The sixth annual Pups & Purrs event returns to Fess Parker Winery in Los Olivos from 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday, June 1, to raise money and support for Santa Barbara County animals in need.

 The event, which organizers call the “pawty of the year,” will feature food from High on the Hog Catering, wine from Fess Parker Winery, beer by Third Window Brewing and live music by The Reserve and Chelsea Chaput.

Silent and live auctions will feature local art, jewelry and other individual items and packages including vacation getaways, exclusive wine collections and spa treatments.

VIP guests will get early admission, priority seating at dinner and the auction, and other benefits. VIP tickets are $150 through May 31 and $250 at the door. General admission tickets are $60 through May 31 and $70 at the door.

The event provides critical funds to support Old Yeller Ranch Rescue’s mission to end canine homelessness by providing education and a safety net of services to the community.

For tickets or more information, go to oyrr.org/pupsnpurrs. To contact someone directly about the event, email oldyellerranchrescue@gmail.com or call 805-500-6977.

Sara O’Shaughnessy

SY resident to lead Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse

Sara O’Shaughnessy of Santa Ynez has been elected president of the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse board of directors. She succeeds Richard Kline, who has been elected chairman of the board. 

“It has been an honor to serve on the Sheriff’s Benevolent Posse the past five years,” O’Shaughnessy said. “I’m thrilled to be elected as president and to be able to continue to help raise funds for the needs of the Sheriff’s Office.”

The local businesswoman grew up in the Santa Ynez Valley and graduated from UCSB with honors. She spent 20 years in the publishing and advertising business in Southern California, running West Coast advertising sales for various national magazines, most recently Field & Stream.

After 13 years living in Newport Beach, she, her husband and daughter returned to live in the Santa Ynez Valley 11 years ago.

Board members of the nonprofit Sheriff’s Posse donate their time and efforts to help the Sheriff’s Office fill needs not funded by the county budget.

For more information, visit www.sheriffsposse.org.

Solvang Antiques announces art gallery series

Mary Kay West with her painting “Gladiolas with Hummingbirds.”

Starting May 15, Solvang Antiques Fine Art Gallery will host a series of gallery openings on Solvang 3rd Wednesdays, each featuring one of the gallery’s contemporary artists or a local artist for four weeks.

Painter Mary Kay West will kick off the series on May 15 with a champagne reception from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.

West is a native of Asheville, N.C., and is the daughter of watercolorist Elizabeth Phillips.

Her diverse interests have led her to express her artistic abilities in a variety of settings, including set design for theater, mural painting, costume design and clothing design as well as jewelry and accessory design. Painting, however, has been her continuing passion. She lives and paints in Los Alamos.

Solvang 3rd Wednesdays are held the third Wednesday of every month, with dozens of merchants, restaurants, wine tasting rooms and professional offices offering discounts, events and sales.

Upcoming Solvang 3rd Wednesday openings include Joe Mancuso on June 19 and Dirk Foslien on July 17. Log onto www.solvangantiques.com/gallery-events/ for more information.

Brett Adams, Will Losson and Joshua McCollum, from left, perform at the Young Artist Showcase.

Solvang students perform at LA guitar festival

Song In My Heart Studio’s guitar trio of Brett Adams, Joshua McCollum and Will Losson performed March 30 before a large audience at Loyola Marymount University’s annual Young Artist Showcase guitar festival, which is attended by students from as far away as Las Vegas.

The local students also attended concerts and received coaching from the renowned guitarist Dr. Connie Sheu.

“I am gratified to see our students identifying with high-achieving artists and performing with beauty and grace in world-class settings,” said Vahid Imani, director of guitar studies at Song In My Heart Studio in Solvang.

The studio in Frederik’s Court offers private instruction in guitar and piano with multiple ensembles and musical groups. For more information, visit www.simheart.com.

Wildling to host botanical illustration workshop

Chris Chapman is a prolific Santa Barbara-area artist.

The Wildling Museum of Art & Nature will host the workshop “Botanical Illustration — Flowers, Plants & Trees” with Chris Chapman from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday, May 18.

The class size is limited to 12 people and is appropriate for adults of all skill levels.

Whether working with graphite pencil, watercolor, colored pencil, or pen and ink, students of nature will learn to draw and paint growing things and to understand their form and function.

A multitude of possible subjects can apply: flower or plant, fruit or vegetable, feather or seashell, tree leaves or bark. Participants are encouraged to bring several things, as well as a brown-bag lunch for a half-hour break at noon. Register at wildlingmuseum.org/news/botanical-illustration-flowers-plants-trees, stop at the Wildling Museum store, or call 805-686-8315.

Chapman is a prolific Santa Barbara-area artist. Born in Pasadena in 1950, she grew up riding and exploring Southern California’s open spaces, forging a bond between nature and creative expression.

She and her painter husband John Iwerks married in 1999. They co-managed Arroyo Hondo Preserve on the Gaviota Coast in the early 2000s, creating a visitors center, adobe art gallery, interpretive natural history artwork and organizing plein air events.

Chapman and Iwerks now live and paint in the Santa Ynez Valley.

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The fifth annual “Pups & Purrs” fundraiser returns to Fess Parker Winery in Los Olivos on Saturday, May 12, to raise money for Santa Barbara County animals in need.

Old Yeller Ranch Rescue will host the event, which it calls “the pawty” of the year,” from 4 to 9 p.m. It will feature food from K’Syrah, wine from Fess Parker Winery, beer by Third Window Brewing, and music by Just Dave Band and Chelsea & Phoenix.

Silent and live auctions will include a variety of packages including vacation getaways, wine collections and high-end spa treatments as well as local art and jewelry.

General admission costs $60 through May 11 and $70 at the door. VIP tickets are $150 through May 11 and $250 at the door.

VIP admission includes a special check-in process, entry to a “garden lounge” with a selection of beer, appetizers and reserve wines, and priority seating at dinner.

As Old Yeller Ranch Rescue’s largest fundraiser of the year, the event provides critical funds to support its mission of ending canine homelessness by providing education and a safety net of services.

“This event is critical to the success and foundation of our organization,” said Amanda Parker, Old Yeller’s co-founder. “We are grateful for the community’s support, without which these animals would not have a safe space to land.”

To buy tickets or get details about the event, visit oyrr.org/pupsnpurrs. To speak to someone about the event, email oldyellerranchrescue@gmail.com or call 805-500-6977.

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“This is a key event for both of our organizations as it raises critical funding for the important work we do in Santa Barbara County. Our nonprofits keep evolving ever year to help more animals and pet owners in need, and we are grateful for the community’s support,” said Amanda Parker, cofounder of Old Yeller Ranch Rescue.

The event takes place from 4 p.m. to  9 p.m. and features food from Full of Life Flatbread, wine from Fess Parker Winery and live music with Richard T. Diaz & Friends. Live and silent auctions give guests a chance to bid on a great variety of packages, including luxury travel and lodging, exclusive wine collections, high-end spa treatments and exquisite art most items donated by local businesses and individuals supporting the cause.

Regular tickets are $50 through May 20 and $60 at the door. There’s also a separate, outdoor VIP Lounge, where Fess Parker’s President, Eli Parker, and head winemaker, Blair Fox, will pour wine. In addition to private wine tasting, VIP guests enjoy a private dining area and reserved Live Auction seating. VIP tickets are $150 or $250 at the door.
Santa Barbara County’ C.A.R.E.4Paws (short for community awareness, responsibility, and education) works to reduce pet overpopulation, keep animals out of shelters and improve quality of life for pets and pet owners in need. Old Yeller Ranch Rescue’s mission is to end canine homelessness by providing education and a safety net of services.

To buy tickets or for all the details about the event, visit www.care4paws.org and click on “events.” To speak to someone directly about the event, call 805-968-2273 or email info@care4paws.org. To learn more about the nonprofit hosts, please visit care4paws.org and oyrr.org.

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