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Bring in the beginning of Spring and the Persian New Year with family and friends at the Museum of Ventura County. Join the celebration and learn more about the Persian New Year, called Nowruz, with crafts and music. Nowruz translates to “new day” and is celebrated on the Spring equinox by millions of people across the globe as a season of rebirth and good luck. One popular feature of Nowruz is the haft-seen, a table decorated with seven items that begin with the letter “seen” in Farsi and other things of significance. Come see our beautiful haft-seen and make your own things to take home or add to the community table, like tissue paper hyacinths, painted eggs, and egg-carton goldfish. Dance to the upbeat and festive Iranian music and listen to poems commemorating the start of spring. This cultural event will be a fun afternoon for families and adults alike! Proof of vaccination will be required on arrival for in-person attendees. Masks will not be required for this event. If you would like a mask, we’re happy to provide one for you.

Doors open at 6pm, program begins at 6:30pm Dianne Lake was a beautiful and innocent wide eyed seventh grade student – whose hippie parents abandoned their traditional suburban lifestyle to join a cult called, The Wavy Gravy’s Hog Farm Commune in Tujunga, California. Along the way her parents met a man named Charles Manson. They were so impressed by him and, as unbelievable as it sounds, they turned their young daughter over to Manson. Dianne was just 14. What happened next is a personal odyssey that is hard to believe. She travelled with Manson’s raggle-taggle band of runaways and social misfits until they settled at the notorious Spahn Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, California. She became a chattel, a slave to Manson’s sexual whims and part of his depraved world of mind-blowing drugs which culminated in a series of horrendous, high profile Los Angeles murders in the Summer of l969. While never involved with any murders, Dianne was arrested and her life was almost destroyed. Today, in her late Sixties, she is a devout, church-going grandmother, who lives in Ventura County. She will tell her own unbelievable story of survival and redemption in the Museum of Ventura County’s newest episode of “Ivor Davis: Up Close and Personal with Dianne Lake” on Thursday March 24. Her story sounds like pure fiction but it’s all true. Museum members who register for this event (either in person or via Zoom) will be entered into a drawing to receive an autographed copy of Ivor Davis’ “Manson Exposed: A Reporter’s 50-Year Journey into Madness and Murder“. Become a member now and register for this event for your opportunity to receive the autographed book. Proof of vaccination will be required on arrival for in-person attendees. Masks will not be required for this event. If you would like a mask, we’re happy to provide one for you. Registration for Zoom closes at 4:30pm on March 24th.

SBCC School of Extended Learning, Career Skills Institute Obtain a working knowledge of PowerPoint. This course covers integrating Microsoft PowerPoint with other programs and the World Wide Web, collaborating with a workgroup, and producing and delivering an on-screen slide show in class. You may elect to take this course independent of a Career Skills Institute digital badge or apply it to the Microsoft Office Skills, Level 3 Certificate. This Certificate prepares students for entry-level office clerk jobs & provides a basis for more advanced college training and career laddering. After this series, participants will be able to use mail merge to create, print or share documents and/or publications, use advanced formulas and transform data in Excel and prepare a PowerPoint presentation for printing and sharing. To obtain the Microsoft Office Skills, Level 3 Certificate, participants must complete a total of three required courses and one elective courses: Required: (1) Microsoft Word 3 (2) Microsoft Excel 3 (3) Microsoft Powerpoint 3 Elective: (1) Microsoft Outlook 3 (2) Microsoft Publisher 3 (3) Microsoft Access 3 Microsoft PowerPoint 3 takes place on Saturdays March 19 through April 9. Classes will be held 9:00 AM – 12:10 PM. Course number: CMPW NC55C (CRN 67514) Date: Saturdays, March 19 - April 9 Time: 9:00 AM – 12:10 PM Format: In-Person Location: Wake 4 Class cost: Free Contact: Register online at https://www.sbcc.edu/ExtendedLearning. For assistance with registration, call (805) 683-8205. About SBCC School of Extended Learning The School of Extended Learning responds to the diverse learning needs of the adult population in the Santa Barbara community by advancing career and life skills, and building bridges to credit. SBCC Career Skills Institute is part of the programs offered through the School of Extended Learning. The innovative program is endorsed by LinkedIn® and serves job seekers, employers and employees with a tuition–free, noncredit certificate program to provide career training for employees and job seekers. Participants can earn certificates and digital badges demonstrating knowledge and skills in over 60 areas of business, design, technology, and career education. For more information, visit www.sbcc.edu/ExtendedLearning.

Each concert in this new series takes the audience down a different path. Experience the virtuosity of Academy artists, focus in on specific instrumentation or repertoire, or hear new music of our time.

Featuring String Quartet Seminar fellows in a program of Beethoven and Bartók.

x2 Series: Academy artists paired with the brilliant 2022 fellows
Featuring the Takács Quartet

JOIN US AT THE SANTA BARBARA BOWL
Celebrate the 75th Anniversary with an epic Community Concert! Generous support has been provided in remembrance of Léni Fé Bland.
All tickets only $10, and kids FREE with a ticketed adult.

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, join artists Hiroko Yoshimoto, Katherine Chang Liu, W. Scott Miles, and Tori Tasch at the Santa Paula Art Museum for the premiere of "Hiroko Yoshimoto: New Works" featuring "Impending Storms", a collaborative art installation by Blue Marble Art Collective. Yoshimoto's newest artworks represent the Ventura artist’s continued work on her long-running “Biodiversity“ series, an output that amounts to nearly 300 paintings and sketches which speak to Hiroko's concern for the ever-growing threat to biological diversity. Many of the artworks will be available for purchase.

Yoshimoto recently teamed with fellow environmentally-conscious artists Liu, Miles and Tasch to form Blue Marble Art Collective. The group creates mixed media art and installations that put a spotlight on the looming dangers of significant loss of species and biodiversity.

The premiere party will include a special musical performance by Karen Pecht. Wine, beer and hors d’oeuvres will be served. Admission to the premiere is $5 for SPAM members, and $10 for non-members.
"Hiroko Yoshimoto: New Works" and "Impending Storms" will be on view at the Santa Paula Art Museum July 16, 2022, through November 6, 2022.

HEADER IMAGE: "Biodiversity #119" by Hiroko Yoshimoto, 2019, Oil on canvas, 50 x 86 inches.

Led by Academy artist Richie Hawley
Public masterclasses have been at the heart of the Academy experience since its inception
Cheer on the fellows and learn more about the music and the art of performance.

What does Elvis Presley mean to us in the 21st century? This lecture will consider the complicated historical legacy of an American legend, a figure whose music, image, and "rise and fall" story continues to shape popular culture. From his humble beginnings in Tupelo, Mississippi to the heights of superstardom, from teen idol to Vegas showman, we’ll explore how the details of Elvis Presley’s stunning life shed light on the wider world of music, politics, and culture at a critical moment in the nation's history.


David Parsons, Ph.D., received his doctorate in History from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). He is a professor and writer whose work focuses on the political, social, and cultural history of 20th century America. He has taught courses in U.S. history at CUNY and New York University, and hosts a long running weekly podcast on history and politics called The Nostalgia Trap. His book “Dangerous Grounds: Antiwar Coffeehouses and Military Dissent in the Vietnam Era” explores links between the civilian peace movement and the American military.

Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses and lectures (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for people age 50 and older. All two-hour lectures in the FABulous Summer Lecture Series are open to all ages.

The Triunfo Water & Sanitation District will present four free “Water Smart Summer” classes that discuss water-saving and drought-tolerant landscaping and gardening techniques. Each of the classes will be presented by a certified instructor from the Master Gardeners of Ventura County.

One-hour classes will be held on Saturdays from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. beginning on July 30. Classes are at Mae Boyar Park (130 Kanan Road) in Oak Park.

July 30: Replacing Your Lawn--Turf Removal Options
Different methods of removing a lawn and replacing it with a drought-tolerant garden. Drip irrigation discussion also included.

August 6: Fire-Smart and Water-Wise
Types of plantings that are both fire-smart and water-wise for a home garden; the importance of soil, microclimates, hydro-zones, mulch and irrigation.

August 13: Growing California Natives
How to grow a California native plant garden--when it's best to plant natives, their maintenance needs, and other information about drought-resistant plants.

August 20: Drought-Tolerant Gardening, Design and Maintenance
How to remove turf and other high water-consumptive landscaping and how to select, plant and maintain drought-tolerant alternatives.

Triunfo Water & Sanitation District holds free classes and workshops throughout the year on various water-related subjects. Space is limited. To reserve a spot in one of the upcoming classes, go to www.triunfowsd.com/Water-Smart-Summer.