Fred Ward
By Henry J. Ohrtman   |   May 18, 2026

A boxer’s nose and a walk made for troubleIn his movies he’d outlast his body doublesAs he did one day with me in the gymDoing squats with no rest, just no catching him You showed me Chavela Vargas and the early Gypsy KingsCarlos Monzon was your man in the Ring.Meanness and strength can surely be […]

Narsiso Martinez: From Farmer to Artist
By Les Firestein   |   April 21, 2026

The New Riv Features This Artist Who Is Giving Farmworkers the Spotlight. And Narsiso Martinez Is the Right Man for the Job – Until Recently a Farmworker Himself Migrant workers have been in the spotlight a lot lately. But who really are these people we pass working the fields as we drive down the 101 […]

 

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More from Montecito

‘Reencounter’ Offers Tapestry of Talent
By Scott Craig   |   April 21, 2026

Family, friends and art lovers all packed into the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art to celebrate the 14 graduating art majors who presented their capstone projects in Reencounter on April 9. The exhibition, featuring a class of artists ready to make their mark on the world, will remain open through May 9. Near the museum […]

Art Grads ‘Reencounter’ the Self
By Scott Craig   |   April 14, 2026

From April 9 to May 9 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum, fourteen graduating art majors will present their capstone projects in an exhibition that reencounters their cultural identity, family history & patterns, and art historical traditions. There will be a free, public opening reception for Reencounter on Thursday, April 9, from 4-6 pm in the […]

In the Footsteps of Ansel Adams
By Scott Craig   |   March 31, 2026

Members and supporters of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art experienced California’s Owens Valley and the Sierra Nevada on a unique trip Feb. 27-28 with stops at Manzanar National Historic Site, the Paiute Shoshone Cultural Center and nearby ancient petroglyphs. The group followed in the footsteps of Ansel Adams, visiting locations important to him, including […]

Ansel Adams’ Lens Into LA Architecture
By Scott Craig   |   March 10, 2026

More than 100 people packed into the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art on Feb. 24 to hear Dennis Doordan, an architectural and design historian, analyze Los Angeles architecture through photographs Ansel Adams took on assignment there in the 1940s. The talk, “Looking at Ansel Adams Looking at LA,” contrasted Adams’ iconic nature photos with those […]

Art Lost & Found
By Elizabeth Stewart   |   March 3, 2026

MD enjoyed buying storage lockers whose owners had defaulted on payments. He bought one in the early 2000s in San Diego and stuffed boxes of books and papers into his own storage locker here in Santa Barbara. Newly retired, he had the time to sort through boxes of paperwork. In one old box he found […]

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  • Dodos, a Rodrigues Solitaire, and other Extinct Birds

    Did you think this was a Dodo? You’re not a dodo for thinking so. The bird depicted in this chromolithograph is the famous Dodo’s closest relative, the Rodrigues Solitaire. Both species of flightless birds are now extinct. François Leguat was marooned on the island of Rodrigues in the 1690s and described the Rodrigues Solitaire in […]

    Poetry Reading Honors Stafford
    By Scott Craig   |   February 3, 2026

    Paul Willis, English professor emeritus and former poet laureate of Santa Barbara, hosts the 17th annual William Stafford Reading on Saturday, January 31, at 2 pm at the First Crossing Day Use Area in Los Padres National Forest, across from the old Los Prietos Boys Camp, 3900 Paradise Road. This is the former site of […]

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    Free for All From A&L and More
    By Steven Libowitz   |   February 3, 2026

    Several no-cost events are on their way from UCSB’s Arts & Lectures, all with tie-ins to full presentations as part of its current season. The classical corner comes up big this season, first with violinist Nicola Benedetti leading a masterclass on Thursday, January 29, at Geiringer Hall, the morning after her concert at Campbell Hall. […]

    Mountains and Sea Get the Spotlight
    By Sigrid Toye   |   January 20, 2026

    What happens when ocean mist meets mountain light? When a brush meets canvas, and local talent meets natural wonders? Where the Mountains Meet the Sea, a new exhibition of landscape paintings by 12 predominately Santa Barbara-based artists, is soon to be on view from January 22 through March 29, 2026. This absolutely ‘must see’ display, […]

    Curator’s Choice: Wood Ducks

    It’s the time of year when Wood Ducks pair up! Audubon painted this lively image in New Orleans in 1821. He dramatized the courtship and nesting habits of this species while showing the remarkable patterns and colors of their feathers. The Wood Ducks are from the Museum’s collection of prints from the American edition of […]

    New Lens on Iconic Photographer
    By Scott Craig   |   January 20, 2026

    The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art offers a groundbreaking exhibition that reveals a little‑known chapter of America’s most celebrated photographer in Beyond the Wilderness: Ansel Adams in 1940s Los Angeles, from January 15 – March 28. The museum hosts a free, public, opening reception for the exhibition on Thursday, Jan. 15, from 4-6 pm.  While Adams has […]

    Where Monet Meets Matisse: SBMA Hosts an Evening of Artistic Brilliance
    By Richard Mineards   |   January 5, 2026

    Written by Maria McCall It was a who’s who of Santa Barbara’s arts patrons as the Santa Barbara Museum of Art welcomed its top donors and museum circles members for an exclusive viewing of its latest extravaganza. Director and CEO Amada Cruz greeted guests with her contagious enthusiasm, inviting them to view the collections and […]

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