With each of her performances, the Philadelphia-born contralto Marian Anderson (1897–1993) tested limits and broke boundaries. She is best remembered for her gripping recital on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday in April 1939, when some 75,000 people gathered to witness her sing. On account of her race, Anderson had been prohibited from performing at the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Constitution Hall and other venues in Washington, D.C. The concert on the National Mall, therefore, became a watershed moment in the struggle against segregationist policies and discrimination.

Experiment with an assortment of drawing tools inspired by Eugene Berman’s mixed media on paper "Composition II" (1940).

Our spring plant sale is still happening at Trinity Gardens through May.

Hike Oso Flaco Lake with the Land Trust. This easy 2-mile hike will take us across the boardwalk that spans the lake, looking for birds as we go. We will continue through a back-dune area that has willows, Pacific wax-myrtle, and lovely blue and yellow bush lupines, as well as many other interesting plants. After a while, we will approach the ocean, where we can look for shore birds and also see some interesting dune vegetation.

For the final presentation in their annual Speaker Series, Marymount of Santa Barbara is welcoming world-renowned author, speaker, and Interfaith leader, Eboo Patel, to speak on celebrating the diversity of our values and beliefs on May 6th.

Get your free cleanup kit!

Join the Santa Maria Philharmonic Society for First Fridays at Four!

The UC Santa Barbara Department of Music will present a virtual chamber music recital, “Springtime in France: Music of Les Six,” on Friday, May 7, 2021 at 6 pm PDT as a YouTube Premiere via the Department of Music’s YouTube channel. The concert will feature UC Santa Barbara faculty member and pianist Dr. Natasha Kislenko and special guests, including clarinetist Richie Hawley, trumpeter Matthew Swihart, violinist Chavdar Parashkevov, and pianist Tali Morgulis. The program will include solo and chamber works by the members of Les Six—Arthur Honegger, Georges Auric, Darius Milhaud, Germaine Tailleferre, Francis Poulenc, and Louis Durey.

For more information and the direct Youtube link visit https://music.ucsb.edu/news/event/2204

Graduate vocalist Naomi Merer (soprano) will present a virtual Doctor of Musical Arts lecture recital, titled "Get thee to an asylum: reflecting on the evolution of mental illness and its portrayal in Thomas’s operatic mad scene," with pianist Mandee Madrid Sikich on Saturday, May 8, 2021 at 4 pm PDT as a YouTube Premiere via the Department of Music’s YouTube channel. Merer will perform excerpts from Songs and Sonnets to Ophelia by Jake Heggie and Hamlet by Charles Ambroise Thomas. Merer is a Doctor of Musical Arts candidate.

For more information and the direct Youtube link visit https://music.ucsb.edu/news/event/2201

The Laguna Blanca School Running for Charity is hosting a virtual "May Flowers 5K" race on May 8th to benefit the animals in care at Santa Barbara Wildlife Care Network.

Join us for a Mothers Day hike with scenic views of mountains and ocean while learning about how the Land Trust for SB County worked to save this stretch of coastline from development. You will also learn about the botanicals that are endemic to this coastal habitat. This 3 mile, moderate hike is mostly flat, but has some elevation so walking poles optional. Wear good walking shoes, a hat, and layered clothing. Bring sunscreen, water, snacks, and a camera and binoculars if you like. Ample parking, no fee. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Dogs are allowed, but must be on leash.