THE NEXT STAGE SLO REP’s planned theater will be constructed early in 2026 next to the city’s new parking garage and house a 215-seat main theater and a 100-seat black box theater. What started as the SLO Little Theatre in 1947 has morphed over seven decades into what is now one of the longest running nonprofit theater companies in the nation, and the only professional nonprofit theater company in SLO County. Credit: IMAGE COURTESY OF SLO REP
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Last year’s biggest arts news is San Luis Obispo Repertory Theatre’s (SLO REP) new theater that will soon be under construction in front of the new parking structure at the corner of Monterey and Nipomo streets and the San Luis Obispo Museum of Art’s (SLOMA) impending expansion onto Higuera Street in three units in The Network Mall. Both these venues promise to stimulate the downtown economy and provide more opportunities for performance and visual arts.
As I looked back through 2025’s arts stories, I was struck by how vibrant our arts scene is. The most difficult thing was narrowing the year in review down to half a dozen moments. There was much to choose from. The Great American Melodrama turned 50 last year. Venues like The Bunker SLO and A Satellite of Love made a home for indie artists. Cal Poly Arts continued to bring in incredible performers from around the world.
I don’t have the space to highlight everything, but here are a few of the heavy hitters. ∆
Contact Arts Editor Glen Starkey at gstarkey@newtimesslo.com.EXPANSION SLOMA’s upcoming new museum space in The Network Mall will open onto Higuera Street and feature new revenue streams like a gift shop, café, and rentable spaces. Most importantly, it will offer front and center gallery space to the museum, which is busting at the seams of its old location, which will be dedicated to classes when the expansion is complete. Credit: ARCHITECTURAL RENDERINGS BY RRM DESIGN GROUP, COURTESY OF SAN LUIS OBISPO MUSEUM OF ARTEMBELLISHMENT The colorful work of multi-disciplinary artist Daisy Patton was on display at Cuesta College’s Harold J. Miossi Art Gallery in early 2025. Titled Before These Witnesses, the show consisted of a collection of wedding-themed large scale art pieces created by the Massachusetts-based artist from blown-up found photographs the artist embellished. Credit: PHOTO COURTESY OF DAISY PATTONLIGHT DANCE Created using acetate lighting gels and silky thread, an installation titled Lyrics and Crescendos by Tulsa fabric artist Rachel B. Hayes in the Performing Arts Center lights up the lobby as sun floods the entryway windows. Hayes and SLOMA are also responsible for Along the Way—seven custom panels made from industrial sunshade fabric installed above the Garden Street Alley. Credit: FILE PHOTO BY JAYSON MELLOMTHEATRE AL FRESCO The Central Coast Shakespeare Festival once again created theater magic when it mounted a hilarious production of The Merry Wives of Windsor on their stunning outdoor stage at Filipponi Ranch. In this scene, Doctor Caius (Jeremy Helgeson) and Mistress Quickly (Sophie Rhiannon) plotted to insert themselves into the lives of those around them. Credit: COURTESY PHOTO BY STEVE E. MILLERUNFORGETTABLE Fiber artist Trish Andersen’s installation, Little by Little, in SLOMA was one of the most mesmerizing shows of the year in a year filled with amazing art experiences. Little by Little was comprised of 35 miles of yarn and 35,000 hand tied knots. The immersive artwork took up the museum’s entire Gray Wing, with 100 circular ceiling-mounted elements and 100 floor elements. Simply incredible. Credit: COURTESY PHOTO BY BRITTANY APP
