La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts Grand Opening

By Robert Bernstein

La Cumbre Center for Creative Arts (LCCCA) opened in a grand way with a variety of performances. LCCCA has rented out three spaces at La Cumbre Plaza for at least the next year to showcase local artists in an affordable and attractive space.

Here are my videos and photos from the Grand Opening on November 12.

Mike Cregan is a local Santa Barbara businessman who had the idea to help local artists and energize the community in a way that he had seen walking around New York City.

LCCCA currently hosts 24 artists, including painters, sculptors, photographers and 3D printer artists. The current artists include Lyz Rothman, Brian Woolford, Kenji Fukudome, Irene Estrin, Mary Dee Thompson, Judi Weisbart, Karen Haub, Marlyn Daggett, Judy Villa, Felice Willat, Rebecca Mader, Marie Arnold, Sol Hill, Jim McAninch, Jesse Avila, Brian MacDonald, Ruth Bar-Shalom, Ally Bortolazzo, Byron Blanco, Michael Mead, Ann Elliot, Daniel Landman, Carol Talley and Pali Szilvassy.

As expected at any classy reception, there was plenty of food and drink on hand

Local dance teacher Yulia Maluta performed a series of expressive dances

Marlyn Daggett got plenty of attention roving the galleries as a deer woman and painting during Yulia’s performance. Here she posed with her painting along with Yulia and fellow dancer Marie Eaton.

Here was more of Marlyn’s art

High-tech artist Jonathan Smith was on hand projecting crawling ants along the edges of the buildings

His artistic companion Kym posed for a photograph

A major highlight of the opening was this elaborate body painting performance that went on all evening with a very patient model

And what local artistic event would be complete without Pali-X Mano on hand? Here he posed with me and one of his Solstice art creations. It was his design for his 2018 Solstice ensemble with the theme “Heroes”. Since it featured me as a fire fighting artistic unicyclist, I had to have it! I was honored to be able to buy it and take it home on the spot!

And, of course, he had one of his wonderful inflatable art pieces on hand. His Sea Anemone, which has numerous controllable tentacles with an eyeball at the end of each one. With skilled aerial artists performing inside.

Pali and his partner Raven also danced inside to the music of local band “Souriez”.

Holiday shopping season is here. Why not stop by La Cumbre Plaza and choose a local Santa Barbara creation as a unique gift for someone you love. Or just for yourself!