Upcoming Events
"In Your Dreams" Exhibition
Black and white illustrations from the mind of Storie Grubb.
Illuminations and the Central Coast Artists Collective Juried Exhibit
Art Center Morro Bay proudly presents the MBAA Illuminations exhibit joined with the Central Coast Artists Collective of Photography and Fine Craft juried exhibit.
Artist's Talk: Trish Andersen
Join SLOMA and their Chief Curator Emma Saperstein for a conversation with Little by Little artist Trish Andersen. Andersen’s exhibition in SLOMA’s Gray Wing will open to the public on Saturday, June 28.
A wine reception will start at 5 PM, followed by the artist's talk from 5:30–6:30 PM. Free and open to the public, but RSVP is required via SLOMA's Eventbrite: Click here to reserve your seat!
Community Collaboration Festival
From 4 to 10pm on Saturday, June 28th, The Bunker, Shindig Cider, Shrine Brewing, and Ancient Owl Beer Garden are joining forces to bring you a space to create!! Walk between venues and listen to electronic music from SLOs underground producers, experience solutionary art and activism from local nonprofits, and have all the space you need to connect and collaborate! So come meet with the minds of the SLO community---- Let's make the change we all crave! Everyone is welcome!
By The Sea & Pressing Forward Artist Reception
Join Art Center Morro Bay for the Opening Reception of two new exhibitions!
Art After Dark
Art After Dark is the FREE event where art, culture, and community come to life!
Colors of Conservation: Original Paintings of Preserved County Lands
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County and SLOPE (San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment) announce “Colors of Conservation 2025,” an annual exhibit of original landscape paintings of our precious open spaces, historic ranch lands, waterways, and coastal areas.
Colors of Conservation: Original Paintings of Preserved County Lands
The Land Conservancy of San Luis Obispo County and SLOPE (San Luis Outdoor Painters for the Environment) announce “Colors of Conservation 2025,” an annual exhibit of original landscape paintings of our precious open spaces, historic ranch lands, waterways, and coastal areas.
Impossible Forest Opening Reception
Antoine Wagner’s “Impossible Forest” opens at Cruise Control Contemporary Gallery in Cambria on June 14th. Antoine Wagner is a French-American contemporary artist and film director who works in the fields of sculpture, film, photography, drawing, painting, performance, sound, opera and installation. His work explores the connectivity between nature, geography, mythology and the sublime as well as the themes of identity, resurrection and redemption.
A-Town Art Hop
Atascadero’s Downtown Art Hop on June 13 & 14 promises to be a vibrant celebration of local talent and community spirit. With local businesses hosting regional artists, it’s a great chance to explore unique art exhibits, enjoy live music, and experience the creative energy of the area. The event is a perfect opportunity to dive into the town’s cultural scene and support both artists and local businesses. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for a lively evening out, the Art Hop offers a wonderful blend of creativity and commerce.
Big Community Open Mic: Pride Edition
Open to the queer community and allies! Plan on reading for about three to five minutes. The event host, SLO County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols, will create a running order, and all the poets will be intro’d by the MC.
A-Town Art Hop
Atascadero’s Downtown Art Hop on June 13 & 14 promises to be a vibrant celebration of local talent and community spirit. With local businesses hosting regional artists, it’s a great chance to explore unique art exhibits, enjoy live music, and experience the creative energy of the area. The event is a perfect opportunity to dive into the town’s cultural scene and support both artists and local businesses. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for a lively evening out, the Art Hop offers a wonderful blend of creativity and commerce.
Pride Month Poetry Workshop
Led by SLO County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols, this workshop is themed “The Natural Self: Writing our Queer Natures.” What is the relationship between ‘queer’ and ‘nature’? Between ‘human’ and ‘nature’? Where do things start and stop, and how do we conceive of our queer selves in the grand scheme of things? Are we part of nature or apart from it? Is nature queer? In this generative poetry workshop we’ll close read poems and respond to writing prompts to investigate these questions and more.
Petals in the Park: An Art-Making Luncheon
“Petals in the Park” invites community members ages 8 and up to engage with Studios on the Park’s artists as they lead hands-on art workshops in printmaking, pastels, and acrylics.
In Discussion: Deanna Barahona
Join SLOMA for a compelling conversation between curator and educator Bill Kelley and artist Deanna Barahona. Together, they will explore themes of community, memory, and the socially engaged art practice in Barahona’s recent work seen in her upcoming Nybak Gallery exhibition, Stars Love Being Alone.
Free and open to the public, but RSVP is required via SLOMA's Eventbrite: Click here to reserve your seat!
Art After Dark
Art After Dark is the FREE event where art, culture, and community come to life!
Poetry Reading
Join us at Studios on the Park for a special poetry reading featuring SLO County Poet Laureate Dr. Caleb Nichols, along with poets Kevin Clark, Dian Sousa, and Jacqueline Berger.
FREE to attend! Come celebrate the art of poetry in the heart of downtown Paso. All are welcome!
Georgia O’Keeffe: the Brightness of Light
This new documentary film about the life and art of an American icon will be screening at The Palm Theatre on Monday, June 2nd! This feature documentary film stars Claire Danes as the Voice of Georgia O’Keeffe with narration by Hugh Dancy.
Visit thepalmtheatre.com for ticket information. Learn more about the film at GeorgiaOKeeffeFilm.com.
Art Talk Series: Rick and Lesley Chapman
The husband and wife team will share a collection of photos from their decades of work together, offering insights into how capturing a still image can be shaped by movement—and how movement itself can be reimagined through the photographic eye. This presentation will delve into the ongoing dialogue between the dancer, the photographer and the environment, where each influences and responds to the other in a bold and fluid exchange.
Opening Reception: Illuminations and CCAC Photographers & Craftmakers
Celebrate the opening of two new exhibits at Art Center Morro Bay - Illuminations and the Central Coast Artists Collective of Photography and Fine Craft.
Sizzling Spring Senior BBQ
SLO Parks and Recreation invites Senior Center members for a free Santa Maria style tri-tip lunch. Enjoy food, lawn games, and good company with live music provided by local musicians, Mollie and Nathan!
Sign-ups required! Lunch is limited to the first 50 people. Sign up at the Senior Center or with Kacy at klesage@slocity.org and at (805)781-7303.
Community Reception: SLO County Arts and Culture Economic Impact Report
Join SLO County Arts on May 7th at the Octagon Barn for a Community Reception and Presentation on the newly released Arts & Culture Economic Impact Report, featuring insights from PolicyCraft Institute, LLC and a panel of leaders from San Luis Obispo County’s arts, culture, and economic sectors. This event will highlight the significant contributions of the arts to our local economy, exploring key findings, trends, and opportunities for strengthening San Luis Obispo’s creative industries. Engage with policymakers, business leaders, artists, and cultural advocates in a conversation about the future of our creative economy.
SLO Rep Presents "I Hate Hamlet"
The San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre is thrilled to present I Hate Hamlet, Paul Rudnick’s witty and ghost-filled comedy, opening Friday, May 2 and running through Sunday, May 18. This fast-paced, laugh-out-loud play brings together Shakespeare, stage fright, swordfighting—and the ghost of a legendary actor.
The Office of Collecting and Design: A Traveling Interactive Museum
The Bunker SLO is honored to host The Office of Collecting and Design, an interactive museum of “lost” and “forgotten” objects. The museum is often described as a “nostalgia machine,” transporting visitors into a world of delight, curiosity, and half-buried memories. The previous brick and mortar space has been transformed into a 42’ traveling museum, where visitors can open every drawer, explore every box, and engage in hands-on experiences like the Flatlay Session or Scavenger Hunt.
‘The Art of Musical Ornamentation’ Lecture-Demonstration
Mark Kroll will present a lecture-demonstration titled “The Art of Musical Ornamentation.” Kroll, a harpsichordist and Boston University professor emeritus, will explain how and why ornamentation has been utilized by a wide range of composers and theorists. He will also play examples and invite audience members to submit melodies that they would like for him to ornament.
SLO Book Bike Pop-Up
Visit the SLO Book Bike, a pop-up book shop run by SLO County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols, and pick up a copy of The Tribune for a special SLO County poetry feature with local poets!
"Out of Bounds!" Awards Ceremony and Reception
Awards ceremony and reception for the Pastel Society of the west Coast’s “Out of Bounds!” exhibition with renowned British pastelist, Tony Allain.
Vieux Farka Touré
Often referred to as “The Hendrix of the Sahara”, Vieux Farka Touré is a singer, composer, and guitarist from Niafunké, Mali. His live performances are highly energized and Vieux is known for dazzling crowds with his speed and dexterity on the guitar, referencing elements of rock, Latin music, and other African influences to captivate all audiences in spite of any language barriers (though Vieux does speak 8 languages).
Civic Ballet of SLO Presents: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
In an enchanting, innovative ballet adaptation of L. Frank Baum’s masterpiece, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Civic Ballet San Luis Obispo will share the stage with an energetic 11-piece jazz orchestra.
Perfect for the entire family, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz is sure to be a captivating presentation of “America’s greatest and best loved, home-grown fairytale.” (Library of Congress), featuring an all-new score based on some of the most influential music in the classic American songbook.
SLAM Screening at the SLO Film Center
In celebration of National Poetry Month, SLO County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols is hosting a special screening of the 1998 film, Slam. Books from the SLO Book Bike will be available to purchase at this screening!
Written in the Waters: A Conversation with National Geographic Explorer in Residence Tara Roberts
Inspired by the stories of those who lost their lives during the Middle Passage, Tara Roberts decides to plumb her own family history. With the honesty of Elizabeth Gilbert, the rawness of Cheryl Strayed, the courage of Tara Westover, and the poetry of Jesmyn Ward, Roberts interweaves the voices of the past with her own present to confront the realities of the slave trade—and tell a deeper story of Black identity.
Revolutionary Letters In-Person Workshop
This in-person workshop with Tasia Trevino and Caleb Nichols will explore the revolutionary poetics of Diane di Prima and others, and encourage attendees to use the genre of letter-writing as a poetic point of departure.
The Arts Around Us: Sensorio's Bruce Munro & Nainita Desai
Join Studios on the Park for an inspiring conversation with artist Bruce Munro of Sensorio and award-winning composer Nainita Desai as they discuss their new exhibit at Sensorio, FOSO (Fiber Optic Symphonic Orchestra).
Revolutionary Letters Virtual Workshop
What shape does revolution take on the page? What do poems have to do with revolution, with revolt, with rising up? Can writing poetry move us into, through, and with other forms of political action? And what does the letter form have to do with that?
Conrad Tao & Caleb Teicher: Counterpoint
Counterpoint is a collaboration between pianist and composer Conrad Tao and choreographer and dancer Caleb Teicher. The duo explore the dichotomy of their different perspectives and artistic practices, expanding their individual expressive capacity through a collective experience. Harmonic, rhythmic, and theatrical counterpoint between the artists seeks to map out constellations linking their disparate traditions, driving the imagination and opening the heart. Experience two artistic disciplines seamlessly come together to create a vision one has to see to believe.
HOWL Screening at the SLO Film Center
In celebration of National Poetry Month, SLO County Poet Laureate Caleb Nichols is hosting a special screening of the 2010 film, Howl. Books from the SLO Book Bike will be available to purchase at this screening!
Sophie Shao Cello Recital
Sophie Shao presents a cello recital with guest pianist Qing Jiang for her first performance as the 2025 Artist-in-Residence with Festival Mozaic. This unique program celebrates the influence of composers on one another, with many of these composers having worked with the others as students. Join us as we inaugurate Ms. Shao's appointment to this special artistic role at Festival Mozaic.