Category: News

Feb. 25 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present ‘This Basic Asymmetry’

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) is pleased to announce This Basic Asymmetry a group exhibition featuring work by artists Patricia Ayres, Simone Forti, Miguel Angel Payano Jr., Paul Mpagi Sepuya, and Gabriela Ruiz.

Through internal sensation, emotion, and cognition we develop a fluid but strong sense of self that allows us to perceive the complexities and nuances of our personal experience. By contrast, it is only through external sensation, especially vision and observation, that we find the ability to develop an understanding of others, splitting our experience of self from others into an asymmetrical paradigm.

Feb. 25 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents author and social Commentator Roxane Gay for ‘Roxane with One N’

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents author and social commentator Roxane Gay for Roxane with One N on Friday, February 25th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Roxane Gay brilliantly critiques the ebb and flow of modern culture with wit and ferocity. Her collection of essays, Bad Feminist, is a quintessential exploration of modern feminism, and her books – including An Untamed State, Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body, Graceful Burdens and Difficult Women – are celebrated for their honesty and humor. Gay also co-hosts the podcast Hear to Slay, pens the Work Friend column for The New York Times and was the first black woman to write for Marvel Comics. Her new podcast The Roxane Gay Agenda premiered on Luminary in partnership with iHeartMedia on January 25, 2022.

Feb. 26 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Nashville-based Singer-songwriter Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit with special guest Shawn Colvin

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Nashville-based Singer-songwriterJason Isbell and the 400 Unit with special guest Shawn Colvin onSaturday, February 26th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at The Arlington Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Four-time Grammy winner Jason Isbell is at the top of his game. His music – whether solo, with former band the Drive-By Truckers or fronting the 400 Unit – shows his Alabama soul as he drifts between rock, country and roots. Georgia Blue, Isbell’s latest album with the 400 Unit, is a charity covers collection celebrating music from the state of Georgia.

Feb. 26 — Celebrate Black History Month at Family Fun Day at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula

Celebrate Black History Month by learning about the contributions of African- American Scientists and doing your own experiments.

Attend the Family Fun Day at the Agriculture Museum in Santa Paula from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26 at 926 Railroad Ave., Santa Paula.

Feb. 27 — CSUCI will be part of the CSU’s Statewide Super Sunday

CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) President Richard Yao, Ph.D., and Provost Mitch Avila, Ph.D., will speak at two local churches as part of the 17th Annual CSU Super Sunday Feb. 27.

Yao will speak at St. Paul Baptist Church in Oxnard at 1777 Statham Blvd.  and Avila will speak at Bethel AME Church, 855 South ‘F’ Street in Oxnard with services at both locations beginning at 10 a.m. This Sunday marks CSUCI’s return to in-person Super Sunday events after the COVID-19 pandemic necessitated a virtual event in 2021.

Feb. 28 — SBCC to host discussion with Black History Month featured author

In honor of Black History Month, SBCC Interim Superintendent/President Dr. Kindred Murillo invites the community to a virtual event, Feb. 28, 12:30-1:30 p.m., when Dr. Helen Benjamin and Rev. Larry D. Smith discuss the new book “How We Got Over: Growing Up in the Segregated South.” Edited by Dr. Benjamin and 23 of her fellow graduates of Peabody High School Class of 1968, the book is a series of vignettes capturing the Black experience of childhood and teen years in mid-20th century Alexandria, Louisiana and the surrounding areas. The stories told reflect the different life experiences of the 24 graduates living with the racial, social, and economic injustices present in an entrenched Jim Crow society of the 50s and 60s. 

Through February — Wildling Museum of Art & Nature in Solvang presenting ‘Close to Home…’

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce its upcoming exhibition, Close to Home, Three Printmakers, featuring artists Claudia Borfiga, Karen Schroeder, and Sara Woodburn, on view in the Valley Oak gallery through February 2022. The public is invited to meet the artists on Sunday, October 17, 2021 from 3 – 5 p.m.

The works of Borfiga, Schroeder, and Woodburn center on a recurring theme of nature as a place of solace and beauty where growth and change can seem intimate or expansive. Layers of color, pattern, and printmaking are the dialogue these artists use to share stories of Earth. They value natural areas and seek to bring inspiration to the viewer.

March 2 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents a FREE Virtual Thematic Learning Initiative event: Meet-the-Artists Talk with Jennifer Koh, Davóne Tines, and their Creative Team titled Why Everything Rises

UCSB Arts & Lectures (A&L) presents the free virtual Thematic Learning Initiative event: Meet-the-Artists Talk with Jennifer Koh, Davóne Tines, and their creative team titled Why Everything Rises Wednesday, March 2 at 7:30 p.m. Pacific. The meet-the-artist talk will be moderated by Lisa Sun-Hee Park, Department Chair and Professor of Asian American Studies at UC Santa Barbara. Panelists will include Jennifer Koh, Violin and Co-Creator; Davóne Tines, Bass-Baritone and Co-Creator; Ken Ueno, Composer; Kee-Yoon Nahm, Narrative Structure and Dramaturgy. Register for the free webinar at https://bit.ly/rises-ucsb-2022.

March 2 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson in conversation with Pico Iyer

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times bestselling author Erik Larson in conversation with Pico Iyer on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Erik Larson is a wizard of narrative non-fiction whose many bestsellers include Thunderstruck, Dead Wake, Isaac’s Storm and National Book Award-nominee Devil in the White City, which remained on the New York Times bestseller lists for a combined total of over six years. The Splendid and the Vile, his biography of Winston Churchill’s first year as prime minister, is a New York Times Notable Book of 2020 and a Kirkus Best Book of 2020. Larson’s first foray into fiction, the audio-only No One Goes Alone, is a suspenseful ghost story underpinned with actual people and events.

March 3 — Ventura County Grand Jury to hold open house

The Ventura County Civil Grand Jury is inviting the public to its annual Open House which will be held on Thursday, March 3, 2022, from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM.

The Civil Grand Jury is a panel of 19 Ventura County citizens who conduct investigations into the effective and efficient operations of all governmental entities within the county. Investigations originate either from a public complaint or from within the Grand Jury. 

March 4 — Ventura County Mobile Library holding ‘Story Time at the Museum of Ventura County’

Ventura County Mobile Library will hold “Story Time at the Museum of Ventura County” from 3 to 4 p.m. Friday, March 4 at 100 E. Main St., Ventura

The Museum of Ventura County has been partnering with the county library to bring in-person Story Time. We’re welcoming you back to the Museum for the first one of the year.

March 5 — LOS FEST Amps Up the Oxnard Performing Arts Center

The Oxnard Performing Arts Center Corporation (OPAC) is presenting its first music festival, LOS FEST, on Saturday, March 5, 2022 from 12 noon to 11 pm, in conjunction with Numbskull Shows. The event features 3-stages spotlighting local and regional talent covering a wide range of genres, from the 70’s power pop/punk sound of Ventura’s TV Party and the sludgy indie punk of Romper to Los Hurricanes, serving up Chicano Soul from Orange County, and the Afro-centric house music of DJ Legacy.

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 7 — Meadowlark Service League Hosts a Spring Charity Luncheon and Tennis & Pickleball Tournament

Join the Meadowlark Service League at Las Posas Country Club on Monday, March 7, for their annual Tennis and Pickleball Tournament, accompanied by the outdoor Spring Charity Luncheon, as well as a Silent Auction and boutique which is open to the public. The ladies of the Meadowlarks have been working to create opportunities to raise funds that will continue to benefit the many charities that their events support. “As we look back on the challenges of the past few years, and how many curveballs were thrown our way, I am proud of how resilient the Meadowlark Service League has been through it all” noted longtime Meadowlark and event chair, Gwen Speakes, “and we are so excited to be able to host this luncheon and tournament.”

March 8 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Memphis Jookin’: The Show featuring street dance phenomenon Lil Buck

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Memphis Jookin’: The Show featuring street dance phenomenon Lil Buck on Tuesday, March 8th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at The Granada Theatre. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

An ode to the birthplace of the singular dance style known as Memphis Jookin’, this evening-length show chronicles how the art form grew from local street dance to an international phenomenon. Starring renowned dance artist Lil Buck (who also conceived and choreographed the piece) alongside ten highly-skilled dancers and a DJ, Memphis Jookin’: The Show transports audiences to the streets and the clubs where the style originated.

March 8 — Harassment Prevention Training Webinar By Employment Law Firm LightGabler

Employment law firm LightGabler is providing live, online sexual harassment and bullying prevention training courses for supervisors and non-supervisory employees on Tuesday, March 8.

California law requires that companies with five or more employees provide two hours of supervisory training and one hour of staff training every two years on harassment, discrimination, bullying and retaliation prevention. Agricultural employers must provide this training every year. New supervisors need to be trained within six months of starting a supervisory position and new employees must have training within six months of being hired.

March 8 — CLU School of Management announces upcoming events

Looking Ahead During Extraordinary Times
2022 Ventura County Economic Forecast
NEW DATE: Tues. March 8  |  8:30 AM

This premier networking and forecast event will include an in-depth analysis of the county’s economic performance and an assessment of its economic and demographic future, plus detailed analysis and forecasts for the U.S. and California economies.

In-person – LEARN MORE

March 9 — State-of-the-Art Biotech Lab on Display at Moorpark College’s Open House

Moorpark College’s biotechnology program offers a comprehensive curriculum in bio-manufacturing that includes hands-on learning in a state-of-the-art biotech lab. Students and the community who are interested in this rapidly growing industry are invited to attend the Biotech Open House, 5 – 7 p.m., March 9.

Visitors can watch lab demonstrations, explore the lab and examine how recombinant cells are grown in bioreactors and see how chromatography columns are used to purify life-saving biotech products.

March 9 — UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative Journalist Andrea Elliott on ‘Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City’

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Andrea Elliott on Invisible Child: Poverty, Survival and Hope in an American City, Wednesday, March 9th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022CREATING HOPE programming initiative.

Andrea Elliott puts a human face to topics ranging from child poverty to Muslim life in the U.S. Her recent five-part series, Invisible Child, examined homelessness through the lens of an 11-year-old Brooklyn girl. The series won a George Polk Award, helped reignite a conversation about the dire state of poverty in America and inspired a bestselling book of the same name. Previously, Elliott’s coverage of

Islam in America broke new ground in the study of radicalization and earned her a Pulitzer Prize for feature writing.

March 10 — Tony Award-Winning Musical ‘Kinky Boots’ Opens at Moorpark College

The Moorpark College Theatre Arts and Dance departments are proud to announce the opening of “Kinky Boots,” a high-energy and timely story of all the wonderful things that happen when people from different worlds embrace diversity and inclusion. This Spring 2022 production of the six-time Tony Award® Winning Best Musical runs March 10 – 27, Thursday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m., with Sunday matinees at 2 p.m.

‘‘‘Kinky Boots’ has been an amazing journey for Moorpark College, our faculty and students on all fronts,” said director and Theatre Arts faculty member John Loprieno. “What started with fully masked outdoor rehearsals in our parking garage on cold January night has miraculously transformed into a fully realized and triumphant return to our mainstage.” 

March 12 — Shared Crossing Project presents free live webinar ‘How the Shared Deaths Experience Changes Everything’

William Peters and Dr. Raymond Moody Host “How the Shared Death Experience Changes Everything” at 10 a.m. Saturday, March 12.

Founder of Sharing Crossing Project (SCP) and author of At Heaven’s Door, William Peters will be joined by philosopher, psychiatrist, physician and author of Glimpses of Eternity, Dr. Raymond Moody on Saturday, March 12th at 10:00 a.m. PST for a FREE LIVE WEBINAR on How the Shared Death Experience Changes Everything. 

March 13 — Oxnard Performing Arts Center (OPAC) will present ‘IL Divo — Greatest Hits Tour’

The Oxnard Performing Arts Center will present “IL Divo — Greatest Hits Tour,” with special guest vocalist Steven Labrie, at 8 p.m. Sunday, March 13. The concert will feature a special tribute to Carlos Marin. Doors open at 7 p.m.

IL Divo has always stood out for its peculiar mix of opera and pop in songs of different genres, and is the most important reference in the world of the crossover groups of classical music. Since its debut in 2004, IL Divo has triumphed on the most important venues around the world, and has sold over 30 million records.

March 13 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present ‘Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources’ exhibit symposium

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources” exhibit symposium from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 13.

In conjunction with the exhibition Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources, join five scholars for a one-day seminar on the themes of the exhibition.

March 15 — OC LIVE — Celebrate Women’s History Month (in-person) with classical dance from India

Join us for this special evening of classical dance from India! Performed by acclaimed dancer Vijayalakshmi, Mohiniyattam is a traditional dance form rooted in the feminine spirit and resonating with contemporary relevance. Experience the beauty and be inspired by the divine enchantress! 

Vijayalakshmi is a world-renowned Indian classical dancer, choreographer, actress and singer. Founder of the Mohiniyattam Institute, she is a leading exponent of this ancient dance form of South India. 

March 16 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum Speaker Series Presents an Evening with Jeff Maulhardt

 The Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) is happy to announce that acclaimed local author and Oxnard historian Jeffrey Maulhardt will be its featured speaker for March.

Jeffrey’s presentation on “Preserving History Through Books and a Museum” will explore the history of Oxnard and his role of founder in the creation of the Oxnard Historic Farm Park Foundation. Jeffrey will also be discussing his most recent book “Oxnard (Past and Present).”

As early as 1910, Oxnard was known as the Biggest Little City on the Coast, when the population was a mere 2,200. A hundred years later, the population topped 200,000, and Oxnard became the most populous city in Ventura County. Built around the largest sugar processing plant in the world in 1898, the city now hosts an 800,000-square-foot Amazon fulfillment center on the land that once grew sugar beets.

March 19-20 — Fee-Waived Bunny Adoptions THIS WEEKEND at the Camarillo Shelter

We are THRILLED to announce that this weekend, March 19-20, Ventura County Animal Services will be holding a fee-waived St. Patrick’s Day Bunny Promotion!

Never considered adopting a bunny? Here are a few reasons to make the hop: 1) House-rabbits make EXCELLENT members of the family. 2) They’re quiet, curious, and very loving. 3) They’re litter-box trained!

March 19 — SCIART Presents 2022 Concert in the Gallery Series

Studio Channel Islands Art Center (SCIART) presents its first 2022 Concert in the Gallery, Emergence, March 19, featuring emerging musicians tenor Matthew Miles and soprano Natalie Buickians, in collaboration with world-renowned pianist, Armen Guzelimian and internationally recognized cellist Yoshika Masuda.

Through March 20 — Wildling Museum to present fall exhibition featuring historic photographer Ansel Adams and former assistant Alan Ross in first joint museum exhibition

The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature is pleased to announce Sharing the Light: Ansel Adams and Alan Ross, opening to the public on Saturday, September 25, 2021 in the Wildling Museum’s main gallery. The exhibition will explore the American West through the lenses of both Ansel Adams and Alan Ross, and also includes selections from Ross’ international photography projects. The Wildling Museum’s exhibition will mark the first institutional show dedicated to the two photographers’ works. 

Sharing the Light highlights the careers of both Adams and Ross, who were close friends and colleagues. Ross, who served as Adams’ longtime assistant, later developed into an internationally-acclaimed photographer in his own right. The exhibition will provide insight into their respective connections to nature, and technical and artistic mastery of photography. 

March 22 — Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Paris-based Arod Quartet

Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present Paris-based Arod Quartet AT 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 22 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St.

With all four members only in their twenties, the Paris-based Arod Quartet has already dazzled awestruck chamber-music lovers in concerts at such prestigious venues as the Auditorium of the Louvre in Paris and the Verbier Festival in Switzerland.

March 23 — Free LightGabler Webinar: Employing the Absent Employee

Employment law firm LightGabler is presenting a free webinar, “Employing the Absent Employee–Navigating California’s Leaves of Absence Laws.” The webinar is Wednesday, March 23 from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

California has more mandatory leaves of absence than any other state. To maintain business operations and avoid costly litigation, employers must understand when a leave is available to an employee, what rights must be provided to the employee, and what employee obligations can be enforced.

March 24 — CADA Announces Annual Mentor Program Gratitude Luncheon

The Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) will hold the annual Gratitude Luncheon celebrating its Mentor Program on Thursday, March 24, 2022, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The outdoor gathering will feature “Santa Barbara Foundation 2021 Person of the Year” John Daly, who will speak about the power of mentoring. The luncheon is  hosted by Founder and Event Chair Anne Smith Towbes.  

According to CADA’s Executive Director Scott Whiteley, Ph.D., “Having a mentor can be a life-changing experience for a young person, particularly in times of uncertainty. Being connected  with a caring adult mentor can help a young person learn to navigate challenges, avoid risky behaviors, and develop personal and academic confidence. As the pandemic continues to challenge local youth and their families, the request for mentors is greater than ever, and we are deeply grateful to our supporters for their generosity in helping us meet this critical need.” 

March 24 — Museum of Ventura County — A story of survival under Charles Manson and redemption, live

Dianne Lake was a beautiful and innocent wide eyed seventh grade student whose hippie parents abandoned their traditional suburban lifestyle to join a commune called The Wavy Gravy’s Hog Farm Commune in Tujunga, California. Along the way her parents met a man named Charles Manson.

March 24 — CSUCI to host ‘An American Journey,’ a raw and honest look at the African American experience in America

With shackles and bullet holes, a child’s Ku Klux Klan outfit, and signs reading “Colored only,” the collection called “Forgotten Images” is raw, unblinking and authentic.

“You look at these images and you can’t help but have some kind of emotion evoked,” said CSU Channel Islands (CSUCI) Outreach and Engagement Librarian Lydia Collins. “I hope it will create opportunities for authentic dialogue and disruptive discourse that leads to positive changes and helps us learn about one another.”

March 25 — Dignity Campaign Launches Educational Webinar Series: ‘Legalized Slavery Then and Now: The Bracero Program and H2A’

Rural California — The history of racism and slavery runs deep in the veins of agribusiness rooted in the United States. It keeps shifting names and rebranding as Big Ag finds sources of cheaper labor. Join us in a three part webinar series (March 25) where you will have the opportunity to hear from advocates, organizers, elders and community who have been intergenerationally impacted by exploitation in the fields of the United States. This series will be presented in Spanish with interpretation into English and Mixteco. We hope you can join us.

Through March 25 — Channel Islands Maritime Museum to Present Exhibition ‘Coast Guard Art’ in 2022

Through March 25, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) will present its latest temporary exhibition “Coast Guard Art” in its Brenda and Gary Farr Gallery.

The Coast Guard Art Program, tasked with revealing the truth and educating the public through diverse mediums, goes beyond the simple recording of events. Coast Guard Art, made by those who protect our shores, commemorates, instructs, documents, and raises morale at home and at the front.

March 26 — Ventura Land Trust Hosts a Harmon Canyon Wildflower Walk with Lanny Kaufer

Ventura Land Trust is pleased to partner with renown native plant guide and educator Lanny Kaufer for a wildflower walk at Harmon Canyon Preserve on Saturday, March 26th from 9:00 am to 11:00 am. There are 20 spaces available for the hike at $35 each. 

Kaufer is well-known in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties for his Herb Walks, interpretive native plant walks and nature hikes, which he began leading more than 40 years ago in 1976. This will be the first hike led by Kaufer at Harmon Canyon Preserve. 

March 26 — Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara to present ‘GAZE…are you looking?’

Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara’s Annual Fundraiser is back!
Save the date for this captivating immersive art experience.

Join in a dynamic discussion led by @jerrygogosian about the art world, art market, and how museums continue to serve artists and their communities.

The event will come to life with an immersive installation designed by
Travis Hutchison, featuring a suite of virtual reality films of three legendary artists melding art, music, and innovation.

March 27 — Inaugural Fundraiser, Lumina Nights, Raises Funds to Support Survivors of Violence to be held in SLO

Lumina Alliance is hosting its inaugural fundraiser, Lumina Nights, on Sunday, March 27 at La Lomita Ranch in San Luis Obispo. The gala will be the first major event following the merger of RISE and Stand Strong in July 2021 and will raise funds to support those impacted by sexual and intimate partner violence in San Luis Obispo County.

An evening filled with music, wine, dining, and dancing under the stars, Lumina Nights will create new traditions and celebrate those leaders making an impact in our community and in the movement to end gender-based violence. Shining Light awards will be given to four community members and partners for their dedication to survivors of sexual and intimate partner violence.