Santa Barbara Calendar of Events

Emergency Responders Week November 16 - 22 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. This November, we are thankful for EMTs, firefighters, police and sheriffs who lent aid during the Zaca, Gap, Tea, Jesusita and La Brea fires, and will offer free admission* to the Zoo during this time. Admission will include the emergency responder plus 1 adult and 2 children. Special activities scheduled the weekend of November 21 - 22. Cost: free. *Emergency responder must be present and show photo ID at front gate to be admitted.

Modest Mussorgsky: “Dawn on the Moscow River” from Khovantchina

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor, Op. 18

Qigang Chen: Iris dévoilée
{featuring vocal soloists and traditional Chinese instrumentalists}

Sponsor: Anne & Michael Towbes
Sponsor: The CAMA Women’s Board
Sponsor: Herbert & Elaine Kendall
Co-Sponsor: Louise & Michael Caccese

Showcasing one photographer’s journey into the dynamic ocean filled with wild inhabitants, Richard Salas dives into a world that never stands still in this photographic slide show, lecture, and book signing. His newly released book, Sea of Light, featuring underwater photography of the Channel Islands will be available at a special 20% discount and makes a perfect holiday gift. Non -members $5; members $3. Tickets available at the door. For more information or reservations please contact Tyler Haven at 805-962-2526 x109 or thaven@sbnature2.org

Enjoy a fun and festive holiday shopping experience. Choose from an extraordinary selection of handcrafted jewelry, specialty gift foods, wearable art, whimsical and educational toys, delightful stocking stuffers, wreaths, ornaments, and nature-inspired treasures presented by local artisans.

"Through the Red & Blue Looking Glass: The Psychology of the Contemporary American Culture War," with Professor Peter Ditto, Chair of the Dept of Psychology and Social Behavior at the University of California, Irvine. Prof. Ditto's current work examines the intersection of moral and political psychology and focuses on understanding the psychological and social dynamics underlying political partisanship. 3pm meeting starts, $2-$5 donations. 5pm optional dinner, $23, reservations required, phone 805-967-3045 or e-mail mwilk@cox.net. Presented by the Humanist Society of Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara Music Club presents a free concert featuring great instrumental and vocal music by outstanding musicians of the Santa Barbara area. Performers include Suzanne Duffy, Ervin Klinkon, and Claude-Lise Lafranque playing Haydn’s London Trio #3, Sio Tepper, a 2009 scholarship recipient, playing Rachmaninov’s romantic “Lilacs” and Prelude #10, Leslie Cook, soprano, with John Sonquist, piano, performing art songs and arias by Gounod, Tchaikovsky, Vaughan Williams and others, and the distinguished Cathedral Oaks Chamber Group, performing Corelli’s masterpiece, his Christmas concerto.

Spend a weekend in the heart of the SB Wine Country. Tour the beautiful Santa Ynez Valley visiting the unique private studios of 26 artists. View examples of artists’ work when picking up tour packets at the Wildling Art Museum. Packets contain a pass, map, and postcards featuring each artist. Saturday afternoon (Nov. 21), there will be a reception from 4-6 pm back at the Museum for all participants and artists. A great opportunity to share the experiences of the day, visit with artists, and plan for Sunday! Check out our website for area hotels/camping offering special rates for the weekend.

Visit Santa Barbara through the eyes of an early-twentieth-century tourist in this exhibit of hand colored glass lantern slides. This collection, donated to the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation by community activist Pearl Chase, provides a rare glimpse of our city as seen by visitors almost a century ago. We think you will be surprised at what has changed, and how much remains the same!

Today, too few people know of the Santa Barbara School of the Arts. Flourishing during the 1920s, the School brought together a pantheon of illustrious artists including Carl Oscar Borg, Edward Borein and Colin Campbell Cooper. Join Guest Curator Marlene Miller as she presents The Guiding Lights of this extraordinary institution.

California Calling: Works from Santa Barbara Collections, 1948 - 2008 Part I: July 18 - December 27, 2009 Part II: September 12 - December 20, 2009 Eclectic, inventive, anti-conformist… these are just a few of the widespread characterizations of artists who have lived and worked in the richest, most diverse, and most populous region in the United States since the end of World War II. California Calling is a two-part exhibition highlighting works from a selection of artists and movements in California from the past sixty years. Drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection and selected local collections, works included exemplify the distinctive vitality of art in the region and the significance of the SBMA as a venue for art on the West Coast.

The Reagan Ranch Center will host a series of open house tours of exciting new exhibit galleries, featuring state-of-the-art, interactive, multimedia exhibits that highlight the history of Ronald Reagan’s quarter-century at Rancho del Cielo and the accomplishments of his presidency. The galleries will be open to the public from 10:00 am – 4:30 pm on: Tuesday, September 15, 2009 Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Tuesday, November 17, 2009 Tuesday, December 15, 2009 Admission is FREE; $10/per person donation suggested. For more information visit the NEW www.yaf.org or call 888-USA-1776.

GRAND OPENING ~ FREE CONCERT SANTA BARBARA CHARTER SCHOOL FLEA MARKET AND CRAFT FAIRE provides support to the local community by providing a place to sell new and used items, art, crafts, books, antiques, music, etc… FREE CONCERT BY LOCAL ARTIST  Felipe Castaneda a local guitarist/singer at 11:00am and Music by Jamey Geston a young talented vocalist, guitarist and entertainer at 12:30.

Santa Barbara Museum of Art August/September 2009 Contact: Katrina Carl 805.884.6430 kcarl@sbma.net Noble Tombs at Mawangdui: Art and Life in the Changsha Kingdom (3rd Century BCE – 1st Century CE) September 19 - December 13, 2009 Originating from the Hunan Provincial Museum and organized by the China Institute in New York, this exhibition, traveling to the United Stated for the first time, highlights one of the most important archaeological excavations in China - the unearthing of Mawangdui, the tomb of the first lady and family of the Changsha Kingdom (died 168 BCE) in the Western Han dynasty (206 BCE-8 CE). The Santa Barbara Museum of Art will be the second and only west coast venue. This exhibition will include some of the finest and among the earliest extant lacquers, silks, paintings, calligraphy, and books. Through these various art works, the exhibition will also examine and reconstruct the art and culture of the Western Han dynasty, a formative period of Chinese culture and civilization, focusing on daily cuisine and drink, cosmetics and fashion, music and entertainment, healthcare and exercise, and the fascinating beliefs of the immortal world. The accompanying exhibition catalogue will be bilingual and published by the Hunan Provincial Museum.

Our fall exhibition is an artistic exploration and celebration of the majesty and subtlety of California's Southern Sierra Nevada mountain range. Offering unique perspectives of four artists working in different media: woodcut prints by Tom Killion, line drawings by Matthew Rangel, photographs by Jeff Jones, and oil paintings by Zenaida Mott. Their work speaks to the importance of the Sierra Nevadas in the history of California and the lives of Californians, the dominant beauty of the landscape and fragility of the wildlife, and the urgent need for awareness and preservation.

The artist created a new series of monotypes for this exhibit while working in Santa Fe over the summer.  Inspired by jazz improvisation techniques and Native American culture, R. Anthony Askew creates one-of-a-kind prints using rich colors, energetic lines and shapes to form lyrical non-objective compositions.  During the summers Mr. Askew teaches for the College of Santa Fe and the Institute of American Indian Arts in New Mexico, and it was there that he began exploring the monotype process.  He explains, "In the monotype, which is a transferred painting or a painterly print, the surface is enhanced by additional papers both for content and for texture, that are adhered as they are printed (chine collé). The main focus in these new works is form, expressive use of color and composition with directed energy and playfulness."  Each work of art is designed within a square format, resulting in intriguing compositions that resonate with viewers according to their individual perceptions.

After Life gathers an eclectic selection of images on death and dying. From intimate post-mortem photographs of the 19th century to Salvador Dali’s surrealist interpretations of Dante’s heaven and hell, objects range from the actual to the imagined. Cultural customs of mourning and burial are captured not only in American daguerreotypes, but also in photographs by Henri Cartier-Bresson of grieving Indians at Gandhi’s funeral and an austere Egyptian mummy by Antonio Beato. HOLIDAY CLOSURE: DECEMBER 14, 2009 - JANUARY 6, 2010

Both abstract and evocative, the objects on view subtly reference familiar forms and functions. Robert Therrien’s wall-hung relief suggests an isolated keystone, suspended by its own force. Similarly Dane Goodman’s cylindrical object recalls a functional, if uncertain, implement. Matthew Mullican’s outsized canvas distills nature’s seasons into a lexicon of symbols like a lost language. Together these works hint at meaning and imply their messages. HOLIDAY CLOSURE: DECEMBER 14, 2009 - JANUARY 6, 2010

This exhibition conjures the early, heady days of travel which occurred in lockstep with photography’s development. The objects in Holiday show glimpses of a long lost world which was newly opened due to transportation advances and a growing middle class eager to explore foreign lands for personal edification, religious fervor and a desire to see the exotic. HOLIDAY CLOSURE DATES: DECEMBER 14, 2009 - JANUARY 6, 2010

Video still, courtesy of Michael Rosenthal Gallery, San Francisco Jillian Mcdonald is a multimedia artist who explores the romance and horror film genres in her multimedia work. Her performance-based video, Horror Make-Up (2006) was filmed, unbeknownst to her fellow subway riders, while on a typical commute to work. Mcdonald filmed herself applying cosmetics during the ride, transforming her features into that of a zombie HOLIDAY CLOSURE DATES: DECEMBER 14, 2009 - JANUARY 6, 2010

Savor the rich heritage of California’s wine-making industry at Fess Parker’s Doubletree Resort, offering a new tradition of Santa Barbara wine tasting. Join us every Friday and Saturday evening from 5:00pm to 7:00pm in Café Los Arcos, conveniently located within our beautiful main lobby. For just $12 per person, you’ll have the opportunity to sample six different Fess Parker wines, all locally produced near our quiet coastal enclave. Delight in one of the most intimate wine tastings in Santa Barbara, and indulge in the following exceptional vintages:

• 2006 Select Cuvée Chardonnay


• Fess Parker Syrah


• "Ashley's Vineyard" Chardonnay


• Fess Parker Viognier


• "Bien Nacido Vineyard" Pinot Noir


• "The Big Easy" Syrah

Diana Thater October 24, 2009 – January 31, 2010 Internationally renowned pioneer of film and video art Diana Thater creates what she describes as “sculpture with images of nature in space.” Phenomena of the natural world are recurring motifs for the artist, whose site-specific video and light installations explore the relationship between beauty and technology, and nature and the way it is mediated through human intervention. Two major works are the focus of this compelling exhibition, including Untitled Videowall (2008), which stems from the Monarch Butterfly Project, the artist’s response to a call by curators, collectors and environmentalists to draw attention to encroachments upon the species’ winter home in Michoacán, Mexico. The Museum debut of this work coincides with the arrival of the Monarchs on the central coast during their annual migration.

The Santa Barbara Art Association will sponsor a benefit exhibit open to all local artists at Gallery 113, #8 in La Arcarda Court, 1114 State Street. Open daily 11-4:00, Sun 1-5:00. Opening Reception: Thursday, Nov. 5, 5-8:00. A percentage of proceeds from the ehxibit will benefit Domestic Violence Solutions, Santa Barbara’s only shelter for victims of domestic violence. Featured artists of the exhibit are urban landscape oil painter Patricia Chidlaw, and abstract printmaker Tony Askew. Raffle tickets for a basket donated by Saks Fifth Avenue may be purchased at the gallery.

Anthony Peres makes fine art photographs of landscape and architecture using traditional film and digital technologies. He also photographs for clients in the architecture, interior design, and motion picture industries. His architectural photographs have been featured publications of the Museum of Modern Art, The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation, and Architectural Digest. He has been a principal contributor for David G. De Long’s Auldbrass: Frank Lloyd Wright’s Southern Plantation, and has co authored the monograph Robert Stacy-Judd with the late architectural historian David Gebhard.

Discover how ceramics were made, used and traded in early California with the newest exhibit at El Presidio de Santa Bárbara State Historic Park, Ceramics Rediscovered: Science Reshapes Understanding of Hispanic Life in Early California. Based on a decade-long investigation of ceramic production using archaeological evidence and scientific analysis, the exhibit offers a rare glimpse into daily life during California’s Spanish and Mexican periods (1769-1848). Featuring period artifacts and reproduction pottery, this groundbreaking exhibit traces the evolution of California’s earliest potters and the material culture they helped shape.

This exhibition will feature performance-based video works that explore the notion of the absurd. Based loosely on non sequitur Dadaist techniques and surrealist-inspired writings, this exhibition explores absurdity in its many meanings. In many instances, these artists employ theatrical techniques by utilizing crudely-made props, costumes, and flimsy sets. By engaging dark and oftentimes ironic humor in absurd or impossible scenarios, these artists expose the underlying brutality, dehumanization, fears and taboos of American society.

Mitchell Wright November 14, 2009 – January 17, 2010 The Reconstruction Wright’s drawings and paintings contemplate the romantic, evoking strong emotion as a source of aesthetic experience and placing emphasis on trepidation, horror, and awe. In his work, one can see inspirations from varied sources including art history (Caspar David Friedrich and Francisco Goya), literature (William Faulkner and Flannery O’Connor), and music (Neil Young). Mitchell Wright’s latest paintings were inspired by William Faulkner’s short story, Barn Burning. Relating this text to his own personal history, Wright creates images to understand how one’s sense of things is guided by their past and the importance of understanding when this is happening. This subject matter of buildings subsumed by flames has a particularly haunting and poignant read in the context of recent Santa Barbara fires and the tragedies that ensued.

SBCC Theatre Arts Department presents a student showcase production of PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE by Steve Martin Two guys walk into a bar. But not just any two guys, and not just any bar. It's 1904, and Pablo Picasso and Albert Einstein meet by chance, for one magical, mythical night at the infamous Parisian dive, The Lapin Agile. The father of modern science meets the father of modern art with the new century still in its infancy. Witness the dawning of the 20th century as it could only be imagined by comic genius Steve Martin. Relativity and cubism have never been so funny!

Transport yourself every Wednesday to the streets of Buenos Aires. Watch the street performers mesmerizing you with the amazing beauty of the exotic and elegant Argentine dance: TANGO. Cafe Buenos Aires is proud to present and support Brian Griffin and Fey Villanueva's dance crew. Two sets of wonderful coreographies. There isn't a better offer in Santa Barbara.

Step back in time to a 1910 Santa Barbara farmhouse turned art gallery and studio. “Paintings BIG and small” is a new show of landscape views featuring Larry Iwerks’ contemporary paintings of our National Parks and California’s magnificent coastline and new watercolors by Cornelia Chapman and Ruston Slager. Also available, paintings in all styles and media by regional painters Jamee Aubrey, Susan Belloni, Cornelia Chapman, Deanna Cohen, Don Iwerks, Betty Little, Filiberto Lomeli, Manny Lopez, Larry Powell, John Rowbottam, Mark Sheridan, Ruston Slager, Skip Smith, Leigh Sparks, Debbie Watts and Special Guests