Santa Barbara

Cover

DESIGNER DONI NAHMIAS MELDS SURF, SKATE + HIP-HOP

FEATURING

BUNNY WILLIAMS TREILLAGE

William Laman

MASTERPIECE IN MONTECITO Views // Privacy // 3.3 Acres Offered at $12,850,000

Coldwell Banker - Solakian

RESIDENTIAL BROKERAGE

ESTATES GROUP

Bringing People & Properties Together M O N T E C I T O E S TAT E S. C O M

The Premiere Estates of Montecito & Santa Barbara CAL BRE 00622258

805 565/2208

Pompeiian Court 319 SAN YSIDRO ROAD MONTECITO I $4 6 , 50 0,000 319SANYSIDRO.COM

Village Properties - Riskin

RISKINPARTNERS .COM

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Village Properties - Riskin

LI CENSE #0195 4177

A Piece of Paradise 595 PICACHO L ANE MONTECITO I $36 , 50 0,000 595PICACHOL ANE.COM

NS CERAMIC II

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NS Ceramic

MOSAÏQUE SURFACE

Laurel CERAMIC u STONE u GLASS u METAL u PORCELAIN 602 E Montecito St, Ste A

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Santa Barbara

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805 -962-1422

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nsceramic.com

Sotheby’s - Dusty Baker

Berkshire - Marsha Kotlyar

Berkshire - Marsha Kotlyar

SUSAN READ CRONIN BRONZE SCULPTURES

Susan Read Cronin

XXO Bronze, 3.5” H x 3.5” W x 7” D

WWW.SUSANREADCRONIN.COM 802.379.8172

Giffin & Crane

LICENSE 611341

B U I L D I N G P E AC E O F M I N D

Compass - Luke Ebbin

LU K E E B B I N T H E E B B I N G R O U P. C O M 8 0 5 . 4 0 0. 3 4 2 4 | T E A M @ T H E E B B I N G R O U P. C O M

1 8 4 5 E A S T M O U N TA I N D R I V E , M O N T EC I TO, C A

5 , 2 2 7 TOTA L S F + / - | 1 .1 4 AC R E S + / -

O F F E R E D F O R $ 8 , 9 5 0, 0 0 0

Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number [license number to be inserted by region]. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice. No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. Luke Ebbin - DRE 01488213

Compass - Luke Ebbin

Leonard Unander

UNANDERCONSTRUCTION.COM

| 805.682.5685

San Ysidro Ranch

89hollisterranch.com

8 9 Properties H o l l i s t e-rKellenberger Ranch Village

747 VIA MANANA

Village Properties - Kellenberger 3 5 9 9 PA D A R O L A N E

8107 BUENA FORTUNA

20 CAMINO VERDE

8 1 3 3 P U E S TA D E L S O L

925 EL RANCHO ROAD

8 1 0 9 P U E S TA D E L S O L

EMILY KELLENBERGER & ASSOCIATES

#2 OU T OF 185 AGENTS

805.252.2773 emily@villagesite.com DRE 01397913 www.EKAestates.com

22 years of experience with the utmost in privacy + confidentiality

A M I NA R U B I NAC C I F W 2 3 C O L L E C T I O N I N S T O R E N O W

Allora by Laura

CAPTIVATING MODERN LUXURY S H O P O N L I N E at allorabylaura.com 1269 Coast Village Road, Montecito CA | 805.563.2425 | @allorabylaura | allorabylaura.com

Scott Formsby Design

S C OT T FORMBY DESIGN

S A N TA B A R B A R A LO S A N G E L E S N E W YO R K scottfor m by.com

I nt e ri ors & L a nd scap e s

The Prancing Horse Estate presents true grandeur —the luxury of space, peace and beauty.

The Agency - Eric Haskell 6858 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria PRICE UPON REQUEST

7 BEDROOMS | 10 BATHROOMS | 10,999 SQ.FT. | 12.5 ACRES Discover The Prancing Horse Estate—a 10-bed, 10,999-SF Tuscan masterpiece on 12.5 gated acres. The grand entry foyer connects to the dining room, kitchen and living areas, anchored by a central courtyard. The primary suite, 5 additional bedrooms, a library and a rooftop gym complete the main home. A motor court leads to a guest house with an office/media room. Savor vineyards, gardens, lawns, an infinity pool/spa, a sauna, greenhouse, basketball court, a 6-car garage and equestrian facilities.

Elevated Representation.

ERIC HASKELL ERICHASKELL@THEAGENCYRE.COM 805.570.7243 | LIC. #01866805

The Jacaranda Estate, an exquisite piece of history nestled in Montecito’s prestigious Hedgerow neighborhood.

The Agency - Eric Haskell 167 Pomar Lane, Montecito PRICE UPON REQUEST 7 BEDROOMS | 7 BATHROOMS | 5,603 SQ.FT. | 1.25 ACRES

Located in Montecito’s Hedgerow neighborhood, this 1900’s Monterey Colonial home—known as The Jacaranda Estate—has been meticulously restored featuring luxe finishes layered with modern comforts. Enjoy elegant living spaces, intimate lounges, 2 well-appointed kitchens, 7 beds and 6.5 baths. The 1.23 lush acres include a pool, spa, barbecue area and pavilion amid majestic trees, manicured gardens, fragrant herbs and a petite orchard. Ideally situated within Montecito Union School District.

THEAGENCYRE.COM ERICHASKELLGROUP.COM

Daniel Gibbings

L AU R A D R A M M E R & A S S O C I AT E S

Berkshire - Laura Drammer

S a n t a Yn e z W i n e C o u n t r y R e d e fi n e d L u x u r i o u s N e w - B u i l d o n 2 0 ± A c r e s o f U n p a r a l l e l e d Te r r o i r Adjoining 20 acre parcels available to increase your land holdings R A N C H O - S O L E A D O. C O M 805.448.7500 Laura@LauraDrammer.com DRE: 01209580 LauraDrammer.com © 2023 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise systemof BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company,a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information.

Montecito Valley ESTATE GROUP

Compass - Tyler Kallenbach MASON RAY, TYLER KALLENBACH, CASEY KALLENBACH

Combining a substantial scope of experience in luxury real estate with an incomparable level of customer service, Montecito Valley Estate Group is a family run team with an impressive history of delivering remarkable results to each of our clients.

Through our rebranding process (from ‘Tyler Kallenbach’ to ‘Montecito Valley’), we wanted to capture the essence of Montecito’s past and weave it into our brand identity to pay homage to the rich history of our cherished community.

MONTECITO VALLEY | MONTECITOVALLEY.COM | 805.695.2533 | DRE# 02021945 Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice.

No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.

Compass - Tyler Kallenbach

175 Miramar Ave 4 BED | 4.5 BATH | 3,000 SQFT+/NEWLY OFFERED FOR $7,500,000

JUST SOLD SAN ANTONIO, OJAI $18,000,000

JUST SOLD 504 HODGES LN $3,250,000

Buyer Representation

Seller Representation

MONTECITO VALLEY | MONTECITOVALLEY.COM | 805.695.2533 | DRE# 02021945 Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. License Number 01991628. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but has not been verified. Changes in price, condition, sale or withdrawal may be made without notice.

No statement is made as to accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footage are approximate. If your property is currently listed for sale this is not a solicitation.

Pierre Lafond - Wendy Foster

H A P P Y H O L I D A Y S F R O M O U R FA M I LY T O Y O U R S . . .

A C O L L E C T I O N O F LO C A L S T O R E S F O R S A N T A B A R B A R A L I V I N G w e n d y f o s t e r. c o m | p i e r r e l a f o n d . c o m | s h o p u p s t a i r s . c o m

INTRODUCING

Oakhaven

Astonishing Views • 18± Acre Estate • Classic 1920’s Spanish Colonial Revival • Robert H Spurgeon Jr. Design Unmatched Privacy • Lush, Mature Grounds

Village Properties - Dore Oneill

M o n te c i to, CA

OFFERED BY

LIC: 01806890/01788156

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Ramsey Asphalt

Need a Real Estate Expert on Your Side?

Coastal Properties - Goldberg

Over One Billion Sold in Career Sales

Serving Santa Barbara, Montecito, Hope Ranch, Carpinteria, Goleta & Ventura

(805) 455-8910 DRE #01172139

TABLE OF CONTENTS

36

LETTER

38

CONTRIBUTORS

41

LIVE Unmissable eateries, our holiday gift guide, and a look at local museums

TOC

80 LOCAL MOTION Written by Elizabeth Varnell. Photographs by We Are The Rhoads

96

SCULPTING THE FUTURE Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter. Photographs by Bruce Heavin

104 THE SHAPE OF SURF Written by James O’Mahoney. Portraits by Dewey Nicks

116 CALIFORNIA SPIRITS Written by Caitlin White. Photographs by Michael Haber

130 BACK PAGE A gas-pump museum 30 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

Eider Studio

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR + CEO

Jennifer Smith

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Gina Tolleson

CREATIVE CONSULTANT

James Timmins

DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Rutledge

CONTRIBUTING DESIGNER

Dean Alari

PHOTO EDITOR

Lauren White

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Peregegrine - Masthead

Charles Donelan Anna Ferguson-Sparks Amelia Fleetwood Jennifer Blaise Kramer Christine Lennon Dawn Moore Lorie Dewhirst Porter Gabe Saglie Katherine Stewart Joan Tapper Erik Torkells Caitlin White

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Blake Bronstad David Cameron Leela Cyd Sam Frost Blue Gabor Tierney Gearon Michael Haber Brian Hodges Elizabeth Messina Dewey Nicks Victoria Pearson Sara Prince Lisa Romerein Trevor Tondro

TH E

TEAM RE ALTORS

Sold on the Beach

Berkshire - Easter Team

Sales price upon request.

GLORIA EASTER DRE #00917775

JENNY EASTER DRE #01858581

BROOKE EBNER DRE #01923719

805.455.6294 | Associates@EasterTeamRealtors.com | EasterTeamRealtors.com

REAL Service . REAL People . REAL Trust. REAL ESTATE.

© 2023 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. BHH Affiliates LLC and BHHSCP do not guarantee accuracy of all data including measurements, conditions, and features of property. Information is obtained from various sources and will not be verified by broker or MLS. Buyer is advised to independently verify the accuracy of that information. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for your listing.

®

REALTOR

CHAIRMAN

ORDER ONLINE AT ANDERSENSSANTABARBARA.COM

1999-2003

Robert N. Smith

PRESIDENT

Jenny Murray

Get cozy this December with Andersen’s hand-baked and hand-decorated options. Check our selection of holiday sweets and treats. Order desserts early!

PUBLISHER

Amy M. Lipson CONTROLLER

Leila Allen INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Sandy Hubbard

©2023 BY SMITH PUBLISHING GROUP, LLC.

All rights reserved. No part of this periodical may be reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written consent from Santa Barbara Magazine.

The Andersen’s - Masthead

TO OUR READERS

Santa Barbara Magazine invites you to share with us your reactions to our latest stories. Letters are not for publication, but please include your address in case we need to contact you. By mail: Reader Response Department, Santa Barbara Magazine, 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Ste. 120, Santa Barbara, CA 93103. By e-mail: editorial@sbmag.com.

HOLIDAY HYGGE Famous Butterring Apple Strudel Kringles (ask for flavors) Scandinavian Buns Hand-decorated Holiday Cookies Authentic Danishes

CAKES

Cutler’s Danish Apple Cake Chocolate Chocolate Charlotte Boston Cream Cake Tiramisu Princess Cake Traditional Danish Layer Yule Log & Apple Pie

It’s not to early to reserve your order!

Call us at (805) 962-5085 1106 STATE STREET

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Jes MaHarry

FROM THE EDITORIAL DIRECTOR

36 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

Edit Letter

Jennifer Smith

ON THE COVER: Photographed by We Are The Rhoads at Carpinteria Skate Park. Styled by Doni Nahmias (second from right) in Nahmias. Hair

by Andre Gunn at Art Department.

Makeup by Gina Brooke.

Models Donovan Wildfong at Storm Management @donovanwildfong, Destiny Niemeier @desniemeier, Swap at Nomad Management @swapecito.

ILLUSTRATION: DAVID DOWNTON

T

he Culture issue is always one of my favorites of the year because it highlights all the varied talent in our midst. This town is inspiration incarnate, and you only have to open your eyes to see the beauty that constantly surrounds us.

Take entrepreneur Lynda Weinman, who successfully sold her online training website, Lynda.com, nearly 10 ago and has reinvented herself as a sculptor and patron of community arts. Weinman helped launch Clay Studio in Goleta, which has a mission to “enrich lives by teaching and promoting the ceramic arts.” In addition to producing her own work, featured in “Sculpting the Future” (page 96), she is seeking to expand the studio to become a global resource for creative exploration and design.

Artistry and transformation can be applied to so many mediums, including your own home or garden. Take local couple Mark Peterson and Ane Diaz (“California Spirits,” page 116), who have created an otherworldly sanctuary full of some of the most exotic agaves around. Their Montecito property, Rancho del Sol, was an avocado ranch until fires and mudslides prompted the pair to consider agaves, which require far less water to grow. Their creativity and passion led to a partnership with a distillery, and they are now producing a line of agave spirits.

Hope Ranch Surf Club was founded in Santa Barbara in 1962 by a group of local teens. They started entering surf competitions, holding

their own against big names from further south and Hawaii. Over the past half-century, the surfers have always stayed true to their roots and values, and in “The Shape of Surf” (page 104), we take a look back with archival photos, accounts from founding members, and current portraits of local legend Renny Yater.

Fashion is yet another form of art and selfexpression. I enjoy dressing for my mood and the message I want to convey. Native Santa Barbaran Doni Nahmias has pushed that concept even further — all the way to the runways of Paris. He has grown his eponoymous menswear line, Nahmias, into an in-demand brand, with celebrities galore wearing his creations. For “Local Motion” (page 80), we joined Nahmias as he went back to his Carp roots, skateboard in hand, with a tribe of like-minded sartorial skaters testing out his recent collection for style and function at the newly opened Carpinteria Skate Park.

If art can be created in many forms, I am thankful that those forms are dreamed, shaped, and crafted here in our most legendary of lands.

Sotheby’s - McDermut

CONTRIBUTORS

SETH EPSTEIN

BL U E G A B O R

The long-time contributor to Santa Barbara Magazine, who turned her lens on Talina Hermann (“Well-Being,” page 64), is a photographer and mother of two living in the Carpinteria foothills.

“After knowing Talina for many years, I have enjoyed seeing her personal journey to healer,” she says. Gabor is also a trained herbalist who is poised to launch a beauty brand, Creature Soleil, in early 2024. S.B. MUST DOS • Riding the Carpinteria bluffs with my boys and wolf dog. • Thursday flea markets at Earl Warren Showgrounds. • Spending a full day at the Ojai Valley Inn spa.

Contributors

C H A R L O T T E BRYA N T

The compiler of this year’s holiday gift guide (page 57) has spent the majority of her life in Santa Barbara and worked as an associate designer at Santa Barbara Magazine before taking on roles as a social media manager, creative director, and designer. When not traveling or working, you can find her at her husband’s Michelin-recognized restaurant, Bibi Ji, enjoying their extensive natural wine list. S.B. MUST DOS • Pickletinis and Reuben egg rolls at the Pickle Room. • Monday Thali Platters at Bibi Ji. • Celebrating special occasions with dinner at Yoichi’s.

38 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

MARIANA SCHULZE

The shutterbug’s molecular biology and art direction studies in Buenos Aires, Argentina, gave her a unique understanding of color, line, and mysterious underlying organic patterns of creativity. Lured by the bohemian SoCal lifestyle, she has made her home in Ojai since 2003. For this issue, she took photos of ceramicist Mark Churchill and his work (“Perfect Imperfection,” page 76). S.B. MUST DOS • Beach days with family and friends at Loon Point. • Escapes to Palihouse. • Wandering at Lotusland.

@WEARETHERHOADS (THE RHOADS), NEIL HARRISON (GABOR), ALEX “GRIZZ” LOUCAS (BRYANT)

C H R I S A N D S A R A H R H OA D S

The husband-and-wife creative duo shot the cover and feature on Doni Nahmias (“Local Motion,” page 80). “I love a coming-up story,” Sarah says, “especially a California one, and Doni is a homegrown kid from Carp who is now creating really inspiring work in the fashion space. It’s all about the people, and Doni is really special.”

S.B. MUST DOS • Our very favorite beach is in Carpinteria just off Santa Claus Lane. • Handlebar Coffee is always on the list. • Loquita is a great date-night spot that we really like, with amazing tapas-style yummy eats.

The creative entrepreneur, Emmy winner, and cofounder of Ysidro Spritz is also the founder of LOS YORK, a global creative company that crafts advertising campaigns for Motorola, Logitech, and many other brands. He has lived in Santa Barbara for the past 15 years and visited Rascal’s Vegan (“Plant-Based Bounty,” page 44) for this issue. S.B. MUST DOS • Hammond’s Beach—the trail is spiritual. • Eat under the kumquat trees at San Ysidro Ranch.

• The fish tacos at On The Alley.

HOLIDAY CHEER AT

Montecito Country Mart

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visit montecitocountrymart.com and follow @montecitocountrymart for event details, real-time updates, and more

GA L A Dinners, local and Spanish wines, fun cocktails Tuesday through Saturday

Gala

705 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, California 93101 @galarestaurantsb www.galasb.com

WE TASTE IN PARADISE

Taste - Opener

Chef Julian Martinez creates celebratory custom menus for Craft House Inn guests served in the welcoming dining room, where

BLAKE BRONSTAD

new design details respect the home’s

The Craft of Hospitality Hearth Homes ushers in the next chapter of the historic inn downtown

original character.

w i n t e r 2 0 2 3 41

WE TASTE IN PARADISE

onoring the past and positioned for the future, THE CRAFT HOUSE INN is “a modernized B&B that has its own story to tell,” says interior designer Olivia Wahler. She and Katie Labourdette-Martinez, her Hearth Homes Interiors cofounder (and sister-in-law), have breathed new life into the Arts and Crafts–style property, which formerly operated as the Glenborough Inn and White Jasmine Inn. “We want families to come stay and create core memories,” Labourdette-Martinez adds. And with four bedrooms and four and a half baths, it’s an ideal one-stop-shop celebration buyout. Plus there’s a separate Lotus Suite that sleeps two.

The emphasis on kin is no surprise, given that the entire enterprise is a family affair. Lucas Martinez, president of Hearth Homes, which also includes hospitality arm Hearth Home Stays, is Labourdette-Martinez’s husband and Wahler’s brother. Chef Julian Martinez of Barbareño, who oversees the property’s culinary offerings, is a third sibling and rounds out this powerhouse team.

The house dates from the early 20th century, so “we tried to update everything without taking

42 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

away any of the character,” Labourdette-Martinez explains. “We mixed a little here and there to give it more of a modern feel,” Wahler notes. Bold wallpaper from House of Hackney emblazons the dining room where the rich original woodwork has been restored. Dressers were repurposed

BLAKE BRONSTAD

H

Taste - Craft House

Taste - Craft House “Everything we do is with an eye toward restoring and reviving the original elements.” into vanities, but the kitchen and bathrooms are outfitted with contemporary comforts.

The venue is now part of the Hearth Homes Stays portfolio. “Everything we do is with an eye toward restoring and reviving the original elements,” says Lucas Martinez, who adds that they’re privileged to be the stewards of a beautiful historic property. “We don’t take that responsibility lightly.” 1327 Bath Street, Santa Barbara, T H E C R A F T H O U S E I N N . C O M . JESSICA RITZ CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The roomy Arts and Crafts–style property is ideal for individual getaways or group gatherings; designers Katie Labourdette-Martinez (left) and Olivia Wahler (right) attend to every detail; one of the cozy and playfully chic guest rooms; among chef Julian Martinez’s holiday feast offerings are dishes including Cuban-inspired beignets with lechon asado and country ham and roasted carrots with Handlebar Coffee reduction; tandoori scallops.

w i n t e r 2 0 2 3 43

ONE TO WATCH

Taste - Rascals Plant-Based Bounty

FROM TOP: Dalan Moreno; tempura nori battered cauliflower tacos come with diced onions and cilantro; Moreno’s spicy elote is covered in vegenaise and dusted with crushed Takis (spicy nacho tortilla chips).

44 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

R A S C A L S V E G A N . C O M . CAITLIN WHITE

SETH EPSTEIN (PORTRAIT)

T

he restaurant’s culinary orientation is clear from its name—RASCAL’S VEGAN—but owner and chef Dalan Moreno’s commitment to that dietary regimen goes beyond a foodie trend. It’s literally inked on his skin with an all-caps neck tattoo. Partly influenced by punk culture, Moreno converted to veganism at the tender age of 15. Since then his mission has been to make vegan cooking authentic, accessible, and affordable.

For years, Rascal’s existed as a series of pop-ups and residencies in other spaces, but it has settled into a permanent home next to Third Window Brewing. With handmade scratch tortillas and classics like al pastor tacos (made with seitan) or a (soy) asada crunch wrap with cashew crema, Moreno’s menus span breakfast, lunch, and dinner and hit on plenty of fast-food cravings with none of the guilt. Chef’s favorite: a fresh-baked torta smothered in red salsa and fried with house-made vegan chorizo, tofu cheese, and shredded lettuce.

432 E. Haley St., Suite A, Santa Barbara, 805-770-2478,

Plant Gallery

Get Lost!

PLANTGALLERYSB.COM

TASTE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Garden salad with smoked sungold tomatoes and goat’s ricotta–stuffed blossom; the Pullman Room; chef Nancy Silverton; Jason Paluska and Caroline Styne; Caesar salad with egg, leek, and anchovy crostini.

The Lark Ascending

A

Taste - Lark

and his crew welcomed Los Angeles culinary legend Nancy Silverton (Osteria Mozza, Chi Spacca) and restaurateur and wine director Caroline Styne (A.O.C., Caldo Verde) to collaborate on a benefit anniversary dinner. The gala event began with a wine reception and hors d’oeuvres hosted by the Santa Barbara Wine Collective, before guests moved into a seated dinner in the Pullman Room featuring collaborative dishes from Paluska and Silverton, and wine pairings by Styne. In honor of the occasion, The Lark made a generous donation to the James Beard Foundation. 131 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805-284-0370, T H E L A R K S B . C O M . C.W.

46 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

ALI BECK PHOTOGRAPHY

decade ago the Funk Zone was an emerging neighborhood in Santa Barbara, and THE LARK was a newcomer in the area. Ten years later, Jason Paluska’s Michelin-recognized menu is still going strong in both its daytime and nighttime iterations—the brunch game is just about as memorable as the epicurean dinner on the patio. As the first fine-dining restaurant in the Funk Zone—and the flagship kitchen of Acme Hospitality, which has since expanded to encompass several other food and beverage concepts—The Lark is an anchor, a local haunt, and a bucket-list stop for Santa Barbara visitors.

To celebrate both the longevity and the consistency of this neighborhood kitchen, Paluska

Santa Barbara’s Local Appliance Dealer Family Owned Since 1966

Reid’s Appliances

Proudly supporting over 25 major brands.

409 Anacapa Street, Santa Barbara | (805) 569-5373 www.reidsappliances.com

TASTE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: The colorful bar that anchors Na Na Thai; a booth for larger parties; the crudités, featuring produce from Finley Farms; chef Nik Ramirez grew up in Hawaii but fell in love with Thai street food while living in Bangkok.

Taste - Na Nam Thai Bangkok in Buellton

48 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

fried fish with fried garlic or three-flavor sauce. Finish with gluay tod kao mao, banana fritters with coconut ice cream. No reservations, so go while a walk-in slot still comes with a manageable wait time. 225 McMurray Rd., Unit E, Buellton, N A N A T H A I S Y V. C O M . C.W.

BRYAN SPARKS, TALIA HELVEY (PORTRAIT)

S

outhern California has no shortage of great Southeast Asian cuisine, but NA NA THAI, a new kitchen in Buellton, is in the running for best Thai food in the entire state. Nik and Ashley Ramirez spent four years living and working in Bangkok before landing in Buellton.

Working in and commuting to Santa Barbara eventually became untenable, but linking up with Greg and Daisy Ryan of Companion Hospitality led first to a weekly pop-up at Bar Le Côte and, eventually, a full-fledged, neon-hued Thai kitchen in a sleepy local strip mall.

Well, it’s sleepy no more. About an hour into service on a recent Saturday night, the entire dining room was packed, as plates of gai tod and nam jim jaew (fried chicken with chili dipping sauce), larb moo and kao (minced pork salad and sticky rice), and tom kha gai (chicken and coconut soup) began to fill the tables. Go big with pla tod, a whole

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TASTE

Going Dutch

G

erman fare is never better than when it is large, salty, and hot. Think soft pretzels as big as your head, massive servings of pork schnitzel, and, of course, bratwursts with sauerkraut, potato salad, and two kinds of mustard. DUTCH GARDEN, which is currently only open for lunch Wednesday through Sunday, offers German comfort food, with packed rooms, jovial servers, and gigantic portions—plus a delightful sprawling garden dining room. Although this historic restaurant is one of the oldest in Santa Barbara (it originally opened as the Poppy Cafe back in 1925), the current iteration began in 1984, when Ken and Laurie Luetjen took over and ran it as a hole-in-the-wall until it closed in 2020. New owners Matt English and Charlie and Jen Fredericks have revitalized it once more, honoring the past and lovingly updating it for the future. While there’s space indoors, too, camping out in the sunshine with a crisp cucumber salad, pastrami on rye, and a pint of cold beer is the perfect antidote for a midday slump. 4203 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-453-4556, @D U T C H G A R D E N S B . C.W.

Taste - Secret Bao

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: New co-owners Charlie and Jen Fredericks pose in the restaurant’s historic indoor dining room; cold German-style beers are always available on draft; eclectic decoration adds to the hometown feel of the place; bratwurst with sauerkraut, schnitzel with potato salad, and of course, a gigantic pretzel round out some of the community’s

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BLAKE BRONSTAD

favorite plates.

Baxter Moerman

M O D E R N • C L A S S I C • J E W E L R Y

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S T R E E T

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Taste - Dutch Garden Secret No More

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S E C R E T B A O S B . C O M . C.W.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Curry crab noodles with roasted shiitake mushrooms and yellow coconut curry; an assortment of baos and a lychee-tini; pork belly bao with hoisin glaze and the Korean fried chicken (KFC) bao, dragon glaze, and umami slaw; owners Peter Lee and Felicia Medina.

@DATSUFILMS, COURTESY OF VISIT SANTA BARBARA

eter Lee and Felicia Medina have turned a pandemic pop-up into one of Santa Barbara’s most playful Asian-fusion concepts: SECRET BAO. The name refers to when the pair were surreptitiously cooking out of their apartment. Their fluffy mini sandwiches are now a staple for Santa Barbara foodies and a treat for out-of-town visitors, too.

Although Lee, who is Korean, and Medina, who is Mexican, Cuban, and Chinese, both have extensive backgrounds working in restaurants, neither had worked in an Asian restaurant before opening one. That’s likely why they weren’t too precious about crafting a Pan-Asian menu that travels from highbrow to lowbrow and back without missing a beat.

Consider the KFC bao: Korean fried chicken, umami coleslaw, pickled red onions, and mayo, all spilling out of a pillowy bao bun. These days the menu leans less on the PB&J or grilled-cheese bao and more toward udon carbonara, curry crab noodles, and honey-walnut shrimp. The tonguein-cheek baos were fun; the new menu is a joy.

1201 Anacapa St., Santa Barbara, 805-259-3226,

Santa Barbara Interiors

TASTE

am to pm

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Taste - Am/PM

FROM TOP: Sade Turkish Coffee owner Ali Uzuntepe’s playful spirit is just as warm as the coffee; rows of treats stacked high at LOKUM’s sweets shop; vegetable-forward dishes steal the show at The Daisy; Logan Jones lords it over the pop-up scene at Tamar.

@DAWNBOWERYPHOTOGRAPHY (TAMAR), MARK READ (THE DAISY)

W

ander into SADE TURKISH COFFEE, Carpinteria’s most unlikely coffee shop, for a strong brew straight from Anatolia, Turkey. Your cup will likely be prepared by owner Ali Uzuntepe himself, who will insist you sit a while for a chat and, perhaps, enjoy some authentic baklava. 4189 Carpinteria Ave., Suite 1-2, Carpinteria, 805-755-8478, SADETURKISHCOFFEE.COM. Cauliflower and pea fritters and house-smoked ribs are just a few of the plates that have turned THE DAISY into one of State Street’s best dinner spots. Daytime options are also scrumptious. The pickled beets and smoked brisket banh mi round out the lunch menu, and offerings like the meze— beet muhammara, hummus, labneh, olives, zhoug, six-minute egg, and grilled flatbread—never miss.

1221 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-845-0188, T H E D A I S Y R E S TA U R A N T. C O M .

A hearty dinner from TAMAR, which regularly pops up at local spots like Dart Coffee in the Funk Zone, consists of chef Logan Jones’ signature beef or chicken shawarma, either plated with cabbage salad, hummus, pickled veggies, and zhoug, or stuffed into a house-made pita with sumac onions and hot pepper aioli. Falafel, of course, is another option. @tamarsantabarbara, TA M A R S B . C O M .

Snack away on Turkish delight, baklava in all its various forms, kadaif, or pistachio rolls at LOKUM’s dreamy, well-stocked dessert shop on State Street. Turkish coffee and tea are also on offer.

If you want to go for an after-dinner sweet, keep in mind the shop closes at 8 p.m. 1019 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-324-3067, L O K U M S B . C O M . C.W.

SANTA BARBARA MAGAZINE presents

GREAT WINES T C

Tomi Cellars Awarded gold medals in 2022 and 2023 by the Sommeliers Choice Awards, CHAMPAGNE

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is a unique and exclusive Grand Cru Champagne.

Alexandra Sainz’s vineyards are nestled in the rolling hills of Bouzy, one of the most renowned regions in Champagne, France. Sainz’s family has grown grapes, harvested crops, and made Champagne in the area, which is famous for its distinctive chalky soils, since 1741. Her Champagne honors hundreds of years of tradition, and she considers it her duty to preserve the terroir.

All her Champagnes are produced sustainably, and her vineyards are High Environmental Value certified. The Brut Héritage is a luxurious blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay brought to California for our pleasure.

This Champagne rests a minimum of four years on lees before disgorging. It makes a fine and elegant accompaniment for an aperitif, or you can serve it throughout a meal.

FOLDED HILLS WINERY is a small

family-owned winery located at the gateway to Santa Ynez Valley just off the 101 between Las Cruces and Buellton just 4.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean. The Folded Hills Vineyard and Ranch is situated in an idyllic landscape surrounded by mountain hillsides that fold into the landscape.

Our Homestead tasting room features walkin tastings daily and exclusive guided tasting experiences on select days each week. Our Montecito tasting room is a cozy spot to enjoy your wine tasting among the shops and restaurants of Coast Village Road.

Specializing in Rhône grape varieties, our Grenache, Syrah, and Marsanne varietal wines and blends express our unique cool climate terroir with vibrant, fresh, fruit forward aromas and flavors.

LA LIEFF is a small,

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We care about the earth and its people, land, and animals. We have chosen Gaia, the goddess of the earth, to represent our commitment to the natural world. Grown in San Luis Obispo County, our grapes continue to create our world-class wines.

Their proximity to the ocean, orientation of the numerous canyons, and varying elevations produce diverse microclimates, allowing production of grapes that love both cool and warm weather. We opened a beautiful tasting room in the Santa Barbara Funk Zone in November 2022, and we aim to reach beyond the wine bottle by encouraging connection, communication, and collaboration. Together let’s try to make things just a little bit better for ourselves, our community, and our planet. 210 Gray Avenue, Santa Barbara.

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the winery project from film industry veterans Boyd Shermis and Denise Davis. It is our driven passion each year to create the finest wines possible from some of the very best vineyards on the Central Coast of California. We’ve spent the past two decades learning what it takes to make world-class wines of distinction that evoke place of origin. We make wines that we want to drink—and we hope others will want to drink them, too. Since our first bottling in 2021, we’ve released 13 new wines from 2019 through 2022, including Pinot Noir, Syrah Reserve, Albariño Reserva, Viognier, Tempranillo, Grenache, Merlot, and Grenache Blanc/Roussanne blend.

Call for an appointment or come visit our tasting room. 140 Industrial Way D2, Buellton, 805-862-7110.

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WE STYLE IN PARADISE

The Martha Graham Dance Company recently performed at the Granada Theatre as part of their 100th Anniversary Tour and as the 2023–2024 season opener for UCSB

LORENZO PAGANO AND BLAKELY WHITE-MCGUIRE IN MARTHA GRAHAM’S NIGHT JOURNEY; PHOTO © HIBBARD NASH PHOTOGRAPHY. EDITED BY CHARLOTTE BRYANT.

Arts & Lectures.

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GIFT GUIDE

2023

Martha Graham

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Rose-cut black diamond necklace, $1,550, Baxter Moerman; Quarry large spire hairpin, $184, Jake & Jones; Lapointe dress, $1,750, Allora by Laura; small huggie earrings, price upon request, Silverhorn; Rali Couture rings, price upon request, d’Offay; Eternity bangle, $110, Marisa Mason; Jamie Haller ballet slippers, $425, Whistle Club; Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern, $40, Chaucer’s Books.

Modern Moves The Santa Barbara High School graduate who defined contemporary dance

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JERRY COOKE/GETTY IMAGES

Style - Gift Guide

Photography by Matt Wier

Helene Aumont

GIFT GUIDE

2023

Shape Shifter The “Mama of Dada” crafted Ojai into an artist enclave

Style - Gift Guide Beatrice Wood

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Bespoke bangle, $10,680, Daniel Gibbings; Bunny Ball, $580, Susan Cronin; Cornwall Moon garden vase

by Jean Victor, price upon request, Eider Studio; Reign of Beauty ring, $12,900, Jes MaHarry; The Micro Peak bag in gold, $1,900, Alexander McQueen; Venus Bee Trap (42x30 in., oil on panel), $3,000, Cynthia James Fine Art; Elongo Florals shawl in

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JIM MCHUGH

indigo, $495, Johanna Ortiz.

Marisa Mason

GIFT GUIDE

2023

Gritty Glam

The original “It Girl” with a Santa Barbara story

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Lexi car coat, $442, Catherine Gee; white gold chain and diamond necklace, price upon request, Bryant & Sons; Women’s Club earrings in antique silver, $1,650, Balenciaga; Loeffler Randall Ada knot heels, $350, Diani; Le Superbe crew neck with feather cuffs, $325, LOU; Lapima Teresa sunglasses in capim, $540, Occhiali Fine Eyewear; Jackie 1961 large shoulder bag, $5,500, Gucci; Sapphire Soothing Facial Oil, $78, Bella Vida Santa Barbara.

Style - Gift Guide

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JERRY SCHATZBERG/GETTY IMAGES

Edie Sedgwick

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WE STYLE IN PARADISE

Style - Herman Wellness Well-Being

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Dr. Talina Hermann at the doors to her Montecito Wellness Center; plush seats to pamper guests; candlelight, breathwork, and sacred circles are also part of the treatment plans.

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BLUE GABOR

D

uring lockdown, when anxiety was spiking because of isolation, Talina Hermann was reaching out on Instagram, calming the community with tips on stillness, breathwork, and even which tea to sip. Her gentle wisdom was a breath of fresh air as her followers listened, wondering what she would tell them next. Little did we know that Hermann was on her own journey to become Dr. Talina Hermann, wrapping up a four-year master’s degree plus a doctorate to launch her MONTECITO WELLNESS CLINIC, which debuted this fall.

Her space, with tranquil rose walls and soft shearling seating, presents an image of serenity.

Patients come for in-depth assessments to discover what’s off with their body. They receive a custom treatment protocol, which may involve blood work, acupuncture, breathwork, plant medicine, herbs, supplements, and holistic psychotherapy.

“We’re trying to get to the mystery that no one

Furniture Gallery

®

STYLE The key is to offer a space to help everyone take better care of themselves, wherever they are in their healing journey. has been able to solve,” Hermann says, adding that most often patients’ issues involve pain, digestion, sleep, menopause, or hormones, as 90 percent of her clientele is female.

“Every time I’m at lunch, dinner, or drinks, the conversation turns back to hormones,” she says.

It’s one of the shifts and transitions she’s eager to provide support for to an audience that is eager for additional therapies. “We’re in a new chapter now, and we’re more empowered.”

As she continues to roll out offerings, Hermann will seek more information and answers on cuttingedge practices. “I love what I do, and I’ll probably always be in some kind of training,” she says. The key is to offer a space to help everyone take better care of themselves, wherever they are in their healing journey. “If we can reduce anxiety and reset our nervous systems, our bodies will heal.” 1483 East Valley Rd., Studio 19, Montecito, 805-455-1264, M O N T E C I T O W E L L N E S S C L I N I C . C O M . JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER

Style - Herman Wellness

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Acupuncture is among the holistic treatments; poetry adds a touch of soul to the integrated experience; clients begin with consultations in functional or Chinese medicine; textured wood and rose walls make for a welcome reception.

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Hlavaty Dental Arts

ONES TO WATCH

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Exquisite cuts and attention to detail go into each piece; owner and designer Kristen d’Offay in her signature camel coat; the petite studio in the Presidio; Leanna Drammer handpicks all the styles, accessories, and art for her boutique LOU Los Olivos.

Dressing Up Tucked into the Presidio District is D’OFFAY, a boutique as beautiful as its surroundings. Designer Kristen d’Offay has created a backdrop that’s as transporting as her elegant capsule collections. Inside the pale pink walls, brass racks display silk dresses, skirts, and tops in striking solids and patterns that pay homage to Santa Barbara; the Montecito Collection, for example, has florals inspired by Lotusland.

After years of traveling around cities from Chicago to Paris doing trunk shows, “I realized no one wanted to make an appointment anymore,” d’Offay says. “They want to come in and get dressed.”Along with her custom prints, d’Offay also sells stunning coats and jackets in cashmere and upcycled leather, along with sweaters and pants.

Accessories include handmade jewelry and belts from France that “feel equestrian, which suits Santa Barbara and Santa Ynez.” As the designer dons one with a quick wrap and buckle, she takes a basic black outfit and elevates it into something extra. “I love dressing up,” she says, “even if I’m just going to Blenders!” 814 State St., Santa Barbara,

Style - Lou Los Olivos

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Leanna Drammer spent much of her career in the celebrity fashion world, creating red-carpet and runway events in Los Angeles and New York. “I had every job in fashion known to man,” she says, having produced shows for houses including Chanel, Ferragamo, Hermès, and Michael Kors. But the burnout became real, as did the pull to return to her native Santa Ynez Valley. “Last year I did 17 fashion shows in four days, and I told my husband, ‘I quit,’” Drammer says. With the Auberge resort opening up in Los Olivos, she acted fast and nabbed a prime retail spot to debut LOU LOS OLIVOS. “We have so much relaxed casual here, there was a need for elevated fashion,” she says. LOU is stocked with ba&sh, A.L.C., Le Superbe, and Louis Verdad, along with handbags, fragrance, and jewelry. It’s Drammer’s first boutique, and she hopes it’s her last. “I want to be here for the rest of my life,” she says. While she’ll still make quick trips to New York and Paris, she adds, “I want to be going to the shows, not producing them.” 2938 San Marcos Ave., Unit 103, Los Olivos, 805-693-2913, L O U L O S O L I V O S . C O M . J.B.K.

SARA PRINCE (D’OFFAY), DANIELLE HONEA (LOU LOS OLIVOS)

D O F FA Y C O L L E C T I O N . C O M . J.B.K.

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WE ART IN PARADISE

Amada Cruz, the Eichholz Foundation Director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

Arts - Opener

Overarching Perspectives SARA PRINCE

A compendium of Santa Barbara’s leading arts institutions

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WE ART IN PARADISE

Janna Ireland’s Pauline.

Cruz is the first woman director of SBMA in nearly 70 years.

the Women’s Board, the museum’s wildly successful fund-raising group, has significantly shaped SBMA since 1951. But Cruz’s appointment signals a different era, as a new generation of women steps into high-profile leadership roles at several key Santa Barbara cultural institutions.

Cruz was nine months old when her family emigrated to the United States from her birthplace, Havana, Cuba. After graduating from New York University with a fine arts/political science degree, Cruz began her art-world ascent as a curator, with stints at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Chicago’s Museum of Contemporary Art. Early on she was strongly encouraged to apply for directorship positions, and she has followed that path for much of her 30-year career. Cruz ran a renowned art residency program (Artpace in Texas), directed Bard College’s Center for Curatorial Studies Museum

- Museum Directors CruzArts in Control

Frederick Janka, president, MCASB Board, and Dalia Garcia, programs director & interim executive director.

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SARA PRINCE (CRUZ), JANNA IRELAND (IRELAND), INGRID BOSTROM PHOTOGRAPHY (JANKA & GARCIA)

During its 82-year existence, 11 directors have led the SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART (SBMA). Only one of these individuals was female: Ala Story, whose tenure ended in 1957. Now, nearly seven decades later, Amada Cruz has been selected as SBMA’s Eichholz Foundation Director.

This is not to say the museum has ignored women. Mercedes Eichholz and Leslie Ridley-Tree, two formidable Santa Barbara philanthropists, each chaired the organization’s board of directors. And

Creative Collab

Artist Janna Ireland’s Breakfast on the Patio.

in New York, and was director of the Phoenix Art Museum. Most recently, Cruz served as executive director of the Seattle Art Museum.

Compared with the Seattle institution, which has three large venues hosting nearly a million visitors per year, SBMA is intimate, attracting 150,000 annual guests. But the size disparity is what attracted Cruz to Santa Barbara. “I can actually get my arms around this place,” she says. “At this point in my career, I want something a little more manageable. I also want to think about communities and making connections, more than taking care of facilities. I’d like to focus more on mission.”

For Cruz, SBMA’s mission statement is critical.

“It is the North Star for everything the museum does,” she says. “I am very attracted to the mission statement, which is very simple in many ways but very important to think about: ‘integrating art into the lives of people.’ That means the museum is not an ivory tower; that means that everyone here believes that art can have an effect on people’s lives.”

Given the reality that museums must compete to stay relevant in a world of virtual entertainment, Cruz knows this mission is no small task. But she has considered what an ideal museum could be. “A place that really provides meaning for people. A place that has connections to a lot of communities, so people come and they feel like it’s their museum,” Cruz says, adding, “I think that really the only future for museums to survive is for people to actually feel they have ownership. People want to see themselves in museums. That is very important to keep in mind.” 1130 State St., Santa Barbara, 805963-4364, S B M A . N E T. LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER

Collaboration between creatives can result in magic; the artistic result almost always exceeds the sum of its parts. Now two of Santa Barbara’s most popular arts institutions, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art (SBMA) and the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB), are joining forces to present Janna Ireland: True Story Index, a midcareer survey of the artist’s work on view at both locations February 11 through May 12, 2024.

Based in Los Angeles, Ireland is an assistant professor in Occidental College’s Department of Art and Art History. She is known for her photographs featuring themes of family, home, and Black identity in American culture. Regarding Textile by Porfirio Paul Williams: A Photographer’s View, her acclaimed Gutiérrez. photographic monograph of buildings designed by legendary Black architect Paul Williams, was published in 2020. Ireland’s work resides in museum collections nationwide, including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and SBMA. The exhibition is co-curated by Charlie Wylie, SBMA Curator of Photography and New Media, and MCASB’s Frederick Janka. S B M A . N E T, M C A S A N TA B A R B A R A . O R G . L.D.P.

Arts - Museum Directors

Soumya Netrabile, 2 P.M. in the Park.

In Love with Landscape ATKINSON GALLERY, at Santa Barbara’s City College, is one of the best places locally to see contemporary art, thanks to the insightful exhibitions by its talented director, John Connelly.

New Landscapes Part I, which is on view through

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ART bella vida

The artists approach landscape in various ways using a variety of different media, but all have a deep respect for the art history of landscape depiction.

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December 8, is the first of a two-part exhibition exploring the nature of landscape, with a focus on land, sky, and sea. Part I features work by Whitney Bedford, Diedrick Brackens, Manuel López, Cruz Ortiz, Jonathan Ryan, and Jonas Wood. Beginning January 22, New Landscapes Part II will include pieces by Ann Craven, Maureen Gallace, Porfirio Gutiérrez, Jordan Nassar, Soumya Netrabile, Robyn O'Neil, David Benjamin Sherry, and Gabriela Ruiz. According to Connelly, the artists approach landscape in various ways using a variety of different media, “but all have a deep respect for and offer a response to the art history of landscape 10/17/23 12:34 PM depiction.” Humanities Bldg., H-202, SBCC, 721 Cliff Dr., Santa Barbara, G A L L E R Y. S P C C . E D U . L.D.P.

da.indd 1

Bringing people and resources together to build stronger communities across Santa Barbara County for 95 years

Textile by Porfirio Gutiérrez.

LEARN MORE AT SBFOUNDATION.ORG OR SCAN BELOW

The Miraflores estate in Montecito is home to the Music Academy.

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TONY MASTRES

Bella Vida / SB Fndtn - Arts - Museum

DON'T MISS Smart Art For lovers of art and architecture, UC SANTA BARBARA’S ART, DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE MUSEUM is a mandatory destination. Helmed by director Gabriel Ritter, the museum offers ambitious exhibitions that provide deep dives into work by architects and artists. From Within: The Architecture of Helena Arahuete (curated by Silvia Perea and on view through December 17) is an indepth survey and first retrospective of the work of Helena Arahuete, whose long career includes a 23year tenure with renowned architect John Lautner before establishing her own firm. Please, Come In ... (curated by Sylvia Faichney and Graham Feyl and also on exhibit through December 17), critically examines museum period rooms through four iconic environments (discotheque, dive bar, living room, bathroom) filled with disparate objects and artworks that document and reference queer methods of assigning meaning to those spaces. Border Crossings: Exile and American Modern Dance, 1900–1955 focuses on how modern dance was shaped by war, exile, inequality, and injustice, while challenging previous histories of performance art. (Curated by Ninotchka Bennahum and Rena Heinrich, the exhibit is on view January 25 through May 5.) A Box of One’s Own: Women Beyond Borders showcases a 1991 project entitled “Women Beyond Borders,” which invited women around the world to transform a small wooden box into an art piece. More than 900 people across 50 countries ultimately participated in the project. (Letícia Cobra Lima curated the show, which is on view January 25 through May 5.) 552 University Rd., Santa Barbara, 805-893-2951,

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WE ART IN PARADISE

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ceramicist Mark Churchill in his studio; the artist at work; the simplicity of Churchill’s moon jars belie the effort and talent behind their creation.

Arts - Churchill

Perfect Imperfection

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MARIAN SCHULZE

jai native MARK CHURCHILL has been making pottery for more than 30 years. For much of that time, he worked as an apprentice to local master Frank Massarella; Churchill’s apprentice is Kiran Sahgal. Collectively they belong to Ojai’s ceramics lineage, which famously stretches back to renowned clay masters Vivika and Otto Heino and, of course, Beatrice “Beato” Wood.

Churchill’s own style is evident in his creations, which fuse his unique talents with Japanese and

Arts

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A stoneware flower vase; WELL NO. 7 stoneware; Churchill with one of his exquisite moon jars.

Korean aesthetics and techniques. Over the past decade he has been perfecting his version of the moon jar, a large, round porcelain vessel whose origins date to Korea’s Joseon Dynasty (1392–1897).

Revered historically as the embodiment of Confucian ideals, moon jars remain highly prized and collected worldwide. An 18th-century example recently fetched $4.5 million at Christie’s in New York.

“The thing about the moon jar is it’s completely perfectly imperfect,” Churchill says. “It has very formal elements; the opening at the top has to be wider than the outside diameter of the base.” It may sound simple, but moon jars are constructed by joining two large bowls together, which is no easy task. Porcelain clay is extremely tricky to work with, and disasters—like cracks—can occur at any stage in the process (drying, firing, cooling). “When I started making them, if I got one out of 10 not to crack, I’d be really lucky,” he admits, adding, “they’re supposed to be difficult. To me, the point of them is that they take everything you’ve got.”

There’s more to them, though, than their rigorous technical aspects. As a master potter once told Churchill, “When you hold your own moon jar it should feel like your mother’s embrace.” L.D.P.

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Shape, Ground, Shadow The Photographs of

Ellsworth Kelly

Santa Barbara Museum of Art October 15, 2023 – January 14, 2024

Santa Barbara Museum of Art 1130 State Street Santa Barbara, CA www.sbma.net

Shadows on Stairs, Villa La Combe, Meschers, 1950. Courtesy of Ellsworth Kelly Studio and Jack Shear, © Ellsworth Kelly Foundation

Well - Opener

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Designer DONI NAHMIAS returns to his roots, rolling through bowl corners at Carpinteria’s new skate park

Feature - Doni Nahmias

Photography by WE ARE THE RHOADS Fashion direction by DONI NAHMIAS Written by ELIZABETH VARNELL

Feature - Doni Nahmias

Doni Nahmias (bottom) and a cohort of creatives sprawl across new concrete in current and archival designs from the Santa Barbara native’s influential menswear label.

T

he low hum of wheels on concrete and the occasional scrape of a deck against the lip of a ramp or the top of a rail are the only audible sounds at Carpinteria’s new 30,000-square-foot skate park as Doni Nahmias rides over. The founder and creative director of the influential Nahmias

skaters, not vice versa. “Skaters aren’t wearing designer. Honestly, designers look at what skaters wear. They’re so effortless; they have their own natural swagger,” he says. And while many brands make skate shoes, few fashion designers can ollie the way Nahmias does.

The self-taught designer—whose collections are often inspired by the places where he grew up, from the San Roque neighborhood to the porch of a friend’s Summerland house— initially worked in L.A. at the Four Seasons and Chateau Marmont. He also put in weekends at Esau’s Cafe in Carpinteria to scrape together cash for fabrics and samples. After a slow grind and advice

k at o o l s r e n g i s . De r e n g i s e d g hey earin t w , t S ’ S n E e r L a T s R r EFFO “Skate o s e r ’ y e h t ear; w s r e t a R.” k E s t G G A wha W S RAL U T A N n w o have their

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menswear brand grew up in Santa Barbara and remembers when that city’s skate park opened. He calls this a “full circle moment.”

The 30-year-old—who shows his designed-inLos Angeles collections in Paris and dresses NBA stars, including some of the reigning champion Denver Nuggets—is getting a look at the new spot, which was built after years of grassroots fundraising by a core group of friends who formed the Carpinteria Skate Foundation and developed the city-owned space with community support.

Fashion frequently nods to this midcentury pastime with California roots, and the sport even had its Olympic debut in 2021.

“Skateboarding popularity ebbs and flows,” says CSF’s Peter Bonning, who helped spearhead the skate-park campaign over the past 14 years.

Right now, the sport is clearly on an upswing. Miu Miu and a host of European houses are again mining low-slung skate silhouettes for inspiration, and the Design Museum in London just opened a Skateboard exhibition chronicling the sport’s backstory and evolution over the past three-quarters of a century.

Nahmias, who grew up playing basketball and skating, finds that labels often follow

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from established designers such as Mike Amiri and Greg Lauren, Nahmias’s authentic looks began to turn heads. So did a hat with the word “Miracle” on it, worn by Justin Bieber.

“Everything I was doing was feeling so special.

I put that on a hat,” says Nahmias, adding, “That hat almost self-funded the company.”

“Falling in love with fashion and being able to move to L.A.—every day I’m doing what I love,” says Nahmias. The city provides access to stores stocking luxury brands and to the garment district, where some collection pieces are manufactured. Santa Barbara and L.A. are complete opposites, he notes, “but having the two to pull from is a special combination.” So Nahmias often finds himself returning to the natural beauty up the coast for inspiration. His silk shirts are emblazoned with watercolor paintings of Butterfly Beach, and the forthcoming spring collection, Queen of the Coast, is awash in Rincon-inspired images of mermaids, mushrooms, and hearts. “It’s my favorite wave,” says the designer.

Despite selling at retailers from Maxfield to Hirshleifers, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue, the designer—who has “Summerland” tattooed across his lower back—is ever mindful of the neighborhoods he came from. “There was a shop, Church of Skatan on Gutierrez

Nahmias, who often logged after-school hours at a friend’s house in Summerland, has emblazoned the place-name on a host of his designs, including intarsia-knit sweaters.

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Nahmias and skaters clad in his worker pants, California Poetry crochet V-neck sweaters, and namesake hockey jerseys join Peter Bonning (bottom left, inset) of the nonprofit Carpinteria Skate Foundation and enrollees in his after-school program.

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FROM LEFT: Nahmias doublebreasted blazer and denim cargo shorts; Nahmias silk shirt with a Rincon-inspired watercolor and worker pants.

Boards courtesy of Carpinteria Skate Foundation.

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Nahmias striped blazer, worker pants, and red Five-O sneakers. OPPOSITE: Nahmias double-breasted blazer, denim knit patchwork jeans with crochet embellishments, Summerland corduroy trucker hat, and bunny slippers.

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Catching air in Nahmias Poppy worker pants and red Five-O sneakers at the Carpinteria Skate Park.

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Nahmias made-in-Los Angeles worker pants. OPPOSITE: The designer with his dog, Mihara, and students in Summerland varsity jackets, sweaters, and T-shirts enrolled in Carpinteria Skate Foundation’s afterschool program developed with the city’s school district.

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Nahmias and his squad take a ride through Carpinteria in a Volkswagen Beetle dune buggy.

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Hair by Andre Gunn at Art Department.

Makeup by Gina Brooke. Models Chris Chann @chrischann, Destiny Niemeier @desniemeier, Donovan Wildfong at Storm Management @donovanwildfong, Swap at Nomad Management @swapecito.

Photographed on location at Carpinteria Skate Park.

was I g n i h t y r e v “E ng i l e e f s a w g Feature - Doni Nahmias doin put I . l a i c e p s so t,” that on a ha IAS. M H A N s y a s Street, I’m so devastated it closed down,” says Nahmias of a favored haunt in Santa Barbara. His early approach to apparel acquisition and some of the silhouettes of his youth continue to inform his work. “I wore Etnies and Dickies. I had an era of shoplifting; I would steal jeans. Hopefully kids aren’t trying to steal mine, but if they are, I’m forgiving.” His worker pants are ideal for skating, as are his Five-O canvas sneakers.

Next up Nahmias is finishing a collection with a western theme inspired by Hope Ranch.

Expanded retailing abroad is also in the works. “It takes a lot for the line to go across the ocean and be loved,” he notes. But he doesn’t seem concerned: On this afternoon at the skate park, Nahmias is just another guy landing tricks before the sun goes down and the lights come up. •

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Various 3D-printed ceramic objects. All

by Lynda Weinman.

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Sculpting the Future 96 w i n t e r 2 0 2 3

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Goleta’s clay studio Reaches Beyond Southern California WRITTEN BY LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER PHOTOGRAPHS BY BRUCE HEAVIN

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Meta flower vase with various glazes.

OPPOSITE: Cactus vase with various glazes and luster.

3D-printed weavzy object. All by Lynda Weinman.

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F

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or the past three years, the nonprofit Clay Studio in Goleta has been a local community hub for creatives who love the ceramic arts. The 24,000-squarefoot facility boasts a state-of-the art ceramics studio, a 3D clay printer, potter’s wheels, kilns, and plenty of room to work.

Current programming includes weekly classes, workshops, artist’s talks, and gallery exhibitions.

But there’s more. Clay Studio is getting ready for the future, with a new executive director and gallery coordinator, Matt Mitros.

An artist in his own right, Mitros spent the past 16 years in academia, teaching ceramics at the university level. His decision to relocate to California from Illinois to lead Clay Studio was initiated and encouraged by philanthropist Lynda Weinman, who had attended a 3D clay-printing workshop taught

by Mitros.

Weinman, who cofounded the online learning platform Lynda.com, helped launch Clay Studio in 2020 and sensed from the start that it could become a global resource for creative exploration and design.

“We’ve been really focused on local all this time,” Weinman says. “We can still serve our community, but we also believe it would be a

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really amazing experience to come from far away and be able to study here.”

To that end, Mitros plans to feature intensive workshops lasting several days, taught by renowned experts from all over the world and open to local as well as national and international participants. New equipment will be added—3D printers for clay and plastic—and the curriculum will be expanded to include emerging fabrication technologies.

“We want to be a place where we can say, ‘What do you want to do? We have a solution for you, and we welcome your ideas,’” says Mitros.

In reality, some of this vision has already been happening in the Clay Studio’s warehouse-like space, where students from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have spent the past two summers working on-site.

Their doctoral program, called Programmable Mud, resulted in fabrication of a brick that can deflect heat on the outside and retain heat on the inside, potentially a huge game changer for the global construction industry. “It could become the Central Coast Bauhaus,” Mitros concludes, referring to the Clay Studio, “with people sharing ideas.” •

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3D-printed ceramic vase. OPPOSITE: 3D-printed kinetic totem. All by Lynda Weinman.

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“We’ve been really focusedFeature on local - Clay Studios all this time. We can still serve our community, but we also believe it would be a really amazing experience to come from far away and be able to study here.”

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3D-printed brick designed to deflect heat on the outside and retain heat on the inside. Created by M.I.T. students at Clay Studio. OPPOSITE: 3D-printed ceramic garnet mandala wall sculpture. 3D-printed ceramic wavy vase with ceramic luster glaze. All

by Lynda Weinman.

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A pioneer in our midst: the legendary RENNY YATER and board members of the hope ranch surf club

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ARCHIVAL PHOTOS COURTESY OF HOPE RANCH SURF CLUB YATER PORTRAITS BY DEWEY NICKS PERSONAL ACCOUNTS BY JAMES O’MAHONEY AND ANDY NEUMANN

Reynolds Yater tamed and documented this wave, the largest ever ridden at Rincon, December 1969.

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Yater surrounded by examples of 70 years of shaping, including Gidget’s (Kathy Kohner) 1958 balsa board.

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J AMES O’ O ’ MAHONEY :

In 1959 Santa Barbara was graced with the

Renny”) and addition of the Yaters. Reynolds (““Renn Sally pulled up stakes in Laguna Beach and replanted here. Both surf culture pioneers got right to work. Renny, a commercial fisherman and surfboard builder, opened his first shop on Anacapa Street. Sally fired up her sewing machine and The Bikini Factory” at 310 Chapala. She opened ““The immediately started f illing orders for the outlaw swimwear.

That same year brought one of the significant events that helped shape the surf culture

phenomena: Gidget, the true story of Kathy Kohner and her initiation into California surf culture. The best-selling book became a movie and a television series, and it spawned the beach party f ilm genre. The real stories of surf culture—documentaries by Bruce Brown, Bud Brown,

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more—brought even more attention to the and more— sport.

In 1962 the United States Surf ing Association posted 93 registered surf clubs in the United States, 87 of which were in California. There were

even landlocked clubs on the East Coast: The Downtown Surf Club of Philadelphia and The Potomac River Ripple Riders of McClean, —210 miles from the Atlantic Ocean. nia— Virginia One of the California clubs was the Santa Continued on page 129 Barbara County Surf Club, which

w i n t e r 2 0 2 3 107

A N DY NEUMANN:

ived a phone call It was early 1963 when I rece nsen. “The Malibu from my surfing buddy Jim Ha an invitational surf Surfing Association is having . “I just met with Dave contest this summer,” he said the contest. I told Rochlen, who is in charge of with surfers, such as him we had a great surf club He was impressed.” John John Peck and Renny Yater. ges of Surfer Magazine Peck had just graced the pa him surfing the Banzai with spectacular photos of th Shore of Oahu . Jim Pipeline on the famed Nor

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asked if I wanted to join. “Of course!” I said. “That would be fantastic!”

Hope Ranch has a private stretch of sandy beach, and

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Original logos for the SBCSC featuring club President Reynolds Yater on the nose and turning.

OPPOSITE: HRSC’s finest shred, Arroyo Burro Beach (top); Andy Neumann with perfect posture hanging ten at Malibu Beach (bottom).

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the local junior high and high school kids had formed a little surf club. Their president was leaving to attend Annapolis, so there was an opportunity to take the club in a different direction. Jim used the club as a platform for recruiting the best local surfers to compete in the Malibu Contest. We basically commandeered their club.

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Doctor Bittleston were our first sponsors and mentors. I was 16, one of the oldest, and was elected president. Our first meetings were held upstairs in the East Beach Pavilion, about 30 raucous teenagers. Being a surfer in Santa Barbara in the early 1960s felt like being out of the loop. Most of the surf stars featured in the magazines and movies were from down south. Being invited to surf in the exclusive Malibu Invitational Surf Contest was like being asked to join the Major Leagues.

The winning club that first year was Windansea Surf Club from La Jolla. Like us, they had also formed to surf in the contest. Rather than rounding up the local high school talent, they recruited many of the top surfers from up and down the coast—and even a few from Hawaii.

The day of the contest was gorgeous and sunny, with perfect glassy waves peeling around Malibu Point. Most of us had never surfed in a contest. We were awed to be in the company of our surf heroes. Joey Cabell, who started the Chart House restaurants, won first place, and our ringer

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Wheelhouse of the Alta Verde: Captain Yater steers a straight course with a Cuban Montecristo as his first mate.

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John Peck came through for us, pl

acing

second. Somehow we held our own and were invited back every subsequent ye ar. The Hope Ranch Surf Club had arrive d!

That was the beginning of the se cond phase of the Hope Ranch Surf Cl ub. I did not have a letterman’s sweate r, but I proudly wore my pewter Hope Ranch Surf Club jacket while walkin g through the halls of Santa Barbara High.

In the early ’60s, surfers did not have the best reputation, so we made a point of doing public service. We had cards made up that said, “You have been assisted by a member of the Hope Ranch Surf Club. Ou r aim is to better the name of Surfing and Surfers.”

We began to compete in contest s up and down the coast.

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Early orange logo on the deck of a custom balsa spoon.

OPPOSITE: Hope Ranch Surf Club roster.

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I graduated from SBHS in 1964 an d went off to study at Berkeley on a surfi ng scholarship from the United States Surfing Association.

John Bradbury, local surfing and shaping legend, took over as president. With his leadership and guidance, Hope Ranch won the pr estigious West Coast Club Championship in 1965.

He organized an invitational club contest at Ri ncon in 1966 with a similar format as the Ma libu Contest.

The Who’s Who of the surfing wo rld showed up from as far as Hawaii and Flori da. Unfortunately, the surf did not show up, and the contest had to be canceled.

Things started to change. The short board revolution began in 1968, and with it came the decline of surf club contests.

Noncompetitive “soul” surfing became the focus,

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Continued on page 129

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Yater surrounded by his original shapes (left to right): plank, balsa spoon “Lone Wolf,” 7 stringer gun, Fender prototype surf guitar, Balsa Redwood Point, solid redwood Kiko’o, Redwood Picana special, Gidget 58 balsa pig, 10 ft. black Hawaii gun with shell logo. OPPOSITE: Yater riding Laguna Beach in 1948 on a solid wood plank board. (The board was so heavy that it was a two-man job to get the board to the surf. Once there, they took turns surfing.)

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On a former avocado ranch, rancho del sol is the beginning of a Montecito agave legacy

WRITTEN BY CAITLIN WHITE

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PHOTOGRAPHS BY MICHAEL HABER

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Rows of agave grow at Rancho del Sol, which was an avocado ranch before Diaz and Peterson replanted it. OPPOSITE: An agave plant’s tall spire, or quiote, means the plant is reaching maturity and will soon begin flowering.

“We grow in an unconventional way. We don’t have regular irrigation.

After the plants are established, we simply let them be.”

R

ancho del Sol, the 11-acre agave ranch in Montecito where husband-and-wife duo Ane Diaz and Mark Peterson live and work, wasn’t always home to the spiky plants that are the source of distilled spirits like mezcal and tequila. Formerly the place was an avocado ranch, until fires and mudslides got the couple thinking about alternative crops. “It was Mark’s father, Dave Peterson, who shared an article about growing agaves in California,” Diaz explains. “The article mentioned that agaves need little water and can help slow down and, in some cases, even stop fires. We were hooked. Even though we don’t have a background in spirits, both of us have been bartenders.”

The couple “met cute” in Minneapolis, where Peterson was working as the manager of the iconic Loring Bar. Diaz happened to be in the Twin Cities for a conference, and a friend suggested visiting the Loring. The pair quickly hit it off. A few days later Peterson became Diaz’s tour guide around the city, and the rest is history. These days they work as partners farming agave, with each playing to their strengths.

“Our approach is divide and conquer,” says Peterson. “Ane likes to research and study, and she is involved with the younger plants. I tend to learn from experimentation. I work with the larger plants and the layout of the property.

We have a family joke: I’m ‘nature,’ and Ane is ‘nurture.’”

“In Rancho del Sol we grow in an untraditional way,” says Diaz. “We call it semi-salvaje—semi-wild. That means we don’t have regular irrigation. After the plants are established, we simply let them be. Even though the agave plant has been growing in

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Peterson says the couple work in tandem.

He is “nature,” and Diaz is “nurture,” and she works more directly with younger plants and seeding.

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Diaz tends to some younger agave plants. OPPOSITE: Rancho del Sol’s 11-acre spread is tucked away on a mountaintop in Montecito.

120 spring2022

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California for a very long time, the challenge in this area is growing plants to mature size.

Gophers and ground squirrels can decimate a mature crop, and for the very young plants we’ve found deer and snails like to nibble on them. Also, the cold winters can kill or at least slow down the growth.”

Growing their agave crop led the couple to appreciate the plant for all its by-products and to dream of eventually distilling it, an idea that seemed far-fetched until another chance meeting—this time with Patricia Swenson, the executive chairman of Shelter Distilling—led to a partnership between neighbors.

“My husband and I walk in our neighborhood every morning,” Swenson says, “and over a period of months in 2019 we watched Mark Peterson move earth, rocks, and hundreds of agave plants around his property, driving the heavy equipment himself. One day we asked him about his passion for agave, and he shared his dream.

We informed him that we had a distillery in Mammoth Lakes, and that was the beginning of our creative partnership.”

“The distillate from agaves made in the U.S. can’t be called mezcal because of its protected designation under the denomination of origin,” Diaz says. “Mezcal can only be made in eight Mexican states, tequila in five Mexican states, so we’re calling our output agave spirits. The distilling process has been at the hands of Jason Senior and Marcos Magdalano at Shelter Distilling.

We couldn’t be happier with their results.”

Diaz and Peterson choose the different agave varietals that will go into an ensemble, or mix, selecting agave species based on the potential sugars needed to make the spirits.

“Every spring and fall we choose which plants will be distilled,” adds Diaz. “As the agaves start to bloom, we either allow them to flower to seeds or bulbils [secondary plants]. Or, if we decide to make the spirit, the flower will be cut to quiote [stalks] and left in the ground for six to ten months before harvesting for Shelter Distilling to process.”

To describe their sold-out batch of Rancho del Sol Agave Spirit, which was distilled from a blend of five varietals—Agave americana, A. potatorum (tobala), A. salmiana, A. parryi, and A. tequilana—Shelter notes “stone fruit, floral, and peppery smoke.” Plans are currently in the works for a third batch of agave spirits from Rancho del Sol, which recently completed its fall harvest. Says Diaz, “This time we’re doing americana, salmiana, tobala, mapisaga, tequilana, and desmetiana—and we’re very excited.” •

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Diaz and Peterson share a sip of the California Agave Spirit made from their agave harvest in conjunction with Shelter Distilling. OPPOSITE: The finished Agave Spirit distillate from one of Rancho del Sol’s first batches; a mature agave plant.

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Agave farms like Rancho del Sol require very little water, and the plants are able to slow and sometimes even stop the spread of wildfire, an environmental boon for California landowners.

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M AG AZ I N E

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GREAT SCHOOLS Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, ANACAPA SCHOOL is an independent, co-educational school for grades 7-12 that offers a high-quality education in an enriching environment. Anacapa empowers students to excel at critical thinking, creativity, integrity, and compassion through experiential and project-based learning that serves the needs of the whole student. Through its 5:1 student-toteacher ratio, the Anacapa approach fosters intelligent and complex discourse between students and their faculty. It is also designed to promote collaboration within the classroom and to optimize both independent and collaborative thinkers through community engagement with downtown Santa Barbara’s art, culture, and government organizations.

814 Santa Barbara St., Santa Barbara, 805-965-0228; anacapaschool.org

LAGUNA BLANCA—your potential is our passion.

At Laguna Blanca, it is impossible to fly beneath the radar. Here, deeper relationships, heightened learning, and greater achievement are the norm. The allencompassing support of teachers, counselors, and coaches ensures Laguna feels like a second home. Our teachers are innovators and provide more than a strong academic foundation. They guide students in the process of selfdiscovery to ensure success in finding happiness, health, and balance. Intercampus bus and tuition assistance available.

Grades Early Kindergarten through Gr. 4: 260 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito; Grades 5 through 12: 4125 Paloma Dr.,Santa Barbara, 805-687-2461, lagunablanca.org

CRANE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL is a co-educational Kindergarten–8th Grade independent school located on 11 beautiful acres in Montecito, California. Founded in 1928, Crane delivers an experiential education characterized by a thoughtful balance of academic challenge and creative expression. Our time-tested tradition of active and collaborative learning challenges students to think critically, find their voices, and care for one another and the world around them. At Crane, we understand that how we teach is just as important as what we teach. 1795 San Leandro Ln., Montecito, 805-969-7732; craneschool.org

Since 1965, MONTESSORI CENTER SCHOOL has developed children ages 18 months to sixth grade into independent, self-motivated, confident learners. We guide students’ love of learning through discovery and an adaptable curriculum that is responsive to students’ interests and needs. Our beautifully prepared environments, equipped with multi-sensory Montessori materials, support comprehension from the concrete to the abstract. Our Montessori-credentialed educators empower students by encouraging critical thinking and by curating opportunities for leadership and social-emotional learning. Enrichment programs include Spanish, music, art, drama, physical education, STEAM Lab, and computer science. As an extension to learning, we offer extracurriculars, after-school care, a summer camp, and an outdoor education program. Contact us today to learn more about how MCS empowers students through each stage of their educational journey. 401 N. Fairview Avenue #1, Goleta, 805-683-9383; www.mcssb.org

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OJAI VALLEY SCHOOL is an independent boarding & day school for 290 students — Pre-K through 12th grade — on two campuses in Ojai. Our dedicated staff provide a balanced program of college-preparatory academics, fine & performing arts, sports, outdoor education, environmental studies, equestrian & character development. Students are encouraged to explore their interests, seek new ways to learn, & discover the complexity of the world around them. By the time they graduate, they will have developed the academic strength & intellectual curiosity to succeed in college and beyond. More importantly, they will have gained the confidence & character to meet life’s future challenges. 723 El Paseo Rd., Ojai, 805-646-1423; ovs.org

Founded in 1976, SANTA BARBARA MIDDLE SCHOOL is an independent co-educational day school specializing in grades 6-9. Our balanced approach to Academics, Creative Arts and Sports, Building Community, and Outdoor Education prepares students for their future by providing a transformative middle school experience. Our saying “Carpe Diem” could not ring more true as students embrace what it means to live in the moment.

State standards, project-based learning, and experiential learning guide our academic program, supported by our unique outdoor educational program, which includes biking, camping, exploring the outdoors, and much more. Students become difference-makers by giving back to the local community and cultivating a love for arts and sports through daily electives. We base our approach on mutual respect and an exceptional understanding of the adolescent years. SBMS graduates are admired for their intellectual curiosity, academic excellence, creativity, and “can-do” confidence.

1321 Alameda Padre Serra, Santa Barbara, 805-682-2989; sbms.org

Equip your student to pursue a life of purpose with PROVIDENCE: Santa Barbara’s only Christian school serving preschool through 12th grade. Dedicated and dynamic educators teach students in an encouraging environment that nurtures critical thinking, clear communication, and whole-hearted service. In addition to college-preparatory academics, arts, and engineering programs, students enjoy opportunities to learn outside the classroom. Educational travel, ski/surf/river trips, ample service opportunities, and spiritual retreats foster character development and deepen relationships. Prepared for challenge and success, Providence students graduate ready to engage culture and impact our communities through service, leadership, and civic duty. Preschool through Grade 6: 3225 Calle Pinon, 805-962-3091. Grades 7 through 12: 630 E. Canon Perdido, 805-962-4400; providencesb.org

SOUTH COAST MONTESSORI offers an authentic Montessori program for children 3 months through 12 years old. Our bucolic campus features thoughtfully appointed indoor and outdoor classroom environments, where children move freely within the environment, following their own unique interests and curiosity. Our skilled teachers guide children in becoming the best versions of themselves, while fostering collaboration, community, and peace. We focus on individualized learning with lessons given on a one-on-one basis or in small groups.

At SCM we instruct the whole child; social and emotional learning is as important as academic excellence. We instill love for learning, independence, and self-awareness. Please come join us to experience an utterly unique educational journey for yourself and your family. 7421 Mirano Dr., Goleta, 805-845-6555; southcoastmontessori.org

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THE RIVIERA RIDGE SCHOOL provides studentcentered, inclusive and individualized learning opportunities for every student.

Focused on academic excellence from Junior Kindergarten through the 8th grade, our students are inspired to develop their individual potential, seek purpose beyond themselves and are prepared to embrace the next phase of their journey with a uniquely diverse and global perspective. The Riviera Ridge School is a place where every opportunity is realized, every dream has potential, and every student matters. Our world-class faculty and staff partner with families to provide an education that nurtures every student’s academic, social, ethical, and creative potential. Since 1938, we have celebrated the Everyday Amazing at The Riviera Ridge School. JK-8th grade, 2130 Mission Ridge Rd., Santa Barbara, 805-569-1811; rivieraridge.org

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1. Publication Title: Santa Barbara Magazine. 2. Publication Number: 1129-90. 3. Filing Date: September 18, 2023. 4. Issue Frequency: Quarterly. 5. Number of Issues Published Annually: 4 (four). 6. Annual Subscription Price: $19.95. 7. Complete Mailing Address of Known Office of Publication: 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 120, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103; Contact Person: Amy Lipson; Telephone: 805-965-5999. 8. Complete Mailing Address of Headquarters or General Business Office of Publisher: 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 120, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. 9. Full Names and Complete Mailing Addresses of Publisher, Editor, and Managing Editor: Publisher: Amy Lipson; Editor: Gina Tolleson; Managing Editor: Sarah Rutledge. 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 120, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. 10. Owner: Full Name: Smith Publishing Group, LLC; Complete mailing Address: 2064 Alameda Padre Serra, Suite 120, Santa Barbara, CA, 93103. 11. Known Bondholders, Mortgagees, and Other Security Holders Owning or Holding One Percent or More of the Total Amount of Bonds, Mortgages, or Other Securities: None. 12. Tax Status: Has Not Changed During Preceding 12 Months. 13. Publication Title: Santa Barbara Magazine. 14. Issue Date for Circulation Data Below: September 5, 2023. 15. Extent of Nature of Circulation: Average No. of Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months; No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date: a. Total Number of Copies: average: 25,000; actual: 25,000. b. Paid Circulation: (1) Mailed Outside-County Paid Subscriptions: average: 4; actual: 4. (2) Mailed In-County Paid Subscriptions: average: 10,590; actual: 10,624. (3) Paid Distribution Outside the Mails Including Sales Through Dealers and Carriers, Street Vendors, Counter Sales, and Other Paid Distri11/7/23 1:26 PM bution Outside USPS®: average: 3,140; actual: 3,220. (4) Paid Distribution by Other Classes of Mail Through the USPS: average: 27; actual: 12. c. Total Paid Distribution: average: 13,761; actual: 13,860. d. Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: (1) Free or Nominal Rate Outside-County Copies: average: 0; actual: 0. (2) Free or Nominal Rate In-County Copies: average: 0; actual: 0. (3) Free or Nominal Rate Copies Mailed at Other Classes Through the USPS: average: 215; actual: 131. (4) Free or Nominal Rate Distribution Outside the Mail: average: 10,882; actual: 10,770. e. Total Free or Nominal Rate Distribution: average: 11,097; actual: 10.901. f. Total Distribution: average: 24,858; actual: 24,761. g. Copies not Distributed: average: 142; actual: 239. h. Total: average: 25,000; actual: 25,000. i. Percent Paid: average: 55%; actual: 56%. 16. Electronic Copy Circulation. a. Paid Electronic Copies: average: 0; actual: 0. b. Total Paid Print Copies + Paid Electronic Copies: average: 13,761; actual: 13,860. c. Total Print Distribution + Paid Electronic Copies: average: 24,858; actual: 24,761. d. Percent Paid: average: 55%; actual: 56%.

17. Publication of Statement of Ownership: Publication required. Will be printed in the Winter 2023 issue of this publication. I certify that all information furnished on this form is true and complete. I understand that anyone who furnishes false or misleading information on this form or who omits material or information requested on the form may be subject to criminal sanctions (including fines and imprisonment) and/or civil sanctions (including civil penalties). 18. Signature and Title of Editor, Publisher, Business Manager, or Owner: Amy Lipson; Date: 9/18/2023.

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THE SHAPE OF SURF Continued from page 107 a group of locals formed in 1960. Renny Yater was the first president of the club, which also included Arlen Knight, Tim Knight, Bob and John Perko, Stu Fredricks, Ken Kesson, Jerry Shalhoob, John Bradbury, George Greenough, Don Bittleston, Willy Norland, Andy Neumann, Alan Hazard, Michael Cundith, and Shaun Claffey. The club formed an informal partnership with Clinton Hollister of Hollister Ranch. The club could surf the Ranch but would be expected to police themselves, limit their membership to 60, monitor outof-town surfers, and follow the rules and regulations of the Ranch.

In the 1990s the longboard revolution ignited the competition bug. There were two big competitions: The Malibu Team Invitational and the Santa Cruz Log Jam (the riders had to use only ’60s longboards).

In 1997 past president John Bradbury passed me the torch. Hope Ranch Surf Club changed again. The main emphasis was competition: no meetings, just surf and compete. Competition director Andrew Buck has successfully molded our team into a top placing club. •

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“It is still going strong today. Coming full circle, in 2021 I won the 70 and over Legends division at the annual MSA Malibu Invitational.”

—Andy Neumann

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THE SHAPE OF SURF Continued from page 114 and soon the Hope Ranch Surf Club went dormant. Fortunately, it was revived in 1996 by a group including James O’Mahoney, Andrew Buck, Franky Morales, and Wayne Rich. It is still going strong today. Coming full circle, once again competing with my teammates for the Hope Ranch Surf Club, in 2021 I won the 70 and over Legends division at the annual MSA Malibu Invitational. • w i n t e r 2 0 2 3 129

WE LIVE IN PARADISE

Back Page It’s a Gas

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Designed to capture the attention of a passing automobile driver, the gas tanks and neon signs of a bygone age maintain their retro charm.

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DISCOVER BUELLTON

he days of 39-cent gasoline may be long gone, but the eye-popping memorabilia of past fill-ups in California lives on at Mendenhall’s Museum of Gasoline Pumps & Petroliana in Buellton. The creation of the late Jack Mendenhall, a servicestation owner and traveling salesman turned inveterate collector, the museum is maintained by his son, Mark, and daughter-in-law Vickie as a showcase for gasoline pumps in bright hues; logo globes; and porcelain gas, oil, and road signs; plus an assortment of race cars, license plates, and other antiques. Charging your electric vehicle these days pales in comparison. Take a road trip to the Santa Ynez Valley and reminisce. JOAN TAPPER

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