When it comes to the arts, Santa Barbara punches well above its weight. In coming months, you can enjoy world-class gallery shows, sublime music performances, exciting theater, and even visits to artists’ studios.
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This fall and winter, experience extraordinary artists up close as the Music Academy of the West presents its 2026–27 Mariposa Concert Series in the intimate setting of Hahn Hall. Celebrating acclaimed Music Academy alumni, the series opens Thursday, October 8 with violist Richard O’Neill and pianist-composer August Baik in Tradition Transformed, featuring Rachmaninoff, Britten, and a world premiere by Baik. On Tuesday, November 10, cellist Nicholas Canellakis and pianist-composer Michael Stephen Brown bring music, original short films, and sharp wit to Humor & Harmony. The new year begins Thursday, January 14, when the Maple Quartet joins Julie and Rebecca Albers for Chasing the Sun, a luminous program culminating in Schoenberg’s Verklärte Nacht. The series concludes Friday, February 12, with flutist and storyteller Annie Wu and pianist Markus Kaitila in Not Too Sweet, pairing music and personal storytelling with curated chocolates from Chocolate Maya. Each evening begins with a 6:30 p.m. reception, followed by the 7:30 p.m. performance. For details and tickets, visit musicacademy.org/mariposa.
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Separate Reality presents Almost Someplace Familiar, the gallery’s first solo exhibition of paintings by Santa Barbara–based artist Sam Avelar. Drawing on photographs and remembered landscapes, Avelar approaches painting as an act of reconstruction, building, obscuring, and revising each composition through layers of color and texture. Moving between recognition and ambiguity, the works consider memory as something fluid and continually remade. Born in 2000, Avelar grew up between California and Canada and is now based in Santa Barbara. She received her BFA from Emily Carr University of Art + Design in 2025. Recent exhibitions include New Gardens at Domecíl Studio, Softening at Janey Gallery, and the Summer Group Show at Francis Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition opens Saturday, September 19, from 6–8 p.m. at Separate Reality, 111 Santa Barbara Street, #C, and remains on view through November 1, 2026. Gallery hours are Friday and Saturday, 2–6 p.m., and by appointment.
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Opera Santa Barbara kicks off its fall season with two outdoor events: Cantadores e Compositores, honoring Hispanic Heritage Month, at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art on October 1 at 5:30 p.m., and Opera Under the Oaks at Elings Park on October 4, featuring highlights from the upcoming season. The company’s mainstage season at the Lobero Theatre opens on November 6, 8, and 10, with a new production of Verdi’s tragedy Rigoletto. The music of Rigoletto includes “La donna è mobile,” arguably the world’s most famous aria, which rings unexpectedly sinister in the context of a debauched court, a murderous jester, and a fatal curse. Opera Santa Barbara’s weekend performances have sold out in recent seasons, and the Sunday matinee of Rigoletto is over 50% sold. The company has added a performance on Tuesday, November 10, offering better availability and lower ticket prices. Information at operasb.org.
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At the Santa Barbara Maritime Museum, art and imagination take an unexpected turn in PLAY: Bronze Sculptures and Other Stuff by Susan Read Cronin, on view through November 29. Blending bronze sculpture, silhouettes, and poetry, Cronin creates whimsical, story-rich works that explore humor, tenderness, longing, mischief, vulnerability, and wonder. Her figures feel at once familiar and surprising, transforming everyday emotions and observations into visual fables filled with personality and wit. The exhibition also invites visitors to look more closely at bronze itself—a material with a long maritime history, from tools and navigation instruments to ship fittings, propellers, and underwater components. Throughout the museum, visitors can continue the adventure with a bronze treasure hunt that adds an element of discovery for all ages. Playful, thoughtful, and full of unexpected details, PLAY offers a fresh way to experience art, storytelling, and maritime history at SBMM. Learn more at sbmm.org.
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A beloved tradition on the Southern California cultural calendar, the Ojai Studio Artists Tour returns October 10-12, inviting art lovers, collectors, and the creatively curious to explore the private workspaces of more than 60 of the valley’s most accomplished artists. This self-guided, three-day event offers an extraordinary opportunity to experience a wide range of original artwork—including painting, sculpture, fiber art, mosaic, collage, jewelry, glass, prints, and mixed media—in the unique and often surprising environments where art is created. From tucked-away backyard studios to rustic workshops nestled in the hills, each stop represents a personal connection to Ojai’s thriving artistic community. The weekend kicks off with a free public reception on Friday, October 9, from 5–7 p.m. at the Ojai Valley Museum. Meet the artists, view an exhibit featuring work by all participating tour artists, and pick up tour brochures and maps. $25 tickets cover the whole weekend: see www.ojaistudioartists.org.
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Prepare to be amazed as the country’s longest-running magic and variety revue celebrates its 70th anniversary with an all-new spectacular! Lobero LIVE and Terry Hill present Milt Larsen’s It’s Magic! Experience two spellbinding performances at the Lobero Theatre on Sunday, October 11, at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Step into a world of wonder, where impossible becomes possible and every moment holds a surprise. Featuring award-winning stars of magic, comedy, sleight of hand, and spectacular stage illusions, It’s Magic! delivers dazzling entertainment for the entire family. The extraordinary lineup includes David Zirbell & Co., Christopher Hart, Ron Saylor & Co., Ice McDonald, and Tina Lenert—bringing together some of the finest performers in the world of magic. Two shows. Seventy years of magic. One unforgettable experience. Sponsored by ParSonics Studio in association with Barbara White Design. On sale now at lobero.org/events/its-magic-2026/ or call the box office at 805.963.0761
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Sullivan Goss Gallery‘s fall exhibitions highlight two of Southern California’s most important realist artists: Patricia Chidlaw and Mary-Austin Klein. Patricia Chidlaw’s BLUE ROOM debuts eighteen new paintings in our largest central exhibition space. Exploring nostalgic, cinematic environments—from neon-lit rainy streets to quiet, empty diners—Chidlaw masterfully turns vanishing vintage landmarks into atmospheric stages suspended between memory and observation. In LUCIDITY, realist painter Mary-Austin Klein presents her third solo show at the gallery. Capturing the serene beauty of Southern California, her luminous landscapes stretch across Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, and the Mojave Desert. Her wide coastal shorelines, windswept palms, and vast blue skies invite quiet meditation on light, weather, and the infinite horizon. We hope you will join us on October 1st from 5-8 p.m. for the monthly First Thursday art walk. Both artists will be on hand during the reception.
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Meet two very different dreamers as Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara opens its 48th season, California: Here and Now. Jonathan Tolins’ Buyer & Cellar, directed by Jamie Torcellini, stars Brian McDonald reprising his award-winning performance as Alex, an out-of-work actor who lands the strangest gig of his life: minding the private shopping mall Barbra Streisand built beneath her Malibu home. It’s wickedly funny and, as Torcellini puts it, “surprisingly touching.” Then Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize– and Tony Award–winning rock musical RENT, directed by Pesha Rudnick, marks its 30th anniversary with its East Village bohemians chasing art, love, and rent money, and with anthems like “Seasons of Love,” “La Vie Bohème,” and “Take Me or Leave Me.” Don’t miss either. Ensemble Theatre Company of Santa Barbara: Buyer & Cellar runs October 7–25 and RENT runs December 2–20 at The New Vic, 33 W. Victoria Street. Tickets at etcsb.org or 805-965-5400.
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Located in the heart of Santa Barbara’s Arts District, Seimandi & Leprieur brings a distinctly French sensibility to the contemporary art scene. Founded by a French couple, the space offers a refined international program. The gallery represents acclaimed American artist Hunt Slonem, whose work is held in the permanent collections of 250 museums worldwide. Seimandi & Leprieur offers a selection of his work, alongside a dynamic program of exhibitions by established and emerging artists. With a growing community of collectors and design professionals, the gallery provides a personal, thoughtful approach to discovering and acquiring contemporary art. Collectors are invited to explore its portfolio, discover a curated selection of works available year-round, and find their next masterpiece. Upcoming exhibition: IN STUDIO by Chicago-based painter Julie Anderson Mathias. Join us for the Opening Reception & Live Music on Thursday, October 1, from 5–8 p.m. seimandileprieur.com
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Caldwell Snyder Gallery is kicking off our Fall exhibition season with the work of Vancouver-based artist Bobbie Burgers, internationally collected for her luscious floral abstractions. Her dynamic paintings feature layers of color and expressive, textured lines. Next, we will present Brazilian artist Marta Penter, whose paintings are rooted in photography and explore layered visual realities, creating an intriguing interplay between perception and representation. In November, we are excited to showcase Johannes Schramm’s captivating depictions of flora, where photorealism and abstraction converge. We invite you to visit us throughout the Fall season and discover these exceptional artists. Please reach out to Jennifer McCloskey to be added to our mailing list, and stay connected with Caldwell Snyder Montecito for exhibition updates and events. [email protected], 805-770-7170.
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