Santa Barbara

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Bringing People & Properties Together We congratulate Santa Barbara Magazine on their 50-year anniversary for unwavering diligence in delivering quality and relevant content to our beloved community!

We at Randy Solakian Estates Group are proud of our partnership showcasing our passionate dedication to the important role real estate plays enriching our shared experience in this special part of the world.

We look forward to discovering the next 50 years of important news, events, culture and design as curated by the incomparable Santa Barbara Magazine.....

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M O N T E C I T O E S TAT E S. C O M

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805 565/2208

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‘Kessler-Haak Vineyard’ Kessler-Haak Vineyard offers an incredible opportunity to own a working vineyard estate in the heart of the Santa Rita Hills AVA.

1700GypsyCanyon.com 41.75± total acres, including 29.2± acres planted with premium varietals including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay (featuring heritage clones from Clos Pepe and Sanford), Syrah, Gamay Noir, and Riesling from Lafond Vineyard, offering a charming 4-bedroom farmhouse with lush outdoor living spaces, a detached 3-car garage with office, a trellised hospitality area with wood-fired pizza oven and event permit for up to 12 gatherings per year, a separate entertaining building with wine storage, a well-equipped barn, pond, and two productive wells. An enchanting blend of romance, utility, and possibility in one remarkable vineyard property.

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DRE #01209580 | www.LauraDrammer.com | 805.448.7500 | Laura@LauraDrammer.com © 2024 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.

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

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REPRESENTING EXCEPTIONAL ESTATES FOR 23 YEARS YTD 2025 Sales Volume in Excess of $240 Million

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MontecitoFineEstates.com © 2025 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. Awards

based on 2024 production of nearly 45,000 sales associates in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Global Network

A C O L L E C T I O N O F L O C A L S T O R E S F O R S A N TA 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

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Drawn from Nature THE MAXIMUS LEGACY Come see how artists depicted nature and communicated in an earlier age in this exhibit drawn from the Museum’s antique print collection.

Cauliflower Phytanthoza Iconographia Johann Weinman c. 1740

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Where rich history meets modern luxury in the heart of downtown.

Since 1926, Hotel Santa Barbara has been a place where travelers find themselves swept up in the city’s easy charm. Freshly renewed and home to 1926, the all-day lobby bar, it’s the kind of boutique stay that invites you to linger a little longer, sip something lovely, and see Santa Barbara with new eyes. Perfect for a quick getaway, a lasting visit, or a spontaneous love affair with the coast. Visit hotelsantabarbara.com.

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BELLA FREDERICKS Operations Director

NANCY KOGEVINAS Luxury Collection Director

LINOS KOGEVINAS Broker Associate

CHARLOTTE MUELLER Marketing Director

©2025 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affiliates LLC.

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LETTER CONTRIBUTORS LIVE 50 people, places, and must-haves we’re loving right now

SUPERSTAR Written by John Connelly. Photographs by Sam Frost

COUPLES THERAPY Written by Joan Tapper. Photographs by Macduff Everton

DOUBLE EXPOSURE Written by Joan Tapper. Photographs by Jeff and Susan Bridges

MASTER CLASS Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter. Photographs by Firooz Zahedi

BACK PAGE Miranda July comes to Campbell Hall 28 w i n t e r 2 0 2 5

ARCHITECTURE BY Studio William Hefner

UNANDERCONSTRUCTION.COM

| 805.682.5685

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EDITORIAL DIRECTOR + CEO

Jennifer Smith

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Gina Tolleson

CREATIVE CONSULTANT

James Timmins MANAGING EDITOR

Sarah Rutledge DEPUTY MANAGING EDITOR

Lesley McKenzie SENIOR DESIGNER

Charlotte Bryant Medina

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

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Anna Ferguson-Sparks Amelia Fleetwood Jennifer Blaise Kramer Lorie Dewhirst Porter Jessica Ritz Gabe Saglie Hana-Lee Sedgwick Katherine Stewart Joan Tapper Caitlin White CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Ingrid Bostrom Blake Bronstad Sam Frost Blue Gabor Tierney Gearon Michael Haber Gray Malin Elizabeth Messina Dewey Nicks Victoria Pearson Sara Prince Jessica Sample Mariana Schulze Trevor Tondro

CHAIRMAN 1999-2003

Robert N. Smith

PRESIDENT

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NOV 22, 2025 - FEB 1, 2026

©2025 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.

TO OUR READERS

Enjoy frictionless fun at MOXI’s rooftop sock skating rink.

Kids and adults can kick off their shoes to slide and glide across a specialty tile floor reminiscent of ice, without the chill.

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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.

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Exposure” (page 120). Their tandem exhibitions at the Tamsen Gallery offer a deeply personal range of imagery, from film sets to family life.

Mary Heebner and Macduff Everton— longtime luminaries of our artistic landscape— anchor another feature that pairs Mary’s richly layered paintings with Macduff’s vivid, deeply felt photographs of Santa Barbara for “Couples Therapy” (page 110).

Celebrating five decades of Santa Barbara in these pages has been a true pleasure (although I have only been at the magazine’s helm since 1999, so the earlier thanks go to my predecessors), as living here—arguably the best place in the world to call home—makes telling every story that much more poignant. I look forward to the next 50 years as this city evolves with the times yet continues to be the romantic, modern, Old-World-charm oasis it has always been—and always will be. Thank you for reading along all these years… more to come!

O

ur final issue of our 50th year of publishing culminates with a focus on all things cultural and the artists and makers that bring their singular voice to our special place in the world. This anniversary only strengthens our commitment to telling the stories that fascinate, inspire, and represent the best of our region.

We begin with multimedia artist Russell Young, whose cover—drawn from Andy Warhol’s images of former Santa Barbara native Edie Sedgwick—reflects the Central Coast’s deep influence on his work. Sam Frost photographed Young at his Ojai studio for “Superstar” (page 98), revealing how the West continues to shape his explorations of celebrity and American identity.

We then turn to the late interior impresario John Saladino, whose final years in Montecito marked an intimate chapter of his storied career. In “Master Class” (page 130), Firooz Zahedi captures “Departure Lounge,” his serene, distilled home—both a summation and a farewell shaped by light and place.

A tribute to Jeff and Susan Bridges explores the rare creative dialogue of two artists who have spent a lifetime observing the world—and each other—through the camera’s lens for “Double

Jennifer Smith

ON THE COVER: Original Andy Warhol artwork modified in 2025 by Russell Young for Santa Barbara Magazine and photographed

by Roberto Liera. Original Andy Warhol artwork © 2025 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

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S A M F RO S T

“I like to believe that my photography is reaching to express a truth that lies beyond the immediate perception of the subject being photographed, be it an interior, portrait, or landscape,” says Sam Frost, who trained his lens on artist Russell Young (“Superstar,” page 98). SB MUST DOS ● Riding waves at Rincon ● The top of Chief Peak in Ojai ● Rosewood Miramar Beach Hotel.

F I RO O Z Z A H E DI

M AC D U F F E V E R T O N

“Graduating from Santa Barbara High School, with my Yater surfboard under my arm, I took off for Biarritz at 17,” says Macduff Everton, who has been photographing ever since, and whose work can be seen in “Couples Therapy” (page 110). SB MUST DOS ● Volunteering for the Santa Barbara Bucket Brigade ● Prospecting for new books at local bookstores ● Steamed mussels and gazpacho at Shoreline Cafe.

“What a treat to meet and photograph the home of one of the greats,” says the lensman, who captured John Saladino’s life in design (“Master Class,” page 130) for this issue. Zahedi’s work has appeared on numerous magazine covers and his fine-art photography has shown in galleries around the world. SB MUST DOS ● Lost Horizon bookstore in Montecito. ● The Well in Summerland. ● Miramar Beach Club.

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

A former Santa Barbara Magazine staffer, Bryant Medina was thrilled to return to design our four special-edition 50th anniversary issues, a collaboration with a roster of remarkable local artists. “It has been a treat to toast to the incredible creatives, food, wine, and events of my hometown,” she says. SB MUST DOS ● Champagne and kati rolls at Bibi Ji ● Martinis and old-school salad bar at Chuck’s ● Seasonal Kaiseki at Yoichi’s.

ZAHEDI: DARIAN ZAHEDI; MEDINA: DEWEY NICKS

J OA N TA P P E R

“It’s always fascinating to talk to artists of every kind about their creative process,” says Joan Tapper, a Santa Barbara–based book and magazine editor who wrote about artist couple Mary Heebner and Macduff Everton for this issue (“Couples Therapy,” page 110). SB MUST DOS ● Walking in Shoreline Park ● Folk Orchestra of Santa Barbara concerts ● Gallery hopping on First Thursdays.

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SERVICE IS THE CORNERSTONE OF EVERYTHING I DO. #1 BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES CALIFORNIA PROPERTIES AGENT LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY*

©2025 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. *Awards based on 2023 production of approximately 50,000 sales associates in the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Global Network

R U S S E L L YO U N G

Russell Young, the British American artist and Ojai resident behind this issue’s cover, is a photographerturned-fine-artist best known for his compelling, larger-than-life silksceen paintings appropriated from recent history and pop culture. SB MUST DOS ● Ojai’s Radio Roma, the hippest place since CBGB ● Hotel El Roblar— you almost expect to see Hemingway leaning against the bar ● Chief’s Peak at the Ojai Rancho Inn.

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DAV I D F L O R I M BI

Based in Santa Barbara, fall cover artist David Florimbi’s studio practice centers on expansive, psychologically charged paintings that merge figuration, landscape, and myth. His work appears in collections including Cedars-Sinai and the Frederick Weisman Foundation. SB MUST DOS ● Jedlicka’s Saddlery in Los Olivos ● Tre Luna—I’m Italian, and this is as close to Grandma’s cooking as it gets ● Art Resources on Haley for framing.

JOFFREY: MATT ALBIANI; JAVIER: WILL ADLER; FLORIMBI: DEWEY NICKS; YOUNG: SAM FROST

D J J AV I E R

The breakout show from our summer cover artist, DJ Javier, runs at MCASB through April 26, 2026. San Milano Drive unites his art, design, Filipino heritage, Santa Barbara roots, and contemporary surf culture. SB MUST DOS ● Lighthouse Skate Shop ● Boom Boom Bike Room ● High Seas Mead.

WINTER COVER: ORIGINAL ANDY WARHOL ARTWORK MODIFIED IN 2025 BY RUSSELL YOUNG FOR SANTA BARBARA MAGAZINE AND PHOTOGRAPHED BY ROBERTO LIERA. ORIGINAL ANDY WARHOL ARTWORK © 2025 THE ANDY WARHOL FOUNDATION FOR THE VISUAL ARTS, INC. / LICENSED BY ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK.

OLIVIA JOFFREY

The artist behind our spring cover, Olivia Joffrey, is a writer and an illustrator who runs a creative agency from an old adobe in downtown Santa Barbara. SB MUST DOS ● Chef Diego Moya’s Cafe de Olla cheesecake at Little Mountain ● A window seat on the Surfliner ● Lutah Riggs’ masterpiece, the Vedanta Temple in Montecito.

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The local catch at Little Mountain.

KORT HAVENS

people, places, + must-haves we’re loving right now... w i n t e r 2 0 2 5 41

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The newly renovated bar at Little Mountain featuring lowintervention wine and spirit producers; chef Diego Moya; interiors by Andrew Cosbie; open fire cooking in the kitchen; the private dining room; dishes like preserved Hope Ranch mussels and summer squash celebrate local farmers and producers.

Mountain High

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KORT HAVENS

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ne of the year’s most anticipated restaurants, LITTLE MOUNTAIN, celebrates its namesake village with a world of personality. Owners Graham Duncan and Eva Schreier (of Hacienda Los Milagros and Smith Fork Ranch) found inspiration in the idea of a not-so-sleepy gathering spot that reflects the local community in all aspects of its look, feel, and flavor.

The former Wine Bistro space in the Upper Village has been completely re-envisioned as a modern hacienda—with a bar that begs for a leisurely hangout.

The large patio and 14-seat private dining room, which have been elegantly appointed by designer Andrew Cosbie, allude to the many historic properties and signature Spanish Colonial look of Montecito. A custom wood-fired hearth is the centerpiece of the kitchen, where Chilean chef Diego Moya (who comes to Montecito by way of New York) has embraced the

“It’s an exhilarating challenge to adjust to using produce that might be off season everywhere else, but because of our climate they pop up occasionally in amazing quality, low quantity. We try not to miss these little windows.”

—Diego Moya abundance of local produce. Moya employs focused preparations that highlight vegetables at their peak, plating exciting textures and less familiar combinations through dishes like spiny lobster with Tokyo turnip and chrysanthemum or beef tartare with grilled tomato. The locavore sensibility even extends to the walls with work from artist Meredith Brooks Abbott and a sustainably sourced small-producer wine list. 516 San Ysidro Rd., Montecito, L I T T L E M O U N TA I N S B . C O M . CHARLOTTE BRYANT MEDINA

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Charcoal-grilled chicken skewers served over flowering thyme is representative of the garden-focused ethos at the Rochers at the Ranch House in Ojai. .

“You come here, and there’s a certain magic. We want every guest to feel that,” says Alia Rocher.

She and her husband, Perfecte, a Spanish-born, European-trained chef with a background in Michelin-starred kitchens, are ushering a beloved Ojai property into its next chapter as THE ROCHERS AT THE RANCH HOUSE. The fantastical 15,000-square-foot garden has been restored, and it sets the stage for a top-tier, yet

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DELCO CREATIVE

Rustic Revival

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TH E

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ALTORS

Associates@EasterTeamRealtors.com License #01858581

© 2025 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties 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. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for your listing.

®

REALTOR

refreshingly unstuffy, tasting-menu journey, along with other ways to enjoy the venue. A takeaway window serves Valencia-style coca flatbreads under the This Is Not Pizza banner by day. The Lumpsucker cocktail experience begins around the time Ojai’s famed Pink Moment bathes the Topatopa Mountains in a rosy glow.

The couple embraces the holistic, multisensory nature of this new personal venture, which is rooted in a place that’s significant to many locals.

For decades it was here at the Ranch House that Alan and Helen Hooker pioneered vegetarian California cuisine, welcoming friends like Beatrice Wood. “So many people have different memories of the space,” Alia says. “We’re doing our best to preserve the legacy.” 102 Besant Rd., Ojai, T H E R O C H E R S R H . C O M . JESSICA RITZ

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The terrace at the historic Ranch House; oysters with herb beurre blanc and crisped enoki mushrooms; a sampling of chef and co-owner Perfecte Rocher’s cookbook collection; Perfecte and Alia Rocher; the piano cocktail lounge.

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FAIRFIELD FARM An iconic equestrian estate in the heart of Santa Ynez

www.FairfieldEquestrianSantaYnez.com

Good things come to those who wait. After five years of planning, HOTEL EL ROBLAR debuted this summer in the heart of Ojai. The collective expertise of its all-star crew, composed of hospitality and design talents Warner Ebbink, Eric Goode, Jeremy McBride, and Ramin Shamshiri, is evident throughout the historic 50-room property.

That includes the 100-seat Condor Bar and sunny daytime spot La Cocina, co-helmed by restaurant veteran Ebbink and his chef–business partner Brandon Boudet.

The menu features dishes that reflect California’s hybrid culinary culture and the region’s Mexican roots, with such touches as green mole and an uni tamal made with heirloom corn nixtamalized inhouse. Flame-kissed proteins are served hot off the Condor Bar’s Santa Maria grill, while Boudet takes advantage of his connection to local farms when sourcing most other ingredients. 122 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, T H E R O B L A R . C O M . J.R. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A cozy corner in Ojai’s reimagined Hotel El Roblar; live fire

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cooking continues a theme throughout the property’s spaces; the lobby Snug Bar.

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EalandAndSiderisGroup.com © 2025 Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties (BHHSCP) is a member of the franchise system of BHH Affi ffiliates LLC. BHHS and the BHHS symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affi ffiliate. If your home is currently listed, this is not a solicitation for your listing. Equal Housing Opportunity.

CLOCKWISE: Come sundown in Ojai, the energy shifts from casual Taco Roma to the adjacent hi-fi lounge/mezcal bar Radio Roma; an intimate vignette; team Eva Penny; guest DJs take over the decks nightly; the bar.

50 w i n t e r 2 0 2 5

BLUE GABOR

members Madeline Hecox and

MultiFrequency

J

ust because Ojai is more commonly associated with spiritual enlightenment than nightlife doesn’t mean the latter isn’t welcome. Casual Mexican restaurant TACO ROMA and hi-fi lounge/mezcal bar RADIO ROMA are side-by-side concepts that “complement each other,” explains co-owner Lisa Ann Cabasa, who partnered with her longtime friend, hospitality veteran and designer Serge Becker, on the venture.

The kitchen serves soul-satisfying dishes like lamb carnitas and tostadas de atún, which Becker describes as a “spin on the Contramar classic,” referring to the iconic Mexico City restaurant.

During the day and early evening, the central location next to Libbey Park adds to the colorful tile-clad Taco Roma’s family-friendly appeal—until the over-21 crowd settles in with frozen palomas and mezcal cocktails after dark. Radio Roma’s intimate interior features an oversize disco ball and moody lighting befitting the vintage Klipsch system commandeered by a rotating roster of nightly guest DJs. “It’s the kids’ playhouse, and then the grownups’ playhouse,” Becker says. 307 E. Ojai Ave., Ojai, R A D I O R O M A O J A I . C O M . J.R.

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Back to Back The OG of cult fashion brands, SHAWN STUSSY, is doubling down on a latest release

S D O U B L E- A U . C O M .

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Santa Barbara t-shirt, $59.95.

TATE STUSSY

Shawn Stussy has been quietly rolling out a new project with S DOUBLE in Australia and New Zealand out of his Santa Barbara studio.

He has partnered with his son, Tate, on creating the latest campaign images full of new knits and signature SHAWN logos sure to have his collectors scrambling before they are sold out.

THE PINNACLE OF PEPPER HILL 356 WOODLEY ROAD, MONTECITO OFFERED AT $24,900,000 | 356WOODLEYRD.COM

REAL ESTATE REDEFINED | #1 BROKERAGE IN THE U.S Robert Kemp | Luxury Real Estate Advisor Robert@RobertLKemp.com | 805.259.6318 | DRE 01246412 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.

FROM RIGHT: Jars filled with precious beads and charms; Carolina Bucci brings Italian heritage design flair to her new boutique.

Charming Beauty

Fourth-generation Florence-based jeweler CAROLINA BUCCI is bringing her baubles from the banks of the Arno to the shores of the Pacific with an outpost at the Montecito Country Mart.

The shop’s curving wood walls and inlaid brass details evoke Old-World elegance and a reverence for craft—a fitting backdrop for Bucci’s adventurous ethos. “There is a relaxed but confident spirit in the air around Montecito that I feel sits very naturally with my brand,” she says. “It feels like another Tuscany to me.” 1024F Coast Village Rd., Montecito, C A R O L I N A B U C C I . C O M . J.R.

Cotton tote ($150), YSL.

Wish List

Where the wild things are

Coat ($4,498), VERONICA BEARD.

Johnson Hartig/Libertine for Schumacher pillow ($625), TRUE LOVE ALWAYS.

Press gold leaf sunglasses ($920), CYNTHIA BENJAMIN.

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Sandals ($200), TORY BURCH.

Simply Seasonal.

Always Delicious.

1209 COAST VILLAGE RD MONTECITO, CA 93108 (805) 845-2457 LILACMONTECITO.COM

BREAKFA ST | LUNCH | DINNER

Sculptural lighting and warm wood and set the stage at Santa Barbara’s newest Italian-inspired restaurant.

MANIFATTURA shares the intimate atmosphere of its popular sister restaurant, Aperitivo, with one key difference: Instead of the usual line of hopeful patrons stretching down the block, guests can make a reservation. Vintage tiles, brass fixtures, and hand-fitted walnut paneling from Miramar Building Co. adorn the warmly lit space, visible through the large windows facing State Street. The midcentury-style interiors and terrazzo tables set the stage for the star of the show: fresh, handmade pasta prepared in-house daily.

Another key difference is the addition of a full kitchen, allowing for a larger menu that still focuses on small plates and pasta, eschewing larger proteins in favor of more focused fare meant to be shared. Although the menu and space have grown (still small by most standards), the cozy charm remains. There will also be space held for walk-ins each night, while Aperitivo returns as a wine bar just steps away. 413 State St., Santa Barbara, M A N I FA T T U R A S B . C O M . C.B.M.

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PHOTOS BY SCHEPPS

Subtle Splendor

YOUR BEST INVESTMENT

“I intentionally work with only a select number of buyers and sellers at a time to maintain a hands-on, personalized approach.

While I have an incredible team supporting me, when you hire me - you get me.”

805.637.5112 | Patrice@PatriceSerrani.com PatriceSerrani.com | DRE.01764713

#1 BROKERAGE IN THE U.S * 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.

The enormous red Adirondack chair fronting WILLIAM LAMAN FURNITURE GARDEN ANTIQUES on Montecito’s East Valley Road is a treasured local landmark. It’s also the shop’s logo, paired with the witty slogan, “Not what you need, but what you want.” Owners William Laman and renowned interior designer Bruce Gregga have been tempting locals and tourists alike with items they don’t need—but want to have—for three decades.

“I can’t believe it’s been 30 years,” Laman says.

“The time has gone by so quickly, and we’ve developed so many wonderful relationships with clients and designers and people within the neighborhood that we feel very much at home.”

For Laman, home is the operative word, as the shop is located in a 200-year-old board-andbatten cottage he and Gregga discovered after relocating to Santa Barbara from their native Chicago in 1995. “We tried not to touch any of it architecturally because it was so beautiful,” Laman says. Indeed, the cottage itself and its curated panoply of goods (including antiques, furniture, art, accessories, and gifts) made Veranda magazine’s list of the 27 Most Beautiful

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: William Laman; William Laman Signature Candle, $40; a 200-year-old cottage houses the shop; offerings span art to antiques and accessories.

Designer-Owned Shops in the World three years in a row. This seemingly effortless success belies the duo’s behind-the-scenes efforts, including yearly buying trips around the globe and the constant rejiggering of the shop’s display, which is Gregga’s signature expertise.

“I’ve seen Bruce walk into a room and change it six or seven times, completely, and when people come in, it may be the same merchandise, but they rediscover it each time,” Laman says with pride. Of course, both he and Gregga possess the one essential element that makes it all possible: exquisite taste. 1496 East Valley Rd., Montecito, W I L L I A M L A M A N . C O M . LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER

SARA PRINCE

Design Driven

Wish List Hit the slopes

SURF MUSEUEM: GRAYSON NANCE

Sweater ($3,100), THOUSAND TURNS.

On Board After a 25-year run across the street, the SANTA BARBARA SURFING MUSEUM recently migrated and reopened inside the longstanding Beach House retail shop, its rafters and racks laden with ocean-born nostalgia as cool as it is historic. Hollow “kook box” boards from the 1930s stand alongside lunker longboards carved from lightweight balsa, plus there are shortboard precursors, throwback photos, and indispensable tools of the surf-craft trade. Among many prominent local surfer-shapers, names like Andreini, Bradbury, Duncan, Eichert, Fowler, Greenough, Johnson, Merrick, Moore, and Rich stand out along a hand-painted time line that dates back to 1923. But only one man ranks as the collection’s benevolent godfather: Reynolds “Renny” Yater.

A pioneering waterman and prolific surfboard craftsman who helped usher wave riding into the mainstream, Yater opened Santa Barbara Surf Shop in 1959. His creative innovations were rivaled only by his workhorse ethic; he retired in 2024 at the age of 91. Says Beach House coowner Grayson Nance, “When it comes to the surfing history of Santa Barbara, Renny is the centerpiece.” 10 State St., Unit A, Santa Barbara, S A N TA B A R B A R A S U R F I N G M U S E U M . C O M . KEITH HAMM

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Gray Malin ski holiday plates (set of four) ($100), MACKENZIE-CHILDS. Le Surf Cap ($60), MATE GALLERY.

Towel ($125), ESBEE Crewneck ($750), NAHMIAS.

Rancho Santa Fe Covenant The Best Kept Secret on the California Coastline www.laurabarryluxuryestates.com

Offered at $19,950,000 6033 Paseo Delicias Ste K, Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067 Office: 858.756.2266 | www.laurabarryluxuryestates.com | Barry Estates DRE 02013631

French Connection

FROM TOP: Dora Vital, Tropical Twilight Series No. 1 (2023), oil pastel over acrylic; Seimandi & Leprieur Gallery focuses on Caribbean artists.

The art scene in Santa Barbara is becoming more global, as evidenced by the recent opening of SEIMANDI & LEPRIEUR GALLERY, helmed by French couple Fanny Seimandi and Julien Leprieur. The couple recently relocated to California after a decade on the island of Martinique in the Caribbean, where Seimandi, who holds master’s degrees in art, served as a judge, and Leprieur worked as an engineer and entrepreneur.

Both are extremely passionate about contemporary art, especially work by emerging Caribbean artists who are just starting to receive international recognition.

Part of the gallery’s stated ambition is to broaden the visibility of these artists and to present their work in conditions “that match its visual strength and conceptual depth.” To that end, Paris-born artist Dora Vital, who lives and works in Martinique, is the focus of a solo show, Jardin Nocturne, at the gallery from December 4 through February 21. Local photographer and creative director Jen Huang Bogan, the show’s co-curator, was struck by Vital’s luscious, layered compositions in pastel, oil, and acrylic.

“These works beautifully describe the juxtaposition of the richness and brevity of life as it cycles through the seasons,” Huang Bogan says. “They are a nod to the winter equinox, where daylight is softened but not bleak. Floral wisps and misty leaves swirl amongst the shadows of the pieces I chose, and they seem to say, in order for flowers to dance in the light, they must first be reborn beneath the earth.” 33 W. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, S E I M A N D I L E P R I E U R . C O M . L.D.P.

Simply Irresistible

SULLIVAN GOSS—AN AMERICAN GALLERY has maintained a strong, steady presence in the cultural life of Santa Barbara for more than 40 years. With an inventory of more than 3,000 paintings, watercolors, prints, and sculptures, the gallery plays an important role in documenting American art from the 19th through the 21st centuries with curated exhibitions and scholarly publications. Its annual holiday show, 100 Grand, offers 100 works of art for $1,000 or less, providing novice collectors the opportunity to acquire quality artwork by both seasoned and emerging artists. (This year’s show runs through December 28.)

Also on view in December is Irresistible: Flowers & Their Admirers, curated by gallery director Jeremy Tessmer, which includes work by renowned historical and contemporary artists. To usher in 2026, Sullivan Goss will celebrate Oskar Fischinger, a master of early nonobjective painting and a pioneer of multimedia immersive environments. 11 E. Anapamu St., Santa Barbara, S U L L I VA N G O S S . C O M . L.D.P.

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John Millei, Memento Mori (2025), oil and flashe on canvas.

KELLY FAJACK

TRUE LOVE ALWAYS A Highly Curated Lifestyle Boutique

Owner, Lori Runnfeldt

1115 Coast Village Road, Montecito | 805.679.5456 | @tlagoods | tlagoods.com

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breathtaking ocean views.

FOR THE FOODIES The universal language—flavor, Michelin-stars, & the newest masterpiece in the ocean: Seven Seas Prestige™. “Each specialty restaurant and lounge has its own personality, and even the casual spots impressed.”

– Rochelle DeBaun, Montecito Village Travel Evenings unfold like a well-paced tasting menu: elegant, effortless, and designed to be savored. Whether it’the intimate French restaurant or an al fresco lunch on deck overlooking the Côte d’Azur, each dish tells a story of where you are, and where you’re headed next.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP RIGHT: The entry to the SBMA celebrates the museum’s latest show focusing on Impresssionism’s rebellious origins; Andre Derain, Fishing Boats at L’Estaque (1906), oil on canvas; Claude Monet, The Water Lily Pond (Clouds) (1903), oil on canvas; Auguste Roedel, Moulin de la Galette (Les Mâitres de l’Affiche) (c. 1896), color lithograph.

Shock & Awe The history of art is a progression of aesthetic insurrections, and Impressionism, the 19th-century art movement conceived in Paris, remains one of the most shocking visual revolutions of all time.

An exciting exhibition, The Impressionist Revolution: Monet to Matisse From the Dallas Museum of Art, now on view at the SANTA BARBARA MUSEUM OF ART (SBMA), focuses on Impressionism’s rebellious origins and its extraordinary influence on the art world. The exhibition is chock-full of masterpieces from the Dallas Museum of Art (DMA) by big-name artists, including Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, and Berthe Morisot. Dr. Nicole Myers, the DMA’s chief curatorial and research officer and The Barbara Thomas Lemmon Senior Curator, curated the exhibition and authored the companion catalogue.

SBMA is the traveling show’s only destination in the western United States, and like a gracious host welcoming an important guest, SBMA is displaying works by Monet, Matisse, Morisot, and others from its own Impressionist collection in a companion exhibit entitled Encore: 19th-Century

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French Art from the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. Both exhibitions are on view at SBMA through January 25, 2026, and are accompanied by a full slate of public programs, conversations, and performances, including lectures by renowned Monet expert Paul Hayes Tucker and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Sebastian Smee. 1130 State St., Santa Barbara, S B M A . N E T. L.D.P.

...psst, cue the Holiday jingle!

Montecito Bank & Trust is spreading holiday cheer Giving back to the community for over years

50

We our nonprofits and all that they give They make our communities better places to live We support local residents and businesses too Volunteer our time and foster penguins at the zoo We have 13 branches along the Central Coast When it comes to great service, we’re the one with the most!

With so many great clients, there are plenty to thank We’re so grateful to be your community bank So to spread some good tidings and holiday cheer We wish you Happy Holidays and a joyful new year!

montecito.bank

Did You Know?

Colesternberg's A Garden installaSanta Ynez–based artist Cole Sternberg’s generative tion, shown here in Paris, is coming artwork a garden, seen here on display at the Grand Palais toduring Paris Photo 2025, is coming to California in 2026.

For more info, visit C O L E S T E R N B E R G . C O M .

Miri Mara in his ceramics studio, which celebrates its 12th anniversary in December.

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A drive through Carpinteria is never complete without a stop to see what ceramicist MIRI MARA is bringing to life at the wheel. In a previous chapter, Mara, a Rome native, spent two decades as an Italian fashion designer in Milan, a background that infuses his current career with a distinctly European sensibility and humanistic Italian flair. After relocating to California and falling in love with clay, he opened his eponymous shop in Carpinteria and began casting ceramic vases, bowls, cups, lamps, and pendants.

Each piece begins as a modeled clay slab that’s transformed into a plaster cast, then shaped through slip casting and hand finished with carved textural details. A Mara piece is also recognizable for a unique patterned effect, created by layered glaze and many firings. 5292 Carpinteria Ave., Carpinteria, M I R I M A R A . C O M . CAITLIN WHITE

MIRI MARA: MACDUFF EVERTON

Fired Up

ON VIEW THROUGH JAN 25

Visit SBMA.net for tickets.

This exhibition is organized by the Dallas Museum of Art

Generous support provided by The Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Charitable Foundation, Manitou Fund — Nora McNeely Hurley and Michael Hurley, SBMA Ambassadors, and Geof and Laura Wyatt.

ALSO ON VIEW

Mario Giacomelli: La Gente, La Terra | Through February 15, 2026

By Achilles’ Tomb: Elliott Hundley and Antiquity | Through February 22, 2026

Piece by Piece: Collage & Assemblage at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art | Through March 22, 2026

Top: Paul Signac, Mont Saint-Michel, Setting Sun, 1897. Paul Signac. Oil on canvas. Dallas Museum of Art, The Eugene and Margaret McDermott Art Fund, Inc., bequest of Mrs. Eugene McDermott in honor of Bill Booziotis, 2019.67.25.McD. Bottom: Henri Matisse, Pont Saint-Michel, 1901. Oil on canvas. Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Bequest of Wright S. Ludington, 1993.1.5 © 2025 Succession H. Matisse / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Basque Glow

FROM TOP: Chef Dominique “Dom” Crisp, previously of the Lonely Oyster; the menu highlights seafood and the rich culinary traditions of the Basque Country; designer Zlata Nikonovskaya and Santa Barbara firm AB Design Studio brought thoughtful details to the

TK

STAN LEE

revamped interiors.

The latest addition to the arts district, DOM’S TAVERNA, brightens up a historic building that once served as the headquarters of the California Electric Company. Chef Dominique “Dom” Crisp brings Basque cuisine to the fully renovated space, pairing industrial warmth with coastal charm and a light-filled open kitchen. Sip an Espresso Eroa—a Spanish Espresso Martini—at the original Pascual’s and Trattoria Victoria’s marble bar, now reimagined and restored with gold in the tradition of Japanese kintsugi. A Josper oven (a charcoal grill and oven hybrid from Barcelona) infuses a wood-fired smokiness to the menu’s abundance of local seafood.

Winter highlights include oysters, naturally, and Spanish Perigord truffles from partner Raj Nallapothola’s farm north of Barcelona. In his previous Los Angeles projects, Crisp notes that he was “lucky to have one consistent item on the menu that was special as well as local.” Now he is embracing the full scope of what the harbor has to offer. “Having been a chef in Southern California for the past 10 years, it is serendipitous that all my favorite ingredients and farmers reside in this area.

Folks doing big things that contribute to a beautiful menu for any chef willing to connect.” 30 E. Victoria St., Santa Barbara, D O M S TA V E R N A . C O M . C.B.M.

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SAN YSIDRO RANCH X SANTA BARBARA MAGAZINE

Awards Season Celebrate a banner year with a festive finish at San Ysidro Ranch WRITTEN BY JENN THORNTON

SAN YSIDRO RANCH

Setting the standard for world-class hospitality, SAN YSIDRO RANCH is marking a banner year of industry excellence with an array of 2025 prestigious hospitality awards. With these—and festive celebrations ahead— the iconic A-list hideaway featuring lush amenities, escapist allure, and Old Hollywood roots cements its global standing as a truly prize retreat.

A Forbes 5-Star Award holder and Travel + Leisure top California resort for several consecutive years, the Ranch recently added a No. 68 ranking on the World’s 50 Best Hotels 2025 extended 51-100 list—a major new expansion recognizing 50 additional exceptional hotels spanning six continents. This praise is just one of many high-profile hospitality nods for the Ranch this year. Others include being named to Condé Nast Traveler’s coveted “Gold List,” one of only 10 hotels in the nation to receive this recognition, in addition to its designations as “California’s Leading Boutique Hotel” by the World Travel Awards and both “World’s Most Romantic Boutique Hotel” and “No. 1 Boutique Hotel in the World” by the Boutique Hotel Awards. Regional arbiter Sunset Magazine, meanwhile, tapped the Ranch as a top luxury hotel

in its annual Sunset Travel Awards honoring the “Best of the West Coast.”

For a festive finish to its awardwinning year, the Ranch is decking its halls for the holidays with a dazzling backdrop of 60,000 twinkling lights, Christmas trees, roaring stone fireplaces, and a wish list of holiday enchantments. Among these, the “12 Days of Cocktails” at The Speakeasy will feature a new seasonal drink nightly in the run-up to Christmas.

Additionally, an embellished holiday afternoon tea service, planned for Dec. 7, 14, and 20, will feature pastries,

seasonal teas, and a thoughtfully stocked market cart. While upgrades to a special Champagne tea service is in the offering for adults, children can indulge treats like a magical Nutcracker tea, featuring storytelling, gingerbread cookie decorating, and a Santa letterwriting station. Finally, Christmas Day will bring plenty of comforts and joy with carolers, cozy fireplaces, and a four-course holiday menu.

Winter wonderland at the Ranch continues with a smashing send-off: a glamorous New Year’s Eve Gala with a four-course dinner and curated wine pairings, followed by an optional afterhours nightcap and live trio in the Speakeasy until midnight.

And with every overnight stay, dining is included complimentary—even the holiday meals. Cheers! 900 San Ysidro Lane, SANYSIDRORANCH.COM.

FROM LEFT: Interiors

by MN Studio create an air of quiet elegance at the Lion’s Tale bar; classic martinis are a standout menu item.

Last fall, local darling Good Lion Hospitality opened another sleek, chic cocktail bar, bringing the five-o’clock-somewhere ethos to Coast Village Road. LION’S TALE, located on the ground floor of the historic Montecito Inn, is grand and airy, with opulent finishes and a lavish menu to match.

Think frozen Vespers with both gin and vodka, a Boulevardier made with Italian vermouth and Demerara rum, and an eponymous cocktail with scotch, chai, Averna, and pineapple.

Kicking things off every day at 4 p.m., a generous happy-hour menu cuts select drink prices down to $11, including an adorable little 50/50 martini that can be upgraded with a sidecar of fries. It’s the perfect drink-and-snack combo, topped perhaps only by a plate that comes with filet mignon bites and café de Paris sauce for $14, effectively turning steak frites into a playful, poutine-style nosh. Need more reasons to visit? A lobster slider is less commitment than a full roll but comes with all of the decadence, and a savory, creamy smoked-trout dip, complete with house-made potato chips, radish, and endive, is an ideal companion for any drink on the menu. 1295 Coast Village Rd., Santa Barbara, L I O N S TA L E B A R . C O M . C.W.

Wish List

Coming out of your shell Shell brooch ($18,500), DAVID WEBB. Caviar dish and spoons ($80), HUDSON GRACE. Vintage jewelry holder ($165), BEAUTIFUL MESS HOME & GARDEN.

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INTERIOR: BLAKE BRONSTAD; DRINK: MICHAEL ACHACH

Mane Act

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In the Spirit

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Flaming cocktails with holiday themes; the charming fireplace and Christmas lights make this alreadybeloved destination a must-visit during winter; the bar.

Wish List

Shine this season BRYANT & SONS bracelet ($10,030).

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SAN YSIDRO RANCH is a perennial favorite getaway, but the best reason to book a staycation this winter? A holiday redux of their signature speakeasy, which transforms the Plow & Angel into a maximalist Christmas paradise. With decadent splurges like caviar service and a seafood tower or a variety of casual plates, such as tamarind wings, Korean beef tacos, and crispy calamari, there’s plenty here for a light dinner or a happy-hour snack when the bar opens up at 5 p.m. There’s something special for every palate and sensibility, from fruit- and shrub-based mocktails to mystical absinthe fountains. Since you’re going to be indulging, opt to stay the night and sleep it all off in one of the fairytale cottages repeatedly endorsed

by Hollywood royalty. 900 San Ysidro Lane, Santa Barbara, S A N Y S I D R O R A N C H . C O M . C.W.

Photography by Public 311

28865 Agoura Road, Agoura Hills, California

EXCEPTIONAL DECOR FOR EXTRAORDINARY HOMES www.abeautifulmesshome.com

Maritime CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The relocated bar; Marisella means “star of the sea,” so it is no surprise that seafood features heavily on the menu; unobstructed coastal views from the patio.

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Terracotta tile, vibrant art, and the moody green marble bar all add to the escapist vibe at MARISELLA—one of the only local dining destinations offering panoramic views of the Pacific.

The coastal perch has permeated every element of the latest concept at the Ritz-Carlton Bacara. “We want every plate to be as beautiful and layered as the view itself: intricate in detail, yet effortless in presentation,” chef/partner Danny Grant says. “Our take on coastal Italian flavors mirrors that same spirit, whether it’s a Tomato Martini that nods to Santa Barbara’s farms, or seafood dishes that let the natural salt and sun of the region shine through.”

The menu and wine list are punctuated by familiar local purveyors, including John Givens Farms, Santa Barbara Seafood, and the Hilt, alongside strong Italian influences. The many seafood offerings—like a crudo with tomato sott’olio, burnt tomato with buttermilk vinaigrette, and a whimsical suite of martinis—nod to the Mediterranean mashup of Santa Barbara chill meets Amalfi Coast cool. Handmade paccheri with bolognese or casarecce with squash feel perfect for cozying up in one of the half-moon booths oriented toward the seascape. 8301 Hollister Ave., Santa Barbara, M A R I S E L L A R E S TA U R A N T. C O M . C.B.M.

PATIO AND FOOD: WONHO FRANK LEE; BAR: STAN LEE

Mood

F O R H O M E , F O R H O L I D A Y. F O R T R E A S U R E S F O U N D O N L Y U P S TA I R S .

516 san ysidro road | montecito | 805.565.1503 follow along @shopwendyfoster

David Gelles, Dirtbag Billionaire (Simon & Schuster, $30).

Tom Freston, Unplugged (Simon & Schuster, $29).

Josh Brolin, From Under the Truck (HarperCollins, $24).

Must-Reads

Top picks for vacation reading or holiday gift giving

Shop local bookstores such as CHAUCER’S BOOKS, 3321 State St., Santa Barbara, C H A U C E R S B O O K S . C O M ; GODMOTHERS, 2280 Lillie Ave., Summerland, G O D M O T H E R S . C O M ; and TECOLOTE BOOK SHOP, 1470 E. Valley Rd., Santa Barbara, T E C O L O T E B O O K S H O P. C O M .

Jeff Shelton, Pub Theory (Jeff Shelton, $35).

California: Dream State (Rizzoli, $70).

Annie Leibovitz, Women (Phaidon, $100).

Macduff Everton, The Book of Santa Barbara (Tixcacalculpul Press, $78).

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The Unique Place in Los Angeles

Architectural Home & Garden Elements

Limestone Fountains - Fireplaces - Troughs

Flooring - Roofing - La Madeleine D’anduze Planters - French Lanterns

www.charmedantan.net www.charmedantan.net

2337 2337Troutdale TroutdaleDrive, Drive,Agoura AgouraHills HillsCA CA 91301 91301 Tel: Tel: 818-889-0229 818-889-0229

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Carrot cake (black walnut, cream cheese frosting, tamarind dulce de leche) with a Manhattan; general manager Jesse Grady, chef Julian Martinez, and chef de cuisine Rigo Tapia; the space designed by Hearth Homes Interiors; the Upham Hotel, built in 1871.

Comfort Food

Much like the charming Upham Hotel it calls home, BISTRO AMASA’s menu is full of nostalgic favorites. Updated American classics from chef Julian Martinez—such as meatloaf with mole and yogurt, a Waldorf salad with brown butter dressing, or a dressed-up twice-baked potato—feel familiar and embody the homey atmosphere of the Victorian building. The team behind Hearth Hospitality helms the concept, and while the menu departs from the conceptual California cuisine of their Michelinrecognized restaurant Barbareño, the same playful sense of humor will be familiar to fans. 1404 De La Vina St., Santa Barbara, B I S T R O A M A S A . C O M . C.B.M.

Wish List Ring in the new year

TK

Quinn ring ($4,250), BAXTER MOERMAN.

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FROM LEFT: Aside from the outdoor patio with gorgeous waterfront views, Gracie also boasts a central indoor bar that’s designed to the nines.

On the Waterfront

A trifecta of restaurants in Santa Barbara has recently opened under the stewardship of Dudley Michael and Grace Austin, including the Rodeo Room and The Shop Brunch, at Milpas and De La Guerra. The third, dubbed simply GRACIE, is in a more prime location—harborside in the old Breakwater Cafe. The restaurant is still shoring up its dinner menu, and the owners have eschewed reservations for a walk-ins-only setup.

Begin with a rockfish ceviche served with rice crackers and a classic Caesar salad spiked with toasted anchovies. Mains like the fish tacos, which come pan seared and topped with smoked chili aioli and pickled onions, are as fresh as the daily catch. Another highlight, crispy salmon with roasted fennel and leeks, pairs nicely with a Midori Eastside. The mint-cucumber-shiso libation can be served with or without vodka and Midori added, making for a smart brunch mocktail. 107 Harbor Way, Santa Barbara, G R A C I E W A T E R F R O N T. C O M . C.W.

Wish List Scent story

Bring the smell of vintage leather home for the holidays with HOMER’s new bergamot and leather candle ($85).

Beloved smashburger purveyor THE WIN-DOW has opened its first location outside L.A. County, bringing its crispy, melty double- and single-patty burgers, golden fried chicken sandwiches, and grain bowls to Chapala Street. First-timers should go straight for the double cheeseburger and fastfood-style fries. For something more virtuous, opt for the kale salad with pecorino and pine nuts. And don’t miss the option to add smashed avocado to any sandwich, including the vegetarian Beauty Burger. 701 Chapala St., Santa Barbara, T H E W I N - D O W. L A / S A N TA - B A R B A R A . C.W.

FROM LEFT: WinDow’s new walk-up on Chapala Street; offerings range from smashburgers to grain bowls.

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GRACIE: CARLY OTNESS

Win Big

®

Wish List

Poetry in Bronze

SUSAN READ CRONIN’s sculptures are guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Visual puns, clever juxtapositions, playful takes on animals, plants, and body parts (noses!)—she directs the viewer’s attention with clever titles that hint at a narrative element. Cronin has cast more than 1,000 pieces since she started making bronze sculptures in 1996, when she and her husband were living in Vermont. A full-time resident of Montecito since 2016, she also works in cut-paper silhouettes and has published three volumes of poetry.

Most of her pieces recently have been relatively small, but Cronin is now experimenting with scale—for example, increasing the size of an initial piece, a 20-inch sculpture called The Top Rung to her own 5-foot-3-inch height. “It’s fun to figure out which pieces might translate” to a larger size, she notes. “And I want to experiment with what technology can do and still have a hand in it.”

Glass act

Refract Bud Vase in hand-blown blue glass ($60), EIDER STUDIO.

FROM TOP: Susan Read Cronin’s sculpture The Top Rung seems to lean into the question, “What’s the next step?”

S U S A N R E A D C R O N I N . C O M . JOAN TAPPER

Reflections

Cassandria Blackmore’s luminous glass creation Vathia Ble Thalassa Stripes adds to the exhilarating atmosphere in her new gallery space.

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Light-filled, airy, with soaring ceilings, Cassandria Blackmore’s new gallery, BLACKMORE STUDIOS, is the perfect showcase for her innovative reverse-painted glass creations. In vivid colors the shattered and reassembled works shimmer on the walls, their dappled surfaces reminiscent of sunlight on a lake. The new space allows Blackmore to exhibit her oversized pieces—“I like to work big,” she says—but it also exudes intimacy.

Located a block from West Beach, next to a lush walled garden, the rooms seem to invite you to the inner sanctum of an artist. That feeling may be rooted in the place’s history, she adds. Built by the Gledhills in 1907, a married couple who photographed the notables of their time, the building later housed the studios of a succession of artists, including Diego Rivera. “There’s a ton of art energy here,” Blackmore says about the live–work space. Visits by appointment only. 805895-2447, C A S S A N D R I A B L A C K M O R E . C O M . J.T.

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Brave New Art

Under scale models of the planets, a hands-on station in the new space science exhibit in the Santa Barbara Natural History Museum lets visitors crank up the pressure in a tube and launch a little rocket.

It’s a Blast

Underpinned by a lively “please touch” philosophy, the SANTA BARBARA NATURAL HISTORY MUSEUM recently installed a new permanent interactive space science exhibit, Our Cosmic Coast, which explores the solar system and its connections to the earth. Located next to the museum’s planetarium, which has seasonally changing shows, the stunning new galley is an engaging way to learn about the movements of the moon, the way it creates tides, and the reason for the seasons, to say nothing of an assortment of fun facts. Says Ila Jade Komasa, astronomy programs manager, “Astronomy education and the Our Cosmic Coast exhibit help children understand our home planet Earth and how we can take care of it for the future.” To that end, scale models of the planets depict the orbs from tiny Mercury to ice and gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which dominate a wall. There are cases that allow you to handle rocks from outer space, listen to sounds of the cosmos, and a cool alcove where kids can lie down and marvel at the constellations in the night sky. 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, S B N A T U R E . O R G . J.T.

Wish List

With the band

Vita ring ($4,380), DANIEL GIBBINGS.

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In Santa Barbara, art is everywhere—even when you can’t see it. That idea inspired Brave New Work, a three-day art-and-technology event that brought together artists, scientists, and technologists to explore how emerging tools like artificial intelligence and augmented reality (AR) can shape creativity, community, and the environment. Through exhibitions, panels, and interactive installations, participants were encouraged to consider how technology can be used not just to innovate but also to reimagine how we connect with the world.

There are “important and amazing art and technology collaborations being nurtured in Santa Barbara that are largely going unnoticed by our general population,” says Brave New Work founder Michael Delgado. “Brave New Work is about recognizing the fantastic and award-winning scholarly and artistic work being generated here.”

One of the public art components of the event was an AR installation by Nancy Baker Cahill at the Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB). Participants viewed her work through the 4TH WALL APP, a platform she founded in 2018 that transforms public spaces into interactive galleries.

The app allows users to view, place, and share sitespecific AR artworks, blending technology and art to make creativity accessible beyond traditional museum walls. 4 T H W A L L A P P. O R G . TIANA MOLONY

Augmented reality work

by Nancy Baker Cahill and Sophia the Robot, Stone Speaks (2022).

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SBIFF

Media Sponsor 2026

Tk.

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The new SBIFF film center in the works; Teyana Taylor; Sydney Sweeney; Jacob Elordi; the

Lights, Camera, Action!

indoor-outdoor entry.

T

This February, Santa Barbara filmgoers will xperience our international film festival like never before. The marquee at 916 State Street is getting a sparkling makeover, as is the inside of the old theater—the new home of the SANTA BARBARA INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL (SBIFF), which has previously had to rent theaters during the annual event. In October 2024, the Santa Barbara City Council unanimously approved a long-term lease, securing a permanent home for the 40-year-old organization, not just for the 11-day festival, which brings in 100,000 cinephiles, but also for year-round programming.

Building on the magic of the beloved Riviera Theater—don’t worry, it’s not going away!—the new film center will include five enhanced auditoriums to showcase more than 200 films during the festival, with annual screenings expanding from 1,000 to 6,000. This means more viewings and more flexibility to switch gears, run popular films longer, or surprise and delight fans.

“We won’t be limited to current theatrical releases,” says Benjamin Bhutani Goedert, SBIFF development director. “That’s what’s so exciting with another 5,000 slots to fill.” The new multiplex art house will screen family movies, indies, foreign films, and documentaries, in addition to retrospectives. Each theater will feature brand new state-of-the-art sound and projection systems, plus

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seating, and improved accessibility with a new ADA ramp. A film-themed art gallery near the entrance will have rotating exhibits, while the interior design will thoughtfully borrow décor motifs (“Easter eggs,” Goedert says) from other theaters around town.

With the Arlington still on tap as the red-carpet icon, the new film center will soon become a landmark of its own, not just as part of SBIFF’s legacy but also on the international map of film festivals. Adds Goedert: “We hope this means another 40 years of the film festival.” S B I F F T H E A T R E S . C O M . JENNIFER BLAISE KRAMER

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“I have a special place in my heart for the first responders who once sat with me in my own home—their courage, compassion, and selfless service are things I will never forget.”

—Rob Lowe

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex; performance by Good Charlotte; Rob Lowe and Maria Shriver; Oprah Winfrey with Chief Kelly Ann Gordon (city police); Kevin Costner and Chief Michael Cash (Guadalupe police/fire).

INGRID BOSTROM

In just five years, ONE805 has grown rapidly, raising more than $6 million in cash to directly support mental-wellness programs and emergencyresponse needs across the county. Following the devastating Palisades Fire, One805 expanded its impact, helping launch a new countywide mental-wellness program to ensure those who respond to large-scale disasters receive sustained psychological support. “Our first responders— including our fire, sheriff, and police personnel and their families—face unimaginable stress in the line of duty,” says Kirsten Cavendish WestonSmith, CEO, chairman, and cofounder of One805, adding that the average first responder witnesses 200 traumatic incidents in a career, versus seven for most people.

To help fund this mission, this fall’s annual One805Live! concert drew another crowd of eager supporters and celebrities to Kevin Costner’s coastal estate. Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, presented the Heart of the Community Award to Chief Mark Hartwig, which he accepted on behalf of all peer-support groups and first responders; he was joined on stage by firefighter Sam Dudley and his therapy dog, Rhonda. As the sun set, everyone enjoyed live music from bands including Good Charlotte, The Fray, and Trisha Yearwood, who flew in from Nashville and donated her band’s performance.

Oprah Winfrey and Maria Shriver were among the stars who cheered on supporters such as Rob Lowe, who was honored for his ongoing dedication to the first responders—all of whom attended the concert free of charge. O N E 8 0 5 . O R G . J.B.K.

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Congratulations Joanne Gordon!

Managing Director - Investments

SAGE WEALTH MANAGEMENT GROUP of Wells Fargo Advisors

Contact Us: 805-730-5022 Joanne.Gordon@wfa.com 3660 State Street Santa Barbara, CA 93105 Pictured left to right: Nicholas Lambert, Client Associate; Joanne Gordon, Managing Director - Investments; Bret Williams, Assistant Vice President

2025 Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State: Awarded February 2025; Data compiled by SHOOK Research LLC based on the time period from 9/30/23 9/30/24. (Source: Forbes.com) The Forbes Top Women Wealth Advisors Best-in-State rating algorithm is based on the previous year’s industry experience, interviews, compliance records, assets under management, revenue and other criteria by SHOOK Research, LLC. Investment performance is not a criterion. Self-completed survey was used for rating. This rating is not related to the quality of the investment advice and based solely on the disclosed criteria.

Investment and Insurance Products: NOT FDIC Insured / NO Bank Guarantee / MAY Lose Value Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company. PM-05012027-8563963.1.1

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B I G S P E A K X S A N TA B A R B A R A M AG A Z I N E

“My prediction is that AI is putting humans on a path to what I call unmetered intelligence, a world where cognitive capacity becomes as accessible and dependable as flipping a light switch.”

- ZACK KASS

Since then, in just two and a half years, he has built an advisory firm that shapes AI strategy for more than 500 of the Global 5000, delivered keynotes to over 250,000 people across 25 countries, taken on professorships at UVA and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and joined Conservation International as a Technical Fellow.

Booked: A Santa Barbara Son on the AI Renaissance WRITTEN BY KEITH HAMM

PHOTOGRAPHS BY VICTORIA SNIDER

When ZACK KASS explains the potential of artificial intelligence, he points to the utilities of modern society—electricity, natural gas, potable water, and the internet. These unglamorous features of the developed world, he reminds people, weren’t always forgettably cheap. Artificial intelligence, he says, is heading in the same direction. “My prediction is that AI is putting humans on a path to what I call unmetered intelligence, a world where cognitive capacity becomes as

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accessible and dependable as flipping a light switch.”

Kass, a third-generation Santa Barbarian, is in a position to make such predictions because he has spent his 16-year career at the forefront of artificial intelligence.

As the former Head of Go-To-Market at OpenAI—and one of the company’s first 100 employees—he built the sales, solutions, and partnerships teams that helped propel the organization from millions to billions in revenue.

In his forthcoming book, The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential (Wiley, 2026), Kass sets out to demystify artificial intelligence and reveal the profound shifts unfolding beneath the surface of the technology. He argues that the rise of unmetered intelligence will transform how society organizes itself, how we solve our greatest challenges, and how we explore—and expand—the boundaries of human knowledge. AI, he writes, is not a replacement for humanity but rather a catalyst for rediscovering it, helping us “uncover more of our known, and unknown, universe.”

Kass proposes that humans may not differentiate on the basis of cognition for much longer. “When intelligence, the capacity to think and compute, is easily

A third-generation Santa Barbarian, Zack Kass is an acclaimed keynote speaker and author of The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential, launching January 20, hosted by BigSpeak at the Granada Theatre.

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B I G S P E A K X S A N TA B A R B A R A M AG A Z I N E

accessible, being the smartest person in the room won’t matter much. It’s not long now before humans are forced to differentiate on a new basis… perhaps by how we make others feel.”

grateful. I was truly raised by a village,” he says. He grew up known as “the son of Dr. Kass” or “the grandson of Dr. Riemenschneider” and that kid whose mom was a PTA super-parent.

After struggling early on in school, he eventually found his place. “I wasn’t a great student, and I don’t think I really had my own identity until I discovered volleyball and mock trial,” he says. “I cared about those two things a lot, and they gave me something to be uniquely good at.”

On the morning of December 2, 2022, two days after ChatGPT’s public debut, Kass had “one of his three epiphanies at OpenAI.” He wasn’t in a boardroom or listening in on investor meetings; instead, he was sitting next to his mother in her Mission Canyon home. “When I saw my mom try On the court, he was ChatGPT for the first coached by Jon Lee—a time, using it intuitively, longtime stalwart of I suddenly and deeply Santa Barbara’s volleyball appreciated what this royalty—who taught technology would offer - ZACK KASS young Kass that collegeeveryone,” Kass says. bound athletes also “At that moment my needed to perform well in the classroom. job shifted from convincing people that On San Marcos High School’s awardAI could work to showing them how it winning mock-trial program, Kass was would work best.” guided by social studies teacher and Now, after 18 years in the Bay Area, former district attorney Eric Burrows, Kass has returned home to build a life. who was named Santa Barbara County “There are so many people in this town Teacher of the Year in 2005, when Kass to whom I, and my family, are eternally was a senior.

“Today is the best day ever to be born; tomorrow will be, too.”

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CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Zack Kass with his wife Adlee and their baby Frankie, his mother (left) and father Dr. Kass (right); views of downtown Santa Barbara; Zack with his father. OPPOSITE: Zack on stage as a keynote speaker; Zack and Adlee strolling by the Granada Theatre.

Kass continued playing volleyball at University of California, Berkeley, majored in history, and took enough computer science classes to get a taste for the industry’s rapidly advancing technologies. Looking back, he reflects, “When you study history, you learn that the world does, in fact, get better all the time. When you study computer science, you learn why. The history of technology is the history of progress.” He says the combination of humanities depth and technical fluency is what shaped the optimistic worldview he carries into his work today.

Kass will explore all this and more during A Conversation with Zack Kass at the Granada Theatre this January, hosted

by BigSpeak, a Santa Barbara–based professional speakers’ bureau founded

by Jonathan and Elise Wygant in 1995.

At the event Kass will also announce his public Local Leaders endowment, in partnership with the Montecito Ideas Forum, a nonprofit that facilitates gettogethers between thought leaders across Santa Barbara County and their national and international counterparts.

PHOTO: Z ACK K ASS ON STAGE ( TOP RIGHT ), COURTESY OF BIGSPEAK

“We’re bringing in expert thinkers, scholars, and scientists so we can understand these technologies as a community,” says Erik Cetrulo, the Forum’s Founder and Executive Director. “Zack is uniquely positioned, and he’s committed to the community in a meaningful way. He wants Santa Barbara to thrive for everyone.”

“I’ve come to deeply appreciate a couple things recently,” Kass says. “First, Santa Barbara is unquestionably the greatest place on earth, and second, my mission is to prove that hope and reason should coexist. Today is the best day ever to be born; tomorrow will be, too.”

That sentiment has probably never felt more true for Kass, as he and wife, Adlee, just welcomed their first child, Frankie, who will be raised in their home at the top of the Granada Building.

A Conversation with Zack Kass will take place on January 20, 2026 at the Granada Theatre. Tickets are available at the Granada Theatre and via EVENTS.ZACKKASS.COM.

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Russell Young's studio features his Elvis Heartbreak Hotel (2020) diptych, rendered in acrylic and oilbased ink Diamond Dust, prominently on display.

Multimedia artist Russell Young reveals the hidden sides of cultural icons

Portrait of Russell Young with his signature black shirt, cowboy hat, and “armor” of rings. OPPOSITE: Young modified original Andy Warhol artwork for the Winter 2025 cover of Santa Barbara Magazine, photographed by Roberto Liera. Original Andy Warhol artwork © 2025 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Licensed by Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York.

Young, in his new Ojai studio, sorts through photos from his archive.

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he British American artist Russell Young has a distinct man-in-black style that suggests, despite his humble origins and youthful challenges, he has lived a full and fascinating life. Young is a passionate survivor who has built a massive career working in various media, including painting, photography, screen printing, and sculpture. He is perhaps best known for his silk-screen paintings of cultural icons that incorporate Diamond Dust, a gritty, sparkling composite famously used by Andy Warhol.

Born in Yorkshire, England, in 1959, Young was adopted at the age of one after a brief respite at a foster home and a nunnery. He never knew his birth parents’ identities, but the uncertainty of his origins had a profound effect on him as a child and as a young artist. He grew up moving from town to town, where his adopted father, an electrical engineer, would take him to museums and to see films like The Magnificent Seven, establishing a lifelong fascination with California and the American West.

At 15, Young lied about his age so he could enroll in art school. He then moved to London, where he met commercial photographer Christos Raftopoulos, who became a mentor. Inspired by his tutelage, Young began photographing the early gigs of bands like Bauhaus, R.E.M., and The Smiths, which led to photo shoots and magazine spreads. This commercial work eventually landed him the album cover of the 1986 George Michael album Faith. The opportunity, Young says, “opened the Golden Gates” and was a “big influence” for him as an artist.

What followed were more celebrity photo shoots, including sessions with Morrissey, New Order, and Björk, and pioneering music videos with a wide range of artists from The Brand New Heavies to Eartha Kitt.

After a move to New York City in 1997, Young introduced a new series of mug-shot “anti-celebrity portraits,” paintings that he says were “perhaps… a dig at my former career” as a commercial photographer. His following series, Dirty Pretty Things, introduced his now-signature use of Diamond Dust, and in 2005 Young created

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On his property in the Ojai Valley, Young displays images of the Marlboro Cowboy who features prominently in his series West.

Interior of Young’s Ojai home recently renovated with recycled wood, featuring an image from his series Girls over the fireplace. OPPOSITE: Young at work in his studio.

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one of his most iconic works, Marilyn, Crying.

The image, carefully cropped by Young, features a portrait of a raw, vulnerable Marilyn Monroe with eyes cast down away from the camera and one hand obscuring much of her face. The 100th anniversary of Monroe’s birth arrives in 2026, and Young is working with the Monroe estate to launch a campaign to honor that occasion. His new Marilyn 100 series debuts during Art Week in Miami this December.

Young has had several close calls with disaster, including a plane accident in Cleveland in his early 20s, a near-death experience in 2010 after contracting the H1N1 virus that put him into a coma for a week, and a narrow escape from the devastating 2017 Thomas Fire. All these challenges have continued to fortify a certain fearlessness and sense of survival, a daring and a perseverance in both life and his work. He

Young’s work studded with his signature Diamond Dust medium include images of Brigitte Bardot and Marilyn Monroe.

regularly hikes alone for long stretches in the mountains of the Los Padres National Forest, swims out a mile in the moonlit ocean to look back at the lights of Rincon, and has spent extensive time camping and hiking the Channel Islands. “I like to isolate myself on the edge of the mountains or oceans,” Young says.

After living through 9/11 in New York, Young moved his family to Shepard Mesa in Carpinteria in 2002 and established an art studio in an old airplane hangar. He currently resides in a beach house on the Pacific Ocean and is renovating a nearly 100-year-old home in the Ojai Valley. A new studio in a former woodworking shop is located nearby. Young says he is drawn to and loves this “magical strip of flat lands surrounded by huge mountains” that produces our unique Mediterranean climate and “gives birth to and throws out very special people.”

For him, one of those special people was Edie Sedgwick, the actor, model, and socialite who was born in Santa Barbara and became an “It Girl” in the 1960s and one of Warhol’s Superstars. Sedgwick died at age 28 from an accidental drug overdose following a period of drug use and a battle with mental health issues.

Young’s choice of Sedgwick—photographed

by Warhol in 1965 in his iconic photobooth format at the height of her notoriety—for the cover of this issue of Santa Barbara Magazine embodies his interest in using glam shots of cultural icons to reveal the underbelly and

“The West still taps into our most primal instincts.”

—Russell Young

fissures of American fame. His goal is to “interrogate the idealization of America’s history,” in particular that of the American West.

According to Young, “The West still taps into our most primal instincts but also our most grandiose dreams.” His ongoing West series features “curiosities, knick-knacks, heirlooms, and fantasies of his own world built within the larger framework of the American drama.”

Subjects include everything from the Marlboro Man cowboy to Elvis Presley, and Young’s choice and presentation of the images somehow capture “the exact edge where boylike wonder falls into violent truth.”

Recently Young has been stitching together his canvases to mimic the breadth of Hollywood wide screens, and they are intended to “pay homage and also to expose the artifice of our dreams.”

Other subjects in Young’s newest works depict turn-of-the-century photographs of animals that, if not already extinct, are certain to become so soon. In another series, he enlarges flower paintings from the Dutch Golden Age to highlight the impossibilities of their unseasonal arrangements and expose their hidden messages. Both the animals and the flowers are “evocative of an earlier Young, when he was awestruck by things that seemed out of reach and would do anything to grasp onto their truth.”

The artist “is interested in secrets, those we keep, those we share, and those we are unwilling to confront.” With the impossible flower compositions of 17th-century Holland or an image of a fragile socialite starlet, he reveals that “a rose petal might, upon a closer look, be riddled with holes.”• .

Another view of Young’s Ojai home featuring work from the series West.

“PQ.”

—Name Tk

WRITTEN BY JOAN TAPPER PHOTOGRAPHS BY MACDUFF EVERTON ARTWORK BY MARY HEEBNER

A vintage Cadillac and a religious icon at a house near the Santa Barbara Mission caught photographer Macduff Everton’s eye. OPPOSITE: Mary Heebner probed an ancient image in Geography of a Face: The Messenger, a grid collage from 2010.

Couples Therapy The artistic visions of Mary Heebner and Macduff Everton span time and space

Night and day, earth, water, and sky—basic elements can inspire breathtaking creations in the right hands. BELOW: Everton’s panoramic camera added an otherworldly aspect to the Guadalupe-Nipomo Dunes, which stretch 18 miles along the coast.

“Collage, my main medium, homes in on details that speak to qualities of humanity, juxtaposing fragments to create a whole.”

—Mary Heebner

RIGHT AND OPPOSITE: Heebner’s paintings and collages exude feelings of rhythm and mystery—Water series: Blue Music Samba (2015) and Venus series: Night Venus (2014).

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Mary Heebner in her studio with pieces in progress at the time. She and Everton frequently work on book projects together while maintaining their own personal practices. She notes, “We are each other’s best editors and fiercest supporters.”

The Book of Santa Barbara, Second Edition (Tixcacalculpul Press, $78) is out in bookstores this month.

Mythos Quartet (Simplemente Maria Press, price on request), a limited edition of 20 sets of four books with words and images, housed in an acrylic box, will be available in January through maryheebnergallery.com.

“Macduff and I have collaborated for nearly 40 years in a married life filled with travel and art.”

—Mary Heebner

The expanded, updated edition of Everton’s The Book of Santa Barbara captures the town’s people, places, and events—some reaching into the past, like the photo of the Mexican pool hall that was once a popular spot on lower State Street and the Cuyama Valley Wild West Rodeo of the 1970s and ’80s (below). OPPOSITE: Heebner’s new artist’s book, Mythos Quartet, interprets ancient myths, including that of Castor and Pollux, which she illustrated with Cut-Ups: Brother Love/Dioskouri.

Storm clouds swirl in imagination and reality, destined to loom forever in print and pigment. FROM TOP: Heebner’s Water series: Conjuring Rain No.5 (2015); Everton’s photograph of a turbulent sky over Mesa Lane Beach is just one of the evocative landscapes in The Book of Santa Barbara.

Double

Exposure

With their keen eyes for unforgettable images, actor Jeff Bridges and his wife, Susan—a lifelong photographer— take movie lovers and camera buffs behind the scenes in their tandem exhibitions at the Tamsen Gallery

F IL MED IN 1979, HEAVEN’S GATE WA S A F ICTIONAL IZED V E R S IO N O F TH E J O H NSON COUNTY WA R , A ND IT S SETS A ND CO STUM ES R E C R E AT E D TH E W YO M ING OF TH E 1 8 9 0 S . FROM TOP: Between takes, cast members T Bone Burnett, Ronnie Hawkins, Loyd Catlett, Willem Dafoe, and Jeff Bridges enjoy downtime in a trailer; Susan Bridges contemplates the landscape of Montana, where much of the filming actually took place; producer Joann Carelli finds a moment to stretch out.

JEFF BRIDGES HAS FAVORED A WIDELUX PANORAMIC CAMERA FOR HIS PHOTOGRAPHY SINCE SUSAN GAVE HIM ONE AS A WEDDING GIFT. FROM TOP: He captures brother Beau getting ready for a scene in The Fabulous Baker Boys in 1989; John Turturro as Jesus Quintana hurls the ball down the bowling alley, which played a crucial role in The Big Lebowski in 1998; stunt actor Gilbert

TEXT BY JOAN TAPPER. PHOTOS: THIS PAGE: JEFF BRIDGES. OPPOSITE: SUSAN BRIDGES; ILLUSTRATIONS THROUUGHOUT: JEFF BRIDGES

Combs is steadied on a roof in Fearless in 1993.

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: MAX MONTGOMERY

HISTORICAL LY AUTH ENTIC G A R B FOR A W IDE RANGE O F CHA R A C T E R S — FR O M T OW NSPEOPL E TO RECENT IM M IG R A NT S — HEL PED ESTABL ISH TH E P E R IO D LO O K O F CIM INO ’S M O VIE. FROM TOP: Kris Kristofferson played Federal Marshal James Averill; Jeff’s parents, Dorothy and Lloyd Bridges, came for a visit and were dressed by wardrobe to match the ambience. OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Bridges, as John L. Bridges, rides a horse named Dude; actor Brad Dourif as Mr. Eggleston; Jarlath Conroy portrayed a mercenary in a new suit.

THE EXHIBIT INSIDE HEAVEN’S

GATE: BEHIND THE SCENES WITH SUSAN BRIDGES IS ON VIEW AT THE TAMSEN GALLERY THROUGH DECEMBER 31. 1309 STATE ST., SANTA BARBARA, TAMSENGALLERY.COM.

“The negatives for all the [Heaven’s Gate] pictures from 1979 survived an earthquake, a fire, and a debris flow that destroyed many years’ worth of photographic work.”

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: SUSAN BRIDGES

—Susan Bridges

BE EXHIBITED AT THE TAMSEN GALLERY JANUARY 18–APRIL 30, 2026.

REPRINTS OF HIS BOOKS OF IMAGES —PICTURES, VOLUMES 1 & 2—WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 2026 THROUGH JEFFBRIDGES.COM.

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE: JEFF BRIDGES

JEFF BRIDGES’ PHOTOGRAPHS WILL

N O T J U S T Y O U R O R D I N A RY S EL F I ES .

FROM TOP: The Dude himself shares a moment with Sam Elliott, the Stranger, in The Big Lebowski; U.S. Marshal Rooster Cogburn, in 2010’s True Grit, sported an eye patch and a gruff demeanor.

Master Class

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A look back at John Saladino’s life in design

The great room captures the hallmarks of Saladino’s design aesthetic, a mixture of antique pieces and furniture of his own design. An ottoman covered with a 19th-century Persian silk tablcloth centers the room, on axis with Saladino’s Cromwell Settee Bench under the window. A fragment from Rome’s Baths of Caraculla is suspended high above the fireplace.

WRITTEN BY LORIE DEWHIRST PORTER PHOTOGRAPHS BY FIROOZ ZAHEDI w i n t e r 2 0 2 5 131

In a corner of the great room, In the wood-paneled a folding screen covered inlibrary, one of

Saladino’s abstract paintings (c. 2011) 19th-century Zuber grisaille hovers over his Shelter Sofa and wallpaper provides a dramatic collapsible Table. backdrop for the Terrazzo designer’s ancient marble herm sculpture.

M

ontecito has always been a tantalizing destination for visionaries, creatives, and delightful eccentrics. Chief among them was John Saladino (1939–2025), an internationally renowned designer who adopted the town as home for the last chapter of his life.

Saladino’s innate abilities and sophisticated taste emerged during his childhood in Kansas City, Missouri, where he shocked the leaders of his Cub Scout group by turning in a scrapbook for a merit-badge project that featured clippings from Town & Country magazine. Depicting grand houses in England and Italy, the images were in stark contrast to those of race cars and baseball players collected by his fellow scouts. A few years later Saladino received the imprimatur of iconic painter Thomas Hart Benton—also a Missouri native and a patient of Saladino’s physician father—who, after seeing one of the boy’s drawings, exclaimed, “This child has serious talent. He’s going to be someone.” That moment, Saladino later explained, “was the beginning of my father’s acceptance that I would never be a doctor. I was given emotional support through all my life to be an artist. So I was a very lucky young man.”

Even so, it was talent, not luck, that propelled young Saladino through the University of Notre Dame and later the Yale School of Art and Architecture, where his classmates included nascent starchitects Charles Gwathmey and Robert A.M. Stern and future art-world luminaries Nancy Graves and Chuck Close. While some might have been intimidated, Saladino was in his element: “The 1960s was like a cauldron of talent, and from that great punch bowl came all my classmates. We were like a recipe with piranhas; we were eager to eat each other or the professor, because there was a lot of talent.”

Continuing his education, Saladino spent two years in Rome working for modernist architect Piero Sartogo. Rome was a natural destination for the young designer, as one of Saladino’s vivid childhood memories was hearing his Italianborn father talk about “the only culture in the Western world that had its moment in the sun twice, the Roman Empire and the Renaissance.”

Saladino often credited the Eternal City with kindling his love for the ancient Roman world, a passion that persisted throughout his career. “I thought I would end up living in Rome,” he later admitted, “but my father would not send me the money to buy a gorgeous 14th-century building for the grand sum of $5,000. And he was smart,

Designer John Saladino enjoyed tremendous success and worked with clients the world over. He even designed his own line of furniture that

PORTRAIT: P. J. EHLER

remains in production today.

The dining room’s tray ceiling is embellished with delicate grisaille branches painted by local artist Colette Cosentino.

The circular dining room table, surrounded by Saladino’s Villa Chairs, boasts a collection of antique silver chandlesticks.

Adding a dash of whimsy, sunglasses adorn a 19th-century bust of Sir Francis Drake.

A giant 19th-century plaster acanthus leaf relief (formerly used to instruct students from the Beaux-Arts school at the French Academy) is centered over an Italian carved marriage chest that hosts a curated display of treasured objects, including cricket cages from Japan and antique wood boxes. OPPOSITE: The minimalist guest bedroom is a study in serene geometry with honey-colored wood paneling and an 18th-century Italian officer’s campaign bed made of handforged steel.

PORTRAIT: ALEXANDRE BAILHACHE

because I would never have returned from the United States.”

But Saladino did return, specifically to New York City in 1969, with new eyes and a renewed aesthetic that guaranteed professional success.

Within several years he was presiding over a 40-person office and tending to an enviable roster of prominent clients located all over the world. His work was profiled in national shelter magazines, and he even designed his own furniture. He married Virginia Hendrick—who died in 1987—and they had a son, Graham, who helms the furniture line his father created.

Success enabled Saladino to live the life he dreamed of as a child. “I bought one of the most magnificent Palladian revival mansions of 14 rooms,” he recalled. “It opened up a whole life of opportunity to really live as few people did up until the late 19th century.” The 18-acre estate, located in Connecticut, required three full-time gardeners, a cook, an upstairs maid, a down-

A portrait of the designer with a favorite roman column in a landscape he designed.

OPPOSITE: In the entryway, a wooden Neoclassical urn on a pedestal and an antique rug preside over a collection of treasures including a Roman fragment from a temple frieze and two small folding metal stools that resemble ancient Roman ones.

stairs maid, and a house manager. “So we did live the Gatsby life, but we worked hard to have it,” Saladino once remarked. “And we enjoyed every minute of it.”

By the time Saladino relocated to Montecito in his early 60s, his design reputation had long preceded him. He was greeted with numerous residential commissions throughout California, including local projects like Las Tejas, a majestic 14-acre Montecito estate dating from 1898, which he renovated in the late 1980s. He continued to live on a lavish scale and spent four years transforming an early 1930s-era stone house in Montecito for himself. He dubbed the residence Villa di Lemma, a humorous faux-aristocratic spelling of “dilemma.” The site of many extravagant events, Villa di Lemma was extensively profiled in a coffee-table tome entitled Saladino Villa.

In recent years Saladino resided in a single-story home in Montecito that he slyly referred to as the “Departure Lounge.” Although less grand in scale than the Villa, the residence embodied Saladino’s trademark aesthetic of rigorous respect for classical proportions combined with a keen understanding of modern design principles. As with all Saladino creations, the overall effect conveyed luxury infused with an occasional dash of whimsy, such as a 19th-century plaster bust of Sir Francis Drake adorned with sunglasses on display in the formal dining room.

“John Saladino was immensely talented and had no equal,” says noted photographer Firooz Zahedi, whose images of the designer’s last home are featured in the book Montecito Style, written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter. “How fortunate we were that John let us include his home in our book.”

The repository of a lifetime of collecting, Saladino’s last residence contained only those possessions the designer could not live without, items deemed precious not only for their value but also for their ability to conjure their owner’s memories. Those included several of his own paintings. In the end he was surrounded by an enchanting environment of his own making.

In reflecting on his singular past, Saladino observed that “to seek a life dedicated to architectural beauty, to buildings and houses and interiors and gardens and furniture, is to become an extremely refined editor. It’s like playing three-dimensional chess; it’s for somebody who’s willing to be persistent in finding the path to the light, and light is about illuminating one’s emotional experience, and good buildings and good houses and good interiors do that.” •

Saladino placed an 18thcentury English lead urn at the center of his backyard.

OPPOSITE: The walled portion of the garden features a giant marble sculpture of the Roman god Mercury’s foot.

“To seek a life dedicated to architectural beauty is to become a refined editor.”

—John Saladino

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artist Miranda July comes to Campbell Hall January 20 to unpack her 2024 novel All Fours and her boundary-pushing career.

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OLIVIA JOFFREY

Author, filmmaker, and performance

For decades, Jeff Bridges has used his Widelux panoramic camera to capture moments between shots in the world of moviemaking.

Join us as he shares these highly personal, candid images full of cinematic surprises.

18 JANUARY THRU APRIL 30 2026

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