Now at the CAW
James Donlon & Luciano Brindisi Present:
Dream Mechanic
A Surreal Theatrical Journey Through Dreams, Comedy, and Mystery
Wednesday October 1, 8:00 PM
$20 General Admission / $10 Students
From the organizer:
Step into a world where dreams collide with nightmares in DREAM MECHANIC, a bold new physical theatre performance by internationally acclaimed artists James Donlon and Luciano Brindisi. A bilingual performance in English and Spanish, DREAM MECHANIC combines 95 years of international stage experience.
Audiences will journey through the surreal and whimsical dreams of an Old Man as he struggles against a haunting nightmare. His only hope: a visit to the Dream Mechanic. With inventive staging, electrifying movement, and absurd comic invention, Donlon and Brindisi unravel the mystery of the “NOW” with eccentric and laugh-out-loud antics.
Tickets: $20 General / $10 Students
Venue: Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, Santa Barbara
Info: www.jamesdonlon.com | www.lucianobrindisi.com
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About James Donlon
For over 55 years, James Donlon has been a master of mime and neo-classic clown, performing original works throughout the USA, Latin America, and Europe. The New York Times calls his artistry “an extraordinary blend of skill and lunacy.” Donlon was a faculty member of UCSB’s Dramatic Arts department for more than two decades, where he was celebrated for his eclectic, high-energy productions. He has coached movement for Academy Award winners including Kathy Bates, Javier Bardem, and Frances McDormand, and trained numerous film and television actors such as UCSB graduate Benjamin Bratt. Donlon has also founded international schools for physical theatre and taught in some of the most prestigious MFA acting programs in the U.S.
Website: www.jamesdonlon.com
About Luciano Brindisi
Argentine actor Luciano Brindisi is an internationally recognized master of mime, clown, and physical comedy. His dynamic performances have toured more than 100 cities across Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Italy, and Spain, and he has appeared in major international mime festivals throughout South America and Europe. Brindisi’s career spans theatre, television, and film, including appearances at the Cannes Festival. A multi-award winner for his work in arts education, he has also created and performed promotional works for international companies. Known for his madcap energy and eccentric comic invention, Brindisi ignites the stage with physical brilliance and irrepressible humor.
Website: www.lucianobrindisi.com
The Brill Family Foundation Presents:
Symbiosis or Schism?
The AI-Human Odyssey
October 2-12, 2025, at the Community Arts Workshop
Opening Reception: Thursday October 2, 5:30-8:30pm
Gallery hours Fri Oct 3 & Wed Oct 8, 10a-5pm, and by appointment
From the organizer:
"Symbiosis or Schism? The AI-Human Odyssey" is an AI Art exhibition showing at the Community Arts Workshop in Santa Barbara from October 2-12, 2025 with an opening reception event on October 2nd from 5:30-8:30pm. This event will be included as a stop on the 1st Thursday Art Walk, and promises to be an exciting evening filled with music, keynote speakers, artist presentations, a grant award ceremony and refreshments, as well as a first peak at the innovative and incredible work of all the artists involved.
This exhibition invites you to witness a conversation between human imagination and artificial intelligence—a dialogue where art becomes the shared language.
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The Brill Family Foundation is currently interested in finding ways to encourage the use of emerging technologies like AI and AR in the Arts to positively impact human consciousness and engender qualities like empathy, trust, connection, and awe.
Erica Huff Studio Presents:
The Shape of Things to Come
Furniture and Fashion Collection Release
Friday, October 10th 4-8pm, Saturday October 11th 10am- 2pm
From the organizer:
"The Shape of Things to Come" is an exhibit highlighting the latest furniture and fashion designs by Erica Huff Studio. The exhibit showcases original furniture designs paired with coordinating fashion accessories and garments. On view at The Community Arts Workshop, with an opening reception on Friday, October 10th 4-8pm and gallery hours on Saturday, October 11th 10am- 2pm.
About the Artist
Multidisciplinary artist Erica Huff crafts sculptural furniture and original fashion into functional works of art for the creative lifestyle. Each collection is thematically designed and includes furniture and fashion curated together in an editorial performance and photoshoot. Her collections feature playful structural puzzle pieces, austere monochrome textural works, and free flowing natural interventions. In each she invites us into the story of the work and compels us to bring our own voice to it.
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The Shape of Things to Come is a participant in the Community Arts Workshop's Opening Doors program, an initiative that provides assistance to emerging artists and first-time event organizers. Thanks to a generous donation from The Moody Family, the CAW is able to offer additional staffing and resources for artists to realize their projects. If you have questions about Opening Doors, please e-mail caldwell@sbcaw.org.
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative and Patrick Melroy of MISC Workshop Present:
Area Meeting
A Place for Creative Exchange
Next Area Meeting October 14, 6-8pm
$10
A Place for Creative Exchange
At its core, Area Meeting is an open forum where the local creative community can gather to explore the meaning behind art and the processes driving it.
The event features a keynote presentation from a career artist who will share images of their work, giving a place-in-time snapshot of their practice. This talk will explore the intricacies, struggles, and breakthroughs of a life devoted to art, setting the tone for an evening designed to spark new ideas, questions, and connections.
Open Discussion
The second half of Area Meeting is an open discussion with selected artists presenting physical work—unfinished pieces, experimental projects, or newly completed works—inviting direct input from attendees. Led by facilitator Patrick Melroy, these candid, respectful critiques grant audiences a unique window into an artist’s thought process before the work has been sealed with a final opinion. It’s a rare opportunity for both artists and viewers to engage in meaningful, two-way dialogue not typically available in traditional gallery or museum settings.
Friendship Center Adult Day Services Presents:
Halloween Disco
Support a Cause Worth Getting Down For!
Friday, October 24, 2025, 6PM-9PM
From the organizer:
Join us for a festive night of groovy music, great food, and ghoulish entertainment in order to support Friendship Center's Adult Day Programs. All proceeds from this spooky groovy event directly support seniors living with dementia and their loved ones in the greater Santa Barbara Community.
Friendship Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization licensed by the State of California that provides daytime activities, personal care, meals, and social connections for older adults living with dementia. Our programs support the well-being of our members while giving families peace of mind knowing their loved ones are in a safe, engaging environment.
The Institute of Absurd Affairs Presents:
HOME
An Art Exhibition by a Bunch of Women
November 8-9th, 11-3 PM
From the organizer:
HOME is serving up: painting, botanical art, fiber art, sculpture, performance art, installation, conceptual art, textile art, photography, mixed media and more.
Powered by a bunch of women artists ranging in age from 9-75.
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The Institute of Absurd Affairs is a local women's collaborative working to create a platform supporting artists and creative adventures. There are many artists hiding in plain sight and we want to give them the stage they deserve. We believe that art is important and it makes the world a better place.
More information: instagram.com/institute_of_absurd_affairs
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative Presents:
Ready to Hang
Artist Submissions now open
Art Intake: Monday, November 17, 8AM - 7PM and Tuesday, November 18, 8AM - 1PM
Private Artists' Party: Friday, November 21, 6- 9PM
Public Sale: Saturday, November 22, 4 - 9PM
Community-Wide Art Show
One of Our Region's Largest Exhibitions of Local Art
Ready to Hang is a community-wide art show that brings together artists of all stripes for an art sale and party, building our creative community. It is one of our region's largest showcases of local art.
We are seeking all types of art - painting, print, fabric, photography, assemblage, clay, wood, and more! Each piece must be exactly 12 x 12 inches, no more, no less and no more than 5 inches deep, and ready to hang.
All styles, all mediums, all experience levels, all ages, all people.
Visit sbcaw.org/hang for more.
Now in its 6th year, Ready to Hang has become a beloved showcase of our community's visual artists. The diversity of work represented boggles the mind, and there are few opportunities like it for so many artists to mix and mingle, form connections, sell their work, and build creative community.
If you are an artist, please participate! If you are an art appreciator, this event is not to be missed. This show brings together emerging and established artists alike. There is something here for experienced collectors as well as first time art buyers. For some art buyers, it is their first purchase, and for some artists, it is their first sale.
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Art Intake: Monday, November 17, 8AM - 7PM and Tuesday, November 18, 8AM - 1PM
Private Artists' Party: Friday, November 21, 6- 9PM
Public Sale: Saturday, November 22, 4 - 9PM
At the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, Santa Barbara
Use the CAW
The CAW collaborates to empower and provide affordable space for art projects of all kinds. Have an idea? Use the CAW.
The Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative works to maintain the CAW as a "blank canvas" for as wide a diversity of arts uses and users as possible, providing space and collaborating with project initiators to make their ideas a success for the benefit of the broader community, and supporting and cultivating collaborations between artists and arts organizations, community groups, the business community, non-profit organizations and the entire community.
Find out more about how you can use the CAW here:
The SBAC facilitates the use of the CAW by artists, nonprofits, and community groups of all types; fostering exploration, conversation, collaboration, and connection to further its mission to sustain and grow all forms of the arts in Santa Barbara. The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed are the users’ own, and do not necessarily represent those of the Santa Barbara Arts Collaborative. The SBAC welcomes all in the work to sustain and grow the unique cultural ecology of our community.