Here are bios for past present future featured artists, artisans, authors, entrepreneurs
David Segall, Singer/Songwriter
David is a soulful singer and songwriter from the Central Coast who moved to Santa Barbara as a freshman in high school and started performing live at age 17. He has since toured across the U.S. and throughout Europe, sharing his roots-rock and soul calypso music with audiences of all ages and backgrounds. He and his four-piece backing band recently played the mainstays of the Earth Day festival, the Summer Solstice festival, the Avocado festival and the Harbor festival. He frequently plays at special events and benefit concerts, and recently released a new music video called Touch of Love, which was made in conjunction with the Community Environmental Council and the “Ocean Guardian” students of Adams Elementary. You can find David’s music on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube and all major streaming platforms. Check out his website: https://www.davidsegall.com/
Claudia Bratton, Artist
Claudia came from an artistic family with both her sisters Julie and Andrea Anderson being professional artists. Painting all her life, her love affair with color and sea in Hawaii began as a child. She studied printmaking with Tony Askew, and sumi-e painting with Norbu Yamamoto. Her series of koi fish, with her posters, serigraphs and originals have sold around the world, and her works have appeared in galleries in Los Angeles, New York, and Santa Barbara. She was featured as an emerging artist of Dresherville, in Santa Monica. She has taught art at Laguna Blanca’s Ultimate Arts Camp, Santa Barbara Museum of Art Ridley Tree Center, Cold Spring School, and Marymount of Santa Barbara. In addition to her work as a painter, one of Claudia’s poems was put to music by her ex-husband, Creed Bratton, and the song “Open Up” was a finalist in the American Songwriting Festival that came with a $500 prize.
Claudia also had careers in broadcasting, television commercial production. She was the first woman board member elected to the California Broadcasters Association, served on the National Association of Broadcasters, Southern California Broadcasters, Santa Barbara Radio Broadcasters Association. For the sixteen years, she was Executive Director of Santa Barbara’s Summer Solstice Celebration. Each Solstice she creates an ensemble with a float, and many costumes, hats and masks. She loves getting people involved in the arts.
How did Claudia Bratton become a hat maker? Claudia learned to sew as a child and created clothing, costumes and hats which was an impetus for her Miss Tickle Hat Company. She describes it as “Art for your Head” and some range from her best-selling tiny fiesta fascinators to some of her huge creations covered in numerous flowers.
She is always affirming that, “Art is my first language!”
Bonnie Kelm, Author, Art Historian, Jewelry Maker, Cancer Survivor
Bonnie G. Kelm led a distinguished career starting out as a Federal Art Project Director who dramatically changed a blighted neighborhood in Columbus.OH, to serving as University Art Museum Director & Professor of Art History & Museum Studies at three major Universities: Miami (OH) University, The College of William & Mary, and UC Santa Barbara. A Fulbright Scholar and a critically acclaimed author, Dr. Kelm has received a number of additional prestigious awards for her scholarship in the arts and for her service to the Arts and Museum Communities. She received a Bachelor of Science from Buffalo State University College in 1968, a Master of Arts from Bowling Green State University, and a Ph. D from The Ohio State University in 1987. Previous major publications include: Georgia OKeeffe in Williamsburg (Co-authored with Ann Madonia), Madge Tennent: Contested Images from Paradise, in Modernism Gender & Culture, and Greater Carpinteria, Summerland, and La Conchita (Co-Authored Jim Campos, Dave Moore, and the Carpinteria Valley Historical Museum.
She retired from the University System to battle both Lupus and forth stage Lymphoma. As a Cancer survivor, the author states she entered her “Second Act.” concentrating her efforts on only those things she is passionate about. She now designs and sells art jewelry and wearable art through her company Bella Kaye Designs and exhibits her photography. Her work has been featured in 14 juried exhibitions since 2010. https://www.bellakayejewelry.com
She also has two books in process The Hijacked Muse: Getting through the Worst Times of Your Life. and In the Blink of An Eye: A Photo Story of the Unseen
ABOUT THE BOOK “La Conchita a Different Kind of Paradise.”
The author takes us on a kaleidoscopic journey through historic vignettes, La Conchita Elder memoirs, as well as her own thoughts and dialogue with the spirits residing in La Conchita. Mixing historic fact with humor and poetic speculation, she writes in a style related to the quirky, iconoclastic, character of La Conchita itself.
Penny Little, Author, Artist, Musician, Project Shepherd
Penny Little was signed as a singer songwriter to Warner Brothers UK. Prior to that She toured Japan as a singer, and Hawaii schools with her Bach to Rock Program. She has recorded on numerous albums and toured the US, UK, Europe, and Japan with various musical projects of her own and others.
In addition to writing and performing in the Away Team, Penny’s cartoon character, Little Savage™ has run for President since 1996, “but the other cartoons always seem to win.” Penny’s most recent book “Goodbye Yellow Butterfly” explores her grieving process after the death of her husband and musical partner Nik Green. She choreographed a performance of Nik’s music by professional modern ballet dancers and an ensemble of amateur performers. Penny has directed and produced shorts and feature documentaries including the awarding winning “Electile Dysfunction,” “911 Dust and Deceit” “Healing Journey.” Penny has also worked with Gang Prevention Through the Arts, Artists in the Schools, Summer Solstice Celebration, the Association for Global New Thought, Empowerment Project, Santa Barbara Dance Alliance, Angels Bearing Gifts, and numerous non-profits to produce events, videos and messaging for good causes. Penny was a co-producer of the Awakened World Film Festival in Santa Barbara, 2013. In 2016, she co-produced two events in Tokyo for American artist Howard Lamar, for philanthropy and art. She has facilitated creative arts workshops – music, drama, dance, and fine arts – for children and adults in Japan, the UK, and the US.
Nik Green (1954-2016), Composer, Musician
Nik Green, keyboardist and founder of the Away Team, died on March 13, 2016 after a courageous battle with cancer. There is a Memorial Site which is a Tribute to his life, love and music. Nik was born in Somerset, England, and spent his childhood on the Welsh border. At age four, his mother caught him picking out the melodies of popular tunes on the radio, and promptly sent him to piano lessons. Nik says, “I was taught piano in the uptight, rigid English tradition — I hated it and completely rejected formal training” but his relationship with music was rescued by his great aunt who encouraged Nik to imrpovise as well as teaching him old Broadway tunes, ragtime and syncopation, “and all things frowned upon”. Nik quit piano at 17, and soon after was “fired up” by the sounds of the synthesizer: “I re-taught myself pretty much from scratch”. “Most of my family, appalled by my failure to become an obedient military/corporate citizen, promptly disowned me — resulting in an incredible feeling of freedom to follow my muse”.In 1980, Nik formed an all electronic trio with John Connell and Will Douglas, known as The Really Schmaltzy Cabaret Boys (!), playing electronic dance/ambient music — “[e]veryone thought we were totally crazy because we had no bass, guitar or standard drum set when everybody else around us was playing punk and metal”. [“Good timing, Nik!”] John went on to join the English National Opera, singing Wagner and Verdi, but Nik joined English folk artist Roy Harper whose band featured guitarist Jimmy Page and bassist Tony Franklin. In the late 80’s, when electronic dance music was really catching on, Nik was recruited into hard rock/heavy metal, with former Whitesnake’s guitarist,John Sykes and his band Blue Murder, featuring Tony Franklin on bass and Carmine Appice on drums. [“More Good Timing, Nik!”] Nik moved to Los Angeles. Blue Murder, “yet another casualty of arbitrary corporate politicking and industry foibles” dissolved in 1995. Nik cites his musical influences as Charles Ives, the Beatles, and Steve Reich, amongst many others.