ON Culture | An Abundance of Art, Plus Justice x 2 — EDM and Supreme Court Style

This edition of ON Culture was originally emailed to subscribers on June 6, 2025. To receive Leslie Dinaberg’s arts newsletter in your inbox on Fridays, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.

ON the Stage

Khruangbin jams at the Santa Barbara Bowl | Photo: Carl Perry

I’m just getting back to work after a much-needed, week-long vacation. Meanwhile, my colleagues have been busy keeping up with the cultural scene.

Here a few music stories you may have missed:

Khruangbin brought its own brand of funky town to the Bowl, and Richelle Boyd told us all about it.
The French EDM duo Justice entranced a sold out crowd at the Bowl, as Joe Woodard shared with “Grooves, Lights, Action, French-Connected.”

Garrick Ohlsson closed out CAMA’s season at the Lobero. See Joe Woodard’s story, “Exit Through the Chopin Door.”

Celebrating the legendary music of David Crosby, Santa Barbara Symphony and friends — including Glen Phillips, Chris and John Beland, James Raymond, Steve Postell, Lois Mahalia, Miriam Dance, Austin Beede, Lin Aubuchon, Randy Tico, David Delhomme, Fausto Cuevas, Shawn Thies, and Tariqh Akoni, among others — put on quite a show at the Granada. Ella Bailey has the scoop.

Before I left, I caught Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers in a great show at the Lobero.

SZA and Kendrick Lamar | Photo: Cassidy Meyers

Our L.A. music correspondent, Kat Sophia, caught Kendrick Lamar and SZA at SoFi Stadium.

Ensemble Theatre Company closes out an exceptionally strong season with a new musical Justice, about the women Supreme Court Justices. Maggie Yates has the scoop on the show, which opens this weekend.

I’m looking forward to seeing Justice this week at the New Vic, as well as comedian Brad Williams at the Granada on June 7 (read my interview here), Jackson Browne and the Crosby Collective at Lobero on June 12 (see preview here), and Ryan Bingham at the Bowl on June 14.

ON the Walls

Our team has also been quite busy covering the visual arts scene of late. Some stories — and art — to check out:

Colorful creations by Lynda Weinman | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

Roger Durling profiled the talented and multi-faceted Lynda Weinman, who has turned her dynamic tech skills toward the creation of visual art in recent years.

Westmont Museum of Art’s annual tri-county juried show is now on view, and Joe Woodard checked it out. Joe also paid a visit to UCSB’s MFA exhibit at the AD&A Museum.

Tom Pazderka has a nice interview with landscape architect and artist Stephanie Hubbard, who is currently mapping her way through Ojai’s Taft Gardens as an artist-in-residence.

Ella Bailey has the scoop on a bamboo-themed exhibit now on view in Lompoc.

Aquatic series logo with artwork courtesy: Denise Carey

Santa Barbara Tennis Club’s annual call for aquatic-themed art is always a fun show. Opening June 13, with an artists reception from 4:30-6 p.m., this year’s 2nd Fridays Art @ SBTC will be juried by the talented Jane Gottlieb, whose colorful works graced our cover back in 2022 (see Roger Durling’s story here). Describing the exhibition entries, curator Susan Tibbles wrote, “While some pieces capture the environmental concerns we face, others invite viewers into a world of joy and playfulness, reminding us that, deep down, we are all water babies — eternally connected to the ebb and flow of this life-giving element. Through Aquatic, we hope to foster a deeper appreciation for water and inspire meaningful conversations about our collective responsibility to protect it for future generations.”

The opening reception for MCA Santa Barbara’s ‘Arte del Pueblo’ | Photo: Ingrid Bostrom

For a terrific look at the here and now of the Santa Barbara art scene, check out Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara’s (MCASB) current show Arte del Pueblo. On view through July 28, there’s something for every kind of art lover here, with works in a diverse range of mediums highlighting the creativity in our community.

Artists include: Carolyn Johnson, Pamela Benham, Merith Cosden, Mary Freericks, Carlos Grasso, Peter Honig, Rod Rolle, Photographer, Faith Keating, Sher Vantiger, Champagne Smoke, Andrew Garcia, Patricia Heller, Ella Elmer, Andrew Roy, Tama Takahashi, Karen Lee, John Khus, Danny Gonzalez, Wherever In The Future, Jane Hollick (Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio), Jeff Working (Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio), James Jasper (Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio), Lauren Bennett, Belle Hahn, Lily Hahn Shining, Erich Small, Barbara Cronin Hershberg, Katya Bloom, Jessica Bortman, and Gudrun Bortman.

Artists also include: Cassandria Blackmore, Amélie Barrero, Max Gleason, Rebecca Zendejas, Marga Pamintuan Perko, Emma Serr, Zoe Van Beurden, MARILYN KANDUS, Jardín, Helen Yanez, Yuliya Greben Art, Susan Lord, Jack N. Mohr, Jude Carrisosa, Thill Creative, Tim Mullins, David Dixon, Zoe Nathan, Judith Geiger, Vita Eruhimovitz, john taylor wagner, Sue Slater, Juana (Jenney) Martinez, Marilee Krause, Pausha Foley, Edelt, Aiden Khuiphum, Colleen M. Kelly, Stefanie Bales, Alfredo Ramirez, Dewey Nicks, Louise Gerber, Robert Wood Wenzel, Beatris Burgoin, Lee Anne Dollison, Leslie Clark, and Isaac Hernández de Lipa.

Artists also include: Suman Albaro, Deja Hsu, JILL SATTLER, Benjamin Provo, Pamela Regan, Wilcox, Giovanna Anghera, Sean G, Yaeli Dukler, Cory Schnitzer, Eric Cloutier, Luis Ángel Pérez, Mary Balda, Josie Delaney, Arianna Anaya De Jesus, Patricia Kellerman, Lucia de Miguel, Ann Hefferman, Erhan US, Malina Graves, Rich Kaplan, Cynthia Stahl, Fix Fonz Fix, Nell Campbell, Vero Sanchez, Ceilidh (kale) Birkhahn, Hugh J Kelly, Amy Beth Katz, Shannon Fanning, Noah Sharp, Brooke Jepsen, Meiya Sidney 陳美亞, Sofia Castillo, Feldsott, Kat Tagorda, Jose Galvan Martinez, Jess Rock, Jeff Mann Studio, Kent Karnofski, Frida Hernandez, Carolina Danu, Olguin Tapia Heredia, Moxie Bright Evan, Omepache, and Kelly Ann Mitchell.

Artists also include: Autumn Nicole, Kiki Van Arsdale, James Van Arsdale, Kimberly Hahn, Marie Fernandez, Art Soto, Juliana Moore, Kathy Leader, Corina Guerra, Dannah Mari Hidalgo, Brett Schoonderwoerd, Miriam MacMillan, Maria Fe Victoria T. Villote, Ernesto P. Niño, Mishell, Jeff Svoboda, Cole Sternberg, Vanessa Wallace Gonazles, Amanda Ross Ho, Penelope Gottleib, David Horvitz, Pecos Pryor, Snuviko, Rian Romero Gladnick, Itatichavi, adriana la artista, Dj Javier, Mary Heebner, Manjari Sharma, and Rafael Perea de la Cabada. It truly is a must see! On view through July 27 at MCASB, upstairs in Paseo Nuevo.

ON the Page

‘The Music Inside Us’ | Credit: Courtesy

One of the greatest cellists of all time, not to mention incredibly charismatic and compassionate both on and off the stage, Yo-Yo Ma now has his own picture book biography. The Music Inside Us, written by Bunnicula author James Howe and illustrated by Jack Wong, is a lovely book exploring Ma’s life and career and life-long quest to understand his place in the world, and the thing that every culture has in common: music.

Santa Barbara Public Library Summer Reading program starts June 6. | Photo: Courtesy

Santa Barbara Public Library’s annual Summer Reading Challenge kicks off this week with the theme of “Treasured Tales.” Beginning today, June 6, community members can sign up in person at the Central, Eastside, or Montecito Libraries, or any Library on the Go stop, and there are prizes for all ages as well as special events. The Adult Summer Reading Kickoff is Friday, June 6 from 5-7 p.m. at Fox Wine Co. (120 Santa Barbara St.). The Children’s Summer Reading Kickoff is Sunday, June 8, from 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at Central Library, Michael Towbes Library Plaza (40 E. Anapamu St.). And the Teen Summer Reading Kickoff is Friday, June 13 from 3-5 p.m. at Lighthouse Skate Shop (907 State St).

ON the Calendar

Kristina Rice, “Stressed Alice,”2024 | Photo: Courtesy

Two terrific organizations — Maker House and Alpha Resource Center — have come together for an imaginative ceramics exhibition called Slingshot Presents, an inspiring exhibition of hand-built ceramics created by six visionary artists from Slingshot / Alpha Art Studio — a progressive Santa Barbara–based art center supporting the professional creative practices of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). On view at Maker House Gallery (1351 Holiday Hill Road, Goleta) through June 16, these works reflect each artist’s unique voice and approach. makerhouse.org, slingshotart.org

For a complete calendar of events this week and beyond, visit independent.com/events/.