Legendary rock climber Tommy Caldwell – who made history when he and his climbing partner ascended the Dawn Wall, the unthinkably blank 3,000-foot face of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park – will discuss his unconventional rise to the top in an illustrated public lecture titled “The Push: A Climber’s Search for the Path” at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 16, at UCSB Campbell Hall.

The event is sponsored by UCSB Arts & Lectures.

In his early 20s, Caldwell was held hostage by militants in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, where he nearly killed his captors in order to escape. Soon after, he lost his left index finger in an accident. Later his wife, and main climbing partner, left him.

Emerging from these hardships with renewed determination, he set his sights on free climbing El Capitan’s biggest, steepest, blankest face – the Dawn Wall. This epic assault took more than seven years of planning and preparation, during which time Caldwell found love again, became a father and redefined the sport.

Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson spent 19 days living on the side of El Capitan, igniting global media frenzy and inspiring millions. The climb is also the subject of a new documentary, “The Dawn Wall,” an official selection of both the SXSW Film Festival and IDFA (International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam), the world’s oldest and most prestigious documentary-only festival.

Tickets for $30 will include a copy of Caldwell’s book, while they are available. Other tickets are $20 general admission and $10 for all students.

For tickets and more information, call UCSB Arts & Lectures at 805- 893-3535 or visit www.ArtsAndLectures.UCSB.edu.

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Teams are forming now for men’s and adult coed softball leagues through the Solvang Parks and Recreation Department.

The men’s league will play Monday and Wednesday evenings and the coed league on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. The cost per team is $550.

A noncompetitive coed B League that keeps no standings and plays a shorter season ($300 per team) will play on Friday nights.

Games will begin the week of June 4 at Sunny Fields Park. Registration closes and all balances are due by May 22. Teams must register with Parks and Recreation at 411 Second St. in Solvang. For more information, call 688-7529.

View animals up close at Cachuma Lake

The Neal Taylor Nature Center is hosting a free event from 11 a.m. to noon on Saturday, May 19, for people to learn about wildlife up close from experts.

Those attending the event by Saving Wildlife International will see birds of prey, snakes, a capuchin monkey, tortoise, alligator, opossum and more.

The Junior Rangers Program will take place right after, from 12:30 – 1:30 p.m., for children from 3 years old and up. Children under 10 years old must be accompanied by an adult. Cost of participation is $3.

Call 805-693-0691 for more information.

Documentary film on ‘water grab’ set for May 24

The Santa Ynez Valley Community Action Alliance is showing a free screening of the documentary “Water & Power — A California Heist” on Thursday, May 24, at Standing Sun Winery, 92 Second St. in Buellton.

Doors open at 6 p.m. The film starts at 7 p.m. and will be followed by a Q&A with special guests Conner Everts and Alena Simon. Food and wine will be available for purchase.

This National Geographic documentary film uncovers the story of how a handful of water barons gained control of the state’s most precious resource while drought and a groundwater crisis left local homeowners with dry wells.

From a 1990s backroom rewrite of the State Water Project through a breaking investigation into illicit transfers of groundwater, this film peels back the layers on a complex world most of us know nothing about and would never question unless our taps ran dry, organizers said.

The screening is co-sponsored by Santa Ynez Valley Community Action Alliance and Food & Water Watch.

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Spend the afternoon of Sunday, Nov. 12 with Wildling Museum founder and artist, Patti Jacquemain. Hear about her artistic journey and most recent book, Heads & Tales, which focuses on her mosaic depictions of local animal species. Books will be available for purchase with the opportunity to have them signed by the author.

Also offered will be a screening of the new documentary, The Artist & The Great Bear, by Jeff McLoughlin who directed the film, The Condor’s Shadow. The Artist & The Great Bear is a short film on the mission and art of California artist Patti Jacquemain. To inspire appreciation for the natural world, Jacquemain portrays the California grizzly bear as both a beautiful animal and as a cautionary tale.

Born in Detroit, Michigan, Patti Jacquemain was raised on a ranch in Santa Barbara, California, where she developed a great love of the outdoors. Upon graduation from high school, she attended the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles on a scholarship. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Painting from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 1964 and a Master of Fine Arts degree in Printmaking from the same school in 1974.

“Since I was a child, I have always loved art,” says Jacquemain. “Growing up on an 18 acre lemon ranch in Santa Barbara, I was continually outside in the creek or horseback riding in the backcountry during which I gained a great love for nature.  When I went to College, there was never any question that I would study art.  In graduate school, I concentrated on printmaking (etching), but after I was introduced to woodblock relief printing (woodcuts), I was hooked and have worked in that media ever since.  At the same time, after a trip to Italy, I also fell in love with the beauty and permanency of the ancient art of mosaics.  While I experimented with many different art techniques, I discovered my enthusiasm truly was for woodblock printmaking and mosaics, and that has continued until this day.”

Patti began her career by concentrating on drawing, painting, and etching. She was introduced to the woodcut in 1974 and has worked principally in the relief process ever since. Most of her prints are made from wood and linoleum blocks are often inspired by her watercolors. Jacquemain is the founder and inspiration behind the Wildling Museum of Art & Nature currently located in Solvang, California in the Santa Ynez Valley. She and her husband Dave started the Museum with 12 close friends and colleagues in 1997. In 2012 she was honored by the Board of Directors by awarding her the Wilderness Sprit Award.  She also founded the Creekspirit Wildlife Foundation in 2003 to promote private support for the preservation of wildlife in California and the West.

Tickets are $5 for non-members and free to Wildling Museum members. For tickets and information, visit www.wildlingmuseum.org or call 805.688.1082.

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The world premiere of “Hungry,” a documentary about three driven women chefs and restaurateurs passionately working to create a path to success in the world of professional cooking airs at 9 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 17 on Logo. Among the chefs featured is Chef Pink owner of Bacon and Brine in Solvang.

These chefs shatter the glass ceiling in the food industry as they risk everything to achieve their culinary and entrepreneurial dreams. The film is directed by Patty Ivins who won an Emmy for producing the documentary “Girls on the Wall.” “Hungry” is the latest in the network’s slate of films that include the Emmy Award-winning “Matt Shepard is a Friend of Mine.”

To view a trailer for the film: http://logotv.com/video-clips/ewac9o

“These three culinary rock stars provide a rare glimpse into the fascinating and complicated journey of being a woman, a chef and an entrepreneur,” said Taj Paxton, Executive Producer of Logo Documentary Films. “Through the stories of these chefs, we see every professional woman who excels in the face of adversity.”

“Hungry” looks at the challenges – and the rewards – faced by women restaurateurs through the stories and unique cuisines of:

• Chef Pink Delongpre owns and runs Bacon & Brine in Solvang, CA.  Her 17-year dedication to the craft has earned her chef positions with some of the country’s most renowned chefs and garnered her spots on Spike TV’s “Bar Rescue” & Food Network’s “Cutthroat Kitchen.”  Now Chef Pink steps out on her own to open a farm-to-table restaurant on California’s Central Coast with her wife, Courtney Rae. The film documents the roller coaster ride from conception to the restaurant’s opening.
• Chef Dakota Weiss owns and runs Estrella and Sweetfin Poke in Los Angeles, CA. She will expand her Sweetfin Poke restaurants to five cities in the next two years. At her Los Angeles hot spot, Estrella, the former “Top Chef” contestant is renowned for taking the classic American dish and reinventing it with a French twist creating one of L.A.’s most talked about menus.
• Chef Sarah Kirnon owns and runs Miss Ollie’s in Oakland, CA. She has created a loyal and popular following by avoiding pretense of fine dining while delivering international meals reinterpreted through the lens of fresh California ingredients. Chef Kirnon balks at the food scene’s obsession with ego-driven chefs and is devoted to using her talent with food and the success of her restaurant to build up her employees and the community around her.

“Hungry” includes interviews with some of the biggest names in the culinary business including chefs Susan Feniger, Mary Sue Milliken, Amanda Cohen and Marcus Samuelsson as well as renowned members of the press:  Bon Appetit’s Former Wine/Spirits Editor, Heather John Fogarty, LA Magazine’s Patrick Kuh, and KCRW/Good Food’s Evan Kleiman.

“Hungry” is a Logo Documentary Films production in association with PB&J Television and Bunim/Murray Productions. Executive Producers for Logo are Pamela Post and Taj Paxton, and Executive Producers for PB&J and Bunim/Murray Productions are Gil Goldschein, Patty Ivins and Rob VanAlkemade. The film is directed by Patty Ivins.

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