A free lecture series presented by the City of San Luis Obispo and the SLO County Arts Council debuts August 19 and continues through the end of the year with four events illuminating the ways art shapes and enriches life in SLO County.
The 2026 Rooted in Art lecture series is scheduled on the third Wednesday of each month August through November from 6 to 7:30 p.m. the SLO Public Library Community Room.
Each gathering begins with a brief update on the arts community followed by a 60-minute presentation and Q&A. The lectures are free and open to the public, but advance registration is requested.
- August 19: Multidisciplinary artist Timo Beckwith works across sculpture, painting, digital art, music, and dance exploring the relationships among time, form, and the natural world.
- September 16: Artist and educator Elizabeth Johnson presents a slide survey of her 50-year art career, often reflecting on what it means to create within a semi-rural, conservative county.
- October 21: Linnea Valdivia, program manager for the GALA Pride and Diversity Center, examines the figure of the monster or freak as both a liberatory and controlling force within popular culture.
- November 18: Writer, musician, and SLO County poet laureate Caleb Nichols blends poetry, music, and civic imagination to reflect on the Poet Laureate program, artistic identity, and the role of poetry in community life.