There is a new community resource opening up in the Funk Zone, adding yet another cool art-related business to the neighborhood. I’m really excited to see the inside of this place. 240 Studio will rent studio space and offer a variety of production support resources for local photographers and videographers, but it can also be used for a variety of art production activities and events. Check out their info below, and make sure to mark your calendar for their launch party on Wednesday the 29th.

240 STUDIO OPENS IN SANTA BARBARA, CA.

New Commercial Production Studio Offers 3200 sq ft. & Resources

Santa Barbara, Ca (June 13^th 2011)- 240 Studio has opened in Santa Barbara offering creative professionals along the Central Coast a new rental facility and A-list production resources for their next commercial shoot or location event.

Founded by veteran media producer Albert DiPadova, 240 offers production support resources on their website www.240Studio.com including: photographers, videographers, copy writers, caterers, location managers, make up artists and stylists.

“Going all the way down to LA every time we needed to shoot our products was always unpredictable and expensive. Now we now have all the resources of an LA production studio right here in SB and we can shoot more often for a fraction of the cost.”  Ellen Sheppard – Creative Director Horny Toad Clothing.

Located in the Historic Vercal Building, 240 Studio is a full service commercial photography studio and a unique space available for events,  seminars, screenings, or receptions.  With twenty-five foot high rustic exposed beam ceilings, open floor plan and over 3,200 square feet, 240 Studio offers a spacious environment to accommodate large crews.

To celebrate the opening of 240 Studio, Santa Barbara’s largest commercial photography studio, there will be a launch party on Wednesday, June 29^th from 5:30 to 8:30.  Photographers, filmmakers, artists, designers, models, stylists, make-up artists, event coordinators, caterers, producers and more are welcome to come meet, greet, and enjoy wine tasting from Municipal Winemakers and The Winehound, beer from Telegraph Brewery, and food from Fire & Ice. Enjoy mingling with other industry people or just sit back and soak up the beauty of our naturally lit studio, whatever you prefer.

“As a multimedia producer I was spoiled by all the studio locations in NY, LA and San Francisco.  So when I moved my family to Santa Barbara I decided to renovate this old lemon packing plant into a working studio as resource for the film and event industries.” Albert DiPadova – President

About 240 Studio

240 Studio is a production studio for the creative professional.  Available for photo shoots, video shoots, and events.  240 offers production resources for producers, photographers, stylists, make-up artists and location managers.

For inquires please contact Rebecca Farmer 805-845-8870

1 N. Calle Cesar Chavez, Suite #240 WWW.240STUDIO.COM

(turn at Quinientos – Located Directly Across from American Storage)

P: 805-845-8870 F: 805-845-5666

I don’t often provide any real commentary or opinion on this blog. I’ve never really seen that as its primary purpose, so I keep my thoughts generally amiable if not overtly positive. However, after reading some recent comments on the fantastic local website edhat.com, I feel compelled to put down some slightly more colorful and controversial words with the hopes of spreading a modicum of dissent.

Location has been "disguised" for protection.

Let me start at the beginning.  A few weeks ago I noticed some knitted pole covers popping up on sign poles around Anapamu Street downtown. My immediate reaction to these spawn of folk and street art was that they were completely wonderful in every way. I love them for their simplicity and clever mix of craft with the tradition of uncommissioned urban art. And while I realized that they were probably not technically legal, they certainly weren’t hurting anyone or damaging anything, which only added to their charm. Still, I thought it best for their longevity to not highlight their existence on this blog.

Well, all that has changed now that they have appeared on edhat. And I’m sad to say that the curmudgeonly opinions expressed therein are generally not favorable.  To be perfectly frank, I find the tone of smug grumpiness in the comments far tackier, more damaging and less attractive than the source of the ire.

Certainly we can’t let people run about, willy-nilly, doing whatever they want all over town. But seriously people… you realize that the energy you are putting into your disapproval only makes these things more interesting, and more credible as works of art. Think about it.

It is, of course, always possible that I am completely wrong, so please let me know what you think about them by leaving a response to this post.

If you see these while you are out and about on the street, please snap a photo and send the picture to nathan@sbartsblog.com so I can document them before their inevitable demise.

It has been too long since I put up a post for a show at Muddy Waters. It is such a great place for emerging and experimental art shows, so it is great to have them back on the radar. The title of this one is not kid-friendly, but then were all adults here, right?

Artists include: Daniel Jockumsen, Brett Hammond, Chris LeBaron, Vanae Rivera, Kelli, Bonnie Beedles, Leo Jurado, Carly Gonce, and Gloria Centurion.

Saturday February 19th from 7 to 9. See you there.

A few months ago I was invited to visit the lovely Elizabeth Stewart on her radio show Art and Antiques. I had briefly been on the radio once before, so I had some idea of what to expect. However, I had no idea that I’d be the focus of the show for the entire hour! It was a fun experience and Elizabeth was incredibly flattering. We talked about the blog, the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative, and my day job at Sullivan Goss. I finally figured out how to post the audio files of the show on the blog. But I apologize in advance for the below average audio quality. I had to reduce the quality to make the files small enough to upload.  Click on the links below to listen to the show.

If you have any thoughts on what we discussed on the show, please speak up by commenting on this post. I’d love to have other voices enter the discussion.

Elizabeth’s show airs on AM 1290 at 8pm on Friday night and again at 11 am on Sunday morning. Check it out.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four

Part Five

This Sunday starting at 7pm, come to Bizerk at 432 State St, Santa Barbara (enter through Indochine bar next door), to experience an exclusive fashion show of movie wardrobe from the film “City of Ember”, by academy award nominee and master clothing designer Ruth Myers (see bio below). The entire wardrobe from this film will be available for sale, as well as 25% off Bizerk store wide. Proceeds to benefit the classic pyrobar, and to support it’s voyage to burning man this year.

The P was originally modified by Santa Barbara welder/artists years gone by, and has surfed the playa many a fine year, until it languished and was recently rescued for renovations. This amazing car has a full service bar, outdoor stools for a dozen or so patrons (who can chill on their stools whether the car is stationary or moving), it shoots fire, blasts music, and has a moveable crane to support aerial performance artists, as well as any other important mayhem.  The pyrobar may even make a special guest appearance… So this is a great cause!

Enter through indochine bar ($10 cover ––all goes to the pyrobar project), 21 and older, and browse through the actual costumes and wardrobe used in this film, while we show the movie in the background, and groove to live local DJ’s B Michael and Jason Roessler. At 8pm, we will host a sexy and rambunctious fashion show, by runway and fashion coordinator Jenessa Nye, featuring selections from the City of Ember collection. Meanwhile, all night Bizerk will be closed to the public, but open for all attendees, and the entire store of costumes and wild accessories will be offered at 25% off. Bizerk will be donating 15% of sales to the pyrobar restoration project.

Feel free to participate in re-creating yourself in a whole new wardrobe, and get a head start prepping for summer festival season and the burn.

Ruth Myers Biography

Two-time Academy Award Nominee Ruth Myers was brought up in Manchester, England. She trained at St. Martin’s School of Art in London, then went to work at the Royal Court Theatre on a student grant, followed by a year working in repertory. Ms. Myers next returned to the Royal Court, contributing to at least 15 productions which included John Osborne’s “Hotel in Amsterdam” and “Time Present”, and David Hare’s “Stag”.

Her first professional assignment was sewing sequins all night on costumes for the great designer Anthony Powell. During this period, Ms. Myers worked as assistant to the legendary Sophie Devine, who as ‘Motley’ had created the costumes for many of the early English classic films including director David Lean’s “Great Expectations”. With her encouragement, Ms. Myers started to design for the theatre and then for low-budget English films beginning in 1967 with “Smashing Time” (now famous for its era-defining Mod look), “A Touch of Class”, Peter Medak’s “The Ruling Class”, and “The Twelve Chairs”.

After being persuaded to come to America by Gene Wilder, she collaborated with him on “The World’s Greatest Lover,” “The Woman in Red” and “Haunted Honeymoon.” She also then designed for Joseph Losey’s “Galileo” and “The Romantic Englishwoman.” It was on this film that she met her late husband, noted Production Designer, Richard MacDonald. As a couple they enjoyed a dynamic collaboration on films that include Sydney Pollack’s “The Firm”; Fred Schepsi’s “Plenty” and ‘The Russia House”; Norman Jewison’s “And Justice For All”; Ken Russell’s “Altered States”; Jack Clayton’s “Something Wicked This Way Comes”; and Barry Sonnenfeld’s “The Addams Family,” for which Ms. Myers received an Academy Award nomination.

Since 1993, she has designed more than 30 films including Curtis Hanson’s “L.A. Confidential”; Douglas McGrath’s “Emma,” (for which she earned her second Academy Award nomination) “Nicholas Nickelby” and “Infamous”; Taylor Hackford’s “Proof of Life,”; Mimi Leder’s “Deep Impact”; John Curran’s “The Painted Veil.” Her most recent films are the forthcoming “City of Ember,” directed by Gil Kenan; and “The Golden Compass,” directed by Chris Weitz.

In 2003 Ms. Myers designed the costumes for the pilot episode of HBO’s “Carnivale,” creating the look for the continuing series and garnering an Emmy.