Category: Entertainment

Santa Barbara Earth Day Honors Kenny Loggins and CEC’s UC Climate Stewards Graduates with 2022 Environmental Hero Award

Community Environmental Council (CEC) proudly announces the recipients of its 2022 Santa Barbara Earth Day Environmental Hero Award. CEC will honor Kenny Loggins, award-winning singer-songwriter and humanitarian, along with certified graduates of CEC’s UC Climate Stewards program. The awards ceremony will take place at this year’s Santa Barbara Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 23 at 2:30 p.m. at the Arlington Theatre. 

The awards ceremony will feature a video acceptance speech from Kenny Loggins and live appearances from several UC Climate Stewards alumni. More info on CEC’s Earth Day event is available at SBEarthDay.org.

Museum of Ventura County — Thank you. Tribute Donations

The Museum deeply appreciates these thoughtful gifts of tribute
that sustain the legacy of the Museum’s mission.

The following individuals have chosen to celebrate the legacy of friends and family members through a gift of remembrance or honor in their name to
the Museum of Ventura County.
?

Santa Paula Art Museum — Let’s Face It

Ceramic Tile Two-Day Workshop (Ages 16+)

Wednesday, March 30, and Thursday, March 31, 2022, from 6 PM to 9 PM each evening
$75 for two-part series

Time’s running out to register for teaching artist Roxanne Casas’ Ceramic Tile Two-Day Workshop at SPAM’s Cole Creativity Center! The two-part class will teach you ceramic essentials, like sculpting, painting, carving, and design. You’ll finish the workshop with an incredible self-portrait wall piece to take home. The cost of this two-part course is $75. All skill levels are welcome, and all supplies will be provided.

UCSB Arts & Lectures Justice for All series continues this spring with a commissioned world premiere and four newly-added public events

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) is pleased to announce four new additions to the Justice for All event series that features public figures, organizers, thinkers and doers who expose deeply embedded injustices and call for a more equitable future. 

Just added:

Thursday, April 7th, Manzanar, Diverted, film screening & discussion with Director/Producer Ann Kaneko;

Monday, April 18th, Father Gregory Boyle of Homeboy Industries on The Power of Extravagant Tenderness; 

Friday, April 22, Director of the MIT Media Lab’s Space Enabled Program, scientist Danielle Wood on Space Enabled Earth Justice: Using Space Technology to Improve Life; 

Tuesday, May 3rd: Data scientist Cathy O’Neil who explores how to cultivate dignity in an age of social media and hyper-partisan politics in her book The Shame Machine: Who Profits in the New Age of Humiliation. 

Upcoming at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara

Laura Kaminsky & Mark Campbell in Conversation
Thursday, March 24, 4:30-6:00 PM
MCASB, 653 Paseo Nuevo

Join us for a discussion with Laura Kaminsky, composer, & Mark Campbell, co-librettist, of As One, the most performed contemporary opera in America today. This event is FREE, however, registration is required. Please click here to register now!

This event has been conceived of and is sponsored by, Opera Santa Barbara. Doors open at 4:30 pm to allow guests to view MCASB’s current exhibition This Basic Asymmetry. The panel discussion begins at 5:00 pm.

As One makes its Santa Barbara debut at the Lobero Theatre on March 25 & 27.

Ventura County Arts Council — Microbusiness Relief Grants: APPLY NOW!

Are you an artist, arts business or arts nonprofit operating in Ventura County who earned $50,000 or less (primary means of income) in 2019 and were significantly impacted by COVID-19? If so, you are encouraged to apply for a $2,500 business assistance grant. Grants will be awarded until the grant funding has been exhausted, so don’t delay!

2022 California Strawberry Festival Cancelled

The 2022 California Strawberry Festival, which had been set for May 14 and 15 at Strawberry Meadows of College Park in Oxnard, is officially cancelled due to the uncertainty caused by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are disappointed that we’ve had to again cancel the Festival,” says Dean Kato, Chairman of the California Strawberry Festival Board of Directors. “Tens of thousands of festivalgoers look forward to attending the celebration each year. Sponsors, exhibitors, performers, vendors, and hundreds of volunteers are instrumental to its success.

Santa Paula Art Museum — This Weekend: Two New Exhibits & Two New Classes

Saturday, March 12, 2022, from 4 PM to 6 PM
Free admission

Join Ventura artists (and couple) Lynn Hanson and John Robertson for the premiere of their concurrent exhibitions, Fieldnotes: Lynn Hanson and A Narrative: John Robertson. The side-by-side exhibits span thirty years of each artist’s work, including drawings, paintings, assemblages, and more. Admission to the event is free, and reservations are not required. Fieldnotes and A Narrative will be on view March 12 to July 10, 2022.

Museum of Ventura County — ‘Arte Para la Gente: The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia’ and more upcoming events

Arte Para la Gente:
The Collected Works of Margaret Garcia
Now – Spring 2022
at the Museum of Ventura County

Arte Para la Gente explores artist Margaret Garcia’s vast body of work that captures and encapsulates culture, family, and urban life. Over the past four decades, Margaret Garcia has been a leader in the L.A. Chicano Art Movement, championing women, community, and those individuals who are marginalized by society. Her most recent works, many shown here for the first time, were painted in Ventura County.
?Learn more here.

Sponsored by
Lazer Media
KXLM 102.9 • KLJR 96.7 • KOXR 102.1
and The Port of Hueneme

Make Waves At 7th Annual Mermaid Month In Ventura Harbor Village

Calling all Mermaids and Mermen…Mermaid Month has officially returned to Ventura Harbor Village! It’s the perfect time to head seaside as these mystical aquatic creatures take center stage all month long. Special themed events and live mermaid sightings are scheduled for select Sundays, March 13th and March 20th from 1-4 PM.

Locals and visitors across all oceans are encouraged to make a splash and delve into a myriad of mermaid activities. Kicking off Mermaid Month is a Kid’s Free Scavenger Hunt, which runs from March 5th to March 31st. Pick up the scavenger hunt sheets at the Mermaid Gallery in Ventura Harbor Village and return for prizes. On Saturdays in March, bask in the sunshine with sounds of the steel drum (March 12th, 19th and 26th from 1 – 4 PM) along the Village’s Seaside Promenade.

Tickets available for Ventura County Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business ‘Spring Bash’

Dear Ventura County CoLAB Supporters,

We are busy preparing for our biggest event of the year – Our Spring Bash! We are so excited to welcome you to our NEW venue – the beautiful Petersen Ranch in Somis on April 30th! This is an event you won’t want to miss!

Click Here to Purchase Your Tickets or to Sponsor the Event!

Community Environmental Council Announces Earth Day 2022 at the Arlington Theatre on Saturday, April 23

For the first time since 2019, Community Environmental Council (CEC) is hosting Santa Barbara Earth Day in person. The one-day event, in and around the Arlington Theatre, features a wide array of activities to generate the inspiration and motivation needed for building community support to tackle climate challenges. 

Wildling Museum announces second annual Earth Day poetry competition open to county adults and youth, Climate Change: Our Impact, in collaboration with CEC

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce its second annual Earth Day poetry competition with this year’s theme, Climate Change: Our Impact. Santa Barbara County writers of all ages are invited to use poetry to interpret the effects of climate change and our role in a variety of ways, with separate judging categories for youth (ages 17 and younger) and adult writing submissions. The competition is intended to honor Earth Day while highlighting the importance of standing up to protect the planet’s dwindling natural resources and working against the threats of climate change. The deadline to submit work for consideration is Monday, March 21, 2022 at 5 p.m.

What’s on at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara

Featuring work by Patricia Ayres, Simone Forti, Miguel Angel Payano Jr.,
Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and Gabriela Ruiz, This Basic Asymmetry is now on view through Sunday, April 17, 2022. Click here to read more about this exhibition.

Visit us today! Admission to all exhibitions at MCASB is free. Hours: Wednesday–Saturday 11 am–5 pm, with extended hours on Thursday until 8:00 pm. Sunday 12-5 pm. Visitor information >>>

Museum of Ventura County — Freeze! February Events Incoming!

Ivor Davis:
Up Close and Personal with Harry Benson
February 24th from 6-8pm
@ the Museum of Ventura County & Zoom

Harry Benson has been featured in LIFE, Vanity Fair, Vogue, and more. He’s had 40 solo exhibits, including at The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. He’s photographed every US President from Eisenhower to Biden. He marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; was next to Senator Robert Kennedy when he was assassinated; and photographed the Berlin Wall going up and down.

Santa Paula Art Museum — Happy Valentine’s Day to you, and happy anniversary to us!

February 14 always feels extra special at the Santa Paula Art Museum. Today marks the Museum’s twelfth anniversary! For our staff and board, Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate our donors, members, featured artists, and volunteers. They are the heart of this Museum.

Thank you for twelve years of care and support of SPAM’s mission. Here are some highlights of what our supporters have enabled the Museum to achieve in that time:

Museum of Ventura County — Let’s get up close and personal

The Museum of Ventura County is thrilled to present the next Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with famous photographer Harry Benson. In this popular series, author, journalist, and investigative reporter Ivor Davis speaks with a rotating guest list of extraordinary individuals. Click here to watch the trailer for the documentary Harry Benson: Shoot First now available on Hulu.

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — Earth Day Mural 2022 | Call For Entries

Calling artists living and working in Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties!

Following the success of the first Earth Day Mural, unveiled on April 24, 2021, the Community Environmental Council (CEC), Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), and Paseo Nuevo are partnering once again to identify a local artist, or artist group, to paint a large public mural inspired by Climate Leadership and Earth Day.

Visit San Luis Obispo — Enjoy a two-night midweek escape to San Luis Obispo, receive $100 in gift cards

Now’s the time to plot an escape to the city of San Luis Obispo, the charming walkable town along California’s Central Coast. From February 1-March 31, 2022, the first 500 visitors who book a two-night consecutive stay at a participating San Luis Obispo “SLO-tel” will receive a complimentary gift card bundle worth $100. 

Guests can take advantage of this offer by booking a two-night stay, Sunday through Thursday, at a participating hotel or inn. Travel must be booked and completed by March 31, 2022. Once the booking is confirmed, guest will then need to email their confirmation to info@visitslo.com to see if they are one of the first 500 to qualify for the offer. Blackout dates and certain rules and regulations apply, including valid for new bookings only and bookings made after February 1, 2022. Booking confirmations must be sent prior to arrival. Additional rules and restrictions can be found at visitslo.com.

Teatro de las Américas announces Santa Paula Theater Center Auditions

FRIENDLY VALLEY will play from April 8th-April 24th, 2022 with performances on Friday and Saturday Evenings at 8:00 PM and Sunday Matinees at 2:30 PM. No appointments necessary, cold readings from the script. This is a non- equity production. THERE IS NO PAY. Inquiries about auditions and play may be directed to Elixeo Flores at elixeo@gmail.com.

*All personnel, including actors, must be vaccinated to enter the theater.

Museum of Ventura County — Blast off into February!

This month, celebrate Black History Month by learning about the contributions of African-American scientists and doing your own fun experiments: commemorate one of the first African-American female chemists, Bettye Washington Greene, by making your very own slime. You can make your slime glitter, glow-in-the-dark, foam, or maybe even a combination! Then, test how fast your eyes adjust to different images thanks to the discoveries of ophthalmologist, inventor, and UCLA professor, Dr. Patricia Bath.

Ventura Port District Inks Deal with Aarmark Beer Gardens, Inc. for New Ventura Harbor Village Entertainment & Restaurant Venue

A state-of-the-art family entertainment venue, managed by Aarmark Beer Gardens, Inc., will join the seaside attraction mix at the Ventura Harbor Village with the approval of a multi-year lease on January 19, 2022 by the Ventura Port District Board of Port Commissioners.  The 5,736 square foot venue, with plans to open in 2023 and its official name still to be announced, will specialize in artisan food, top-rated international beers, a legendary wine list, and multitude of entertainment activities. 

New three-year Arnhold A&L Education Initiative fosters education, entertainment and inspiration

The major gift to UCSB Arts & Lectures from UCSB alumnus John and his wife Jody Arnhold will support residencies with world-renowned artists, which in the 2021-2022 season include Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis, Ballet Hispánico, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, and more

Ventura County Arts Council — Employee Art Show Winners, Free Online Trainings, Art in the Community

Greetings! A new year has begun, and though we collectively find ourselves facing new challenges and closures due to the pandemic, there are still many arts opportunities to enjoy in our community. Below you’ll find various events, news, grants and educational resources for artists, arts organizations and arts supporters. We hope you are continuing to make, enjoy and support art!

OPAC receives prestigious Nat’l Endowment for the Arts grant

OPAC has been approved for a $35,000 Grants for Arts Projects award to support OPAC Studios, a new initiative that provides a creative space for underserved Oxnard teens, including BIPOC, indigenous, at-promise, and those experiencing homelessness. Under the framework of Creative Youth Development, this program offers ongoing free classes that are well-rounded, in-depth experiences in a variety of visual artistic mediums including painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, textile arts, and more. 

Teatro de las Américas — Casting Call- High Street Arts Center in Moorpark

The High Street Arts Center in Moorpark
Click Here
is currently looking to cast several roles in their production of
In the Heights
Kevin Rosario – Baritone (to E4) – Late 30’s to early 50’s.
Abuela Claudia – Alto belter (F#3 to C5) In her late 60’s to 70’s, but can be played by a younger actor in 40s-50s and aged up to look older.
Also casting, Men’s dancing ensemble ages 18-30s.

Take To The Great Outdoors With Island Packers Winter Whale Watching & Excursions To the Channel Islands National Park 

Island Packers, the official boat concessionaire to the Channel Islands National Park, has daily departures to the Channel Islands National Park from Ventura Harbor Village and is now offering Winter Whale Watching excursions.  Book your spot today to view these magnificent mammals at www.islandpackers.com. 

A winter Whale Watch is a perfect way to gather with family and friends to view Pacific Gray whales migrating through the Santa Barbara Channel from their feeding grounds in Alaska to their breeding grounds in Baja. Pacific Gray Whales are normally sighted in the National Marine Sanctuary near Anacapa and Santa Cruz Island continues through April 23, 2022. Thismammoth migration of over 20,000 whales and 6,000 miles twice a year remains a major attraction in Southern California. 

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — Rosha Yaghmai: Drifters | Final Days

There are only four days remaining to view Rosha Yaghmai: Drifters at MCASB before it’s gone.  Join us for the final days of this exhibition! 

It has been an honor to host Rosha Yaghmai at MCASB and we are so grateful to our community for welcoming this exhibition. Thank you to all who have visited in person; your continued support makes it all possible. Click here to view our hours >>>  

We are looking forward to seeing you at our next exhibition!

Museum of Ventura County — New Year, New Museum Happenings

MVC Insider Season 3
Episode 3: Lucy Hicks Anderson
Friday, January 7, 2022 @ 10am
On Facebook Live

Get to know your local trans icon and trailblazer Lucy Hicks Anderson! Lucy was the first trans woman in history to fight for marriage equality in court, was an award winning baker, and ran a bordello here in Ventura County. That’s just in a nutshell– you won’t want to miss this MVC Insider! Mark your calendars and tune-in on Facebook for the next five Fridays at 10am. Check out all upcoming MVC Insiders here.

Kaiser Permanente makes changes to ‘A Healthier Future’ Rose Parade float participation due to rising COVID-19 positivity rate

Taking into consideration that our Southern California region is experiencing a 26% COVID-19 positivity rate, and Los Angeles County currently has a 17.6% positivity rate and in consultation with our infectious disease experts, we have decided to continue to have our “A Healthier Future” float participate in the Tournament of Roses Parade.?Unfortunately, we will not feature our 20 front-line medical heroes as float riders and “out-walkers.” We must prioritize the health and safety of our front-line medical staff and ensure we are able to treat patients during this recent surge of COVID-19 cases caused by the omicron variant.  

Jan. 26 — ‘Coffee With A Black Guy’ presents ‘Processing Loss: A conversation on mental health and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 deaths on BIPOC communities’

“Coffee With A Black Guy” presents “Processing Loss: A conversation on mental health and the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 deaths on BIPOC communities” via Zoom at 7 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26.

CWABG founder James Joyce III, will be joined in conversation by Michael Cruse, Bereavement Services Manager for Hospice of Santa Barbara who will offer a “Human” perspective and the role of “Culture” on the subject of bereavement and mourning.  That couple with the impacts of several highly visible cultural losses and the processing of loss throughout our history – think Strange Fruit, provides context for an engaging and enlightening conversation about processing loss and grief. 

March 6 — Wildling Museum to host conversation with author Florencia Ramirez and biodynamic wine tasting with Beckmen Vineyards

The Wildling is thrilled to host Florencia Ramirez, author of Eat Less Water, for a special presentation and conversation with Steve Beckmen, the winemaker behind Beckmen Vineyards, at the Museum on Sunday, March 6, 2022, 3 p.m. as the Wildling Museum kicks off a year of climate-focused exhibitions and programming.

By 2030, experts predict two-thirds of people living on this planet will not have enough water, a situation expected to result in the deaths of millions and an unprecedented rise in military conflicts. Can we as individuals hope to reverse these dire predictions? Award-winning author and water activist, Florencia Ramirez, believes we can if our conservation efforts focus on the 70 percent of freshwater flowing to the fields and ranches that grow our food. Eat Less Water takes the reader on a journey to meet America’s food producers growing food with less water. Florencia exposes the seldom- seen connection between dwindling water resources and the choices we make when shopping for groceries for our families and offers us the solution that begins in the kitchen.

March 31 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Parallel Stories ‘On Freedom: A Conversation with Author Maggie Nelson’

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present Parallel Stories “On Freedom: A Conversation with Author Maggie Nelson” at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, March 31.

Author Maggie Nelson returns to SBMA’s Parallel Stories with a reading and discussion of On Freedom: Four Songs of Care and Constraint, a boundary-pushing, provocative work that explores the notion of freedom through four lenses: art, sex, drugs, and the climate. In this highly anticipated follow-up to the award-winning The Argonauts, Nelson continues to astound as “one of the most electrifying writers at work in America today, among the sharpest and most supple thinkers of her generation” (The Guardian).

March 31 — Annual Cesar Chavez Memorial March Committee to present ‘The Legacy of Cesar Chavez the Farm workers and Dolores Huerta’ online and in Oxnard

The Annual Cesar Chavez Memorial March Committee will present “The Legacy of Cesar Chavez the Farm workers and Dolores Huerta” celebration online and from 3 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 31 at the Open Door Art Studio, 329 N. 5th St., Oxnard.

April 29 — UCSB Arts & Lectures to present Ballet Hispánico Noche de Oro: A Celebration of 50 Years

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents Ballet Hispánico Noche de Oro: A Celebration of 50 Years, Friday, Friday, April 29th at 8:00 p.m. at The Granada Theatre.

Named one of America’s Cultural Treasures by the Ford Foundation, Ballet Hispánico celebrates Latinx cultures through innovative performances that elevate diverse artists and ignite cultural pride. This 50th anniversary program from the pioneering, New York-based company features Annabelle Lopez Ochoa’s biting, West Side Story-inspired Tiburones. The award-winning Lopez Ochoa, a sought-after choreographer who excels at narrative ballet, has created works for 68 dance companies worldwide. Noche de Oro also includes Gustavo Ramírez Sansano’s 18+1 and Vicente Nebrada’s Arabesque.

Through May 8 — Bilingual report — Teatro de las Américas to present ‘Obras de un Acto’ (One Acts)

Esta obra reflexiona sobre la interacción entre las relaciones humanas, la burocracia y el significado de la vida y la muerte. Un hombre se embarca en el último viaje de su vida, solo para ser confrontado por una enfermera que desafía su existencia y cómo tener equipaje nunca ha sido más importante.

Aug. 4 — MICOP celebrates Night in Oaxaca 2022

On Thursday, August 4th, the Mixteco/Indígena Community Organizing Project (MICOP) will hold its eleventh annual Night in Oaxaca. Night in Oaxaca is a celebration of the indigenous migrant community of California’s Central Coast and MICOP’s largest and most-sought after fundraiser. After two years of virtual programming, we are proud to bring our supporters a hybrid experience, in-person at Olivas Adobe in Ventura and online.

This year we are gathering around the theme of “Fortaleciendo Nuestras Raíces” or “Strengthening our Roots.” Reflecting on the pandemic and our recent growth, Night in Oaxaca will celebrate our indigenous community’s resiliency and rooted connection to our organization. The evening welcomes a diverse crowd of supporters and leaders from across Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. All proceeds fund MICOP’s work of supporting, organizing and empowering indigenous migrant communities of the Central Coast.

Aug. 27 — Oxnard’s Los Mixos to Live Stream Concert

Los Mixos, one of Oxnard’s newest music bands, in collaboration with Red Sky Productions and HOPE Social Skills for Teens with Autism, will be performing live for a multi-camera, internet-streamed studio concert called Downtown Window (DTW), to promote their original 5-song music EP.  The concert will be performed and streamed on the internet at www.DowntownWindow.com on Saturday, August 27th at 4pm at the Red Sky Productions studio in downtown Oxnard.  Through the livestream, fans will see and hear Los Mixos’ newly released songs filmed in a music video type set with lighting, set design and props with the help of a crew of camera operators, sound engineers, a cinematographer and television director.