Category: Events

Through March 20 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents FREE Family-friendly on-demand music by Sonia De Los Santos – En Casa con Sonia

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents FREE Family-friendly music by Sonia De Los Santos – En Casa con Sonia

This on-demand video (no live stream; approx. 45 min.) will be available to view from March 13 through March 20. Register by March 13 at 10 a.m. for access

March 25 — SEEAG Live Auction To Raise Money for Farm Fresh Mobile Classroom Van

Students for Eco-Education & Agriculture (SEEAG) is holding a live online auction March 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. to raise money for a Farm Fresh Mobile Classroom van. An online silent auction will take place March 23 to March 25.

Items to be auctioned include farm-to-table dinners, golf outings, restaurant and winery gift cards, bed and breakfast stays and gift baskets.

March 28 — Teatro de las Américas to present ‘Inventing Life,’ doc/film

Inventing Life is a doc/film about Tell Tale, a theatre-dance piece that engages the authors and their two children. A piece of life on stage, that should have opened in California and Oregon in April 2020, remaining on the verge of our common uncertain future. An engaging, poetic work about the unfinished: a search to elevate the present to a mutual encounter between distant human beings.
The documentary has been filmed in theaters, locations in wild nature and in abandoned spaces: a theater company working in the absence of live performing. A proof of necessity. A dialogue with nature and with a theatre crowded by absents.

April 1 — SBMA to present ‘The Art of Agnes Martin: Between the Lines of the Catalogue Raisonné Art Matters Lecture (via Zoom)’

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “The Art of Agnes Martin: Between the Lines of the Catalogue Raisonné Art Matters Lecture (via Zoom)” with Tiffany Bell, Independent Scholar, NY at 3 p.m. Thursday, April 1.

April 6 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents The Most Decorated Track and Field Olympian in History, Allyson Felix, for Advocacy and Equality in Sports and in Life

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the most decorated track and field Olympian in History, Allyson Felix, on Advocacy and Equality in Sports and in Life on Tuesday, April 6th at 5 p.m. Pacific. Felix is a nine-time Olympic medalist, six-time Olympic champion, world record holder and one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. An outspoken critic of pregnancy discrimination in athletics, an advocate for underserved children and a proponent of maternity rights, Felix shares her experiences with racism and discrimination even as a professional athlete. As she gears up for the Tokyo Olympics, Felix remains at the forefront of the fight for equality for all – in sports and in life.

April 7 — Bilingual report — Port of Hueneme Community Planning Meeting

SAVE THE DATE! Come Chart the Port’s Course! Our Strategic 2030 Plan is underway and we need your help. Tell us what’s important to you, to your community, and help us plan our futures together. More information: www.portofh.org/community

GUARDA LA FECHA!  ¡Acompáñanos a elegir el curso del Puerto! Nuestro Plan Estratégico del 2030 está siendo diseñado y necesitamos tu ayuda. Cuéntanos que es importante para ti y tu comunidad, y ayúdanos a planificar nuestro futuro juntos. Para más información escríbele a Miguel Rodriguez: mrodriguez@portofh.org

April 9 — Matthew Desmond, ‘Evicted’ author, to offer keynote address at homelessness symposium

United Way of Ventura County is excited to announce its United to End Homelessness Virtual Symposium on Friday, April 9, at 9 a.m. PST. The symposium will feature Matthew Desmond, author of Pulitzer Prize winning bestseller “Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City,” as its keynote speaker. Following Desmond’s address, there will be an opportunity for a Q&A session with the author, which will then lead into a panel discussion with local experts — moderated by Henry Dubroff, editor of the Pacific Coast Business Times — on addressing homelessness.

The two-hour, virtual, one-time live event is one of many efforts United Way of Ventura County will be launching to continue bringing awareness to its United to End Homelessness initiative, honor its mission “to mobilize and inspire the caring power and resources of our community,” and address the shelter crisis in Ventura County.

April 13 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Health Psychologist and Bestselling Author Dr. Kelly McGonigal for The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection and Courage

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents health psychologist and bestselling author, Dr. Kelly McGonigal for The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection and Courage on Tuesday, April 13 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. McGonigal is a health psychologist and a lecturer at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business, translating insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. She is the author of several books including The Willpower Instinct, The Upside of Stress and The Joy of Movement, which shows how and why movement is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety and loneliness. Her 2013 TED talk “How to Make Stress Your Friend” is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time and in 2020, Oprah Magazine named her the first ever O! Visionary, celebrating people whose groundbreaking way of seeing the world means a better future for us a

April 15 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Ranky Tanky

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Ranky Tanky on Thursday, April 15 at 5 p.m. Pacific. Charleston’s Ranky Tanky exploded onto the music scene with their inspired take on the soulful songs of South Carolina’s Gullah culture, taking home the 2020 Grammy win for Best Regional Roots Music Album. With a name that translates loosely as “Get Funky,” Ranky Tanky is a relentlessly upbeat ambassador of Gullah, a culture known for retaining more African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the United States. Preserving and paying homage to a vanishing way of life, the dynamo quintet introduces audiences to the language, rhythm and music of the region with a distinctly American sound that incorporates jazz, blues, gospel and R&B.

April 16 — Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara to Host Virtual Fundraiser – StrongHER Together: Finding Strength through Sport

Girls Inc. of Greater Santa Barbara proudly invites the Santa Barbara community to its annual fundraiser, StrongHER Together: Finding Strength through Sport, streaming live on Friday, April 16th, from 5:30 to 6:30 pm. Registration for this family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

StrongHER Together will celebrate the unique power sports possess to help girls and teens discover their strengths and recognize their potential to be leaders of tomorrow. A recent global study of senior female business executives found that 94% of women C-suite executives played sports at one point in their lives.

April 16 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Critically-acclaimed Novelist Mohsin Hamid in conversation with Pico Iyer

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents critically-acclaimed novelist Mohsin Hamid in conversation with Pico Iyer on Friday, April 16 at 7:00 p.m. Pacific. Known for his ingeniously crafted literary works, the Pakistan-born novelist Mohsin Hamid has quickly emerged as a clarion voice of his generation. The internationally bestselling author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia and Moth Smoke, he takes on ethnic identity, class disparity and mass-urbanization in his bold, inventive work. He is the winner of the Betty Trask Award, a Pen/Hemingway Award finalist and has been twice shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, most recently for Exit West.

April 18 — OPAC launches Open Mic Night under the stars! 

The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) invites you to an evening under the stars, celebrating National Poetry Month (April). The event is free and open to the public for ages 13 years and up. Join us on Sunday, April 18 from 6 PM to 8 PM for an Open Mic Night showcasing our talented community. 

OPAC is pleased to announce that Ventura County’s  2021 Youth Poet Laureate, Angelina Leanos, will be taking the stage alongside Genesis Perez, the 2020 Youth Poet Laureate. The event is to be hosted by musician and all-around-funny-guy, Christopher Hall. Members of the public are invited to sign up to share the stage for this first OPAC Open Mic Night where all COVID-19 Safety Guidelines and protocols will be followed

April 20 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents urban dance innovators Ephrat Asherie Dance in Odeon 

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents urban dance innovators Ephrat Asherie Dance in Odeon on Tuesday, April 20 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Ephrat “Bounce” Asherie has shown off her formidable street dance chops as a favorite member of Dorrance Dance. A New York-based b-girl with extensive training in ballet and modern dance, the Israel native returns with her own company, revealing and exploring the complexities of street and social dance forms. Odeon, a new work for seven dancers and four musicians, brings together and remixes street and club dances including breaking, hip hop, house and vogue, set to a mix of early 20th century romantic music and popular Afro-Brazilian rhythms.

Community Environmental Council Announces #CelebrateClimateLeadership Virtual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival

The Community Environmental Council (CEC) is hosting #CelebrateClimateLeadership, a virtual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival dedicated to inspiration, community building, and climate action. The FREE livestream event begins on Thursday, April 22 and runs until Saturday, April 24. It will be available to view at SBEarthDay.org.

The virtual Santa Barbara Earth Day Festival – which will be fully online again this year due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions – will feature three days of conversations with climate leaders, musical performances, art contests, inspirational speakers, and opportunities for individuals to learn how they can lean into action at this urgent moment.

April 29 — Comedy for a Cause to present comedians Pete George, Dr. Mike and Anne Wilde at the Red Piano in Santa Barbara

Comedy for a Cause

We’re bringing live events back to the central coast.

Join us for a night of Live Comedy at The Red Piano, 516 State St., Santa Barbara, while we bring you a safe and enjoyable experience in their newly created – back outdoor patio equipped with a full stage and sound system as well as tables safely spaced apart.

Please join us for a night of Comedy with the following 3 great comedians:
Pete George
Dr. Mike
Anne Wilde
&

April 29 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents artist and social innovator Theaster Gates

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Theaster Gates on Thursday, April 29 at 5 p.m. Pacific. An artist, social innovator, musician and cultural planner, Theaster Gates creates works that engage with space theory and land development, sculpture and performance. Drawing on his interest and training in urban planning and preservation, he redeems spaces that have been left behind, upturning art values, land values and human values. Gates is a professor at the University of Chicago and founder and president of Rebuild Foundation, which restores the cultural foundations of underinvested neighborhoods and incites movements of community revitalization. The winner of Artes Mundi 6, Gates is also a recipient of the Nasher Prize for Sculpture, the Urban Land Institute Prize for Visionaries in Urban Development and France’s Légion d’Honneur, and was recently named co-chair of fashion label Prada’s Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Council.

April 30 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Bryan Stevenson, founder of the Equal Justice Initiative, for American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Bryan Stevenson for American Injustice: Mercy, Humanity and Making a Difference on Friday, April 30 at 5 p.m. Pacific. One of the nation’s visionary legal thinkers and social justice advocates, Stevenson has spent nearly four decades seeking to eradicate racial discrimination in the criminal justice system. A MacArthur Fellow, he is an attorney, human rights activist and founder of the Equal Justice Initiative. He spearheaded Alabama’s Legacy Museum and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice, the first national memorial to victims of white supremacy, which opened in 2018. Stevenson is the subject of HBO’s 2019 documentary True Justice and his bestselling memoir Just Mercy was adapted into an acclaimed feature film of the same name.

May 1 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present Family Friendly Workshop | Found Object Mobiles

Join us this Saturday morning as we learn how to create hanging mobiles using repurposed objects from around your home or items found outdoors. This workshop is a great way to find beauty in overlooked, everyday resources. We will explore how various materials can be used to create mobiles, and demonstrate how to construct, tie, and balance a hanging mobile.

May 5 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Classical Music Treasures Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott performing Songs of Comfort and Hope

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents classical music treasures Yo-Yo Ma & Kathryn Stott performing Songs of Comfort and Hope on Wednesday, May 5 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. Over their 35-year musical relationship, beloved cellist Yo-Yo Ma and acclaimed pianist Kathryn Stott have “developed a wonderfully warm and mutually responsive musical partnership that has blossomed in performances that are both generous and incisive” (NPR). Their recent collaborative album Songs of Comfort and Hope was conceived in April 2020 when people everywhere were entering a dramatic new world. Ranging from fresh arrangements of traditional folk tunes, pop songs and jazz standards to mainstays from the western classical repertoire, the album encourages a sense of community, identity and purpose, crossing boundaries and binding us together in thanks, consolation and encouragement. Performing songs from the album selected specifically for this event, Yo-Yo Ma and Kathryn Stott hope that the familiarity and reinvention contained in this music offers everyone some comfort and hope.

May 6 — SBMA’s FREE Art Matters Lecture Revisits “One Life: Marian Anderson” on May 6

With each of her performances, the Philadelphia-born contralto Marian Anderson (1897–1993) tested limits and broke boundaries. She is best remembered for her gripping recital on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in April 1939, when some 75,000 people gathered to witness her sing. On account of her race, Anderson had been prohibited from performing at the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall and other venues in Washington, D.C. The concert on the National Mall, therefore, became a watershed moment in the struggle against segregationist policies and discrimination.

May 11 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Former President of the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur C. Brooks to discuss National Renewal

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents former president of the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur C. Brooks to discuss National Renewal on Tuesday, May 11 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific. At a time of historic polarization, public leaders and ordinary citizens alike are wondering how to fight back against the bitterness and contempt washing over America. Drawing on history, cutting-edge social science and a decade of experience leading the American Enterprise Institute, one of the nation’s preeminent think tanks, Arthur C. Brooks shows that what the country needs is not agreement, but better disagreement. Brooks is a Harvard professor, a columnist for The Atlantic, the bestselling author of 11 books on topics ranging from economic opportunity to human happiness and the subject of the hit documentary The Pursuit. His recent bestseller, Love Your Enemies, is a guide to building a better country and mending personal relationships amidst our culture of political polarization.

May 18 — UCSB Arts & Lectures announces CREATING HOPE, a 2021-2022 programming initiative, featuring a FREE keynote virtual event with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet in conversation with Pico Iyer

UCSB Arts & Lectures announces a new programming initiative for 2021-2022, CREATING HOPE, featuring a FREE keynote virtual event with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama of Tibet. Creating Hope with His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama in conversation with Pico Iyer takes place on Tuesday, May 18 at 8:30 p.m. PDT (Wednesday, May 19 at 9 a.m. IST). 

May 19 — Hospice of Santa Barbara Virtual Speaker Series – illuminate Presents Jenée Johnson

Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has adjusted to the new realities that come with COVID-19 by creating their illuminate Speaker Series – a series that started last year which not only addresses aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic but also offers help on how to navigate through this new reality. 

One way the organization is transitioning to serve is to provide helpful resources to our community and beyond as they relate to COVID-19 through this virtual series that features a new world-renowned speaker every month. Past speakers include Roshi Joan Halifax, Frank Ostaseski, Katy Butler, Sharon Salzberg, Dr. BJ Miller, and Dr. Sunita Puri. 

May 22 — Youth Homelessness Film Screening w/ Filmmaker at Oxnard Performing Arts Center

OPAC, the Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation, will host a free screening of the new documentary, Lost in America, on Saturday, May 22 at 7 pm at Plaza Cinemas in Downtown Oxnard. The event is free and open to the public and will include a Q&A with the filmmaker, Rotimi Rainwater, following the screening. The event is part of OPAC’s two-year programming series called Close to Home, a Community Conversation Spotlighting the People, Places, and Perspectives Surrounding Homelessness. 

May 24 — Equity Conference to Address Disparities in Public Education

Difficult yet vital issues surrounding diversity, equity and inclusion in Ventura County public schools are the focus of the first-ever Ventura County Office of Education Equity Conference to be held on May 24, 2021. This three hour virtual event will feature a wide variety of workshops on ways to increase opportunities and break down barriers for students from marginalized communities.

“We live in an extremely diverse county with schools that serve students from vastly different backgrounds,” said Dr. César Morales, Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. “While our schools are already doing admirable work addressing racial, social and institutional inequities, there is more to be done. That’s why I encourage everyone to join us for the upcoming VCOE Equity Conference,” he said.

May 26 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Acclaimed Producer and Filmmaker, Mira Nair in conversation with Pico Iyer

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents acclaimed producer and filmmaker, Mira Nair in conversation with Pico on Wednesday, May 26 at 5:00 p.m. Pacific.From her first feature, the Oscar-nominated Salaam Bombay!, to her recent six-part series, A Suitable Boy, Mira Nair has established herself as one of the freshest and most fearless directors working today. Raised in India and educated at Harvard, Nair takes viewers from Uganda to New York City to rural India in her work to illuminate worlds we’ve seldom seen before. Her groundbreaking films include Mississippi Masala, The Namesake, Monsoon Wedding and Queen of Katwe and frequently explore issues around identity and displacement. Away from the camera, she has worked to support filmmaking and young directors in both East Africa and South Asia and is known for her love of music, acting and literature.

June 4 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present ‘The Seventh Schism: Lucid Ooey Gooey’

On the occasion of MCASB’s current exhibition, we are pleased to present The Seventh Schism: Lucid Ooey Gooey, a one-night virtual performance art festival. This festival features performance works by students in the College of Creative Studies and the Department of Art at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB).

June 10 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara — Demi Boelsterli x MCASB Collab Launch! and more events

We are thrilled to launch our collaboration with Santa Barbara artist, Demi Boelsterli! Join us live on Zoom for a conversation between the artist and Alexandra Terry, Chief Curator this Thursday at 6pm. Demi will speak about her artistic practice and art projects in Santa Barbara, and her Limited Edition collaboration with MCASB.

June 19 — Harmony Family Yoga to present ‘Father’s Day Bunny Yoga’

Harmony Family Yoga will present “Father’s Day Bunny Yoga” from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, June 19 at 1655 Thousand Oaks, Blvd., Thousand Oaks.

Happy Father’s Day & celebrate the longest day of the year in a unique way!

Treat your family a wellness yoga experience with giant rabbits and holland lop bunnies hopping around you.

Through June 20 — CSUCI Chorus celebrates Black composers with “Into the Light” spring concert

Some say it was an inscription on the wall of a cellar in Cologne, Germany, where a number of Jews hid themselves for the entire duration of World War II.

Other accounts say it was scratched on a wall next to the body of a prisoner who had escaped the Warsaw ghetto. Its origins are unclear, but the message was powerful enough to inspire the song, “I Believe.” 

I believe in the sun even when it is not shining; 
I believe in love even when feeling it not; 
I believe in God even when he is silent. 

A choral arrangement of “I Believe” by composer Mark Miller will be among the selections in the CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) virtual Spring 2021 Choral Program celebrating Black composers like Miller, entitled “Into the Light.” 

June 23 — Hospice of Santa Barbara Virtual Speaker Series – illuminate Presents Daniel Goleman

Hospice of Santa Barbara (HSB) has adjusted to the new realities that come with COVID-19 by creating their illuminate Speaker Series – a series that started last year which not only addresses aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic but also offers help on how to navigate through this new reality. 

One way the organization has transitioned to serve this past year is by providing helpful resources to our community and beyond as they relate to COVID-19 through this virtual series that features a new world-renowned speaker every month. Past speakers include Roshi Joan Halifax, Frank Ostaseski, Katy Butler, Sharon Salzberg, Dr. BJ Miller, Dr. Sunita Puri and Jenée Johnson. 

Next up on the illuminate Speaker Series line-up is Daniel Goleman, who will present Emotional Intelligence in the Challenging Times of a Pandemic on Wednesday, June 23rd at 6:00 PM PDT. The event is free, but registration is required. 

June 24 — California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO) to present artist talk with car culture creator, Jonathan Michael Castillo

California Museum of Art Thousand Oaks (CMATO) to present artist talk with car culture creator, Jonathan Michael Castillo from 6 to 7 p.m. Thursday, June 24 via Zoom.

Jonathan Michael Castillo’s rearview portraits of unsuspecting drivers is Car Culture, an ongoing photography project that employs state-of-the-art camera and lighting equipment, along with a bit of bravado, to capture real-life moments of LA commuters.

The lighting is cinematic and the color saturated, which makes Castillo’s photos easily pass as stills from a movie. But the unplanned participation of the subject also makes them a type of documentary – both a study and an interpretation of LA and its residents.

June 29 — Navigating Re-entry Town Hall Virtual Event to Address Fears and Anxiety as we Return to Society After Pandemic

Hospice of Santa Barbara will bring together a panel of community leaders for the Navigating Re-entry Town Hall, a virtual event that will discuss the fears, anxiety, and questions as we contemplate a return to society after the pandemic.  

On June 29th at 6pm, a virtual community town hall forum will be held where everyone is invited to “attend” (particularly those in SB county), as panelists discuss the anxiety and uncertainty that we are all feeling on some level, as we “re-enter” society including work, school, travel, social/entertainment events, community gatherings and all other forms of in-person living.   

July 1 — UCSB Arts & Lectures to present E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial at West Wind Drive-In

Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present Steven Spielberg’s heartwarming masterpiece E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial Thursday, July 1st at 8:30 p.m. at the West Wind Drive-In. Gates open at 7 PM. First come, first served. Arrive early for food trucks, concessions and entertainment!

July 1 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present ‘Terms of Endearment: Social Parameters of Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s American Success’

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “Terms of Endearment: Social Parameters of Yasuo Kuniyoshi’s American Success” as part of its Art Matters Lecture (via Zoom) at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 1

Featuring Bert Winther-Tamaki, Professor of Visual Studies, UC Irvine

July 8 — UCSB Arts & Lectures to present free double feature ‘The Goonies/Stand by Me’ at West Wind Drive-In in Goleta

Join UCSB Arts & Lectures as they present The Goonies and Stand by Me as a double feature on  Thursday, July 8th at 8:30 p.m. at the West Wind Drive-In. Gates open at 7 PM. First come, first served. Arrive early for food trucks, concessions, prize drawings and a live set by DJ Darla Bea! 

July 10 — Oceanview Pavilion to present ‘Smooth Sounds of Santana (Tribute)’

Oceanview Pavilion to present “Smooth Sounds of Santana (Tribute)” on Saturday, July 10 at 575 E. Surfside Drive, Port Hueneme.

Come join us as Smooth Sounds of Santana Tribute Band will have you dancing and singing your favorite songs.

This concert will be live on stage.