agenda includes instructions for participation in the meeting. If you wish to participate in the public hearing, please follow the instructions on the posted Agenda.

In compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need auxiliary aids or special assistance to gain access to, comment at, or participate in this meeting, please contact the City Administrator’s Office at 805-564-5305. If possible, notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will enable the City to make reasonable arrangements in most cases. Specialized services, such as sign language interpretation or documents in Braille, may require additional lead time to arrange.

(SEAL)

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC

City Clerk Services Manager February 7, 2025

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is no longer doing business/abandoning the name ASPYNS TABLE (County of Current Filing: SANTA BARBARA on 03/11/2020 FBN2020-0000777) at 617 W. Mission #B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. ASPYN JONES at 617 W. Mission #B, Santa Barbara, CA 93101. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on January 29, 2025. This statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the County Clerk. 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. 2025-0000258. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Limited Liability Company is doing business as ROOT KITCHEN CATERING LLC; ROOT KITCHEN CATERING; ASPYNS TABLE; SHOWGROUNDS DELI at 3400 Calle Real, Main Kitchen, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. PRRE HOLDINGS, INC. at ROOT KITCHEN CATERING LLC at 3400 Calle Real, Main Kitchen, Santa Barbara, CA 93105. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on January 29, 2025. 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. 2025-0000259. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is no longer doing business/abandoning the name ROOT KITCHEN CATERING (County of Current Filing: SANTA BARBARA on 01/03/2024 FBN2024-00000011) at 595 Avenue of the Flags, 207, Buellton, CA 93427. MUHSIN H SUGICH at 595 Avenue of the Flags, 207, Buellton, CA 93427. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on January 28, 2025. 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. 2025-0000244. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Corporation is doing business as COAST PROPERTY ADVISORS at 2461 Calle Almonte, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. PRRE HOLDINGS, INC. at 2461 Calle Almonte, Santa Barbara, CA 93109. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on January 28, 2025. 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. 2025-0000249. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025.

a petition with this court for a decree changing names as follows: PRESENT NAME: Khanney Dannury Mora Ordonez to PROPOSED NAME: Khanney Dannury Jarero. THE COURT ORDERS that all persons interested in this matter appear before this court at the hearing indicated below to show cause, if any, why the petition for change of name should not be granted. Any person objecting to the name changes described above must file a written objection that includes the reasons for the objection at least two court days before the matter is scheduled to be heard and must appear at the hearing to show cause why the petition should not be granted. If no written objection is timely filed, the court may grant the petition without a hearing. NOTICE OF HEARING: Date: 03/10/2025; Time: 10:00 am; Dept.: 5; ROOM: [ ] other (specify): at the: SUPERIOR COURT OF CALIFORNIA, COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA, 1100 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101 (To appear remotely, check in advance of the hearing for information about how to do so on the courts website. To find your courts website, go to www.courts.ca.gov/find-my-court.htm.) 3 a. [X] A copy of this Order to Show Cause shall be published at least once each week for four successive weeks before the date set for hearing on the petition in a newspaper of general circulation: [x] (for resident of this county) printed in this county: VOICE MAGAZINE. Date: 01/14/2025 /s/: Colleen K. Sterne, Judge of the Superior Court. Legal #25CV00031 Pub Dates: January 24, 31, February 7, 14, 2025.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME

STATEMENT: The following Individual is doing business as LEFT COAST AQUACULTURE & REEFING at 134 Oakmont Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436. MARK H SMITH at 134 Oakmont Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Santa Barbara on January 21, 2025. 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. 20250000179. Published February 14, 21, 28, March 7, 2025.

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER : 25CV00031 Petitioner: Abraham Mora Jarero and Dannury Ordonez Jarero filed

Demi Moore Talks Career and Starring in The Substance

By Destin Cavazos / VOICE

AS THE CELEBRITIES GATHERED FOR THE 40TH ANNUAL SBIFF, movie star Demi Moore joined the festivities during a retrospective showcase of some of her most iconic films. The actress, producer, and New York Times bestselling author most recently starred in Coralie Fargeat’s critically acclaimed body horror flick, The Substance, alongside Margaret Qualley. Following a screening of the film, Moore joined SBIFF’s Roger Durling onstage at the Arlington on Sunday, February 9th, for a Q&A about her performance and career.

“Did everybody just see the film? How are you doing?” asked the actress as she greeted those who’d just endured the film’s blood-soaked finale.

The deranged spectacle, featuring stomach-churning slew of teeth, limbs, and breasts, actually saw several audience members take the chance to leave the theater.

“When I read the script I thought, ‘Wow this is such a unique way to be delving into the subject matter,” added Moore. “In truth, when I read the part where my back opens and another entity crawls out, I was hooked.”

Her portrayal of aging 80s sex-symbol Elisabeth Sparkle in The Substance earned her an Oscar nomination and Golden Globe win for Best Actress, an honor that is well-deserved when looking at the lengths Moore goes to to transform into the film’s literal monster in the closet. Obsessed with image and the female form, the film revels in its moments of reflection, such as when Elisabeth stands naked in her sleek, solemn bathroom and injects herself with the neon green catalyst for the horrors to come. Moments later, Margaret Qualley claws her way out of a fissure along her spine as “Sue,” a firm-bodied foil to Elisabeth’s past-her-prime star quality. Another point in the film sees Moore’s character baring it all once again, this time as a wrinkled, hunchbacked monstrosity (a creature the production team lovingly named “Gollum”) that leaves the actress all but unrecognizable, yet conjures a broader spectrum of emotion from Moore than her earlier scenes. Contrasting these over the top moments with more intimate and vulnerable scenes was, according to Moore, a core part of the film’s thematic strength.

haunting than the movie’s subsequent scares.

“Our human leaning is not to look in the mirror and look for what’s right, but to look for what’s wrong, which is what makes it so vulnerable and so painful, that way in which we can dissect ourselves and find the very thing that we see is not good enough,” added Moore. “The truth is there is nothing that anybody could do to us that is worse than what we do to ourselves.”

Moore also spoke about the roles that first led to her success and stardom, such as Ghost, A Few Good Men, Indecent Proposal, The Scarlet Letter, and Striptease. In finding her way as an icon of the 80s and early 90s, Moore said it was difficult to establish her career reputation outside the sexualized image Hollywood had cast her in.

“They asked [Aaron Sorkin] ‘If there’s going to be no love scene, then why do you have Demi Moore?’” she shared on a conversation leading up to the production of the military drama A Few Good Men, praising the steadfastness of writer Sorkin and director Rob Reiner. “I think they saw that there was greater value in the relationship between these two character not needing to go there. It didn’t need it, it was better than that.”

Moore ended the discussion by reflecting on the lessons she’s learned throughout her career, reiterating how The Substance cemented themes of self-empowerment and personal acceptance.

SBIFF.org

“I knew the film would be highlighting parts of myself I’d rather not be seen. At angles that maybe aren’t flattering,” she explained. “But that was incredibly liberating.”

Durling highlighted another key scene, an earlier moment that finds Moore’s Elisabeth still sporting her glamorous good looks as she preps and pumps herself up before a date. Confronted by a billboard emblazoned with her younger, slimmer “replacement,” Elisabeth spends hours fussing and fixing her makeup in the mirror, each vain attempt at perfection ending in a distraught reaction as she smears her lipstick across her face. Though we’ve yet to see Moore made into the putrefying prosthetic presence that she embodies by the film’s end, this moment finds itself equally, if not more

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Photos courtesy of SBIFF

Star of The Substance Demi Moore joined SBIFF’s Roger Durling for a Q&A accompanied by her dog, Pilaf

California artists reimagine language, state’s identity in new exhibition

IBy Debra Herrick / The UC Santa Barbara Current

MAGINE DRIVING THROUGH CALIFORNIA’S SUNLIT STREETS, APPROACHING A CROSSWALK

THAT TELLS YOU TO “SLOW.” But something’s off — it’s misspelled: “SOLW.” The word echoes in your mind as soul

This small twist — slow becomes soul — captures the essence of Corita Kent’s playful yet profound work. Featured in Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum, the piece critiques California’s car culture while offering a spiritual nudge to pause, reflect, and look deeper. It’s a simple misspelling, but one that carries weight in California’s complex, ever-shifting identity.

“That moment of contradiction — where the sign tells you one thing, but the way you say it tells you something else — is exactly what I love about this piece,” said Alex Lukas, the exhibition’s curator and associate professor of print & publication in UCSB’s Department of Art. “It’s playful, but it’s also a comment on something much larger: the relationship between language, perception, and the lived experience of California.”

Kent’s work serves as a gateway to the broader themes of the exhibition, highlighting how text-based art in California subverts expectations, challenges dominant narratives, and reflects the state’s diverse, complex culture.

The interplay between language and visual art has long been a defining characteristic of California’s creative landscape. In Public Texts Lukas brings together a group of artists whose work reflects the diverse and often surprising ways in which text functions within contemporary visual practices.

Spanning a wide range of mediums, from painting and drawing to printmaking and public interventions, the exhibition brings together over 20 artists who, through their distinctive use of text, delve into the cultural and political complexities of California. As Lukas explained, the exhibition is meant to engage with the “web” of California’s visual and cultural history, showcasing how these artists reflect and reshape the state’s unique place in the world.

“What I’m trying to do with this show,” said Lukas, “is to explore how these Californian artists are using text to not just create aesthetically interesting work, but to reflect on the state itself. I think of it as a portrait of a place — one that is constantly defining and redefining itself.”

The artists in Public Texts are united by their relationship to California, whether they were born here, migrated here, or simply shaped by its sprawling, diverse landscape. The term “rooted in California” that Lukas uses to describe the exhibition is intentionally expansive. From the lively streets of San Francisco to the quiet expanses of Southern California, the exhibition encapsulates a variety of experiences that together form the state’s visual language.

But while the show touches on the rich, often contentious history of California — marked by waves of migration,

colonization, and cultural exchange — Lukas is equally interested in how text in these works challenges the boundaries of art itself. “I think one of the show’s main questions is about the balance between reading and seeing,” he said. “How does the written word work in tandem with the visual in ways that complicate our expectations of what art should do?”

Take, for example, the work of Christine Sun Kim, who uses text to explore the intersection of language and perception. Known for her conceptual approach to sound and silence, Kim’s wall-length mural features a line-based code and the handwritten words, “You don’t know how smart I am in my language.” This challenges our understanding of communication, particularly within the deaf community and diasporic languages.

and ’70s, was known for her bright, colorful screenprints. Kent’s work combines pop aesthetics with deeply political messaging. In the context of California’s broader social landscape, Lukas noted, “there’s a certain optimism in her use of text, but it’s always layered with a sense of activism and a call for change.”

“Her work is about the limitations of translation,” Lukas said. “You’re looking at something, but can you ever fully understand how smart I am in my language?”

For Kim, writing — whether American Sign Language or any other form — isn’t just about direct translation; it’s about questioning the space between signs and how we perceive them.

Lukas positions Kim’s work in conversation with John Baldessari’s iconic piece “I Will Not Make Any More Boring Art,” which repeats the phrase “I will not make any more boring art” over and over again, with a hand-drawn simplicity that feels almost mundane — an intentional act of contradiction. “It’s this conceptual twist,” Lukas said, “asking us to speak or verbalize in a way that is more complex than it seems on the surface.”

The contrast between these two works — one a reflection on the limitations of language, the other a playful, defiant reimagining of what art can do — captures the heart of Public Texts: the dynamic tension between the written word and its surrounding context.

The exhibition also explores the ways in which California’s visual language has been shaped by counterculture movements, graffiti, and activism. Barry McGee’s work, for example, draws on the Bay Area’s rich graffiti tradition. As Lukas noted, McGee’s text-based pieces use “coded language” — a style that’s deeply rooted in the vibrant, often rebellious visual language of street art. “For McGee, language isn’t just something to read — it’s something to experience, to decode,” Lukas added. “There’s a vibrancy in how he aestheticizes text.”

But the history of California’s visual culture isn’t just confined to urban streets and countercultures. Sister Corita Kent, a figure central to Los Angeles’ art scene in the 1960s

In addition to the museum gallery, several outdoor commissions were created for the exhibition. These temporary public artworks expand the exhibition beyond the museum’s walls, providing a dynamic experience that evolves over time. Visitors will have the chance to see these works in their natural environments, responding to the public space and the community around them.

“I love the idea that this show is about connections — between artists, between ideas, between histories,” Lukas said. “It feels like there’s this constant back-and-forth, where one work leads to another, and there are all these overlaps, these unexpected intersections. That’s what makes California such an exciting place for text-based art. It’s a constantly shifting, evolving space.”

Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language is on view at the Art, Design & Architecture Museum at UC Santa Barbara Jan. 18th through April 27th. Public Texts is on view concurrently with the exhibition Tomiyama Taeko: A Tale of Sea Wanderers.

Printed with permission of UCSB Office of Public Affairs and Communications.

Corita Kent, harness the sun and “solw, details, both 1967, Serigraph on paper, Courtesy of Corita Art Center, Los Angeles. Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara

Photo Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

Opening night of Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum

Photo Credit: Ingrid Bostrom

At left, Barry McGee Mid Winter Fuzz Gathering, 2025, Acrylic on panel, Courtesy of the artist; at right, Ozzie Juarez, Paradise, 2024, Acrylic, emulsion vinyl, airbrush, locked and barbed wire on oxidized gate, Collection of Robert Shiell. Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara

Photos

Credit: Jeff Liang

ART VENUES

Fine Art Prints

Greeting Cards and more dimarcogallery.com

Goleta Photographer

Frank DiMarco

10 West Gallery • Envisionings ~ Feb 16 • 10 W Anapamu • 11-5 We-Mo • 805-770-7711 •10westgallery.com

Architectural Fdn Gallery • Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio Artists ~ Mar 8 • 229 E Victoria • 805-965-6307

• 1–4 some Sa & By Appt • afsb.org

Art & Soul Gallery • Medicine Woman ~ Feb 6-Mar 2• 1323 State St • artandsoulsb.com

Art & Soul Funk Zone • Hearts For Arts ~ Fri-Sun prior to location closing Feb 23 • 116 Santa Barbara St • artandsoulsb.com

Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UCSB • Public Texts: A Californian Visual Language ~Apr 27; Tomiyama Taeko: A Tale of Sea Wanderers ~ Apr 27 • 12-5 We-Sun • museum.ucsb.edu

ART EVENTS

Sally A. Foxen-McNeill • Photo exhibit about Black Music Masters • Chaucer’s Books, 3321 State St. • 9am - 8pm, Sun-Sat, 2/1 - 2/28.

In Conversation with Jane Dickson • Explore the psychogeography of American culture w/Jane Dickson, in a conversation with James Glisson • Mary Craig Aud, SBMA • $10/members, $15/nonmembers, free/students & teachers • sbma.net • 3:30pm, Sat, 2/15. Hearts for Arts at Art & Soul in the Funk Zone • Exhibit of artists who have previously been featured, celebration of the Gallery before this location closes on Feb 23 • 5-8pm, Sat, 2/15.

Summer Solstice Poster Art Contest & Reception • 2025 theme is Wild World • a night of art, music, and celebration w/ Reggae/Ska band Koalishion • Wylde Works, 609 State St • 5-10pm, Sat, 2/15.

Introduction to Japanese Woodcut Printing • Learn the mokuhanga (Japanese Woodblock Printing) process and complete a beautiful handmade print • CAW • $80/members-$100/nonmembers • sbcaw.org/upcoming • 10am-4pm, Sat, 2/22.

Class - The Art of Science: Drawing Big Cats & Wild Dogs • Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History • Free with admission/$14-$19 • sbnature.org • 3pm, Thu, 2/20.

Call for Artists • Gallery Los Olivos is open to new members in sculpture, pedestal art, and jewelry • Appl. deadline is March 14th; apply online at gallerylosolivos.com, under Artist Submissions tab • Jurying on 3/22.

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

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

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

The Arts Fund • La Cumbre Plaza, 120 S Hope Ave #F119 • 11-5 We-Su • 805-233-3395 • artsfundsb.org

Atkinson Gallery, SBCC • gallery.sbcc.edu

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

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 Mo-Fr • carriagemuseum.org

California Nature Art Museum

• A Deeper Love: New Paintings Inspired by Coral Reefs ~ ºFeb 24 • 1511 B Mission Dr, Solvang • 11-4 Mo, Th, Fr; 11-5 Sa & Su • calnatureartmuseum.org

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

• sbthp.org/casadelaguerra

Casa del Herrero • Gardens & House • by reservation • 1387 East Valley Rd • tours 10 & 2 We & Sa • 805565-5653 • casadelherrero.com

Casa Dolores • Bandera Ware / traditional outfits ~ ongoing • 1023 Bath St • 12-4 Tu-Sa • 805-963-1032 • casadolores.org

Channing Peake Gallery • 105 East Anapamu St, 1st fl • 805-568-3994

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

Community Arts Workshop • 631 Garden St • 10-6pm Fri & By Appt. • sbcaw.org

Corridan Gallery • California Sojourns by Karen Fedderson • 125 N Milpas • 11-5 We-Sa • 805-966-7939 • corridan-gallery.com

CPC Gallery • By appt • 36 E Victoria St • cpcgallery.com

Cypress Gallery • Red Zone: Lompoc Valley Art Assn ~ Jan 30-Feb 23 • 119 E Cypress Av, Lompoc • 1-4 Sa & Su • 805-737-1129 • lompocart.org

Elevate Gallery@ La Cumbre Center For Creative Arts • Gallery Artists • La Cumbre Plaza • 12-5 Tu-Su • lcccasb.com

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery • Contemporary Artists • 15 W Gutierrez • 805-963-1157 • 11–5 TuSa • elizabethgordongallery.com

RUTH ELLEN HOAG www.ruthellenhoag.com @ruthellenhoag 805-689-0858 ~inquire for studio classes~

El Presidio De Santa Bárbara

• Nihonmachi Revisited; Memorias y Facturas • 123 E Canon Perdido St • 10:30-4:30 Daily • sbthp.org

Elverhøj Museum • 1624 Elverhoy Way, Solvang • 805-686-1211 • 11-5

Th-Mo • 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 • 805-730-9109 • Fazzino.com

Fine Line Gallery @ La Cumbre Center For Creative Arts • Multi-Artist Space • La Cumbre Plaza• 12-5 Tu-Su • lcccasb.com

Gallery 113 • SB Art Assn • 1114 State St, #8, La Arcada Ct • 805-9656611 • 11-5 Mo-Sa; 1-4 Su • gallery113sb.com

Gallery Los Olivos • New Perspectives Group Exhibition ~ Feb Feb 28 • Daily 10-4 pm • 2920 Grand Av • 805-688-7517 • gallerylosolivos.com

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

Illuminations Gallery @ La Cumbre Center For Creative Arts • Multi-Artist Space • La Cumbre Plaza • noon-5 Tu-Su • lcccasb.com

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

Jewish Federation of Greater SB • Portraits of Survival interactive - Ongoing • 9-4pm Mo-Fr • 524 Chapala St • 805-957-1115 ext. 114

Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum • Man’s Inhumanity Towards Man ~ Apr 14 • 21-23 W Anapamu • 10-4 Tu-Su • 805-9625322 • karpeles.com

Carol Talley LCCCA Illuminations Gallery La Cumbre Plaza caroltalley.com

Patrick McGinnis

Photography And Sculpture at 10 West Gallery patprime@earthlink.net

Kathryne Designs • Local Artists

• 1225 Coast Village Rd, A • 10-5 Mo-Sa; 11-5 Su • 805-565-4700 • kathrynedesigns.com

Kelly Clause Art • Watercolors of Sea & Land • 28 Anacapa St, #B • Most weekdays 12-5 • kellyclause.com Lompoc Library Grossman Gallery • 501 E North Av, Lompoc • 805-588-3459

Lynda Fairly Carpinteria Arts Center • Rincon- Queen of the Coast~ Mar 2 • 12-4 Th-Su • 865 Linden Av • 805-684-7789 • carpinteriaartscenter.org

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

Marcia Burtt Gallery • Contemporary landscape paintings, prints & books • 517 Laguna St • 1-5 Th-Su • 805-962-5588 • artlacuna.com

MOXI, The Wolf Museum • Exploration + Innovation • 10-5 Daily • 125 State St • 805-770-5000 • moxi.org

Museum of Contemporary Art

Santa Barbara • 653 Paseo Nuevo • mcasantabarbara.org

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

Palm Loft Gallery • Beauty of the Wild ~ Mar 2 • 410 Palm Av, Loft A1, Carpinteria • 1-6 Fri-Sun & By Appt • 805-684-9700 • palmloft.com

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

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

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

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

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

A. Michael Marzolla, Fine Artist Excogitation Services/Marzozart Paintings, drawings, prints Commissions accepted www.marzozart.com

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden

• Seed: A Living Dream ~ Apr 6 •1212 Mission Canyon Rd • 10-5 daily • 805-682-4726 • sbbg.org

Santa Barbara Fine Art • SB landscapes & sculptor Bud Bottoms • 1321 State St • 12-6 Tu-Sa & By Appt • 805-845-4270 • santabarbarafineart.com

Santa Barbara Historical Museum • The Chair: Storied Seats From Our Collection ~ Apr 20; J. Walter Collinge: Pictorial SB and the Beyond ~ May 11; Edward Borein Gallery and The Story of Santa Barbara ~ ongoing • 136 E De la Guerra • 12-5 We, Fri-Su; 12-7 Th • 805-966-1601 • sbhistorical.org

Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

• Kevin A. Short: Above Your Dreams ~ Feb 5-May 11 ; The Chumash, Whaling, Commercial Diving, Surfing, Shipwrecks, First Order Fresnel Lens, and SB Lighthouse Women Keepers ~ Ongoing

• 113 Harbor Wy, Ste 190 • 10-5 Daily • 805-962-8404 • SBMM.org

Santa Barbara Museum Of Art

• In the Making ~ Mar 9; Friends and Lovers ~ Mar 2; Accretion ~ Apr 13 • 1130 State St • 11-5 Tu-Su; 5-8 1st Th free; 2nd Sun free Tri-Co residents • 805-963-4364 • sbma.net

Santa Barbara Museum Of Natural History • Big Cats & Wild Dogs ~ Mar 9 • 2559 Puesta del Sol • 10-5 We-Mo • sbnature.org

Solstice Art Box Contest Winners

A PAIR OF EXCELLENT ELEPHANTS HAVE BEEN SELECTED as the Santa Barbara Solstice Celebration’s Art Box Contest winners. The Youth Artist winner is Elena Pablo. Pablo completed her entry at the Santa Barbara Library during Plaza Palooza, the opening of the Michael Towbes Library Plaza in November of 2024.

In the Adult category, Christopher Noxon’s Phantasmagorical Elephant was the winning entry. A local

In Conversation with Jane Dickson

Born out of New York’s 70s counterculture, Dickson will discuss her art and exploring the psychogeography of American culture as part of the In The Making series at SBMA on Saturday, February 15th, at 3:30pm in Mary Craig Auditorium. A reception will follow, at 5pm, with a limited number of signed copies of the book Jane Dickson available for purchase.

For tickets (Free Students & Teachers, $10/SBMA Members, $15/ Non-Members), visit sbma.net

Santa Barbara Sea Center • Dive In: Our Changing Channel ~ Ongoing • 211 Stearns Wharf • 10-5 Daily (Fr & Sat 10-7 until 7/27). • 805-6824711 • sbnature.org

Santa Barbara Tennis Club2nd Fridays Art • Abstract Nine ~ Mar 5 • 2375 Foothill Rd • 10-6 Daily • 805-682-4722 • 2ndfridaysart.com

Slice of Light Gallery • Passage - Photography by JK Lovelace • 9 W Figueroa St • Mo-Fr 10-5 • 805-3545552 • 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

Sullivan Goss • Winter Salon ~ Feb 24; The Storytellers ~ Mar 24; Angela Perko Imagined Landscapes & Other Stories ~ Mar 24 • 11 E Anapamu St • 10-5:30 daily • 805-730-1460 • sullivangoss.com

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

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

Tamsen Gallery • Work by Robert W. Firestone • 1309 State St • 12-5 We-Su • 805-705-2208 • tamsengallery.com

UCSB Library • Readymade Emanations: Trianon Press and the Art of Tearing Apa ~ Jun 25 • library.ucsb.edu

Voice Gallery • Santa Barbara Visual Artists ~ Feb 28 • La Cumbre Plaza H-124 • 10-5:30 M-F; 1-5 Sa-Su • 805-965-6448 •voicesb.art

Waterhouse Gallery Montecito

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

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

Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum Of Art • Wildland: Ethan Turpin’s Collaborations on Fire & Water ~ Mar 22 • westmont.edu/museum

longtime journalist, Noxon’s illustrations have been featured in The New York Times, The Hollywood Reporter, The Undo List, and Modern Loss. His art was also recently featured in the October 2024 issue of 805 Living.

The art contest is a collaboration with Elephant Parade®, a global initiative that combines public art, fundraising, and conservation, with elephant statues helping to actively support elephant conservation efforts. Each winner received an Elephant Parade® Art Box, which includes a blank miniature elephant sculpture, acrylic paints, brush, and easel. solsticeparade.com

Courtesy

SBMA

Adult Artist Winner Christopher Noxon

Youth Artist Winner Elena Pablo

The lie that taints perfectionism

‘How

to Be Enough’ author on the difference between admiration and acceptance, the power of ‘2 percent kinder,’ and why values should come before rules

By Liz Mineo / Harvard Staff Writer

PERFECTIONISM HAS A DARK SIDE, says Ellen Hendriksen, a clinical psychologist and faculty member at Boston University, in her new book How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists. In this edited conversation with the Gazette, Hendriksen, whose résumé includes a fellowship at Harvard Medical School, shares her insights on how to roll back tendencies that can lead to painful patterns of self-criticism and isolation.

When is perfectionism a healthy personality trait?

Perfectionism has a healthy heart because its core is conscientiousness, which is the tendency to be responsible and diligent, to do things well and thoroughly, to care deeply. Research has shown that conscientiousness is the No. 1 trait for both objective and subjective success in life. Those of us with perfectionist traits are often highly accomplished. It might manifest as excellent academics, job performance, sports, music, or things that we don’t usually think of as performance, like healthy eating, keeping our space organized, or always looking put together.

How can perfectionism become unhealthy?

Unhealthy perfectionism encompasses overevaluation, which is the conflation of worth and performance, and harsh self-criticism. It is also unhealthy when we strive to be perfect to try to earn belonging and acceptance. Perfectionism tells us a lie: that we can connect, belong, and be accepted by being good at things through performance. But it backfires because when we perform superbly, we might earn admiration, but that’s different than acceptance. When we’re admired, we’re put on a pedestal, but that means we’re alone.

According to the work of Roz Shafran, Zafra Cooper, and Christopher Fairburn, clinical perfectionism is when our self-worth is dependent on striving to meet personally demanding standards, and we evaluate whether or not we’ve reached those standards in an all-or-nothing way. And if we define failure as not meeting standards, ours or those of others, what will often happen is that we either get overwhelmed or intimidated, and we then avoid our task. Or we’ll try, but we’ll fail, not because we were incapable but because our standards were unrealistic. Either way, self-criticism comes in and leaves us feeling inadequate or not good enough. On the off chance that we pull out all the stops and reach our standards, we’ll decide that our standards were not demanding enough in the first place, and the cycle begins again.

What other manifestations of perfectionism can be problematic?

It also can manifest as a focus on rules, or as a preoccupation with mistakes — either trying to avoid future mistakes or criticizing ourselves for past mistakes. It can also manifest as procrastination because the prospect of meeting our unrealistic standards can be paralyzing. It manifests as social comparison; we’re trying to answer the question, “Am I good enough?” Finally, it manifests as feeling distant or isolated in relationships because we engage in what’s called perfectionistic self-presentation, where we talk about what’s going well and hide what’s going poorly, which makes us come off not only as performative but also unrelatable.

Are there links between perfectionism and depression and anxiety?

If we define failure as not meeting our standards, and these are rigid and unrealistic, we’re going to rack up a lot of failures. Then, repeated over days, years, and potentially decades, we may start to feel like failures. Over time, the two pillars of depression, which are hopelessness (i.e., “This will never get better”) and helplessness (i.e., “Nothing I try works”) settle in.

Regarding anxiety, as we’re struggling with over-evaluation — conflating our performance and our worth — our worth is never a settled question. Every event becomes a referendum on our character: It could be every meeting at work where we expect ourselves to make erudite comments, or exams where we expect ourselves to get an A-plus, or a social event where we expect ourselves to be witty and articulate, or at least not awkward and weird. So, it makes sense that we anticipate every potential performance with trepidation, anxiety, and worry. Forgive my grammar, but it’s when “Did I do good?” means “Am I good? and “I did bad” means “I am bad.”

In your book, you offer specific steps to deal with perfectionism. Can you expand on that advice?

I take the subtitle of the book, Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists, quite literally. By self-acceptance, I mean that we don’t have to change our self-criticism at all. Instead, we can change our relationship to self-criticism. What I suggest is that we can treat our self-critical thoughts like we treat the music at a coffee shop. It’s still there, but we don’t have to sing along. In perfectionism, the heart of which is conscientiousness, we take things seriously, including our own thoughts and feelings. What I suggest is that we can take our self-critical thoughts a little less seriously. We’ll still have them, but we don’t have to treat them as if they are true and literal. We can just let them float by or pass through our mind without getting yanked around.

Another way to overcome perfectionist tendencies is to focus on values rather than rules. Those of us with perfectionist traits like to follow rules, and if there are no rules, we make up personally demanding rules. Values are never coercive, so you freely choose to follow them, and you’re likely willing to tolerate some discomfort to do so. For instance, the value of giving back might mean that you’re willing to give up your Saturday morning to volunteer to pick up trash on the beach rather than spending that morning relaxing at the beach. If we start focusing on values rather than rules, we can choose what is meaningful and important to us rather than following unrealistic rules.

I want to emphasize that becoming less perfectionistic isn’t as laborious as it may appear. Those of us with some perfectionism usually default to gut renovations and total overhauls, but we don’t have to work that hard. Small tweaks are enough. We can aim for being 5 percent more understanding of ourselves, allowing 1 percent mistakes, being 2 percent kinder to ourselves, and that is often enough.

Printed with permission: Harvard Gazzette online article, February 7, 2025

“When we perform superbly, we might earn admiration, but that’s different than acceptance. When we’re admired, we’re put on a pedestal, but that means we’re alone.”

Ellen Hendriksen

MONTECITO AWARD

HONORING COLMAN DOMINGO (SING SING)

AWARD PRESENTED BY OPRAH WINFREY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 - 8:00PM

ARLINGTON THEATRE

TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SBIFF.ORG AT AT 1330 STATE ST SUITE 101