Replanting
A master gardener seeks a new landscape
Aeonium ‘Sunburst’ succulents bloom in the garden at Eric Nagelmann’s longtime residence in Carpinteria.
A master gardener seeks a new landscape
Written by Joan Tapper | Photography by Nell Campbell
“I love variegated plants— they really pop in a garden, especially in the shade”
A year ago, noted landscape designer Eric Nagelmann decided he needed a change. “I didn’t want to become complacent,” says the Santa Barbara native. “It was time to focus on what else was out there.” He packed up his house in Carpinteria, sold the place within two weeks, and relocated permanently to Taos, New Mexico. The move meant leaving behind his incredibly extensive—and eclectic—garden.
But Nagelmann hasn’t disappeared from Santa Barbara completely. He is still very involved with Lotusland, for which he designed the cactus garden that was added in 2003. This year is the 30th anniversary of the Ganna Walska Lotusland Foundation, and he’s working with them to raise $30 million for upkeep and some additions. He plans to remove some eucalyptus “and create a raised boardwalk with seating and incorporate a lot of tropical flowering plants”—heliconia, vireya, and hibiscus, among others.
He’s also working with Lotusland on a sustainability symposium series to be held in a renovated lemon packing warehouse in Santa Paula, on April 15 and September 9 this year, and two more dates in 2024. “I’d been in Mexico looking at a lab that was doing research in organics, and I was exhilarated and inspired,” says Nagelmann, who especially hopes to reach high school and college students.
Given all his work in the area, Nagelmann’s legacy will be visible in the Santa Barbara landscape for years. One recently completed project was the newly constructed, futuristic home of Lynda Weinman and Bruce Heavin. On the horizon are plans for a documentary about Nagelmann, his work, and his philosophy. For now, though, he’s concentrating on enjoying his new home. “In Taos I have an incredible property, 8 acres right on the gorge. I love the summer hiking. And there’s a different palette—different and wonderful.”
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In the Palm of His Hand
Steve Hermann’s Desert Hideaways
Steve Hermann’s Desert Hideaways
Hermann Bungalows
The zero-edge pool at Hermann Bungalows boasts serene mountain views.
A visit to the desert is all about escape—relief from the mundane. Tucked away in a hidden corner of L’Horizon Resort and Spa’s manicured grounds, HERMANN BUNGALOWS offer the kind of decadence that eclipses ordinary life. Proprietor and Montecito resident Steve Hermann has continued his vision for indoor/outdoor living in this new venture. A pathway leads to his hotel’s incredibly private, completely enclosed mini resort. Inside the property, an 85-foot, zero-edge wading pool lined with deep blue tiles lends a tropical aura to the whole area. Situated in the shadow of the San Jacinto Mountains, the enclave has been landscaped with romantic olive trees and equipped with crisp white lounge chairs, along with a private bar available only to guests. The 24 bungalows arranged around the glistening water feature comprise studio suites, junior suites, and a presidential suite that includes a living area, bedroom, and private hot tub on a large enclosed patio. Custom dark wood and magnificent tile round out each bungalow’s luxe desert feel, while Venetian terrazzo floors, gold fixtures, and even TOTO smart toilets add to the sense of opulence in every room. Each bungalow is slightly different from the others, but they all include private outdoor spaces and plush furniture. A select few boast soaking tubs and outdoor showers. An ideal desert oasis, Hermann Bungalows ups the ante for L’Horizon’s guests, doubling down on its already celebrated hospitality. From $1,000/night. 1050 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 760-323-1858, hermannbungalows.com.
“I wanted to design a luxurious, modern hotel that felt like a fine curated home”
L’Horizon Palm Springs
Montecito-based designer Steve Hermann and his wife, Talina (known for her namesake women’s wear line), recently refurbished the midcentury bungalow resort hotel L’Horizon Palm Springs. An adults-only, architectural buff's retreat, the luxury property features 25 private guest suites, a spa, and a lobby boutique Le Shop that exclusively sells Talina’s latest resort wear line among other fashionable items.
Originally designed in 1952, L'Horizon Palm Springs evokes a bygone era
When you're done lounging at the pool cabanas, it's a short walk to SO•PA restaurant, the alfresco dining grotto on the property, where global flavors influence dishes such as poached Hudson Valley foie gras or roasted Spanish octopus with crushed potatoes, parsley pesto, and roasted baby tomatoes. "I am very excited about adding our signature restaurant SO•PA to L’Horizon Resort and Spa," says Steve. "We have created a world-class hotel, and we needed a world-class restaurant to accompany it." Helmed by Michelin-starred chef Giacomo Pettinari, who honed his craft at the legendary elBulli, the dramatic and intimate space is finished with firepits, Lindsey Adelman chandeliers, and a family-style 26-foot live-edge walnut communal table. "I designed the interior courtyard to be intimate and romantic, with a little bit of an edge," says Steve. "The mix of soft lighting from the chandeliers and the firelight provide a special experience that transports you. This in conjunction with Pettinari’s unparalleled cuisine has created a dining experience that is unparalleled." Rates: From $485. 1050 E. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, 760-323-1858. lhorizonpalmsprings.com
Colony Palms Hotel and Bungalows
Views of the 65-foot saltwater pool at The Colony Club.
The desert beckons as autumn in Palm Springs promises warm days and cooler nights. Special events highlight the signature style and sports of the area, including Modernism Week’s Fall Preview (October 14-17) and the BNP Paribas Open (October 4-17). Of course, you can always simply laze at the pool.
Retro-inspired details abound throughout the 3-acre property.
Hotelier, design guru, and Montecito resident Steve Hermann has completely renovated the venerable Colony Palms Hotel and Bungalows into a stylish 57-room getaway with bold patterns and a fresh new look. Built by Purple Gang member Al Wertheimer in the 1930s, the hotel was a longtime favorite of L.A. celebs. Today it’s a luxe adults-only oasis with lush gardens, an inviting spa, and the sleek Colony Club restaurant. Says Hermann, “We looked to old Hollywood as well as the French and Italian Riviera of the 1930s and ’40s for inspiration.”
Photography by So•Pa, Dre Naylor, Jim Bartsch, Oliver Barth/La Food Photography
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Get Away with Nick Fouquet
The sought-after designer crafts hats at Las Ventanas al Paraíso
The sought-after designer crafts hats at Las Ventanas al Paraíso
Written by Elizabeth Varnell
This March, designer Nick Fouquet is adding his own style-driven twist to a revitalizing sojourn at Las Ventanas al Paraíso, a Rosewood Resort along the desert coastline of Los Cabos in the Baja Peninsula’s southernmost region. From March 23 to 26, the Topanga-based hatmaker is hosting a pop-up shop at the resort where Mediterranean-Mexican architecture blends with desert landscapes dotted with succulents and winding infinity pools, crafting bespoke toppers alongside local Wixarika artisan Don Victor Florentino.
Fouquet is creating an exclusive hat style made of toquilla straw, a sustainably harvested, renewable resource created from the Ecuadorean plant’s large palm-like fronds woven into a braided texture. The straw, shaped into lightweight sun blockers, can be customized on site by the designer himself and embellished with Florentino’s intricate Huichol beading.
“We worked on several iterations of beaded hat bands backed with leather,” says Fouquet. “I think it’s important to bring the craftsmanship of the area to the work we’re doing.” The original bead patterns are a nod to Florentino’s heritage and craft, and Fouquet says the colors “evoke the ocean and land” on the property where 83 suites—all with personalized and complimentary butler and concierge services—and serpentine swimming pools meet the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Cortez. Drawing inspiration from the resort’s architecture and plants, including the bright red and pink hues of bougainvillea, Fouquet set about formulating chic Las Ventanas–centric designs.
The hats themselves are resort essentials, ideal for afternoons spent on the sun-drenched balconies of on-property villas with private pools, the terraces of penthouse or spa suites, or a stroll to the spa for a range of holistic therapies and treatments inspired by Baja’s indigenous healers’ rituals incorporating plants, water, crystals, sage smoke, and stones. Similarly, Fouquet’s creations shade guests walking to meals at Las Ventanas’ restaurants and bars stocked with tequila flights and culinary menus designed around the region’s fresh seafood, including Eastern-influenced Arbol, Oaxacan-tinged Alebrije, shellfish-rich Sea Grill, the sushi-fusion offerings at the property’s Tequila and Ceviche Bar, favored vintages at La Cava wine bar, or a host of innovative cocktails and mocktails at the Prohibition-inspired speakeasy bar, La Botica, where singer Rosalía de Cuba is the artist in residence. And the toppers are sure to be a favorite among those who book the resort’s Tequila Sign class and hone a personalized tequila profile by blind tasting the blancos, reposados, anejos, and mezcals on offer. With one’s hat tipped just so, afternoon siestas don’t even require a change of location. +52-624-144-2800, rosewoodhotels.com/en/las-ventanas-los-cabos
Chic & Proper
Impeccable details and eclectic inspiration for your travels
Potted cactus and palms flank the historic Renaissance Revival building in Los Angeles.
Impeccable details and eclectic inspiration for your travels
Kelly Wearstler’s turn as the design partner for PROPER HOTELS has been one of the most fascinating hostelry stories of the past decade. Beginning with a landmark San Francisco property in 2017, the brand grew to include outposts in Santa Monica and Austin in 2019, before rounding out its portfolio with a downtown Los Angeles location in 2021. The disparate venues showcase the range of Wearstler’s work, from the restoration of a historic 1920s building in L.A. to a sculptural new build from Handel Architects in Texas.
For Curlett & Beelman’s California Renaissance Revival landmark, Wearstler has drawn on Spanish, French, and Moroccan influences, along with Mexican modernism, deploying more than 100 types of tile throughout the building, along with vintage rugs and furniture and handmade ceramics and murals. The result is an eclectic gem of a hotel with a residential feel and an outsize spirit. Where else would you find a suite with its own private swimming pool?
In Austin, the contrast between the concrete, glass, and metal exterior of the property and the vivid, textured interior points up the paradoxes that best represent this great state. Travertine tile mined directly from local quarries and a patchwork of vintage rugs and the work of Texan craftspeople mark this hotel as a love letter to the landscape and artistic heart of the surrounding city. properhotels.com
Brian De Lowe’s Austin Food Scene
Besides Austin Proper’s stellar Mediterranean restaurant THE PEACOCK and the alfresco LA PISCINA, the cofounder and president of Proper Hotels gives us his best bets for lunch and dinner in this Texas town.
SAMMIE’S (sammiesitalian
.com) New old-school Italian spot. Chicken parm!
SUERTE (suerteatx.com) Handmade tortillas, suadero tacos, and amazing aguachiles.
LAUNDERETTE (launderetteaustin.com)
East Side American fusion. Great place for dinner.
JUSTINE’S (justines1937.com) East Side French. Make sure to sit outside in the garden for dinner.
CLARK’S (clarksaustin.com) Perfect neighborhood spot that I could eat at three times a week.
JEFFREY’S (jeffreysofaustin.com) Fine dining. Great vibe, especially in the bar. Try the burger.
LORO (loroeats.com) Asian-BBQ fusion (a concept from Aaron Franklin of Franklin BBQ and Tyson Cole of Uchi).
POOL BURGER (poolburger.com) Super-casual tiki vibe.
HOWARD’S (howardsaustin.com) + ROSIE’S (rosiesaustin.com) Newly opened. Fun dance party at Howard’s and wine bar at Rosie’s.
London Calling
Claridge’s and The Lanesborough reign supreme
The historic Roman stone facade of Claridge’s hotel in London.
More than 150 years later, Claridge’s still reigns supreme
Written by Caitlin White | Photography by Justin Desouza, Claridge's, David Cotsworth
Tucked between Hyde Park and Buckingham Palace, Mayfair has long cultivated a reputation as one of London’s poshest neighborhoods—and iconic CLARIDGE’S hotel sits right in the heart of it. Opened in 1856, Claridge’s has been serving up luxury for a century and a half and is particularly known for its traditional afternoon tea, recently named by Vogue as one of the city’s best. Heralded for its signature pastel-striped china, smoked-salmon sandwiches, and scones with clotted cream and jam, Claridge’s Foyer & Reading Room is the place to go if you’re feeling peckish in the afternoon, perhaps after a day spent wandering nearby cobblestone streets.
The property’s new bar, dubbed The Painter’s Room, was designed by Bryan O’Sullivan.
This historic hostelry is also the place to stay if you’re looking for contemporary luxury and a bit of glamour, because the property is ushering in a series of updates that grounds it firmly in the 21st century. Recently opened is the Art Deco-inspired cocktail bar called The Painter’s Room, which serves all manner of elegant libations. Other on-site experiences include L’Epicerie, a chef’s table for private parties and special bookings, and Claridge’s ArtSpace, a subterranean, museum-quality gallery.
As part of the Maybourne Hotel Group, which includes luxe properties on the French Riviera and in Beverly Hills, Claridge’s rooms and suites preserve classic architecture and style without sacrificing modern amenities. Expect grand pianos, chandeliers, hand-painted walls, and antique furniture, along with personal butler service, up-to-date technology, and a sense of effortless chic. Rooms from $895/night. claridges.co.uk
Regency Style, Contemporary Comfort
White-gloved doormen await guests at The Lanesborough hotel in London.
The Lanesborough occupies a sought-after corner of London, but it’s the interiors that are notable, transforming this opulent Regency-style property into a modern palace. The firm of celebrated Parisian photographer and interior designer Alberto Pinto is responsible for the hotel’s two-year renovation, which painstakingly restored the original 1820s architecture with extravagant details like 23¼-carat gold-leaf gilding on the ceilings, custom embroidery, and other artistry, thanks to specialists who matched their crafts to the Regency period.
Throughout its 93 rooms—including several multiroom suites—The Lanesborough is a testament to London’s past brought into the 21st century with a joie de vivre that embraces the future. And let’s not forget the lavish amenities, such as 24-hour personal butler service, a fleet of chauffeured cars, and complementary clothes pressing. The 18,000-square-foot spa and club, installed in 2017, has become a destination unto itself, although a table at the newly launched Lanesborough Grill or afternoon tea in the dining room are equally alluring. Rooms from $1,006. Hyde Park Corner, London, oetkercollection.com/hotels/the-lanesborough
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And…Action!
Boasting major star power for its 38th annual iteration, the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor The Witcher: Blood Origin’s Michelle Yeoh with The Kirk Douglas Award at the black-tie fundraiser on December 9 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara—the award’s first bestowal since Douglas’s passing.
Boasting major star power for its 38th annual iteration, the 2023 Santa Barbara International Film Festival will honor The Witcher: Blood Origin’s Michelle Yeoh with The Kirk Douglas Award at the black-tie fundraiser on December 9 at The Ritz-Carlton Bacara—the award’s first bestowal since Douglas’s passing. Also being honored by the SBIFF are Cate Blanchett (the Outstanding Performer of the Year Award on February 10); Jamie Lee Curtis (the Maltin Modern Master Award on February 11); and Brendan Fraser (the American Riviera Award on February 14), among other talents. The 11-day festival will take place February 8 – 18. To purchase tickets, donate, or learn more, visit sbiff.org.
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Viva la Modernism
Upon entering the lobby of the VICEROY LOS CABOS, the view is so striking that some visitors may question if they’re still in Cabo.
The serene courtyard at Viceroy Los Cabos.
An architectural marvel in Baja California Sur
Written by Caitlin White | Photographs by Christian Horan Photography
Upon entering the lobby of the VICEROY LOS CABOS, the view is so striking that some visitors may question if they’re still in Cabo. They are—that is, not in Cabo San Lucas, land of all-inclusive resorts and year-round spring breakers, but in San José del Cabo, a quieter, refined historic enclave slightly north of San Lucas.
Initially constructed as a boutique hotel in 2016 by celebrated Mexican architect Miguel Angel Aragonés, the former Mar Adentro was later acquired by Viceroy and renovated by Mexican design firm Arquitectura de Interiores. Reopened in 2018, Aragonés’ stunning balance of light and water stayed intact, with shallow pools scattered among the stark modernist towers. To offset the angular buildings, woven nestlike orbs set apart two restaurants, Nido, where ceviche and robatayaki reign supreme, and Nidito, the oceanfront bar that borders two of five pools on the property.
A suite with ocean views and an open-air soaking tub.
Those two restaurants are only the beginning of the culinary experiences available at the hotel: The Cielomar rooftop grill utilizes brick-oven and wood-fired cooking to showcase the exemplary seafood of the region. And the newest dining experience here is Dalia, an outdoor garden where colorful cocktails garnished with fresh flowers and flavorful Mediterranean cuisine are available in equal measure.
The property’s Nidito bar.
To relax after the incredible meals, guests can retreat to their expansive suites, where extravagant amenities like double showerheads and standalone tubs give way to ocean-view balconies. By and large, the Viceroy Los Cabos redefines Mexican luxury on both an architectural and a culinary level. From $550/night. viceroyhotelsandresorts.com/los-cabos
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Reality Bites Back
Ten years ago filmmaker ELIJAH ALLAN-BLITZ produced a video for his positivity-laced song “Hey Yo,” laced with local color shot around the native Santa Barbaran’s Mesa Lane house and with Arnoldi’s Café passing for an all-American diner.
Elijah Allan-Blitz has worked as an actor and musician but is presently living out his dream working behind the camera and in the digital realm.
Written by Josef Woodard
Ten years ago filmmaker ELIJAH ALLAN-BLITZ produced a video for his positivity-laced song “Hey Yo,” laced with local color shot around the native Santa Barbaran’s Mesa Lane house and with Arnoldi’s Café passing for an all-American diner.
The filmmaker collaborated with partner Brie Larson on Remembering.
Cut to this fall, and the now Los Angeles-based Allan-Blitz, strongly established as a pioneer in the field of augmented reality (AR), has created the sweet, bedazzling short Remembering for Disney+. Though only eight minutes long, Remembering—created with the filmmaker’s artistic and romantic partner Brie Larson—feels akin to a trailblazing micro-epic. In this tale of a writer (Larson) discovering the power of childlike wonder and imagination, the unique technical marvel is a passage in which AR technology puts us in the picture, and the fantasyland picture inside our living rooms, via a downloadable app for iPhone and iPad to complete the dimensional illusion. Developed during lockdown, the ambitious project found an ally in Disney, which Allan-Blitz reports “supports creatives and was helping me out, spitballing ideas in terms of new ways to utilize technology, to advance storytelling.”
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Lowe and Behold
Born into the entertainment world, where apples don’t fall far from trees, JOHN OWEN LOWE grew up in Montecito, the son of Rob Lowe, and is pursuing the family business.
John Owen Lowe
Written by Josef Woodard | Photographs by John Owen Lowe; portrait, Max Thompson
Born into the entertainment world, where apples don’t fall far from trees, JOHN OWEN LOWE grew up in Montecito, the son of Rob Lowe, and is pursuing the family business. While a student at Stanford University, the younger Lowe (he’s now 27) multitasked with acting—in The Grinder and Holiday in the Wild—and has expanded his IMDb imprint to include story editor (on 9-1-1: Lone Star) and work both behind and in front of the camera for the upcoming Netflix series Unstable.
There’s also Grace Point, a new film about misadventures on the way to a remote rehab, in which Lowe is both the lead actor—his first such role—and a producer. “It touches on a deeply important aspect of my life: sobriety,” says Lowe of the upcoming film, which has been accepted into the Santa Barbara International Film Festival’s 2023 lineup. “We cowboyed this movie, production-wise. This was a shoestring-budget independent film, so everyone involved was doing it out of passion for the script and story. It ended up creating a unifying motivation for everyone to push themselves and really deliver.”
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Giving Back
She was the belle of every charity ball. She had flame-red hair and a wonderful throaty laugh, an echo of her days as a torch singer.
The colorful philanthropist Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter | Photograph: Courtesy of Santa Barbara Historical Museum
She was the belle of every charity ball. She had flame-red hair and a wonderful throaty laugh, an echo of her days as a torch singer. She was fond of real big jewels and wore them with aplomb. She never left the house without lipstick on. She adored music, men, and Bergdorf Goodman (not necessarily in that order). She had her dining-room walls painted fire-engine red. She was a wonderful cook (coronation chicken and summer pudding were specialties). She encouraged her husband, Paul, to part with a sizeable portion of his fortune to support charitable causes (and after he died, she gave away even more). She was always first in line to support organizations she believed in, and often got her name on the building as a result: The Santa Barbara Museum of Art’s Ridley-Tree Education Center; Westmont College’s Ridley-Tree Museum of Art; the Santa Barbara Zoo’s Ridley-Tree House Restaurant; Cottage Hospital’s Ridley-Tree Pavilion Medical ICU) and Sansum Clinic’s Ridley-Tree Cancer Center, among many, many others. She wasn’t afraid to roll up her sleeves and help out, often in the kitchen at the former Casa Esperanza Homeless Center (now PATH Santa Barbara). She took over and ran Paul’s aircraft-parts business in Chatsworth, commuting there three days a week and refusing to sell the company until a buyer agreed to hire all the employees. She bought a vineyard in her mid-90s and learned everything she could about raising grapes (and selling them). She always wrote thank-you notes. She will be missed by countless people she never met. She believed in making a difference, and she made Santa Barbara a better place for all of us. Thank you, Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree.
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Free Spirit
For German-born supermodel Tatjana Patitz, Santa Barbara was home.
Supermodel and animal rights activist Tatjana Patitz
Written by Kelsey McKinnon | Photographs by Eric Gabriel
For German-born supermodel Tatjana Patitz, Santa Barbara was home. It was far from the fashion capitals of New York and Paris where she rose to fame in the 1990s as one of the original five (that included Cindy, Christy, Stephanie and Naomi), but the quiet town nestled between the mountains and the sea was where Patitz felt most at peace. In recent years, Patitz was more selective with modeling jobs, focusing on environmental advocacy, riding her Andalusian ponies in the mountains, and, above all, being a devoted mother to her son, Jonah.
When the news broke that Patitz had passed away at age 56 on January 11, 2023, from breast cancer, it was a devastating reminder to appreciate the beauty that surrounds us, to be kind to each other and the planet.
Years ago during the pandemic, she posted a poignant message, “Love your fucking life. Take pictures of everything. Tell people you love them. Talk to random strangers. Do things that you’re scared to do…Take your life and make it the best story in the world.” Rest in peace.
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Just a Song Before I Go
While the world mourns the passing of pioneering folk-rocker David Crosby, who died on January 18 at age 81, Santa Barbara has a special stake in the Crosby story.
Rock legend and iconoclast David Crosby
Written by Josef Woodard | Photography by Mark Webb, and Art Streiber
While the world mourns the passing of pioneering folk-rocker David Crosby, who died on January 18 at age 81, Santa Barbara has a special stake in the Crosby story. Crosby, best known for work with the Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash, mostly grew up in Santa Barbara, went to schools here, and after his adventurous (and mis-adventurous) life, returned to the 805 to live in Santa Ynez with his wife, Jan, and son, Django, since the early ’90s. Back on his home turf, the Rock & Roll Hall of Famer could regularly be found eating at La Super Rica and playing local stages, in the spotlight or guest cameos.
Outspoken and influential to generations of musicians, Crosby had an especially busy final decade, capping off a solo career launched with 1971’s album I Could Only Remember My Name and ending 50 years later, with 2021’s For Free.
In a 2016 interview, Crosby spoke of his late-breaking, late-life creative burst, commenting “I can’t explain it, but I am deeply grateful for it. I’m trying to pay attention and work at it, do the best work I can possibly do. I can’t explain why I can sing, even after everything I’ve been through. But if the muse comes, you should be grateful and work at it.”
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Frame of Mind
In the art world, being rejected is not always a bad thing: The artists denied entry into the Paris Salon in 1863 had their revenge when Impressionism became more popular than academic art.
Colin Fraser Gray in his Ventura studio
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter | Photography by Sara Prince
In the art world, being rejected is not always a bad thing: The artists denied entry into the Paris Salon in 1863 had their revenge when Impressionism became more popular than academic art. Some years ago, when artist COLIN FRASER GRAY was not chosen for a local exhibition, he embarked on a series of fascinating artworks known as Museum for One, based on the concept of a personal museum and ways to exhibit artwork in “nonregular” buildings. The work highlights Gray’s interest in museum architecture, which nowadays pointedly competes with the art inside. The series displays works by other artists and features large prints of computer-enhanced pen-and-ink drawings, as well as three-dimensional sculptures featuring a built-in wineglass holder and a bottle of wine. (“For the opening,” the artist says mischievously.)
Originally from England, Gray emigrated to California 40 years ago to attend UCSB and never left, opting to teach art at the university’s College of Creative Studies, Santa Barbara City College, and elsewhere. His work, including several public art projects, is often whimsical, insightful, and political. It is always perfectly executed. Gray is also the gallery director at Vita Art Center, a nonprofit community art center in Ventura. colingraystudio.com
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Off the Hook
Even as a busy mother of four, KELLEN MEYER always finds time to knit, as generations of women in her family have done.
Artist Kellen Meyer works on one of her large-scale fiber sculptures, ’Twas a Misty Meisty Morning, in her Carpinteria studio.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter | Photography by Sara Prince
Even as a busy mother of four, KELLEN MEYER always finds time to knit, as generations of women in her family have done. But in the past few years she’s taken her talent with yarn to another level, into the heroic realm of installation art. Her enormous knitted and knotted wool piece, In Search of Wonder, resembles undulating ocean foam or a frothy stream. Not surprisingly, this stunning work was chosen—out of 10,000 entrants—by an international jury for the Arte Laguna Prize, a design competition in Venice, Italy, where it will be displayed in the city’s historic Arsenale in March and April 2023.
Meyer, an Arizona native who moved to Santa Barbara with her family nine years ago, is strongly influenced by the outdoors. So it makes sense that her Carpinteria studio sits just steps from a bird sanctuary, with the ocean not far beyond. Her one-of-a-kind pieces are made of natural materials—often a mix of wool, cotton, wood, paper, willow, or reed—and employ a combination of weaving techniques Meyer has mastered over the years. kellenmeyer.com
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Beaucoup Blue
Ojai is pretty much ground zero for boho chic, so it’s no surprise that Christiane Celle, the French-born former fashion stylist-turned-retail-maven—she founded and sold the Calypso store chain—would find a toehold in town.
Blue Ojai, an eclectic boutique packed with coveted items from around the world.
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Ojai is pretty much ground zero for boho chic, so it’s no surprise that Christiane Celle, the French-born former fashion stylist-turned-retail-maven—she founded and sold the Calypso store chain—would find a toehold in town. Called BLUE OJAI, it’s part of Celle’s Clic-store empire, which started in St. Barth’s and spread to New York and California. (There’s a Clic in both the Montecito and Marin Country Marts). Originally conceived as a bookstore—Celle’s passion is photography, and she’s married to a photographer—Blue Ojai and the other Clic venues have evolved into concept spaces featuring carefully curated collections of books, art, home goods, and fashion. Blue Ojai is an airy, open shop tucked into a serene white-brick building on the town’s main drag and is packed with coveted items culled from around the world. Look for flowy dresses, menswear, and cool gifts you can’t find anywhere else. 209 W. Ojai Ave., Ojai, 805-633-9086, clic.com.
Must Have
Italian Invasion
A trio of restaurants in the State Street corridor is offering a more authentic take on Italian food.
Burrata Pugliese—with butternut squash and sage pureé, walnut pesto, pumpkin seeds, and herbs—at Aperitivo.
A trio of restaurants in the State Street corridor is offering a more authentic take on Italian food
Written by Erik Torkells | Photography by Sara Prince
“I don’t try to get big names or high scores,” says Andrea Girardello of Aperitivo’s wine list. “It’s whatever I would drink.”
Our journey begins in the north—of Italy, that is—at APERITIVO, where chef Brian Dodero and Milan-bred Andrea Girardello have recreated their version of the aperitivo. It’s “a place catering to locals, especially in Milan, where people can just have a glass of wine and go home, if they like,” explains Girardello. Enthusiasm for Dodero’s inventive cooking, however, has shifted the emphasis from wine bar to restaurant. He imports as much as possible from Italy—including the standout burrata, marinated artichokes, and gelato. Drinks remain an important part of the equation, with an ever-changing lineup of spritzes made with vermouths rarely seen in these parts, and an all-Italian wine list. “I don’t try to get big names or high scores,” says Girardello. “It’s whatever I would drink.” And the take-home pasta-and-wine club, started during the pandemic, is still going strong; every week, a different region—including lesser-known ones like Alto Adige and Le Marche—gets a turn in the spotlight. 7 W. Haley St., Santa Barbara, 805-869-2937, aperitivosb.com.
Founded in Naples in 1870, L’ANTICA PIZZERIA DA MICHELE has begun an aggressive stateside expansion, with an outpost in Los Angeles, two in the works in New York City and Long Beach, and a brand-new one in the former Embermill space on State Street. Unlike the Naples original, which features just two pizzas (margherita and marinara), these are full restaurants, with fresh pastas, entrées, and more. The star is still wood-fired pizza, of course, and the goal is to make it exactly as it is done across the Atlantic. “We import everything from Italy—flour, cheese, everything,” says head chef Michele Rubini. “Even our main pizzaiolo is from Naples!” As at Aperitivo, the wine list is entirely Italian. 1031 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-770-8055, damicheleusa.com.
In the shadow of The Granada Theatre, Alberto and Elaine Morello of the Olio family of restaurants, are running the show at BEDDA MIA for an anonymous Roman owner. “Alberto was born and raised in Sicily,” says Elaine. “We got married there in 1993, and we try to go back every year. This was his chance to do a completely Sicilian menu.” That means lots of seafood and classic Sicilian ingredients, such as sliced smoked tuna with fennel, orange, and Castelvetrano olives; tagliolini with cuttlefish and squid ink; and an off-menu dish of pasta tossed inside a giant Pecorino rind. When at Bedda Mia, do as the Sicilians do and finish with a passito from Trapani or a malvasia from Messina. Saluti! 1218 State St., Santa Barbara, 805-770-8777, beddamiasantabarbara.com.
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We Want the Funk
Our epicenter of counterculture turns 50
Our epicenter of counterculture turns 50
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter | Photography by Sara Prince
Long before it was dubbed The Funk Zone, Santa Barbara’s industrial area, with its mix of marine and manufacturing outposts, grain mills, tilt-up buildings, and Quonset huts, could easily be described as such. Starting in the 1970s, intrepid gallerist Ruth S. Shaffner saw the area’s creative potential and fearlessly established her eponymous contemporary art gallery there. (She also gifted more than 100 artworks to UCSB’s Art, Design & Architecture Museum.) By the time the Funk Zone name stuck—reportedly in the mid-1990s—the area was already filled with artists known for their knack of repurposing industrial buildings into living spaces and studios.
“The grit collides with the glamour down here.”
Three decades on, there’s an Urban Wine Trail (20-plus tasting rooms), art galleries, vintage boutiques, restaurants, and more (including numerous artist studios). The Funk Zone is also a thriving local community of individuals who support creative ventures and spirits (of all kinds). And while skyrocketing land values threaten the continued survival of the area as an artists’ enclave, local groups like Keep the Funk are committed to preserving its inherent funkyness. Without a doubt, The Funk Zone is a truly unique and vital part of Santa Barbara.
“The Funk Zone feels like home with its south-facing light.”
Joan of Art
Celebrating the work of visionary artist Joan Tanner
Tanner in her studio, contemplating Mire, a site-specific installation she created for her Out of Joint solo exhibition at the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.
Celebrating the work of visionary artist Joan Tanner
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter | Photography by Sara Prince
Good art makes us look; great art makes us see. Joan Tanner’s art does both, depending on the viewer’s level of receptivity. Even the mildly curious will be rewarded by looking, as will those opting for a deep intellectual dive. At 87, Tanner is a seasoned pro, having produced and exhibited artwork for more than five decades. Fittingly, the Santa Barbara Museum of Art—which mounted Tanner’s first solo show in 1967—is celebrating the artist with a solo exhibition, OUT OF JOINT (on view February 12 – May 14), co-curated by SBMA’s contemporary art curator, James Glisson, and independent curator Julien Robson, director of the Great Meadows Foundation in Kentucky.
Robson has known Tanner for over 20 years, having curated a significant solo show of her work at Kentucky’s Speed Art Museum in 2001. Glisson joined SBMA in 2020, and he visited Tanner’s studio later that year after viewing examples of her earlier work in the museum’s permanent collection. “Because of the sheer elegance of her recent work, I felt it was important to share,” Glisson says, “and I discovered Joan hasn’t had a museum show in Santa Barbara for many years.”
Video courtesy Zach Mendez and Santa Barbara Museum of Art
Tanner, originally from Indiana, received her BA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1957. Painting was her first focus; even so, her paintings often hinted at three dimensions, and in the 1980s she shifted to sculpture (enhanced by a strong drawing practice that has never waned). Aesthetically some have linked her work to that of assemblage artist Kurt Schwitters (whom Tanner admires for his “nonchalant use of materials”), but it was the work of Mario Merz, of the politically charged Arte Povera movement, that caught her attention early on. Tanner is especially attracted to the by-products of commercial activity, the discarded remains of completed work. These remainders are reminders—of waste, pollution, and our planet’s imperiled condition. Yet her work does not lack humor or hope.
As part of the Out of Joint show, Tanner has conceived two site-specific installations. The most imposing piece, Mire, comprising brightly painted plastic mesh, a network of metal rods, and shellacked vinyl tubing, fills and spills from the entryway of the museum’s McCormick Gallery, dramatically altering the surroundings and recontextualizing the space where Tanner’s art is displayed. (Negotiating the physical boundaries of the artist’s exuberant installations is integral to the experience.) Mire can also be viewed as a nod to SBMA’s recent renovation and the construction that took place in the gallery itself. Out of Joint: Joan Tanner is not to be missed sbma.net.
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Ear Candy
Joyce DiDonato takes the stage at the Granada Theatre
Joyce DiDonato takes the stage at the Granada Theatre
Written by Lorie Dewhirst Porter
Opera lovers worldwide adore and admire the expansive, expressive voice and bravura acting skills of award-winning mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato, who will grace the Granada Theatre stage on January 24 with EDEN, a production that fuses music, movement, and theater. (There’s also a CD on Erato.) With accompaniment by early music ensemble Il Pomo d’Oro, EDEN encompasses four centuries of music, including a new commission from Rachel Portman, the first female composer to win an Academy Award (for Emma in 1996). Online music scribe Joseph So calls EDEN “a meticulously curated classical program with a serious message.” That message is hope; and it underlies DiDonato’s stated mission, which is to “bring the transformative healing power of music to as many people as I can—whether on stage, in prisons, refugee camps, or the classroom.” artsandlectures.ucsb.edu.