VOICE Magazine: February 7, 2025

Photo by Zach Mendez

LOVE IN THE SPEAKEASY

limited time valentine’s Bar

Sip swoon-worthy cocktails, savor delectable bites, and soak in the love-filled ambiance beneath a ceiling adorned with over 10,000 hearts.

Starting January 23rd, OPEN EVERY NIGHT AT 5PM

Kristine McDivitt TompkinsRewilding on a Continental Scale

By Kerry Methner / VOICE

WITH UNWAIVERING COMMITMENT,

a big dose of self-confidence and skill, as well as faith in action, Kristine

McDivitt Tompkins will arrive on the UCSB Campbell Hall stage on Thursday, February 12th at 7:30pm to move the audience to action. If you are lucky enough to have a seat for this UCSB Arts & Lectures presentation, you may find yourself standing up to cheer as the story unfolds of how she and her partner began to consider, Rewilding on a Continential Scale, and then began to lead the way to begin accomplishing it.

“No matter who you are, no matter what you have to work with, get out of bed every single morning, and do something that has nothing to do with yourself, but rather having everything to do with those things you love. With those things you know to be true,” Tompkins has said. “Be someone who imagines human progress to be something that moves us toward wholeness. Toward health. Toward human dignity. And always, and forever, wild beauty.”

Recognized as the most prolific private conservationist in history, McDivitt Tompkins is the president and co-founder of Tompkins Conservation and former CEO of Patagonia. She has preserved wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, restoring wildlife, inspiring activism and fostering economic vitality as a result

of conservation. The recipient of numerous honors, Tompkins was the first conservationist to be awarded the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

One of her often quoted axioms is, “Remember: The first step in saving nature is the rewilding of our own minds,” serves as a reminder that limits often come from within, and it is there that action begins.

McDivitt Tompkins has been in the field working for three decades. Her activist journey started when she joined Douglas Tompkins in forming Tompkins Conservation to protect and restore wild beauty and biodiversity by creating national parks, bringing back species through rewilding and fostering regenerative economies. The nonprofit has protected about 14.8 million acres of parklands in Chile and Argentina through the creation or expansion of 15 national parks in addition to two marine-protected areas of 30 million acres. Through active rewilding, the organization is bringing back over a dozen species that are in critical numbers, endangered or locally extinct including the jaguar and the red-and-green macaw. In 2015, a kayaking accident in Patagonia took Doug’s life. Alongside his wife Kristine, the couple are among the foremost conservation philanthropists in history.

There are seemingly endless stories of environmental disruption. But, McDivitt Tompkins continues to move forward. In a TED Talk she recalled, “A wise and good friend of ours, Wes Jackson said years ago, ‘If your life’s work can be accomplished in your life time, you’re not thinking big enough.’”

She is thinking big. Over the last 30 years, she has helped train generations of leaders who are

taking the reigns beside her to support rewilding. She describes them as, “Team leaders who share a common vision with us. And that is, we refuse to accept a future without wildness, without abundance and dignified human communities.”

During this evening, expect to be invited to join in and be given hope for the outcome.

“This journey is about bringing back large scale territories, keeping them safe, and finding the species who are long gone missing....Step up to re-image our place in the circle of life - not in the center - but as part of the whole.

The Event Sponsor is the Patricia Bragg Foundation. Additional support was provided by the Beth Chamberlin Endowment for Cultural Understanding. Kristine McDivitt Tompkins: Rewilding on a Continental Scale is presented in association with UCSB Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and Environmental Studies Program.

Season support: Sara Miller McCune is 2024-2025

Season Sponsor. Natalie Orfalea Foundation & Lou Buglioli are Community Partners of the 2024-2025 season.

For tickets ($25 General / free for all students (w/ current student ID) visit www.artsandlectures.ucsb.edu or call 805-893-3535.

Kristine McDivitt

Opening Night!

Rain didn’t keep filmgoers from enjoying the US Premiere of Jane Austen Wrecked My Life at the Arlington Theatre, and an emotional speech by festival director Roger Durling.

By Isaac Hernández de Lipa / VOICE

IT WAS A BEAUTIFUL RAINY NIGHT as people came together to celebrate their love of movies in communion.

SBIFF Director Roger Durling opened the elevenday film festival with an emotional speech about the importance of art and film, “especially during the times we’re living in.”

Durling reminisced about his 23 years at the helm, talking about how he moved the festival dates to coincide with the awards circuit, how important the SBIFF educational program is now, and how he pushed for the International aspect of the festival because he “understood the importance of hearing different voices, no matter the gender, nationality, or color of skin.”

“Going to the movies I understood I wasn’t a freak,” Durling continued. “I felt like I belonged. I found solace in the darkness of movie theaters. Art is not isolationalist. Art is for everyone.”

At one point, Durling asked filmgoers to talk to somebody they didn’t know before. Then he spoke in his teacher’s voice: “That’s what being alive is, experiencing life together, far richer when it’s with someone you don’t know.”

Durling also thanked SBIFF founder Philis de Picciotto and the City of Santa Barbara for the original grant that got the film festival started 40 years ago. He also acknowledged Mayor Randy Rowse, who had opened the festival, for his

work in approving the SBIFF Film Center at the old Fiesta 5 Theatre, which will undergo renovations from spring to fall. “We want to make you proud,” he concluded.

The opening night film, Jane Austen Wrecked My Life, which Laura Piani wrote and directed, was the perfect opening film, a rom com drama that made the audience laugh out loud together.

Most characters in the film speak both French and English, adding to the multicultural aspect of opening night.

Camille Rutherford (Anatomy of a Fall, Blue Is The Warmest Colour, Holy Motors), did a fantastic job as Agathe, moving the story forward as she negotiates her insecurities and the love interest of Felix and Oliver, played by Pablo Pauly (Three Nights a Week) and Charlie Anson (Downton Abbey), respectively.

SBIFF.org

Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Photo by Rebecca Sapp / Courtesy of SBIFF

Community News

$100,000 Grant Awarded to the Santa Barbara City Fire Department for New Emergency Response Equipment

California Office of Traffic Safety grant provides funds for state-of-the-art rescue tools.

THE SANTA BARBARA CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT has received a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) to purchase new extrication equipment. Known as the “jaws of life,” first responders use these specialized tools to safely rescue crash victims trapped inside a vehicle.

“We are incredibly grateful for this grant, which will allow us to purchase state-of-the-art rescue tools and provide training to first responders that is critical for the care of people injured in crashes,” said Santa Barbara City Fire Department, Division Chief, Brian Federmann. “These tools will significantly impact our ability to protect and serve our community, allowing us to respond even more effectively in times of crisis.”

In 2022, more than 55,000 crashes across the country involved vehicle extrication, according to National Fire Incident Reporting System data. Post-crash care is vital in preventing serious injuries from turning deadly. Delays in providing expedient care impacts survival chances. Reducing the time it takes to get to the patient, treating what can be treated, and transporting the patient to the hospital can be the difference between life and death. According to federal data, 42% of people who were killed in car crashes were alive when first responders arrived. New “jaws of life” hydraulic rescue tools will help first responders deliver life-saving measures for patients trapped in vehicles, significantly increasing chances of survival.

Otorgan subvención de $100,000 al Departamento de Bomberos de Santa Bárbara para equipos de rescate

La Oficina de Seguridad Vial financiará herramientas de rescate de última generación.

EL DEPARTAMENTO DE BOMBEROS DE LA CIUDAD DE SANTA BÁRBARA ha recibido una subvención de la Oficina de Seguridad Vial de California (OTS) para comprar nuevos equipos de extricación. Conocidos como las “mandíbulas de la vida”, los socorristas utilizan estas herramientas especializadas para rescatar de manera segura a las víctimas de accidentes atrapadas dentro de un vehículo.

“Estamos increíblemente agradecidos por esta subvención, que nos permitirá comprar herramientas de rescate de última generación y brindar capacitación a los socorristas que es fundamental para la atención de las personas lesionadas en accidentes”, dijo el jefe de división del Departamento de Bomberos de la ciudad de Santa Bárbara, Brian Federmann. “Estas herramientas tendrán un impacto significativo en nuestra capacidad de proteger y servir a nuestra comunidad, lo que nos permitirá responder de manera aún más efectiva en tiempos de crisis”.

En 2022, más de 55,000 choques en todo el país involucraron la extracción de vehículos, según datos del Sistema Nacional de Informes de Incidentes de Incendios. La atención posterior a un accidente es vital para evitar que las lesiones graves se conviertan en mortales. Los retrasos en la prestación de atención oportuna afectan las posibilidades de supervivencia. Reducir el tiempo que se tarda en llegar al paciente, tratar lo que se puede tratar y transportar al paciente al hospital puede ser la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. Según datos federales, el 42% de las personas que murieron en accidentes automovilísticos estaban vivas cuando llegaron los socorristas. Las nuevas herramientas de rescate hidráulico “mandíbulas de vida” ayudarán a los socorristas a ofrecer medidas que salven vidas a los pacientes atrapados en vehículos, lo que aumentará significativamente las posibilidades de supervivencia.

Funding for this program was provided by a grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety ( ots.ca.gov ), through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ( nhtsa.gov ).

Los fondos para este programa fueron proporcionados por una subvención de la Oficina de Seguridad del Tráfico de California ( ots.ca.gov ), a través de laAdministración Nacional de Seguridad del Tráfico en las Carreteras ( nhtsa.gov ).

A New Maze to Honor the Student’s Journey

TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THE EDUCATIONAL JOURNEY that is unique to every student, SBCC and its Academic Pathways initiative will hold a special ceremony this Friday, February 7th, to unveil the new Path Maze.

“Sometimes students think that their path should feel like moving in a clear, straight line, but the student journey often can be full of multiple entrances, exits, pathways, and choices,” said Associate Professor and Academic Pathways Faculty coordinator Margaret Prothero. “It can also be a journey full of discoveries, as well as connections made with others.”

The Path Maze, designed by local artist and maze designer Lenore T. Hughes, represents this journey. Constructed of large boulders centered by smaller stones demarcating pathways, the maze features repurposed wood and tile work. There are tables set in the space, crafted by Gaviota Coast rancher Guner Tautrim, cut from a 100-year-old Redwood “pickle tree,” donated by Westmont College.

The SBCC Path Maze Unveiling and Dedication ceremony begins at 10:30am, Friday February 7th, and features music by Santa Barbara-based acoustic guitarist Sam Adams, button making with the SBCC Graphic Design team, and refreshments provided by the Photography Department. The maze can be found on the East Campus near the Student Services building.

Free Movies & Panels at SBIFF

THE ARLINGTON WILL BE HOSTING the SBIFF award ceremonies, filmmaker panels, and a several free movies. As always, check the SBIFF app for show time updates.

Dune Part Two • Follow Paul Atreides as his pursuit of vengeance pulls him dangerously close to absolute power • The Arlington • 11am, Wed, 2/5.

Nickel Boys • Pulitzer Prize wining novel adapted for the screen told entirely in the lead characters’ POV • 11am, Thu, 2/6.

Conclave • Vatican thriller starring Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal fighting corruption in a Vatican election • 2pm, Thu, 2/6.

Horizon: An American Saga–Chapter 1 • Kevin Costner’s Wild West saga spanning four years of the civil war • 2pm, Fri, 2/7.

World premier: An American Saga Chapter 2 • Followed by a Q&A with Kevin Costner, watch for the first time the 2nd chapter in his epic Western • 6pm, Fri, 2/7.

Wicked • The smash hit about the witches of Oz, and the untold story that would shape their rivalry for years to come • 2pm, Sat, 2/8.

The Substance + Demi Moore Retrospective • The hit body horror tale of age VS youth, followed with a conversation with Demi Moore • 2pm, Sun, 2/9.

Ghost • Revisit the classic love story with Demi Moore and Patrick Swayze, guest starring Whoopi Goldberg • 11am, Mon, 2/10.

A Complete Unknown • Timothee Chalamet stars in this hit portrait of Bob Dylan, with eight Academy Award nominations • Followed by a James Mangold Q&A • 2pm, Tue, 2/11.

Emilia Pérez • With 13 Oscar nominations, see the hit musical everybody is talking about • 11am, Wed, 2/12.

Anora X Kodak Short Film Showcase • Curated by Anora filmmaker Sean Baker, celebrate the artistry of analog filmmaking through ten remarkable shorts made on Kodak 16mm film • 5pm, Wed, 2/12.

The Brutalist • Adrien Brody stars a visionary architect who has come to America to rebuild his life, his career, and his marriage • 11am, Thu, 2/13.

Sing Sing • An inmate finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men • 11am, Fri, 2/14.

Bustin’ Down The Door • A time capsule of the surfers in the 1970s who transformed the sport and set the stage for modern professional surfing • 2pm, Fri, 2/14.

10-10-10 Student Shorts • Pairing student filmmakers with mentors, SBIFF grants a 5 month filmmaking program to produce 10 films, to premiere at the Arlington • 2pm, Sat, 2/15.

Applebox Family Films

DURING THE FESTIVAL, THIS YEAR’S TOP ANIMATED FEATURES will be shown for free on Saturdays at the Marjorie Luke Theatre, at 721 East Cota St. Admission will be on a first-come, first-served basis following passholder admission. More titles and show times will be announced on the SBIFF app.

Inside Out 2 • Riley’s a teenager now, so make room for new emotions to crowd in, Anxiety included • 10am, Sat, 2/8.

Flow • Follow a cat and his new companions as they search for dry land after a catastrophic flood • 2pm, Sat, 2/8.

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl • This intrepid duo must take on an old enemy after Wallace’s new invention, a SMART Gnome, develops a mind of its own • 10am, Sat, 2/15.

The Wild Robot • A shipwrecked robot must adapt to a harsh environment and befriend his animals neighbors to survive • 2pm, Sat, 2/15.

SBIFF Filmmaker Seminars

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC, this series highlights the knowledge and tool sets it takes to be a filmmaker. Seminar subject matters are paired with filmmakers screening films at the festival, and will be announced on the SBIFF app closer to show dates. Seminars will take place at Home Planet Productions at 735 State Street, Suite 103. Sponsored by Fujifilm.

Making Your Debut: First Time Filmmakers

• 11am, Wed, 2/5.

The Female Gaze: Women Storytellers

• 11am, Thu, 2/6.

Final Cut: Assembling the Edit • 11am, Fri, 2/7.

Getting the Scoop: Journalism in Film

• 11am, Mon, 2/10.

The Art of the Narrative: Crafting the Screenplay

• 11am, Tue, 2/11.

Painting with Light: Visual Storytelling

• 11am, Wed, 2/12.

Performance and Collaboration: Directing Actors

• 11am, Thu, 2/13.

Fight the Power: Documentary Activism

• 11am Fri, 2/14.

ANIMATION PANEL

Free Admission

February 5th, Wednesday, 5pm, Arlington Theatre

Chris Sanders, The Wild Robot • Gints Zilbalodis, Flow

• Kelsey Mann, Inside Out 2 • Nick Park, Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl

The Brutalist, with Adrien Brody Courtesy image

Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’s creator, Nick Park, will be at the Animation Panel on February 5th, 5pm, Arlington Theatre

Demi Moore will be at the Arlington Sunday, February 9th, for a screening of The Substance, followed by a Q&A

image

Timothée Chalamet to Recieve SBIFF Arlington Artist of the Year Award

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

EVOKING A PORTRAIT OF ONE OF MODERN MUSIC’S MOST ENIGMATIC SUPERSTARS, Bob Dylan, Timothée Chalamet demonstrates the depths he can plumb in pursuit of a role. The 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival has taken note, and will honor Chalamet with the Arlington Artist of the Year Award on Tuesday, February 11th at 8pm at the Arlington. The recognition is well deserved, as Chalamet has had a watershed year, and the night will offer an in-person tribute and career retrospective.

“I’m a big fan of Bob Dylan, and I was blown away by Chalamet’s transformation in A Complete Unknown, ” said SBIFF Executive Director Roger Durling. “His performance is galvanizing and electrifying, especially coming on the heels of the major box office triumph earlier this year with Dune: Part Two. Truly, this is the age of Chalamet.”

When it comes to portraying somebody as iconic as Bob Dylan, the herald of the 60’s counterculture movement, mimicry isn’t enough. Chalamet frames Dylan’s slouch and sly watchfulness, and nails Dylan’s voice in almost every sonic detail. He performed all of the songs live, while filming, but it’s the other moments— Dylan in relationships, in interviews, in rebuking the pressure to remain just a folk musician—that Chalamet gives the audience the Bob Dylan who fans came to love: fearless, undaunted, cocksure, a risk taker at constant work on his craft.

As much as he embodies Bob Dylan,

Chalamet is cognizant of the dangers of immersing oneself in a character. “I try to be super careful. The danger is you can end up focusing more on what’s going on off-camera than on-camera,” he told R&B artist Frank Ocean, in a conversation for VMAN Magazine. “You don’t want to be entertaining for the sake of being entertaining. The work should be the work. If it resonates, it’s going to resonate, and then people are naturally curious about how you got to that destination.”

Ever since his breakout role in Call Me By Your Name (for which Chalamet received a “Best Actor” nomination from the Oscars), he has been a performer to watch. While many actors might be comfortable “phoning it in” on SNL, he has stretched his wings. Consider his white rapper $mokeCheddaThaAssGetta, then consider him in A Complete Unknown, and a full picture of Chalamet’s abilities is on display, and that he’s game for almost aanything.

Oakland Crew Fight Fires and More in IntheRed

By Destin Cavazos / VOICE

SANTA BARBARA WILL SHINE A SPOTLIGHT ON THE LIVES AND LOSSES of first responders with the world premiere of the documentary feature, In the Red: Changing Lives to Save Lives, at the 40th SBIFF. The film follows six Oakland residents—Joseph Stubbs, Julio Leon, Justin Mayo, Dexter Harris, Samantha Soto, and Eric Lanier—as they train to become firefighters, weathering hardships both on the troubled streets and in their rigorous first responder training.

“In many ways, In the Red is a love story for Oakland,” said director Mimi Chakarova, founder and creative director of Still I Rise Films. “When I found out that there was a group of Black firefighters who teach young men and women how to become first responders free of charge, I knew that I wanted to follow their lives.”

Shot over the course of eleven years, In the Red chronicles the ups and downs, successes and failures, triumphs and challenges faced by these individuals fighting to provide a better life for themselves and others. In making her film, Chakarova found it important to highlight the reality of this community, as well as recontextualize some of the misconceptions her audience may have. A former photojournalist, the director said she’s drawn to the authenticity she’s able to give voice to through her storytelling.

“Film has the power to not only change a person’s perception, it can alter that person’s behavior. It’s by far one of the most immediate, impactful ways to tell and to deliver stories,” explained Chakarova. “Some of the kids in the training program came from juvenile institutions; others came from foster care or the streets. We live in one of the wealthiest regions in the United States, yet the gap between the rich and poor couldn’t be more pronounced. There is also a great deal of negative coverage surrounding Oakland. Eleven years in the making, I hope that our film shows a different side of the Bay Area and that our storytelling approach leaves viewers inspired.”

After its premiere at SBIFF, Chakarova plans to take her film to other theaters nationwide, continuing to connect audiences to the bravery, resilience, and perseverance of her six subjects.

“Beyond film festivals, we’ll make sure that this work is seen in high schools, colleges, and training programs for first responders,” shared Chakarova on her hopes for the film. “This message of hope should resonate with young people who are still in juvenile detention centers and those struggling to find a sense of purpose. The subtitle of the film is ‘Changing Lives to Save Lives’ and in the eleven years that the film focuses on, it’s clear that unconditional love and stability are key for the remarkable transformations that we witness.”

In light of other ongoing hardships in California, Chakarova said she feels this story couldn’t have been shared at a better time.

“We’re expecting many firefighters from Los Angeles and the San Francisco/Bay Area to attend our Friday screening,” she added. “Several of the folks in the film are still in L.A. fighting the fires and the film’s world premiere is even more impactful during such trying times.”

In the Red: Changing Lives to Save Lives will have its world premiere Wednesday, February 12th at 11am at the SBIFF Film Center in Auditorium #1, followed by another screening Thursday, February 13th, at 3:20pm in Auditorium #5. The film will also have a screening at the Riviera Theater Friday, February 14th at 6pm. For tickets visit sbiff.org

Photos courtesy of SBIFF

World Premiere:

Oakland resident Joseph Stubbs narrates Mimi Chakarova’s In the Red: Changing Lives to Save Lives

courtesy of SBIFF

SBIFF Celebrates SingSing’s Colman Domingo

By Destin Cavazos / VOICE

IN CELEBRATION THE CHARISMA AND COMPASSION THAT HE BRINGS TO THE SCREEN, cinema icon Colman Domingo will receive the Montecito Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara Film Festival. The ceremony will take place February 14th at the Arlington Theater at 8pm. Recently, Domingo has been drumming up buzz with his performance in Greg Kwedar’s Sing Sing, earning an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of John “Divine G” Whitfield. Shot in just 18 days, the film follows a group of inmates finding purpose as actors and artists through their prison’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, many of them played by RTA veterans who were formerly incarcerated themselves.

“This was the first time on film that I’ve been able to create exactly, without a lot of compromise, the kind of environment that I wanted to build,” shared Domingo in a discussion with the New Yorker. “I know it’s my most raw performance. I realized that that’s what needed to happen. I’m with men who had the lived experience, and they were playing versions of themselves. So who was I not to play a version of myself, which is someone who finds a lot of hope and light in dark spaces?”

Domingo, who also produced the film, said he enjoyed the chance to perform alongside his RTA costars, highlighting the tenderness and vulnerability that these men, particularly men of color, are often seen as incapable of.

“I think that’s why I was drawn to it, because here’s an opportunity to get behind an art and shine a light on different people,” he added in an interview

with 92nd Street. “That’s the joy, for me, it’s like you thought you knew who these people were. But now you know them as people.”

Domingo’s other roles in film and television include Albert “Mister” Johnson in The Color Purple, Ali in Euphoria, Bayard Rustin in Rustin, X in zola, and William Burke in 2021’s Candyman. He also recently wrapped production on Antoine Fuqua’s Michael, playing Joe Jackson, which will be released October 3rd. Additionally, he will voice Norman Osborn in the new Disney+ animated Marvel series Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man. Domingo has been nominated for an Oscar, BAFTA, Tony® Award, Critics Choice Awards, Independent Spirit, Gotham Awards, Lawrence Olivier, Drama Desk, Drama League, NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award. He has won an Emmy, Astra, AAFCA , NAACP Image, and Black Reel Award.

Each year, the Montecito Award is given to a performer who has made a significant contribution to film. Previous recipients include Jeffrey Wright, Angela Bassett, Penelope Cruz, Amanda Seyfried, Lupita Nyong’o, Saoirse Ronan, Sylvester Stallone, and Oprah Winfrey.

“Colman is such a committed performer and one of the most extraordinary talents in the small screen, in theatre and in film, and he makes it all seem effortless,” remarked SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling in a release. “His work in Sing Sing is unforgettable.” For tickets ($35, $100 priority seating) visit sbiff.org

Separated Wins Top Prize from The Fund

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

ASCATHING EXAMINATION OF IMMIGRATION POLICY under the Trump administration, Separated has won the 2025 Social Justice Award from The Fund for Santa Barbara, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting organizations that seek progressive change. Partnering with the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Fund sought to award a film that supports social change through the advancement of economic, environmental, political, racial or social justice.

“We believe that movies can create movements and Separated is such an urgent example,” said Eder Gaona-

Macedo, Executive Director, Fund for Santa Barbara. “The Administration’s recent actions, within the last week, have traumatized our immigrant neighbors, inflicting fear and uncertainty. Immigrants are the backbone of our economy—now more than ever, we must stand up to protect their rights. We hope the film screening and award will galvanize the region to support our immigrant communities.”

Based on the reporting of journalist Jacob Soboroff, (Separated: Inside an American Tragedy, Harper Collins, 2020) and under the steady hands of iconic documentary filmmaker Errol Morris, Separated examines the complexity behind one of the more grotesques policies mandated by the Trump administrations: separating migrant families at the border.

Officially know as the “Zero Tolerance” policy, Amnesty International characterized it as “torture,” and the American Academy of Pediatrics said it was “child abuse…that causes irreparable harm to child health.” Allegations, from the ACLU, of sexual abuse, were exposed via the Freedom of Information act. Stitching together personal narratives with investigative journalism, Separated seeks to explain how

such an inhumane policy could come to be, let alone be implemented.

Separated was one of four nominees for the Social Justice Award. The other films covered such topics as Jewish-African American allyship in the face of growing racial tensions between the two (All God’s Children), gender identity and acceptance (I’m Your Venus), and a Southern California coastal toxic pollution disaster (Out of Plain Sight). While all four films met the Fund’s criteria for the award, Separated stood out for its breadth of coverage and unflinching lens on the subject.

According to Vanity Fair, the director found himself invested in this story. “It’s hard for me not to believe that these policies were motivated by meanness,” Morris said. “There’s no pragmatic element in it at all.”

fundforsantabarbara.org

Colman Domingo and his costar, Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, in Sing Sing

Colman Domingo

Photos courtesy of SBIFF

Separated, by Errol Morris and Jacob Soboroff Stills courtesy of SBIFF

A Curious Lens on the Blues Whales in the Channel

By Fiona Sheehy / VOICE

ALOVE LETTER TO THE GENTLE GIANTS ENDEMIC TO THE SANTA BARBARA CHANNEL, Adam Ernster’s Battle Of The Blues offers a message of profound significance within a 25 minute documentary. It will have its world premiere at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s Film Center on Thursday, February 6 at 3pm and screen again on Friday, February 7th at 8:40pm during the 40th Anniversary Festival.

“I’ve been working in and exploring the Santa Barbara Channel since I was 19. As a wildlife cameraman, I’ve spent nearly every day of my life over the past seven years capturing the beauty of the channel and the incredible creatures that call it home. From thousands upon thousands of common dolphins to their predators, the ever-impressive killer whale, the Santa Barbara Channel is one of the most diverse marine hotspots our oceans have to offer,” shared Ernster, adding, “It also happens to be one of the best places on the planet to see blue whales, the largest creature to ever live on planet Earth.”

In his doc, Ernster, a Santa Barbara resident and experienced filmmaker, highlights how existing in an increasingly industrial-dominated world, creates pressing issues that must be collectively remediated.

“The Channel happens to be the home of one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world; here our conflict arises. Over the years I’ve seen multiple blue, fin, and humpback whales wash up dead in the Channel with obvious signs of being struck by a large vessel. This is a solvable problem, and one initiative, ‘Protecting Blue Whales and Blue Skies,’ is providing a real and effective solution for.”

The Battle in the film’s title is not one of aggression, but rather the adaptation obstacles Blue

whales face as a means of survival as they navigate oceans where commercial interests and conservation efforts are often at odds.

“I spend my days capturing moments of the ocean’s largest inhabitants to evoke a sense of curiosity toward our great blue seas. A sense of purpose and responsibility to protect our oceans. Creating film provides a beautiful synthesis of groundbreaking science, breathtaking imagery, and impactful storytelling. I try to bring forth all three in my filmmaking.”

Throughout the documentary there is a coalescence of expert narratives from marine biologists and conservationists, and intentional cinematography for viewers to better understand the state of these magnificent creatures living in the heart of the Santa Barbara Channel. For Ernster, the goal for this film is to influence places much further than Santa Barbara. He is submitting Battle to film festivals around the globe to bring more eyes to the issue. He hopes that the film will be used in area legislation to convince assembly members throughout California to turn the Channel’s “voluntary vessel speed reduction zone” into a statewide program, protecting whales along the entire California coast, not just the Santa Barbara Channel and the Bay Areas.” For the latest film schedule, please visit SBIFF.org

The Blue Owl 5 West Canon Perdido 7pm to 9pm February 14th by

Valentines Day

Blue Whale

Adam Ernster

Movie Still, Courtesy of Adam Ernster

Love is in the air

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) and more, visit sanysidroranch.com

Hearts Glow for Valentines

Cupid's Comedy Night • Meet Your Match: A Valentine's Singles Event w/ Lisa Amador • The Red Piano • $72 • amadormatchmaking.com • 5:30pm, Thu, 2/13.

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.

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.

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.

SB Public Market: Ca’Dario Pizzeria Veloce 38 W. Victoria • 805-884-9419

Photo courtesy of San Ysidro Ranch

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Friday 2/7

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

The Underground Search for Dark Matter • Chami Amarasinghe, Ph.D., will speak on a underground experiment in the Black Hills of South Dakota called LUX-ZEPLIN (LZ) • Fleischmann Auditorium, SBMNH • free • sbnature.org • 7:30pm, Fri, 2/7.

From the Page to the Silver Screen • Filmmaker Stephen Cornwell, producer of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and The Night Manager will discuss bringing the character to life on the silver screen • El Encanto • $50 • 10am, Fri, 2/7.

MUSIC

Lakecia Benjamin and Phoenix • “Jazz sprinkled with the rich flavors of funk and soul” • Campbell Hall • $15-$52.50 • artsandlectures.ucsb.edu • 8pm, Fri, 2/7.

Spring Faculty Recital • Westmont Department of Music • Deane Chapel, Westmont College • free • westmont.edu • 7pm, Fri, 2/7. Camerata Pacifica • With Sarah Maria Sun, Sébastian Jacot, Jose Franch-Ballester, Jolente de Maeyer, Ani Aznavoorian, Irina Zahharenkova • Hahn Hall • $35-$75 • cameratapacifica.org • 7:00pm, Fri, 2/7.

Wake of the Flood • The Grateful Dead Tribute Band • The Brewhouse • free • sbbrewhouse.com • 6:30pm, Fri, 2/7.

Bob Marley’s birthday w/ Don Carlos & Rastan • Celebrate a reggae legend’s birthday • SOhO • $36 • sohosb.com • 8pm, Fri, 2/7.

An Evening with Leo Kottke • Famed solo acoustic guitarist Leo Kottke renowned fingerpicker • Lobero Theatre • $45-$107 • lobero. org/whats-on • 7:30pm, Fri, 2/7.

Maria Bamford

Revered for her deeply personal and experimental comedy about mental illness, and a winner of the American Comedy Award for Best Club Comic, Maria Bamford brings her very personal brand of humor to the Lobero, on Saturday, February 8th, at 7:30pm. For tickets ($42-$57), visit lobero.org/whats-on

LA Fundraiser Series:

Stretch & Sound • With Cristy Candler; revenue will benefit ASPCA LA • Yoga Soup • $25 • yogasoup.com • 7pm, Fri, 2/7.

SPECIAL EVENTS

PEO Sisterhood Founders’ Day luncheon • With Lonnie Nelson of the Santa Barbara Fish Reef Project as speaker • Santa Barbara Elks Lodge • fishreef.org • 11am, Fri, 2/7.

Saturday 2/8

COMEDY

Maria Bamford Comedy Show • Star of Netflix comedy series Lady Dynamite, Comedy Central Presents specials and Netflix’s Comedians of Comedy: The Movie brings her trademark humor to SB • Lobero Theatre • $42-$57 • lobero.org/whats-on • 7:30pm, Sat, 2/8.

DANCE

Colors of Love 2025 • See dance celebrating cultures and unity with Latin, Samba, Belly Dance, Argentine Tango, Flamenco, & more • Center Stage Theater • $35$40 • centerstagetheater.org • 8pm, Sat, 2/8.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Sir Niall Ferguson • UCSB Arts & Lectures presents historian and commentator Ferguson’s take on today’s social changes and disruptions • The Granada • $34$59 • granadasb.org • 4pm, Sat, 2/8.

Sketching in the Galleries • All skill levels welcome, materials provided • Museum Galleries, SBMA • $6-$15, free w/ addmission • sbma. net/events • 11:15am, Sat, 2/8.

An Introduction to Holistic Energy Healing • Learn the tools and practical experience in holistic energy healing • Schott

Campus, SBCC • $18 • sbcc. augusoft.net • 10am, Sat, 2/8.

Gelli Plate Printing with Botanicals • Printing with Plants and Collage • CAW • $75 • sbcaw. org/upcoming • 10am-1pm, Sat, 2/8.

The Sketchbook – A Visual Diary • About the sketchbook as a visual diary w/ Karen R. Schroeder; Watercolors, colored pencils, pens, & more provided • Carpinteria Arts Center • $50-$55 • carpinteriaartscenter.org • 9am12pm, Sat, 2/8.

MUSIC

Santa Barbara Music Club

• Celebrating the compositions of Emma Lou Diemer with a program of her instrumental and choral music • First United Methodist Church • free • sbmusicclub.org • 3pm, Sat, 2/8.

Snot with Seven Hours, After Violet, & PetMedz • Numbskull Presents • SOhO • $24 • sohosb.com • 8:30pm, Sat, 2/8.

OUTDOORS

Seeds of Change: Conservation Through Diversity • 12th Annual Santa Barbara Botanic Garden Conservation Symposium, with 2025 Conservation Award Recipient Peggy Olwell • Santa Barbara County Education Auditorium • $40 general, $15 students/members, free livestream • sbbotanicgarden.org • 10am-4pm, Sat, 2/8.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Star Party • See a remarkable view of the night sky through a state-of-the-art 20-inch telescope • Palmer Observatory, SBMNH • free • sbnature.org • 7pm, Sat, 2/8.

211 Community Day Celebration Resource Fair • Featuring 70+ Organizations, Health Services, Kids Activities, Haircuts, Live Music, Door Prizes, and more • Earl Warren Showgrounds • free • earlwarren.com • 11am-3pm, Sat, 2/8. SYV Pride’s 2nd Annual Love Above All Ball • Benefit gala supporting SYV Pride’s mission to create a safe space for the LGBTQ+ community, w/ DJ Darla Bea • Vega Vineyard & Farm • $150 • syvpride.org • 5pm, Sat, 2/8.

Love in the Ocean • How marine life makes more marine life • Cabrillo High School Aquarium • free • cabrilloaquarium.org • 6pm, Sat, 2/8.

Santa Barbara Black Culture House • Community discussion: Coffee With a Black Guy w/ James Joyce III • Soul Bites Restaurants • free • 1pm, Sat, 2/8.

Sunday 2/9

MUSIC

Youth Ensembles Winter Festival Concert • Santa Barbara Symphony’s youth ensembles together led by conductors Marisa McLeod and Dr. Daniel Gee • Lobero Theatre • free • lobero.org/ whats-on • 4pm, Sun, 2/9.

Janis Mann • The Santa Barbara Jazz Society presents awardwinning vocalist Janis Mann, pianist Jeff Colella, bass players Lyman, & drummer Dick Weller • SOhO • $10-$25 • sohosb.com • 1pm, Sun, 2/9.

OUTDOORS

Beach Cleanup • Show the beach some love w/ Explore Ecology • Arroyo Burro Beach • free • exploreecology.org • 10am12pm 2nd Sun/month, 2/9.

Get to Know and Grow:

Ceanothus • With Christina Varnava and Alejandro Lemus • Blaksley Library and Garden wide • $40/general, $25/members/students • sbbotanicgarden.org • 9am, Sun, 2/9.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Free 2nd Sunday for TriCounty Residents • From Santa Barbara, Ventura, & San Luis Obispo • SBMA • free • sbma.net • 11am-5pm, Sun, 2/9.

Monday 2/10

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

The Crucibles That Shape Us • On Navigating the Defining Challenges of Leadership, w/ Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe • CAW • free • westmont. edu • 5:30pm, Mon, 2/10.

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

MUSIC

SBCC Monday Madness Jazz Orchestra • Celebrating the greats with local professionals and music educator • SOhO • $15 • sohosb.com • 7pm, Mon, 2/10.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Science Pub: Lemurs with a Side of Sulfur • Kacie Ring on her field work in Madagascar with lemurs, and Marianna Karagiannis on why sulfur matters • Dargan's Irish Pub & Restaurant • free • sbnature.org • 6:30pm, Tue, 2/10.

Tuesday 2/11

COMEDY

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

DANCE

Twyla Tharp Dance: 60th Anniversary • UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Diamond Jubilee: featuring the Olivier-nominated Diabelli, & a new collaboration

Santa Barbara Ghost Tours

Walk with Professor Julie as she shares tales of mystery and history... & meet friendly spirits Call or text to schedule your walking tour! • 805-905-9019

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

Courtesy Maria Bamford

with composer Philip Glass • Granada Theatre • $49-$109/$20 for UCSB students • artsandlectures.ucsb.edu • 7:30pm, Tue, 2/11.

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Area Meeting – Community Arts Workshop • Alex Lucas, Professor of Print and Publication at UCSB, giving a place-intime snapshot of his practice • $10 • CAW • 6pm, Tue, 2/11.

Print Making Workshop • Learn ecofriendly printmaking with EE Makerspace Coordinator Madison Connaughton • EE Makerspace • $30 • exploreecology.org • 6pm, Tue, 2/11.

MUSIC

Take It to the Limit: A Tribute to The Eagles • Relive Hotel California, Take It To The Limit, and Desperado, and Life In The Fast Lane • Lobero Theatre • $65-$80 • lobero.org • 7:30pm, Tue, 2/11.

Live from New Orleans w/ Derek Douget • And the UCSB Jazz Ensemble • SOhO • $15/$5 students • 7pm, Tue, 2/11.

Wednesday 2/12

DANCE

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

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

Author Dr. Amitha Kalaichandran

• Conversation & book-signing of On Healing: Finding Wholeness Beyond the Limits of Medicine • Chaucer's Books • free • chaucersbooks.com • 6pm, Wed, 2/12.

Research Focus Group Talk: Inside Chinese Theater • Archive of the Invisible and the Sino-Soundscape in North America, with Nancy Yunhwa Rao • McCune Conference Room, UCSB • free • ihc.ucsb.edu • 4pm, Fri, 2/12.

Crafternoons: Hearts and Crafts • Hands-on workshops using upcycled materials • EE Makerspace • $8 • exploreecology.org • 11:30am, Wed, 2/12.

Monthly Sewing & Mending

Club • For advanced & beginners, plus a knowledgeable staff on hand to offer guidance, tips, and tricks • EE Makerspace • $15 • exploreecology.org • 5:30pm–7:30pm, Wed, 2/12.

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

MUSIC

Randy Travis: More Life Tour • Legendary Country star w/ guest vocalist James Dupré • The Lobero • $71-$206 • lobero.org • 7:30pm, Fri, 2/12.

Sun Room w/ Ray & Paul • SoCal surfrock • SOhO • $24 • sohosb.com • 8pm, Fri, 2/12.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Black Flea Market • Celebrate Black History Month with an evening of FREE goodies, food, Black creatives, entrepreneurs, and more • MCC Lounge • free • mcc.sa.ucsb.edu • 5-7pm, Wed, 2/12.

THEATRE

Agnes of God

Questions of divine intervention or immaculate conception are raised when a psychiatrist must investigate a young nun for infancide. Playing for one more week at the Ojai Art Center Theatre, from the 7th of February through the 16th, 7:30pm Fri-Sat, and 2pm Sundays. For tickets ($20), visit ojaiact.org

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 • www.ojaiact.org • 7:30pm, Fri-Sat, 2pm Sun, 1/24–2/16.

Newsies Jr. • Family-friendly production based on the true story of the 1899 New York City newsboys’ strike • OYES Theater • $15 • oyespresents.org • 1/17 to 2/9.

Anima: Theater of the Feminine Underground • Dance, spoken-word poetry, comedy, and ceremonial rituals • Center Stage Theater • $36-$38 • centerstagetheater.org • 7pm, Thu, 2/6, and

Rewilding on a Continental Scale

• UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Kristine McDivitt Tompkins, co-founder of Tompkins Conservation and former CEO of Patagonia • Campbell Hall • $25 • artsandlectures.ucsb. edu • 7:30pm, Wed, 2/12.

Thursday 2/13

COMEDY

Cupid's Comedy Night • Meet Your Match: A Valentine's Singles Event w/ Lisa Amador • The Red Piano • $72

• amadormatchmaking.com

• 5:30pm, Thu, 2/13.

MUSIC

Fest Forums Benefit Concert • With Alan Parsons, Aishlin Harrison, Jerry Harrison, and Sophie B. Hawkins; proceeds go to the Santa Barbara South Coast Firefighter Foundation for LA fire victims

• SOhO • SOLD OUT • sohosb.com • 9pm, Thu, 2/13.

7pm, Fri, 2/7.

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 • www.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 • www.pcpa.org • Fri, 2/13 to Sun, 2/16.

Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street • Shrunken Heads and the UCSB Department of Music present • Lotte Lehmann Concert Hall • $16 • www. music.ucsb.edu/events • 7pm, Fri, 2/7; 12pm & 7pm, Sat, 2/8; 12pm, Sun, 2/9.

SPECIAL EVENTS

Love Letters from the Garden • With author Diana Raab, express your feelings into a letter sealed in an envelope with old-fashioned sealing wax • Santa Barbara Botanic Garden • $10/Members $15/Public • sbbotanicgarden.org • 3pm, Thu, 2/13.

Galentine’s Day at Kimpton Canary

• Create love-inspired treats curated by Trisha Cole, author of Life at the Dumpling • Kimpton Canary Hotel • $65 • 5:30pm, Thu, 2/13.

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

TEENS

Teen Programs Info Night • Learn about the Teen Programs at the Museum and Sea Center • Farrand Auditorium, SBMNH • free • sbnature.org • 5pm, Thu, 2/13.

Courtesy Ojai Art Center

COMMUNITY CALENDAR

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.

OUTDOORS

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.

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

Twyla Tharp Dance

Twyla Tharp, the American dance legend, continues to expand the boundaries of ballet and modern dance, celebrating her 60th anniversary with the Diamond Jubilee program, featuring Diabelli and new work with Philip Glass. Presented by UCSB Arts & Lectures at the Granada on Tuesday, February 11th, 7:30 pm. For tickets (49-$109), visit granadasb.org

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

SPECIAL

EVENTS

In Conversation with Jane Dickson • Explore the psychogeography of American culture w/Jane Dickson, in a conversation with James Glisson • Mary Craig Auditorium, SBMA • $10/members, $15/non-members, free/students & teachers • sbma.net • 3:30pm, Sat, 2/15.

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.

Sunday 2/16

LECTURES/WORKSHOPS

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.

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.

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.

Concierto Íntimo with guitarist Antonio Rey

By Nancy Black / VOICE

FLICKERING CANDLES ILLUMINATED ONE OF THE WORLD’S GREATEST LIVING GUITARISTS, Antonio Rey, as he gave a private performance in the historic house as a gift to his friend Maria Bermudez, the artistic director of Flamenco! Santa Barbara.

“Qué nervios,” Antonio confessed as he took the stage. Yet with meticulous technique and rapidfire fingerwork ease revealing a lifetime of practice, Antonio drew sweet melodies in ancient flamenco rhythms, spiced with haunting runs and lilting scales, evoking the seemingly effortless picado of Mario Escudero or his teacher, Sabicas. Grounded in classical flamenco palos of bulerias, seguiriyas and rumba, the concert included jazz-infused pieces that artfully riffed on the work of Paco de Lucía, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, and John McLaughlin.

Antonio Rey, a two-time Latin Grammy awardwinning guitarist, was attending the Grammys the next day since his Historias de un Flamenco was nominated for

Rey was joined onstage by his sister Mara Rey, renowned singer and dancer, along with Gerardo Morales (percussionist) and Javier Hinojosa (guitarist), hosted by Flamenco! Santa Barbara (FSB) and the Santa Barbara Historical Museum, in a private event for lead supporters of FSB, Vestal, David Bolton, Dana Cornalino, Rhonda & Ben Feld and Monique Leon-Ward (president of FSB) and SB HIstorical Museum Executive Director Dacia Harwood. Antonio’s family attended as well, sharing the excitement of the nomination.

Born in Madrid into a family of artists, Antonio earned prestigious awards including the “Premio Nacional de Guitarra.” Since beginning his musical career at the age of ten, he’s worked with renowned artists and dancers including Antonio Canales, Joaquín Cortés and Farruquito, guitarists Paco de Lucia and Vicente Amigo, as well as singers Miguel Poveda, Diego el Cigala, and Estrella Morente. A noted flamenco composer, his commissions include Gallo de Pelea for the New Spanish Ballet.

Earlier in the day, FSB hosted a special bulerías workshop by Mara Rey at the Timo Nuñez Arte Flamenco for all levels, with all local studios invited, from novice to professional dancers.

Mara Rey, touring internationally since childhood, has graced great stages and festivals in Spain such as the Lope de Vega and the Bienal de Sevilla. She regularly performs with her brother, guitarist Antonio Rey, and has shared the stage with such artists as Manuela Carrasco, Los Farruco, Jesús Carmona,

Zoe Saldaña Shines in Emilia Perez

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

BRINGING BOTH BODY AND SOUL TO HER WORK, it should come as no surprise that Zoe Saldaña shines in this years’ surprise dark horse Emilia Perez. Her performance has earned her the American Riviera Award at the 40th annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival, on Wednesday, February 12th at 8pm at the Arlington. This comes on the heels of the Cannes Film Festival honoring her with the Award for

Best Actress, and the Golden Globe following suit with the Best Supporting Actress Award. Now, with an Oscar nod for her portrayal of “Rita,” Saldaña has a shot at the elusive triple crown of acting.

“Zoe Saldaña has a fantastic filmography worth celebrating any year,” said SBIFF’s Executive Director Roger Durling, “but her commanding and stouthearted performance in Emilia Pérez makes our tribute to her imperative.”

An accomplished actor with a stellar career already under her belt, Saldaña has easily navigated the creative space from small and personal roles (Dora Jansen in The Words) to blockbuster tentpole franchises (Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy, Neytiri in Avatar). In whatever roles she takes on, she brings a physicality to her performance, and seems to live inside the very bodies of the people she portrays.

It makes sense, then, to learn she was a classically trained dancer before her pursuit of acting. “When I realized I had reached my limit and that I couldn’t go any further [with dance] I knew I wanted to pursue acting,” she said in an interview with Digital Journal. “That’s one thing you don’t use as a dancer — your voice. And the one thing I use most in my life is my voice so it’s wonderful to get to express myself artistically through the biggest instrument I use.”

Emilia Perez is a telenovela pop-rock mashup that

Miguel Poveda, Antonio el Pipa, Duquende, and Antonio Canales. The workshop was a gratefully appreciated gift for local performers.

Antonio, one of only two flamenco artists ever nominated for Best Global Music Album (the other was Paco de Lucia) has the most nominations for any flamenco artist. In the end, the 2025 award went to Matt B and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.

demanded everything from Saldaña: singing, dancing, and walking the tightrope of ferociously living into a character desperate to survive her predicament, all while still endeavoring to do right.

Presented every year at SBIFF, the American Riviera Award recognizes actors who have made a significant contribution to American cinema. Among Saldana’s Riviera Award winning peers are preeminent actors including Kristen Stewart, Delroy Lindo, Renée Zellweger, Viggo Mortenson, Sam Rockwell, Jeff Bridges, Patricia Arquette, Annette Bening, and Sandra Bullock.

James Cameron, her director in the Avatar movies, has seen Emilia Perez three times. He praised her acting on Twitter, and said, according to Huffington Post, “This is her season.” For tickets ($35-$100), visit sbiff.org

Best Global Music Album.

Photo by Isaac Hernández de Lipa

Courtesy Photo

Stills courtesy of Emilia Perez

Workshop participants

2025 International Films Preview

By Robert F. Adams / VOICE

THE FILM FEST WILL SHOW A VARIETY OF INTERNATIONAL NARRATIVE/ FICTIONAL FILMS from a wide array of countries. A sense of the unknown and some delightful discoveries should prevail as the Festival unspools over 11 days.

Some highly anticipated titles to look for include: Across the Sea (Le Mer Au Loin) is a film directed by Saïd Hamich Benlarbi, and a France, Morocco, and Belgium co-production. The story looks at a young Moroccan newly arrived in Marseille, where he encounters some volatile characters who befriend him. It screens Feb 7 at the Film Center.

Aontas, from director Irish Damian McCann, is about a middle-age woman and features a reverse chronology and the events that drive her to the brink of sanity. Screenings are Feb 11 and 12.

From Turkish director Hikmet Kerem Özcan, Hakki looks at a souvenir seller’s discovery of an Aegean artifact channeling a series of obsessive events in his life. According to the filmmakers, set in the stark landscapes of Western Anatolia, Hakkı is a story about greed and power that asks: will a man’s obsession lead to his destruction or his redemption? This will be the US Premiere and will screen on Feb 7 and 9.

Another film from France, The Good Teacher (Pas de Vagues) directed by Teddy Lussi-Modeste, looks at a chaotic series of events when a teacher is challenged by false accusations of sexual misconduct. Screenings are scheduled for Feb 7 and 12.

The Quiet Ones (De Lydløse) looks to be an exciting thriller influenced by the classic crime films of William Friedkin and Jules Dassin. Directed by Frederik Louis Hvid, this heist themed movie will screen Feb 8 and 11.

A story derived from actual events, The Swedish Torpedo (Den Svenska Torpedan) from

director Frida Kempff will have its US premiere. The tale looks at an unstoppable swimmer, Sally Bauer, in this period drama as she looks to swim across various channels such as Öresund, Kattegat, Åland Sea, and the English Channel in the late 1930s before war breaks out in Europe. The film covers an interesting period of history and the challenges facing female athletes, and offers a strong performance from star Josefin Neldén. A screening are will be held on Feb 13.

From Italy, Trifole, from director Gabrele Fabbro, looks at a vanishing way of life in Italy and the search for a prizewinning truffle. The main character has a loyal dog companion and an armful of notes. The director has stated, “I wanted to tell a visually dynamic story that celebrates the values of family, heritage, and my homeland, Italy,—a love letter to my grandfather.” Screenings will be on Feb 7 and 10.

From Argentina and filmmaker Mariana Wainstein, Linda is a film about a housemaid that knows family secrets and encourages erotic fantasies. This complex film leads to unintended consequences. Screenings are scheduled for Feb 11, 12, and 14.

The closing night film, on Saturday February 15th at the Arlington, is A Missing Part (Une Part Manquante). From France and Belgium and director Guillaume Senez, the story closely follows a Tokyo cab driver searching for an estranged daughter to no avail. One night before he moves back to France, she appears suddenly in his cab. Dramatic antics ensue.

An added treat, there will be an International Director’s panel convened at the Arlington Theatre on Sunday, February 9th at 11am, which should not be missed. An illustrious gathering of internationally based filmmakers will include Latvian animator and storyteller Gints Zilbalodis (Flow), the exceedingly original director Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), the exiled Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof (The Seed of the Sacred Fig), and the brilliant Walter Salles from Brazil (I’m Still Here). SBIFF.org

WHY CALIFORNIA BURNS

Booksigning & Talk With Author Obi

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 bestselling 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.

Eagles Nest Ocean Views

Santa Barbara’s Premiere Ocean View Apartments

• Every apartment has outstanding ocean views with the very best island and sunset views in town.

• 32 one bedroom apartments, each with granite counter tops and a magnificent view.

• Recently updated on a dead end street with a reserved carport parking spot for each unit.

• Only six blocks to the ocean and on a bluff top with mild ocean breezes year round. All the top floor units have high beamed ceilings and no steps, so easy access for all ages.

• See the best of Santa Barbara from this park-like setting.

For more information or to schedule an appointment call John at 805-451-4551.

John R. WhitehuRst Property Manager/Owner

805-451-4551 • www.SBOceanViewRentals.com Home Realty & Investment DRE#01050144

Trifole, from director Gabrele Fabbro

Film stills courtesy of SBIFF

The Swedish Torpedo, from director Frida Kempff Hakki, from director Hikmet Kerem Özcan

The Quiet Ones, directed by Frederik Louis

Row of Life: Living Fearless Takes Audacity and Grit

By Jesse Caverly / VOICE

IN A TIME WHEN THE HUMAN SPIRIT in the face of the impossible is in high demand, athletes like Angela Madsen strike a particular chord with audiences. Row of Life, Soraya Simi’s new documentary, charts this force of nature, as Madsen takes on the seven seas, in search of conquering them and her own fears.

A former Marine, three-time Paralympian, and renowned ocean rower with 14 world records under her belt, Madsen was a hero to those in the margins: the LGBTQ+ community, women, and adaptive athletes. Her intensely personal relationship to the ocean— both called to it and challenged by it— made her a powerhouse to reckon with.

Simi shares a similar affinity for the ocean. Her first feature documentary, Where the Water Takes Us, documented 20 college students on a 40-day sailing journey in the Caribbean, and caught Madsen’s eye. The two forged a friendship over the desire to document what would become Madsen’s swan song: a solo unassisted row across the Pacific Ocean, from Los Angeles to Hawaii.

With Row of Life set to make it’s world premiere after five years in the making, Simi took a moment to answer a few questions about her film.

What about this subject matter compelled you to make this film?

Soraya Simi: Angela Madsen herself — I had never met or known anyone like her: a 60 year old Paralympian and Marine Veteran, with the audacity, skill, and grit to attempt to row the Pacific Ocean alone. She is a magnetic person, and from the moment we met,

I was hooked. Angela as a person is a once in a lifetime character and a privilege to be around. How has your creative process brought you to using film as a medium?

Simi: I am a firm believer that a story finds its right medium, and sometimes that’s not always film. Film behooves the story to have first and foremost a visual language on display — something that must be seen to be believed. In the case of Row of Life, it was important to capture the profound sense of scale of the Pacific Ocean and Angela’s tiny 20 foot vessel in comparison. She was like an astronaut heading to space on her own, with a perspective few of us can imagine. Capturing that experience on camera helps fill the gaps and express the magnitude of what she was setting out to do.

Where do you hope to see your film, and its message, go from here?

Simi: We hope Row of Life finds the biggest platform available so audiences — particularly women, adaptive athletes, military veterans, and the LGBTQ+ community — can bear witness to Angela’s remarkable story and hear her message about finding one’s authenticity, defining one’s own courage, and pursuing one’s own unique destiny.

It is our intention to screen the film as much as possible inperson this coming year to make Angela’s uplifting message and astounding legacy ubiquitous, with a powerful impact campaign focused on creating incubators around adaptive sports/living with disability, LGBTQ+ safety, and veteran suicide.

We are also in the works of a scripted adaptation of Angela’s story... so more to come!

How has Santa Barbara been an influence on your creative work and process?

Nominations Open for Person of the Year Award

THE SANTA BARBARA FOUNDATION WILL HIGHLIGHT A LOCAL HERO, as the nominations for the 82nd Annual Person of the Year awards are now open. Members of the community are invited to nominate an individual, couple, or family who has made an exceptional impact in service of the Santa Barbara community, addressing community needs and improving quality of life through kindness, commitment, and innovation. Nominations will be open through Wednesday, February 19th. Honorees will be announced in March, with the awards luncheon to take place on Wednesday, April 23rd.

To submit a nomination, visit sbfoundation.org/person-of-the-year-nominations/

Demi Moore to Discuss Trio of Films during SBIFF Career Retrospective

A SPIRITED STAR WITH PLENTY OF SPARKLE AND SUBSTANCE, Demi Moore will join SBIFF for a retrospective of some of her most iconic roles.

The marathon of Moore kicks off Friday, February 7th with a screening of the sensual drama Indecent Proposal, starring Moore alongside Woody Harrelson and Robert Redford, at 5:40pm at the SBIFF Film Center.

Next, a Q&A with the GoldenGlobe winning actress will follow a free screening of Coralie Fargeat’s The Substance on Sunday, February 9th at 2pm at the Arlington Theatre. The bombastic, Best Picture-nominated body horror stars Moore as an aging celebrity who dabbles in a black-market drug with disastrous consequences.

Finally, a free screening of the romance Ghost, co-starring Patrick Swayze, will close out the retrospective series on Monday, February 10th, at 11am at the Arlington.

For more information, visit sbiff.org

Simi: Wow! Where to start? Given that it’s one of the most beautiful places in the world, I kiss the ground daily for the peace, safety, and creative freedom the mountains, the sea, the islands, and the community Santa Barbara gives me. It is so much easier to remember what really matters in a place like this. It helps me nurture an identity beyond “working in the industry,” and gives me a real sense of home, deep in my bones, that always reminds me who I really am.

What’s your connection to Santa Barbara?

Simi: I am a full-time resident of Santa Barbara. In addition to working as a freelance filmmaker, I founded and run a grassroots organization for all filmmakers on the Central Coast called 805 Film Collective, that celebrates the intrinsic link between storytelling and culture, and makes clear the inherent value of producing excellent film work for a thriving local community and economy. For the most current schedule, visit sbiff.org

Ensemble Theatre Company

A New Hamlet at ETC

AN INNOVATIVE NEW TAKE ON A FAVORITE by Shakespeare, ETC’s production of Hamlet will bring the timeless, iconic tragedy of betrayal, vengeance, and madness, to the Old Vic’s stage with previews on Thursday, February 6th at 7:30pm and Friday, February 7th at 8pm; and the official opening night on Saturday, February 8th at 8pm. Performances run through Sunday, February 23rd, at 2pm at The New Vic. Performances are Wednesdays and Thursdays at 7:30pm, Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, and Sundays at 2pm; with added performances on Tuesday, February 11th at 7:30pm,

Angela Madsen, three time Paralympian and renowned ocean rower with 14 world records under her belt

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Director Soraya Simi

The cast of Hamlet, left to right: Rafael Goldstein, Ana Nicolle Chavez, Jono Eiland, Matt Foyer, Will Block, Paige Lindsey White, Corey Jones, and Sammy Linkowski

Photo by Zach Mendez

The Substance star Demi Moore will join SBIFF for a Q&A and career retrospective

2025 Virtuosos

By Robert F. Adams / VOICE

AHEART-POUNDING AND

EXCITING EVENING is almost at hand for one of the premiere events of this year’s 40th Film Festival. On Sunday, February 9th, at 8pm at the Arlington Theatre, festival audiences will get to meet the Virtuosos, chosen for standout performances in some of the best films released in 2024. Here, emcee Dave Karger, from Turner Classic Movies (TCM) will interview these outstanding film actors one by one. They include Kieran Culkin from filmmaker actor Jesse Eisenberg’s A Real Pain; Harris Dickinson from the Nicole Kidman sex drama Babygirl; and Karla Sofía Gascón, the transgender Spanish actress who leads Emilia Pérez, along with her dazzling co-star from the same film, singer and actress Selena Gomez. Audiences will also encounter the brilliant Ariana Grande from the box office champ film musical of Wicked; the newcomer Clarence Maclin from the prison theater drama Sing Sing; the young and sensational Mikey Madison from Sean Baker’s latest dark comedy Anora; and the energetic John Magaro from the drawn-fromreal-life September 5, about the ABC sports coverage of the 1972 Summer Olympics terrors dealt on Israeli athletes. And, just announced, Fernanda Torres, brilliant in Walter Salles political film I’m Still Here will be there along with Sebastian Stan, who portrays a young Trump in The Apprentice. These actors represent the best discovered faces in the “A” list of films with all of the films they represent being some of the very finest of the year.

Kieran Culkin cut his teeth as a child actor, developing his technique in the theatre, working with playwright Kenneth Lonergan in London as well as off-Broadway roles where he won an award. His work at The Steppenwolf Theatre, the Cort Theatre, and even at the Sydney Opera House prepared for his award-winning role in the lauded television series Succession. His breakthrough role arrived in A Real Pain, which premiered at 2024’s Sundance Film Festival. His nuanced portrayal of Benji, a mentally challenged drifter who joins in with his cousin visiting Holocaust sites in Poland has gained critical plaudits, including an Academy Award nomination, a BAFTA nomination, and various other end of year acting awards. English actor Harris Dickinson, so terrific in 2022’s Triangle

of Sadness, appears this year as a sexually dominating foil to Nicole Kidman’s attentiongetting role in Babygirl. Dickinsin is the new “it” boy in Hollywood and is getting fast attention by the film industry. More will be shared at the presentation on Sunday.

Karla Sofía Gascón, from Emilia Perez, will be present. Her direct and sensitive portrayal of a former drug cartel leader who changes everything is the main thrust of this intriguing musical-drama. The heart of the movie is carried by Gascón, and although she is mired in some current controversies from some prefame commentary, her gifts as a performer are undeniable. She carries the movie with grace, handling the serious subject matter and unusual mash-up of genres that made Emilia Pérez so riveting. Gascón may be one of the most interesting interviews of the evening. Selena Gomez will also be there, who is not only an accomplished TV and pop star (Only Murders in the Building), but she is also a top of the line business person, founding a makeup company called Rare Beauty along with other successful ventures. Gomez worked very closely with the songwriters in Emilia Pérez, Camille and Clément Ducol. Both of these actresses won acting awards for their portrayals at last May’s Cannes Film Festival.

The Virtuosos will also be inviting superstar Ariana Grande onstage who provides a very unique approach in her role as the hairflipping good witch in Wicked, Galinda. Sing Sing’s Clarence Maclin, who memorably plays a rough-hewn novice actor, was actually formerly incarcerated. Maclin participated in the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, and serves as a good example that everyone deserves a second chance. Mikey Madison, who plays a troubled stripper in Anora will also be there. She may speak about her approach to one of the most epically sympathetic roles in films this year. And character actor John Magaro from September 5 is included, and very well may share backstage stories about the process of shooting the historical film that has so much relevance to so many violent events on the global stage.

Fernanda Torres, now a strong Oscar candidate Best Actress contender for I’m Still Here will be present along with the actor Sebastian Stan, featured as the current president in the appreciated film The Apprentice. This evening looks to be an ultrapopular event and will be a fascinating look the twists and turns of film acting careers.

SBIFF.org

Kieran Culkin in A Real Pain

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Fernanda Torres in I’m Still Here

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Clarence Maclin in Sing Sing

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Ariana Grande in Wicked

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Karla Sofía Gascón in Emilia Perez

Still courtesy of SBIFF

Sebastian Stan in The Apprentice

Still courtesy of SBIFF

On the Street with John Palminteri

Stop, Thief!

THE SANTA BARBARA COUNTY SHERIFF’S

DEPARTMENT is looking for this suspect in a burglary at the Isla Vista Co-Op Grocery store in the overnight hours of Feb. 1st. They were called to the scene Saturday morning.

First Responders

THIS ROLLOVER TOOK PLACE on Hwy 101 northbound at Fairview Tuesday afternoon about 4:30pm in Goleta. It was raining at the time.

40th SBIFF Opening Night

More Closures on State St.

A ROLLOVER CRASH BLOCKED MILPAS ST. near Garcia Rd. in Santa Barbara Sunday night about 7:30. No one was hurt. Santa Barbara Police checked the driver for DUI. A parked vehicle was damaged on the left rear.

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

BOTH BILLABONG AND VOLCOM are closing in the same building in downtown Santa Barbara. They are in the Fithian Building in the 600 block of State St. near Ortega. A final date to leave has not been officially announced. Closeout sales are underway.

IT WAS A FULL HOUSE AT THE ARLINGTON THEATRE Tuesday for the 40th anniversary opening night of the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. Twelve days and more than 200 films and special tributes.

Plane Crash

TWO PEOPLE WERE BADLY HURT in a light plane crash at 2:16pm Wednesday in Goleta. The plane came down in a field near Highway 101, not far from the Santa Barbara Airport where the aircraft left at 1:51pm. Citizens and a CHP officer on the scene jumped a fence to get to the 29-year old male and 33-year old female who were on the grass near the burning wreckage. They were taken to Cottage Hospital.

More Love for LA Protest

COWORKER SPACES WELCOME displaced fire victims from the Los Angeles area to help them keep their businesses going or to recover. Discounts have been offered at Workzones in Santa Barbara.

I RECEIVED THIS NOTICE OF A FREE SPEECH event related to immigration on Friday in Santa Barbara. The exact address for State St. was not listed, just the streets.

Photos and Stories by John Palminteri Special to VOICE

Photos by Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Dept

Photo by Adam McKaig

VOICE Magazine • Community Market • LEGAL NOTICES

Fewer Jobs Available

By Harlan Green / Special to VOICE

“It’s gotten harder for the unemployed to find work: Job openings in the U.S. fell at the end of 2024 to the second lowest level since the end of the pandemic.” – MarketWatch

JOB VACANCIES REPORTED BY THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS have dropped from 8.2 million to 7.6 million openings in just one month. And this is becoming worrisome with the markets’ uncertainty over the effects of the federal government efficiency drive that President Trump is promising.

“It’s also taking people who lose a job a lot longer to find one. The number of people collecting unemployment benefits has risen to the highest level since 2018 if the pandemic years are omitted,” said Bartash.

Wall Street Journal just headlined was “The Dumbest Trade War in History?”

None of this is supposed to happen under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement that Mr. Trump negotiated and signed in his first term, according to WSJ’s Editorial Board.

“The U.S. willingness to ignore its treaty obligations, even with friends, won’t make other countries eager to do deals. Maybe Mr. Trump will claim victory and pull back if he wins some token concessions. But if a North American trade war persists, it will qualify as one of the dumbest in history,” said the WSJ

ECONOMIC VOICE

By Harlan Green

This is having an impact on consumer confidence, needless to say, since consumers tend to become more cautious in their spending ways at such times. The Conference Board survey wasn’t upbeat.

“All five components of the Index deteriorated but consumers’ assessments of the present situation experienced the largest decline. Notably, views of current labor market conditions fell for the first time since September, while assessments of business conditions weakened for the second month in a row,” said its Chief Economist, Dana Peterson.

Why the doubts when Republicans just elected are touting they can cure the budget deficit with a tariff war, which the

Which non-profits will you support?

Then there are the ongoing deportations which will hurt service industries like leisure, transportation, healthcare, and construction which employ a majority of immigrants, especially in the smaller businesses that tend to employ them.

The number of job vacancies reported by companies was lowest after the 2008 Great Recession and began the steady climb to 7 million just before the COVID-19 pandemic. 7.6 million job openings has stabilized over the past several months, indicating that the job market and so the unemployment report hasn’t changed. There were 5.5 million hires and 5.3 million separations (i.e., left their jobs), indicating that some 200,000 new jobs were created, which will be confirmed in Friday’s official unemployment report.

All three major stock market indexes have been seesawing since Trump enacted, then suspended the Mexican and Canadian tariffs, but not the Chinese ten percent tariff. So, it is really up to the new administration to calm the markets, if they don’t want investors to head for the exits.

And how will the threatened firing of FBI agents calm the waters? Who will then protect us from domestic and foreign terrorists?

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.

Santa Barbara Mortgage Interest Rates

Contact your local loan agent or mortgage broker for current rates:

DRAPER & KRAMER MORTGAGE CORP.

Please call for current rates: Russell Story, 805-895-8831

PARAGON MORTGAGE GROUP

Please call for current rates: 805-899-1390

HOMEBRIDGE FINANCIAL SERVICES

Please call for current rates: Erik Taiji, 805-895-8233, NMLS #322481

MONTECITO BANK & TRUST

Please call for current rates: 805-963-7511 • Coastal Housing Partnership Member

SB MORTGAGE GROUP

Simar Gulati, 805-403-9679

U.S. BANK

Please call for current rates: Teri Gauthier, 805-565-4571 • Coastal Housing Partnership Member

www.VoiceSB.com • CASA Santa Barbara, Inc. Mailing Address: 217 Sherwood Dr, Santa Barbara, CA 93110 (805) 965-6448 • Established 1993

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Our mission is to provide accessible news for everyone along with a broad and inclusive perspective on our local community in both our FREE digital and print editions. If everyone who reads VOICE Magazine supports it, our future will be made secure.

Send a contribution today to: VOICE Magazine: 217 Sherwood Dr, Santa Barbara CA, 93110

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VOICE Magazine • Community Market • LEGAL NOTICES

NOTICE OF PUBLICATIONS ON APPLICATIONS REGARDING PROVISIONS OF TITLE 28 AND/OR 30 OF THE MUNICIPAL CODE OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA (SBMC)

The Secretary of the Staff Hearing Officer has set a public hearing for Wednesday, February 19, 2025 beginning at 9:00 a.m. in the David Gebhard Public Meeting Room, 630 Garden Street.

On Thursday, February 13, 2025, an Agenda with all items to be heard on Wednesday, February 19, 2025 will be available online at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/SHO. Agendas, Minutes, and Staff Reports are also accessible online at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/SHO.

TELEVISION COVERAGE: This meeting will be broadcast live on City TV-Channel 18 and online at SantaBarbaraCA. gov/CityTV. See SantaBarbaraCA.gov/CityTVProgramGuide for a rebroadcast schedule. An archived video of this meeting will be available at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/SHOVideos.

WRITTEN PUBLIC COMMENT: Public comments may be submitted via email to SHOSecretary@SantaBarbaraCA. gov before the beginning of the Meeting. All public comments submitted via email will be provided to the SHO and will become part of the public record. You may also submit written correspondence via US Postal Service (USPS); addressed to SHO Secretary, PO Box 1990, Santa Barbara, CA 93102-1990. However, please be advised, correspondence sent via USPS may not be received in time to process prior to the meeting and email submissions are highly encouraged. Please note that the SHO may not have time to review written comments received after 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday before the meeting.

All public comment that is received before 4:30 p.m. the Tuesday before the meeting will be published on the City’s website at SantaBarbaraCA.gov/SHO Comments provided via USPS or e-mail will be converted to a PDF before being posted on the City’s website. Note: comments will be published online the way they are received and without redaction of personal identifying information; including but not limited to phone number, home address, and email address. Only submit information that you wish to make available publicly.

APPEALS: Decisions of the SHO may be appealed to the Planning Commission. Appeals may be filed in person at the Community Development Department at 630 Garden Street or in writing via email to SHOSecretary@ SantaBarbaraCA.gov. For further information and guidelines on how to appeal a decision to the Planning Commission, please contact Planning staff at (805) 564-5578 as soon as possible. Appeals and associated fee must be submitted in writing, via email to PlanningCounter@SantaBarbaraCA.gov and by first class mail postage prepaid within 10 calendar days of the meeting that the SHO took action or rendered a decision.  Appeals and associated fee post marked after the 10th calendar day will not be accepted.

NOTE TO INTERESTED PARTIES: Only those persons who participate through public comment either orally or in writing on an item on this Agenda have standing to appeal the decision. Grounds for appeal are limited to those issues raised either orally or in written correspondence delivered to the review body at, or prior to, the public hearing.

AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: If you need services or staff assistance to attend or participate in this meeting, please contact the SHO Secretary at (805) 564-5470, extension 4572. If possible, notification at least 48 hours prior to the meeting will usually enable the City to make reasonable arrangements. Specialized services, such as sign language interpretation or documents in Braille, may require additional lead time to arrange.

• 2620 Samarkand Dr

Assessor’s Parcel Number: 051-310-031

Zoning Designation: RS-7.5 (Residential Single Unit)

Application Number: PLN2024-00065

Applicant / Owner: John Beauchamp, John Beauchamp Architect Inc. / Leonard, Joseph

Project Description: Front Setback Modifications to allow the encroachment of an entry stair landing to the main residence.

• 801 State St

Assessor’s Parcel Number: 037-400-013

Zoning Designation: C-G (Commercial General)

Application Number: PLN2024-00253

Applicant / Owner: Joe Andrulaitis, Andrulaitis+Mixon Architects / Kearsarge LLC

Project Description: Conversion of two-story building to two non-residential and two residential condominiums with an Accessory Dwelling Unit.

• 206 E Victoria St

Assessor’s Parcel Number: 029-122-001

Zoning Designation: C-G (Commercial General)

Application Number: PLN2024-00355

Applicant / Owner: Brooke VanDuyne, Sherry & Associates Architects / LS Victorian, LLC

Project Description: Performance Standard Permit to convert existing single-unit residence to group residential use.

• 306 Palisades Dr

Assessor’s Parcel Number: 041-328-013

Zoning Designation: E-3/S-D-3 (One-Family Residence/Coastal Overlay)

Application Number: PLN2024-00261; Filing Date: July 1, 2024

Applicant / Owner: Dennis Thompson, Dennis Thompson Architect / Sten, Mark J

Project Description: Proposal to convert the garage to an accessory dwelling unit.

Insertion Date: Print: 2.7.25 Norma Welche, City Admin Digital included 2.5.25 8.01”x2 col; $76.58 • Ordinance 6169

ORDINANCE NO. 6169

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA AMENDING SECTION 14.08.150 OF THE SANTA BARBARA MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO WATER METERS FOR CERTAIN RESIDENTIAL USES

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on January 28, 2025.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.

(SEAL)

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

ORDINANCE NO. 6169

STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) )

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. )

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA )

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on January 14, 2025, and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on January 28, 2025, by the following roll call vote:

AYES: Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Wendy Santamaria, Kristen W. Sneddon, Mayor Randy Rowse.

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTENTIONS: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on January 28, 2025.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on January 28, 2025.

/s/ Randy Rowse Mayor

ORDER TO SHOW CAUSE FOR CHANGE OF NAME CASE NUMBER : 25CV00031

Petitioner: Abraham Mora Jarero and Dannury Ordonez Jarero filed 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.

VOICE Magazine • Community Market • LEGAL NOTICES

Learn About Local Government Meetings

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

The Goleta City Council meets biweekly on Tuesdays at 5:30pm

• To learn more about the council and other City department meetings, visit www.cityofgoleta.org

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

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

COMBINED NOTICE OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT AND NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS

REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS

On or about February 7, 2025 the City of Santa Barbara will authorize the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara (CSBHA) to submit a request to HUD to award the CSBHA to construct a 4-story building providing 46 low/very low income affordable housing units, to undertake a project known as 15 South Hope Avenue Apartments at 15 S. Hope Avenue in Santa Barbara, CA.

FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT

The City of Santa Barbara has determined that the project will have no significant impact on the human environment. Therefore, an Environmental Impact Statement under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA) is not required. Additional project information is contained in the Environmental Review Record (ERR) on file at the Community Development Department, Planning Division, 630 Garden Street, Santa Barbara, CA and may be examined or copied weekdays 8:30 A.M. to 4:30 P.M. (City offices are closed every other Friday). Please contact Julia Pujo, Environmental Analyst at JPujo@SantaBarbaraCA.gov for a digital copy of the ERR or to request review of the ERR.

PUBLIC COMMENTS

Any individual, group, or agency may submit written comments on the ERR to the City of Santa Barbara, Attention: Julia Pujo, Environmental Analyst. All comments received by February 22, 2025 will be considered by the City of Santa Barbara prior to authorizing submission of a request for release of funds. Comments should specify which Notice they are addressing.

ENVIRONMENTAL CERTIFICATION

The City of Santa Barbara certifies to HUD that Kelly McAdoo in her capacity as City Administrator consents to accept the jurisdiction of the Federal Courts if an action is brought to enforce responsibilities in relation to the environmental review process and that these responsibilities have been satisfied. HUD’s approval of the certification satisfies its responsibilities under NEPA and related laws and authorities and allows the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara to use Program funds.

OBJECTIONS TO RELEASE OF FUNDS

HUD will accept objections to its release of funds and the City of Santa Barbara’s certification for a period of fifteen days following the anticipated submission date or its actual receipt of the request (whichever is later) only if they are on one of the following bases: (a) the certification was not executed by the Certifying Officer of the City of Santa Barbara; (b) the City of Santa Barbara has omitted a step or failed to make a decision or finding required by HUD regulations at 24 CFR Part 58; (c) the grant recipient or other participants in the development process have committed funds, incurred costs or undertaken activities not authorized by 24 CFR Part 58 before approval of a release of funds by HUD; or (d) another Federal agency acting pursuant to 40 CFR Part 1504 has submitted a written finding that the project is unsatisfactory from the standpoint of environmental quality. Objections must be prepared and submitted in accordance with the required procedures (24 CFR Part 58, Sec. 58.76) and shall be addressed to HUD Attn: Rufus Washington at 300 N. Los Angeles Street, Suite 4054, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Potential objectors should contact HUD to verify the actual last day of the objection period.

Kelly McAdoo, City Administrator

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.

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 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.

VOICE Magazine • Community Market • LEGAL NOTICES

Insertion Date: Print: 2.7.25 Norma Welche, City Admin Digital included 2.5.25 8.02”x2 col; $76.67 • Ordinance 6167

ORDINANCE

NO. 6167

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT DEED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON ON CITY PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE DEPOT LOT

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on January 14, 2025.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.

(SEAL)

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

ORDINANCE NO. 6167

STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) )

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. )

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA )

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on December 10, 2024, and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on January 14, 2025, by the following roll call vote:

AYES: Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Wendy Santamaria, Mayor Randy Rowse.

NOES: None

ABSENT: Kristen W. Sneddon

ABSTENTIONS: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on January 14, 2025.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on January 14, 2025.

/s/ Randy Rowse Mayor

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. 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. 2025-0000258. Published February 7, 14, 21, 28, 2025.

Insertion Date: Print: 2.7.25 Norma Welche, City Admin Digital included 2.5.25 8.145”x2 col; $77.87 • Ordinance 6168

ORDINANCE NO. 6168

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SANTA BARBARA APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE PUBLIC WORKS

DIRECTOR TO EXECUTE A PUBLIC UTILITY EASEMENT DEED TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA EDISON ON CITY PROPERTY LOCATED AT THE DEPOT LOT

The above captioned ordinance was adopted at a regular meeting of the Santa Barbara City Council held on January 28, 2025.

The publication of this ordinance is made pursuant to the provisions of Section 512 of the Santa Barbara City Charter as amended, and the original ordinance in its entirety may be obtained at the City Clerk’s Office, City Hall, Santa Barbara, California.

(SEAL)

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

ORDINANCE NO. 6168

STATE OF CALIFORNIA ) )

COUNTY OF SANTA BARBARA ) ss. )

CITY OF SANTA BARBARA )

I HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing ordinance was introduced on January 14, 2025, and adopted by the Council of the City of Santa Barbara at a meeting held on January 28, 2025, by the following roll call vote:

AYES: Councilmembers Eric Friedman, Oscar Gutierrez, Meagan Harmon, Mike Jordan, Wendy Santamaria, Kristen W. Sneddon, Mayor Randy Rowse.

NOES: None

ABSENT: None

ABSTENTIONS: None

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereto set my hand and affixed the official seal of the City of Santa Barbara on January 28, 2025.

/s/ Sarah P. Gorman, MMC City Clerk Services Manager

I HEREBY APPROVE the foregoing ordinance on January 28, 2025.

/s/ Randy Rowse Mayor

SELENA GOMEZ EMILIA PÉREZ

KARLA SOFÍA GASCÓN EMILIA PÉREZ

HARRIS DICKINSON BABYGIRL

ARIANA GRANDE WICKED

KIERAN CULKIN A REAL PAIN

ANGELINA JOLIE MARIA

RALPH FIENNES CONCLAVE

ZOE SALDAÑA EMILIA PÉREZ

TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET A COMPLETE UNKNOWN

COLMAN DOMINGO SING SING

CLARENCE MACLIN SING SING

MIKEY MADISON ANORA

JOHN MAGARO SEPTEMBER 5

ADRIEN BRODY THE BRUTALIST

GUY PEARCE THE BRUTALIST

Kevin Short: Brings the Sun Home to Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

By Sigrid Toye / Special to VOICE

TRANSFORMED INTO AN ART GALLERY, the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum’s upper level will host the opening reception for Above Your Dreams, a captivating exhibition of original oil paintings by internationally recognized artist Kevin Short. Capturing the beauty and power of sunlight, the work will be on view through May 11th. Short’s images, which reflect the culture of the Pacific coast in fleeting moments bathed in sunlight, use vibrant, impressionist brushstrokes, and rich color palettes.

Often referred to as ‘glare paintings,’ Short captures the essence of light in a way that evokes both emotion and reflection. His ability to communicate the dynamic beauty of the ocean and the surrounding environment with multiple hues crowned by specks of light captures lived moments along California’s coastline. These “moments” feel both imagined and deeply personal, drawing the viewer into the artist’s experience as well as their own.

Born in Santa Barbara, Short began his artistic journey with a toy watercolor set and crayons on butcher paper. Curiously, his family’s move to Albuquerque, New Mexico, far from the ocean, sparked his serious interest in painting. “I always liked cowboys and Indians as a kid … I still paint them fondly today,” Short admits. The die, however, was cast with the arrival of his first copy of Surfer Magazine, the muse for both his passion for painting and the sport of surfing, leading him to eventually study oil painting at the University of New Mexico, Pepperdine University, and the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena.

The transformation of the Museum’s upper level specifically designed for the Above Your Dreams exhibition is the perfect marriage of artist and exhibit space. Emily Falke, SBMM’s Curator, explained, “During my previous partnerships with Kevin Short I’ve come to know him and have developed a certain insight into his process. When you know someone you perceive glimmers of his feelings within each work of art - an insight that opens a door for creating the exhibit’s color design and wall text.” According to Falke, her relationship and past work with Short allowed her to go so much deeper and wider into the presentation. “This installation represents a partnership based on trust that doesn’t necessarily exist with everyone, something for which, as a curator, I am most grateful.”

The exhibition invites art enthusiasts to explore how the magnetism of light transforms ordinary experiences into extraordinary memories. Short’s abiding love and connection to the Pacific Ocean, fostered through long days spent surfing, sailing, fishing, and observing ocean lovers are at the center of the showcase. www.SBMM.org

Photo by Sigrid Toye

Hot Look by Kevin A. Short

Finding Friends in the Sun by Kevin A. Short

Vibrant Smile by Kevin A. Short

Summer Starts to Smile by Kevin A. Short

Kevin A. Short in his studio

RUTH ELLEN HOAG

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

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 • Santa Barbara: The Art of Place ~ Feb 9 • 1323 State St • artandsoulsb.com

Art & Soul Funk Zone • What Is That: An Artistic Dialogue Between Photography & Diorama ~ Feb 9 • 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 From Scrap Gallery • Environmental Educ. & Artistic Expression • exploreecology.org

ART VENUES

Ralph Waterhouse

Arcada at State & Figueroa Santa Barbara • 805-962-8885 www.waterhousegallery.com

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

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.

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.

Kababaihan: Art Through Feminism and Women’s Wisdom • Art reception at MCC Lounge featuring art from diverse artist in PinaySphere • MCC, UCSB • 6pm, Thu, 2/13.

Summer Solstice Poster Art Contest & Reception • 2025 theme is Wild World • Wylde Works, 609 State St • 5-10pm, Sat, 2/15.

Tides of Time Opening Reception • 170 years of history through photographs documenting the development of Santa Barbara Harbor • with SBMM at City Hall Gallery • 5-7pm, Feb. 6,

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 •

Joe Rohde: Inner Light • Friday, Feb 7, 10am-6pm, by appt • 631 Garden St • 10-6pm Fri & By Appt. • sbcaw.org

Corridan Gallery • California Sojourns by Karen Fedderson • 125 N Milpas • 11-6 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 • noon-5 Tu-Su • lcccasb.com

Elizabeth Gordon Gallery • Alberto Valdés: Mi Vida es Mi Arte & Emerging artists from around the country • 15 W Gutierrez • 805-9631157 • 11–5 Tu-Sa • elizabethgordongallery.com

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 • www.elverhoj.org

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

Fazzino 3-D Studio Gallery • 3-D original fine art • 529 State St • 805-730-9109 • Fazzino.com

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

Gallery 113 • SB Art Assn • 1114 State St, #8, La Arcada Ct • 805-9656611 • 11-5 Mo-Fr; 11-2 Sa; 1-5 Su • gallery113sb.com

Patrick McGinnis

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

Gallery Los Olivos • Winter Celebration ~ Jan 31; New Perspectives Group Exhibition ~ Feb 28 • Daily 10-4 pm • 2920 Grand Av • 805-6887517 • 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 • https://karpeles.com

Kathryne Designs • Local Artists • 1225 Coast Village Rd, A • 10-5 Mo-Sa; 11-5 Su • 805-565-4700 • http://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

Evening Light, Santa Barbara Courthouse - featuring in an exhibition at Palm Loft Gallery, Carpinteria

ART VENUES

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

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

Artists: See your work here!

Join Voice Magazine’s Print & Virtual Gallery!

To find out more, email Publisher@VoiceSB.com

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

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

CALL FOR ENTRIES

¡Caliente!

A. Michael Marzolla, Fine Artist Excogitation Services/Marzozart Paintings, drawings, prints Commissions accepted www.marzozart.com www.peterandrews61.com

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

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

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

CALL FOR ENTRIES ¡Caliente!

presents SBVA Featured Artists Exhibition at VOICE Gallery

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

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.

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)

(Label images with artist name and title of the piece. 1000 pixels wide - jpeg or tiff) Email must also include: material, dimensions, price.)

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

3rd Friday Gallery Row Artwalk

3rd Friday Gallery Row Artwalk La Cumbre Plaza • March 21st • 5-7pm

La Cumbre Plaza • March 21st • 5-7pm

Questions? Call Kerry Methner • 805-570-2011

Questions? Call Kerry Methner • 805-570-2011

ARTIST’S RECEPTIONS

1st Thursday Feb 6, 5 pm - 8 pm 3rd Friday Feb 21, 5 pm - 8 pm

EXHIBIT DATES

February 1 - March 1, 2025

VOICE GALLERY HOURS

Mon-Fri 10 am - 5:30 pm Sat-Sun 1 pm - 5 pm Or by Appointment

SBVA consists of active Santa Barbara artists who are celebrated for their exceptional artwork, encompassing various mediums and artistic styles across a broad spectrum, including abstract, landscape, seascape, portrait, still life, and photographic compositions.

SANTA BARBARA VISUAL ARTISTS

Santa Barbara’s Cultural Night Downtown

1

ST THURSDAY is an evening of art and culture in downtown Santa Barbara that takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Participating art venues offer free access to art in a fun and social environment from 5-8pm. 1st Thursday venues also provide additional attractions, such as live music, artist receptions, lectures, wine tastings, and hands-on activities. State Street also comes alive on 1st Thursday with performances and interactive activities.

Galleries, Museums, & Art Venues

1. Voice Gallery • La Cumbre Plaza, 110 S. Hope Avenue, unit H-124 • Featuring Santa Barbara Visual Artists—active Santa Barbara creatives known for diverse, high-quality artwork in various media, colors, and styles, including realism, portraits, and still life. Meet the artists and enjoy the artwork with wine and appetizers.

2. Art & Soul • 1323 State Street • “Through the art that is created, spirit channels a surge of emotions, sensations, colors, and retrieval.” Embark on a spiritual journey with Santa Barbara artist and healer, Nika Vaeshun, and her latest exhibition, Medicine Woman. Each piece invites reflection, awakening, and communion. Located between the Arlington Theatre and Opal Restaurant.

3. Ensemble Theatre Company • 33 W Victoria St, 805-965-5400 • Ensemble Theatre Company invites you to 1st Thursday at HAMLET! This reinvented classic is darkly funny, emotionally raw, and self-aware, with themes of power, betrayal, and family dysfunction. Stop by our ticket office for buy one, get one free tickets to the February 6th, 7:30 pm performance.

4. domecíl • 1223

State Street • Stop by domecíl to view the work of Ojai artist Mary Neville, whose immersive abstract paintings represent the nuances of life. Meritage Wine Market will also be pouring a curated selection of fine wine.

5. Rilascio Chiropractic • 1221

State Street, STE #200 • Celebrating love! Rilascio Chiropractic showcases handmade jewelry by Jules Kramer of Jules

Feb. 6 th

5 to 8pm

by the Sea. These beautiful, love-infused adornments embody the everyday Santa Barbara lifestyle. Join us for an evening of inspiration, seasonal refreshments, wellness resources, and a special giveaway.

6. Benchmark Eatery • 1201 State Street • Join us at Benchmark Eatery for 1st Thursday to enjoy great food, a relaxed atmosphere, and live entertainment. It's the perfect place to soak in the vibrant energy of the evening. Don't miss this fun addition to your Art Walk experience!

7. 10 West Gallery • 10 W. Anapamu St. • Envisionings: Abstract art born from the artist’s imagination. This exhibit features abstract, conceptual, and figurative artwork that encourages creative thinking.

8. Sullivan Goss • 11 East Anapamu St. • Join us for the opening reception of Angela Perko's new exhibition, inspired by female surrealists and Western landscapes. Also on view: The Storytellers and Winter Salon.

9. Santa Barbara Museum of Art • 1130 State Street • Join SBMA for a creative night! Watch "Ancient Beacons Long for Notice" in the McCormick Gallery at 5:45 pm as part of Dario Robleto: The Signal. Sketch in the galleries from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, and enjoy the Museum until 8 pm!

11. Hosting figurative works, rich city and landscape work, including by Oak Group members, Waterhouse

offers art appealing to a range of

10. Gallery 113 • 1114 State Street • A special mezzanine exhibit, All You Need Is Love, complements featured artists Stephanie Jamgochian, Odessa Burrow, Linda Nelson, Gary Jensen, and Fred Lehto.

11. Waterhouse Gallery • 1114 State Street #9 • The Gallery features figurative works, interiors, and cityscapes by nationally

19. Explore work by contemporary artists such as America Martin, Sherri Belassen, JD Shultz, Stanley Boydston, and Dan Lencioni at Elizabeth Gordon Gallery.

10. A special mezzanine exhibit, All You Need Is Love, will complement featured artists Stephanie Jamgochian, Odessa Burrow, Linda Nelson, Gary Jensen, and Fred Lehto at Gallery 113.

4. Immersive abstract paintings representing the nuances of life by Ojai artist Mary Neville, are on view at domecíl.

Gallery

tastes.

known local and Oak Group artists. Enjoy works by Ray Hunter, Derek Harrison, and others.

12. Ace Rivington • 1100 State St. • Ace Rivington partners with Judith Raimondi for February's Art Walk. Her art celebrates Santa Barbara's vibrant arts heritage, spotlighting the Flying A Studio and the silent film era. Join us!

13. Slice of Light • 9 W. Figueroa St. • Join us for an evening at our photography gallery, featuring Santa Barbara local J K Lovelace’s captivating images of earth and space. Explore our latest exhibit, Winter 2025, while enjoying fine wine.

14. The Yes Store • 1015 State Street • Celebrate local arts! Enjoy music, drinks, and treats while viewing the work of talented local artists. Find handmade gifts for Valentine’s Day or treat yourself at The Yes Store—your local arts gallery.

15. Finch & Fork | The Kimpton Canary Hotel • 31 W Carrillo St. • $2 oysters, cocktails, and shop local—all under one roof! Shop jewelry and gifts at our Valentine's market with local vendors like CMH Designs and CreaTiffity Studios. Enjoy local wines, cocktails, and DJ Dansauce from 5 pm to 8 pm.

16. Presidio By Candlelight • El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park – 123 E. Canon Perdido St. • Experience an enchanting candlelit evening of history and culture. Listen to Chumash stories, visit Nihonmachi Revisited, and enjoy live music and dances from 1800s California. Free event with refreshments; all ages welcome.

17. Paint at Paseo • Peppermint Parlor, Paseo Nuevo • Celebrate love and friendship with artist Helen Yanez (@Yanezs_art) in Paseo Nuevo's Peppermint Parlor. This free 90-minute acrylic painting workshop honors Mexican, Purépecha,

and Indigenous heritage. All ages and skill levels welcome, with materials provided.

18. Santa Barbara Historical Museum • 136 East De La Guerra St. • Join us after-hours for a sunset Silent Disco! Celebrate Valentine’s Day with wine, music, and more under pink skies. Free entry; all ages welcome.

19. Elizabeth Gordon Gallery • 15 W Gutierrez St. • Join us at Elizabeth Gordon Gallery for art, music, wine, and cheese. Discover works by America Martin, Sherri Belassen, JD Shultz, Stanley Boydston, Dan Lencioni, and more. Celebrate creativity in a vibrant atmosphere!

Performance: Jared Nels • 800 Block of State Street • Jared Nels, a Santa Barbara-based musician originally from Des Moines, Iowa, blends soft, sweet vocals with powerful high notes and world-class yodeling. A versatile guitarist influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Tony Rice, his original music spans genres from bluegrass to rock. Jared has toured the Western U.S., performed at iconic Santa Barbara venues, and appeared on American Idol season 18.

Sponsor

9. It will be a creative night at Santa Barbara Museum of Art! Watch Ancient Beacons Long for Notice in the McCormick Gallery at 5:45pm or sketch in the galleries from 5:30 to 7:30 pm!

12. Take in Judith Raimondi's art, celebrating Santa Barbara's vibrant arts heritage & spotlighting the Flying A Studio and the silent film era at Ace Rivington!

8. Angela Perko's newest exhibition, inspired by female surrealists and Western landscapes will open at Sullivan Goss. Also on view: The Storytellers and Winter Salon

16. El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park will present Presidio By Candlelight, an enchanting candlelit evening of history and culture.

3. Ensemble Theatre Company invites you to HAMLET! This reinvented classic is darkly funny, emotionally raw, and self-aware, with themes of power, betrayal, and family dysfunction.

18. Check out Santa Barbara Historical Museum's after-hours sunset Silent Disco! A perfect early Valentine!

2. Embark on a spiritual journey with Santa Barbara artist and healer, Nika Vaeshun, and her latest exhibition, Medicine Woman at Art & Soul.

1. Santa Barbara Visual Artists, known for diverse, artwork in various media, colors, and styles will be exhibiting at Voice Gallery.

7. Abstract art born from the artist’s imagination will be on view at 10 West Gallery in Envisionings Image by Penny Arntz Paper Trail

13. Explore Santa Barbara local J K Lovelace’s captivating images of earth and space at Slice of Light

5. Celebrating love! Rilascio Chiropractic showcases handmade jewelry by Jules Kramer of Jules by the Sea.

Spanning bluegrass to rock, Jared Nels, a Santa Barbara-based musician originally from Des Moines, Iowa, blends soft, sweet vocals with powerful high notes and world-class yodeling.

Japanese artist Tomiyama Taeko’s critique of imperialism

UCSB Art, Design & Architecture Museum unveils the largest collection of Tomiyama’s work outside Asia in ‘A Tale of Sea Wanderers’

By Debra Herrick / The UC Santa Barbara Current

JAPANESE ARTIST TOMIYAMA TAEKO (1921–2021) might have remained a lesser-known figure, her work overshadowed by the tumult of colonialism and war that shaped her life. Yet her art — bold, evocative and politically charged — found recognition abroad, particularly in Korea, even as it remained underappreciated in Japan due to cultural taboos and her vivid critiques of imperialism.

Now, her groundbreaking series Hiruko and the Puppeteers: A Tale of Sea Wanderers is

poised to reach new audiences. Thanks to a major gift to UC Santa Barbara’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum (AD&A), the series will make its U.S. debut, offering a profound exploration of history, imperialism and environmental stewardship. Tomiyama spent her youth in Japanese-occupied China before returning to Japan in 1938 to study art, her life experiences fueling a body of work that continues to resonate with contemporary themes of justice and memory.

“She was unapologetically ahead of her time,” said the exhibition’s curator Gabriel Ritter, director of the AD&A Museum. “Tomiyama’s work champions democracy, gender equality and ecological consciousness, often confronting subjects still considered taboo in Japan.” The exhibition “Tomiyama Taeko: A Tale of Sea Wanderers” (Jan. 18–April 27) brings together 28 works from the “Hiruko” series, marking the largest collection of Tomiyama’s work outside Asia.

what lies submerged yet unresolved beneath the ocean’s surface.

In an earlier painting, “At the bottom of the Pacific” (1985), Ritter described an “eerie menagerie of seashells — but as you look closer — there’s also skulls, army helmets, Japanese imperial flags, and you start to get a sense that this is not just a surrealist painting about a kind of other world potentially under the sea, but something more sinister that has sunk to the bottom and is out of sight, but has not disappeared.”

Throughout her career, Tomiyama used diverse media to amplify her message. In addition to painting and printmaking, she collaborated with composer Yuji Takahashi to create multimedia slideshows, combining her visual art with evocative musical scores. One such project highlighted the 1980 Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, depicting the brutal government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters. Ritter first encountered these visceral works during the Yokohama Triennale in 2024, where they left a lasting impression. “Even in Japan, visitors would question if such bold, anti-imperialist work could come from a Japanese artist,” Ritter recalled.

The journey to bring Tomiyama’s work to UCSB began with a serendipitous connection: her family sought academic institutions willing to preserve and promote her legacy. Ritter’s research into Japanese surrealism and avant-garde movements aligned with Tomiyama’s themes, as did UCSB’s commitment to interdisciplinary inquiry. Collaborating with faculty from the Departments of East Asian Languages and Cultural Studies, Religious Studies, and History, Ritter found researchers were interested in the collection, adding fuel to securing the acquisition and ultimately in developing the exhibition.

Crucially, history doctoral student Hayate Murayama — who specializes in modern Japan and war memory — contributed to the project as a curatorial research assistant. “Hayate’s insights into Tomiyama’s life and work were invaluable,” said Ritter. Their joint effort underscores the exhibition’s role as both a cultural event and a teaching resource, fostering dialogue on themes ranging from gender and labor to ecological resilience.

“Tomiyama’s art invites us to rethink history through the eyes of those often left out of its narratives,” said Murayama. “Tomiyama’s work encourages audiences of all ages to explore the rich cultural connections and traditions united by the Pacific — connections that have been disrupted by imperialism and the profit motives of modern times,” added Murayama, whose Ph.D. advisor is Kate McDonald, an associate professor of history and director of the UCSB East Asia Center.

Born in 1921 in Kobe and later residing in Japanese-occupied Manchuria, Tomiyama witnessed firsthand the consequences of imperialism and war. These experiences informed her critique of colonialism, capitalism and environmental destruction. In her “Hiruko” series, she weaves these themes pictorially into a narrative that begins with ancient Japanese mythology — Hiruko, the “leech child,” cast out to sea — and transitions to a stark critique of Japan’s colonial history and its impact on the Pacific. Layered with symbolism, the series features collages and paintings teeming with seashells, skulls, imperial flags and army helmets, a surreal reminder of

Museum director Gabriel Ritter, right, curated the exhibition “Tomiyama Taeko: A Tale of Sea Wanderers” with assistance from history doctoral student Hayate Murayama, left, at UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum. The exhibition unveils the largest collection of Tomiyama’s work outside Asia, a recent gift to the AD&A Museum’s permanent collection from the artist’s family.

For Ritter, Tomiyama’s art offers more than historical critique; it’s a call to action. “The ocean, in her work, becomes a metaphor for humanity’s shared past and future,” he said. “It’s a reminder of the environmental stakes we face today.”

That resonance is particularly poignant at UCSB, situated on the Pacific coast and home to groundbreaking environmental research. The exhibition connects Tomiyama’s cautionary narratives to local histories like the birth of Earth Day in Santa Barbara.

“Tomiyama Taeko: A Tale of Sea Wanderers” represents a vital addition to UCSB’s artistic and intellectual community. As the largest U.S. exhibition of her work to date, it not only honors Tomiyama’s legacy but also invites viewers to reflect on the enduring consequences of imperialism and the urgent need for environmental and social justice.

Organized with the support of the AD&A Museum Council and UCSB’s Division of Humanities and Fine Arts, the exhibition is a testament to the power of art to challenge, inspire and transform. It opens a new chapter for Tomiyama’s legacy, one where her visions of justice and equality continue to resonate across oceans and generations.

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

Tomiyama Taeko, Theater Beneath the Sea, ‘Splendid Banquet for the Empire,’ detail, 2008, oil on canvas, gift of Sakata Natsume in memory of her mother Tomiyama Taeko, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara.

Photo Credit: Jeff Liang

Taeko Tomiyama at work

Photo Credit: Courtesy of the Tomiyama family

Tomiyama Taeko, Wandering Minstrels and Puppeteers, 2008, oil on canvas, mixed media, Gift of Sakata Natsume in memory of her mother Tomiyama Taeko, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, UC Santa Barbara.

Photo Credit: Jeff Liang

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