
UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Silkroad, Home Within, Kinan Azmeh, composer, clarinet, Kevork Mourad, live illustrations, visuals, Thursday, March 31st at 8:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.

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).

Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture (SEEAG) will join the Camarillo Public Library in commemorating Cesar Chavez and his contribution to agriculture, labor rights, and environmental justice. Following a reading of Kathleen Krull’s “Harvesting Hope: The Story of Cesar Chavez,” SEEAG will provide children and their families with a look into the importance of our agricultural workers, the crops grown in Ventura County and how these crops contribute to our nutritional well-being.

Beginning April 1, 2022, the Channel Islands Maritime Museum (CIMM) will be presenting its latest exhibition, The Oxnard Union High School District Student Art Show, in its Brenda and Gary Farr Gallery.
Art is a strong, unifying element within the community and students will be showcasing their talents in a variety of two-dimensional and three-dimensional mediums.
“We are proud to host a show where students can share their creative expressions and lived experiences,” said CIMM’s Collections and Exhibitions Manager Olivia Williamson. “We invite you to come and witness the next generation of great artists.”

The Museum of Ventura County has been partnering with the county library to bring bilingual (in English and Spanish) in-person Story Time every first Friday of the month at 3 p.m. That way kids will have time to come right after school. This month’s theme is EARTH DAY. Join us for stories, then play and learn in the Chumash Garden and Evelyn and Howard Boroughs Children’s Garden, a fabulous and FREE outing for ALL!

A recital of cello and piano music at California Lutheran University will consist entirely of works written by female composers.
Cellist Yoshika Masuda, director of string studies at Cal Lutheran, and guest pianist HyeJin Kim will present the faculty recital at 2 p.m. Sunday, April 3, in Samuelson Chapel.
They will perform works for cello and piano written by female composers over a 250-year span. The concert will help Masuda prepare to record his first CD, which is being funded in part by a Cal Lutheran Faculty Research and Creative Work Award.
“My goal with this recital and CD is not just to highlight these underappreciated female composers, but to bring to light their talent and skill as simply great composers,” Masuda said.

Founder of Sharing Crossing Project (SCP) and author of At Heaven’s Door, William Peters, hosts “Awaken to the Transformational Power of the Shared Death Experience (SDE) with special guest and founder of The Centre for Sacred Deathcare, Sarah Kerr PhD,” at 5 p.m. Thursday, April 7.
Most people are afraid of death of dying and fear that their loved ones might die alone. Death is also stressful, as all too often it comes without adequate preparation. Our culture views death as the ultimate finality–the end of all things.
As such, our society encourages us to avoid discussing death, overcome feelings of grief, and dismiss serious consideration of life after death. The cumulative effects of this are that we know very little about dying, death, and what might exist afterward.

Resource Innovation Institute (RII), in collaboration with Tri-County Regional Energy Network (3C-REN), will launch “Efficient Cultivation to Increase Cannabis Profit & Productivity,” a four-part workshop series and virtual classroom for cannabis cultivation operations in San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties. This training and education program is free to regional producers and industry partners, and features vetted subject matter experts from RII’s Technical Advisory Council.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present “Van Gogh the Anglophile: Looking Through his Eyes at Victorian Art Art Matters Lecture with Malcolm Warner” from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 7 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
As a pioneer of the modern movement, Van Gogh seems an unlikely fan of what we call Victorian art. But his time in London left him with a love of English painting and illustration. He looked up to the pre-eminent English painter, John Everett Millais, and collected gritty, working-class images from London magazines. “For me,” he wrote to his brother Theo in 1882, “one of the highest and noblest expressions of art is always that of the English.”

UCSB Arts & Lectures to present FREE film screening and conversation of “Manzanar, Diverted: When Water Becomes Dust,” featuring Director/Producer Ann Kaneko on Thursday, April 7th at 7:00 p.m. at Pollack Theater.
An inspired and poetic portrait of a place and its people, Manzanar, Diverted explores the rich yet painful history of California’s Owens Valley, from colonization to water rights. Capturing the intersectionality of the region, the award-winning film chronicles the efforts of an unexpected alliance of Indigenous, environmental activist and Japanese-American World War II incarceree women as they defend their water, history and culture against Los Angeles’ endless thirst. (Ann Kaneko, 2021, 84 min.)

The West Ventura County Business Alliance, the chamber of commerce serving Camarillo and Oxnard, is hosting a Spring Business Expo & Mixer on Thursday, April 7, 2022.
The semi-annual event is designed to bring together businesses and potential new customers in a fun, casual networking environment. The WVCBA Spring Business Expo & Mixer is free to the public.
Local business owners and representatives will showcase their products, explain their services, and make valuable in-person connections for strategic partnerships or new customers.

The Museum of Ventura County will present Mariposas del Campo Documentary Screening from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9 at 100 E. Main St., Ventura.
FREE EVENT!
RSVP: https://interland3.donorperfect.net/weblink/weblink.aspx?name=E342153&id=113
Pre-event music with Juan Mendoza and bar will start at 2 pm. Event formally starts at 3 pm.
Mariposas del Campo, an award-winning film by Bill Yahraus and Robin Rosenthal, shares the stories of indigenous Mixtec, Zapotec, and Purépecha teenagers from Mexico striving to change their families’ destinies in the strawberry fields of Oxnard, California. The documentary captures their journeys—with help from the characters’ own intimate videos—as they navigate cultural identity, parental expectations, economic challenges, and the justice needs of their migrant farmworker community. For young people whose lives have always been steeped in uncertainty, it takes a leap of faith to chase a dream.

Just in time for the busy summer swim season, the Southeast Ventura County YMCA is offering a Red Cross lifeguard certification course at its Yarrow Family YMCA branch, Saturday and Sunday, April 9 and 10. The two-day program will be held in the Yarrow Y’s indoor pool (31105 Thousand Oaks Blvd., Westlake Village). Class hours are 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The lifeguard certification class includes training in CPR/Automated External Defibrillator use and first aid. Participants will receive the skills to prevent, recognize and tend to injuries until emergency medical services arrive. This is a blended learning course with an online component to be completed prior to the start of the in-person class.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents the world premiere of Everything Rises, a commission featuring Jennifer Koh and Davóne Tines, Tuesday, April 12th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall.
Recognized for her dazzling virtuosity and technical assurance, violinist Jennifer Koh is a forward-thinking artist dedicated to exploring an eclectic repertoire while promoting diversity in classical music. Davóne Tines, lauded as a “depths-plumbing bass-baritone” byThe New York Times, is building an international career commanding a broad spectrum of opera and concert performance. Everything Rises is a multimedia collaboration born from the artists’ desire to understand themselves as the descendants of refugees and slaves and reveal a universal history shared by immigrants and minority Americans.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater featuring Robert Battle, Artistic Director and Matthew Rushing, Associate Artistic Director on Wednesday, April 13th and Thursday, April 14th at 8:00 p.m. Pacific at the Granada Theatre.
Celebrating over 60 years of unparalleled artistry, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater stands tall as an enduring cultural touchstone, reminding us of the power of dance to bring people together. The Ailey company has cultivated the best and brightest choreographers working today – gifted artists exploring themes of hope, sorrow, joy and resilience – and its dancers dazzle with their trademark technical brilliance and passionate energy. The groundbreaking company returns to Santa Barbara with new and classic works, including founder Alvin Ailey’s masterpiece Revelations.

This moving series gives the stage to OC students to speak their own truths through the stories of their lives. This year, we feature four dynamic OC graduating students Reina Gallardos, Carina Rios, Viviana Cardenas, and Melanie Jean Burke who all share their stories of resilience and fortitude in achieving their educational goals during this toughest year. These inspiring OC grads help us see how we can adopt the same hope and commitment in our lives! WEspeak is guided and directed by OC English Professor José Maldonado and OC ASL Professor Emily Zwaal.

The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will present “Shadow Art: Influences and Inspirations,” Parallel Stories with Sameer Pandya and Andrew Winer, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
The exhibition Through Vincent’s Eyes: Van Gogh and His Sources reconnects this iconic artist to his 19th-century context and invites us to consider the artists, musicians, and writers he admired.

The West Ventura County Business Alliance, the chamber of commerce serving Camarillo and Oxnard, is pleased to welcome Keith Freitas, Director of Airports for Ventura County, as the keynote speaker for the Business & Economic Outlook on Thursday, April 14.
Freitas is expected to discuss their economic impacts of the county-operated airports and share the latest updates. The County of Ventura Department of Airports owns and manages Camarillo Airport and Oxnard Airport.
Freitas accepted his current position in Ventura County in November 2021. He previously worked at Long Beach Municipal Airport, Mineta San Jose International Airport, and Contra Costa County, where he was the Director of Airports for 19 years.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Founder of Homeboy Industries Father Gregory Boyle The Power of Extravagant Tenderness on Monday, April 18th at 7:30 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative and Justice For All series.
Father Gregory Boyle has transformed thousands of lives as the founder of Homeboy Industries, the largest and most successful gang intervention and rehabilitation program in the world.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Britain’s breakout stars Sheku Kanneh-Mason, cello, Isata Kanneh-Mason, piano on Tuesday, April 19th at 7:00 p.m. Pacific at Campbell Hall. This presentation is part of the 2021-2022 CREATING HOPE programming initiative.
Cellist Sheku Kanneh-Mason first gained renown as winner of the 2016 BBC Young Musician competition (the first Black musician to take the title), soon launching to stardom after his performance at the 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Join Hospice of Santa Barbara on Wednesday, April 20th at 6:00 PM for their next illuminate Speaker Series Event, Amanda Kloots: Maintaining Positivity Through Life’s Challenges.
Amanda Kloots is a television host, bestselling author, broadway actress, award-winning fitness entrepreneur, and most recently a finalist on the 30th Season of Dancing with the Stars.

Woman-owned business professionals seeking to increase publicity for their companies in 2022 can learn the latest marketing tips and tricks at the upcoming National Association of Women Business Owners Santa Barbara (NAWBO-SB) event on Wednesday morning, April 20.
Jennifer Goddard Combs, leading expert in publicity and marketing, will present “Tips on How to Market Your Business 101” at the Women’s Economic Ventures (WEV) Community Room, located at 21 East Canon Perdido, Suite 301, Santa Barbara, CA. The presentation will offer inspirational ideas for boosting publicity and sales. As Combs says, “Publicity is free, and advertising is paid.”

Please join us on Saturday, April 23 for the annual VADA DRAW fundraiser in support of Santa Barbara High School’s Visual Arts and Design Academy. The VADA DRAW will be a fun evening of art, music, and delicious food and drinks from Cape D’Or Wines, Ysidro Sake Spritz, and Apropos Catering. The exciting DRAW raffle features art donated by over 100 local and global artists, celebrities, and talented VADA students.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents Danish String Quartet The Doppelgänger Project, Part II on Wednesday, April 27th at 7:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
This season, the Danish String Quartet introducesDoppelgänger, an ambitious four-year project supported by Arts & Lectures and a variety of international partners. The project pairs world premieres from four renowned composers with chamber music masterpieces by Schubert, including “Death and the Maiden” and the “Rosamunde” quartet. The quartet, featuring violinists Frederik Øland and Rune Tonsgaard Sørenson, violist Asbjørn Nørgaard and cellist Fredrik Schøyen Sjölin will perform a premiere with its doppelgänger – the Schubert quartet or quintet that inspired it.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art to present “UCSB Gagaku Project — Music of the Imperial Ceremonies of Japan, One Thousand Years of Elegance and Harmony” at 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 27 at SBMA’s Mary Craig Auditorium, 1130 State St., Santa Barbara.
In collaboration with the UCSB Gagaku Project, a multidisciplinary initiative spearheaded in 2019 by UCSB Professor Fabio Rambelli, SBMA’s Friends of Asian Art is proud to present a Japanese gagaku performance.

Shakespeare meets Green Day in an original musical parody of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” that will be performed April 28 through May 1 at California Lutheran University.
“A Midsemester Prom Night’s Dream” will begin at 8 p.m. April 28, 29 and 30 in Preus-Brandt Forum on the Thousand Oaks campus. A 2 p.m. matinee will be presented on May 1.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents An Evening with Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award-winning author Colson Whitehead on Thursday, April 28th at 7:30 p.m. Campbell Hall.
Colson Whitehead is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of unforgettable novels such as The Underground Railroad (winner of the Pulitzer Prize and National Book Award), Zone One, John Henry Days and The Intuitionist. He was named New York’s 11th state author in 2018, and his 2020 book The Nickel Boys also garnered a Pulitzer Prize, making Whitehead only the fourth writer to win two Pulitzers for fiction. His highly-anticipated new novel, Harlem Shuffle, was published in the fall of 2021.

On April 28, 2022, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., The Museum of Ventura County welcomes back Ivor Davis, as he gets “Up Close and Personal” with famed TV personality and game show host Bob Eubanks, best known for hosting the explosively popular, “The Newlywed Game.” Guests are welcomed in-person at the Museum’s Ventura campus on 100 E Main St., and virtually through Zoom. For more information and registration, please visit: venturamuseum.org.

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.

UCSB Arts & Lectures presents photographer and filmmaker, Ami Vitale, Wild Hope on Sunday, May 1st at 3:00 p.m. at Campbell Hall.
Photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale’s award-winning work illuminates the unsung heroes and communities working to protect our wildlife and find harmony in our natural world. From the reintroduction of northern white rhinos and giant pandas to the wild, to Kenya’s first indigenous-owned and run elephant sanctuary, Vitale’s awe-inspiring images and adventures will enthrall audiences of all ages.

Oxnard College will welcome families on campus for a day of festivities and fun at its inaugural Family Festival on May 1. This family-friendly event from noon – 3 p.m. is free and open to the community. It will take place in front of the college’s Performing Arts Building and will be hosted in tandem with the Oxnard College Foundation’s weekly Community Market.
“We hope to grow this event into an annual tradition so that young children can begin thinking about college from an early age and so our community can learn about Oxnard College’s award-winning programs,” said Luis Sanchez, president of Oxnard College.