Featured Events in Santa Barbara County in March 2024 (May Updated)

Gain peace of mind with the timeless practice of mantra meditation and sound healing in Santa Barbara. The AWAKENED HEART event, held at the serene Flow Yoga & Wellness venue, offers a transformative experience that has been passed down through generations. This gathering allows participants to delve into self-inquiry, learn authentic spiritual practices from the East, and enhance their daily lives. The magic begins as attendees are taken on a mesmerizing sound healing journey, melting away worries and promoting deep relaxation. Surrounded by like-minded individuals, this event fosters a sense of community and connection. After the session, indulge in delicious snacks and tea, further enriching the experience. Mantra meditation is incredibly accessible, catering to individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Its simple technique brings the mind to a state of tranquility, offering respite from the constant distractions of modern life. Embracing this practice can bring a newfound level of peace and serenity, even for those who never thought it possible. The AWAKENED HEART event requires no prior experience, making it perfect for beginners. Reserve your spot now to ensure a timely arrival at the Flow Yoga & Wellness venue on March 16, 2024, as the session will promptly start at 3 PM. Tickets are available for $30 in advance or $35 at the door, with a sliding scale option. By attending this event, you not only benefit personally but also contribute to future community gatherings. Don't miss out on this opportunity to discover the power of mantra meditation and sound healing in Santa Barbara.

Experience a fun and educational adult beach volleyball clinic at the renowned 805 Beach in Santa Barbara. The 805 Beach-Adult Beach Volleyball Clinic (BEGINNERS ONLY) will take place at the West Beach Volleyball Courts on March 28, 2024. This clinic is tailored for beginners seeking to enhance their volleyball skills with the guidance of seasoned coaches. Participants will receive expert instruction focusing on fundamental techniques and game improvement. Don't miss this chance to join like-minded individuals, enjoy a player social at Validation Ale following the clinic, and elevate your volleyball proficiency. Secure your spot for this exciting opportunity at the cost of $20. Enhance your beach volleyball skills in a welcoming and supportive environment at the 805 Beach-Adult Beach Volleyball Clinic.

Madeleine Eve Ignon is a multimedia artist and graphic designer originally from Los Angeles who works in a wide range of painting, sewing, and collage techniques. Ignon makes multimedia and multi-panel pieces that enable collisions and conversations between the aesthetics of graphic design and painterly gestures. She has been awarded residencies at Starry Night Program (Truth or Consequences, New Mexico), Vermont Studio Center (Johnston, VT), and Drop Forge & Tool (Hudson, NY), and has exhibited internationally. She graduated from Connecticut College with a BA in Studio Art and a Certificate in Museum Studies, and received a Post-Baccalaureate Certificate from the Pont-Aven School of Contemporary Art in Brittany, France. She earned her MFA from UC Santa Barbara, where she was the 2019–20 College of Creative Studies Teaching Fellow. Ignon currently teaches art and design at UCSB and Santa Barbara City College, is one-half of the experimental curatorial collaborative Beta Epochs, and is an artist-in-residence at Taft Gardens and Nature Preserve in Ojai, CA. Stephanie Dotson originally from Topeka KS, Dotson received her MFA degree with the highest distinction award from the University of Georgia in Athens, GA and her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute. Dotson's current work explores disruption of pattern as it relates to both spatial and psychological transformation and meditations on domestic and creative labor. In addition to being a founding member of the LA based Tiger Strikes Asteroid, Dotson’s work has been included in solo and two person exhibits in Ventura, Kansas City, New York, Atlanta, Chicago and Philadelphia. She has also had her work featured in LUM art magazine and Carpinteria magazine. Dotson received Joan Mitchell fellowships for her artist residencies at The Vermont Studio Center and the Atlantic Center for the Arts and completed an artist residency at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Art and is a current artist in residence at Taft Gardens in Ojai, CA. Dotson is Chair of the art department at SBCC and area head of Printmaking and Studio Art Fundamentals. When not at work or with her family she can usually be found working in her studio in downtown Carpinteria.

This selection shows the Museum’s depth in the area of 19th- and 20th-century European art, including famous works by Henri Matisse and Pablo Picasso, the friendly rivals who dominated the art scene in the first half of the 20th century. The women Impressionists are also represented, including a delicate counterproof pastel by American Mary Cassatt. Also included are precious works by Barbizon school artists Jules Harpignies and Jean-François Millet. Another new addition from the Ridley-Tree bequest is a very fine 1924 charcoal by Matisse, the first drawing of its type to enter the collection.

Curated by Charles Wylie, SBMA Curator of Photography and New Media, and Frederick Janka, MCASB, this exhibition is a mid-career survey and the largest presentation of Ireland’s photographs and installations to date. The exhibition features newly commissioned works and works from the artist’s collection, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s permanent collection, and private collections. Janna Ireland’s photographic practice is primarily concerned with the themes of family, home, and the expression of Black identity in American culture. In 2016, she began photographing structures designed by legendary Black architect Paul R. Williams. A collection of 250 of these photographs was published in the major 2020 monograph, Regarding Paul R. Williams: A Photographer’s View. These multiple aspects of Ireland’s work will be featured and interwoven across both venues. Janna Ireland lives in Los Angeles, where she is an assistant professor in the Department of Art and Art History at Occidental College. A broad selection of Ireland’s work was included in the exhibition Family Album: Dannielle Bowman, Janna Ireland and Contemporary Works from LACMA at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art’s Charles White Elementary School Gallery. Ireland’s photographs are held in the permanent collections of institutions including LACMA, the Nevada Museum of Art, the California African American Museum, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art, and the Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College Chicago.

The exhibition Made by Hand/Born Digital features artists who use brushes, AI, paint, 3D printers, scissors, magazines printed on paper, digital looms, potter’s wheels, Photoshop, and Apple Photo (formerly iPhoto), and who complicate a clean distinction between the hand made and digital. Loans are mixed with recent gifts to the museum. By continuing to make art by hand but bringing the latest digital tools into the process, these artists subvert the supposedly unstoppable trajectory towards the total digitalization of everything. Their art tells us silicon-based artificial intelligence and our carbon-based brains can and do work together. The exhibition contains works by Alex Heilbron, Taha Heydari, Yassi Mazandi, Justin Mortimer, Analia Saban, Ena Swansea, Sarah Rosalena, and Joey Watson, each of whom challenge a simple narrative about the inevitable triumph of machines by using the present-day tools available to them.

Get ready for an exhilarating evening at HUNKS The Show at Flower City Ballroom in Lompoc, CA on March 16, 2024. This highly anticipated arts event promises to be a night to remember at the renowned venue located at 110 W Ocean Ave, Lompoc, CA 93436. With ticket prices ranging from $21.95 to $69.95, attendees are in for a treat as they witness the mesmerizing performances by the talented HUNKS. From dance routines to jaw-dropping acts, this show is sure to captivate audiences and leave them wanting more. So mark your calendars and secure your tickets early to guarantee your spot at HUNKS The Show. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to experience a night of entertainment like no other at Flower City Ballroom.