I'm getting on a plane heading east and south, so while I indulge in some good ole' southern comfort food, we offer this bounty of arts and culture events for the weekend.
ART
Bulgarian-born painter Iva Gueorguieva’s lush, oversized canvasses echo her chaotic upbringing and the drama in the everyday world through swirling dreamscapes, abstracted narratives, and bold brushstrokes. As the Lux Institute’s latest in-house artist, you can track her creative process in the next few weeks as she devises one of her largest works to date—a mixed-media piece that’s 100 by 150 inches.
Once a must-have amongst Da Vinci’s inner circle, the camera obscura is making a comeback this weekend at the New Children’s Museum thanks to local artists Shane Anderson and James Enos, who have recreated the device with materials culled from recycled military storage cameras. Their version is mobile, so teens can control the view, and, just as the masters, sketch the projected image of their choice.
You probably don’t think twice about those 2 seconds of cell convos caught around town, but artist Wendy Richmond aims to change that with her latest interactive exhibit, “Overheard.” Premiering at UCSD’s The Gallery at Calit2 this weekend, the installation’s creation was sparked by cell phone snippets overheard in NYC, and combines textual graphics with interactive reenacted recordings of the sound bites. For a less refined (but hilarious) look at eavesdropping, we also like the blog Overheard in N.Y.
Sculptor Greg Brotherton’s dystopian wonderland will be unveiled this Saturday at the Oceanside Museum of Art in “Discoveries in Dystopia.” We’re already huge fans of Brotherton’s edgy, industrial aesthetic and steampunk-inspired entities, so we can’t wait to get a peek at his twisted take on the future.
BOOKS
Paging all Tolkien aficionados—next Wednesday, the San Diego Public Library will launch its Literature Talk series with an in-depth discussion of "The Lord of the Rings," led by the UCSD Literature Department’s Dr. Stephen Potts. It's at the library's central location downtown, so swing by and brush up on your Elvish.
THEATRE
Duncan Sheik, "Spring Awakening’s" creative team, and phantasmal houseguests? We’re in, as The Old Globe premieres its hotly anticipated "Whisper House", all about an 11-year-old boy who lives in a New England lighthouse with his aunt—and a few otherworldly denizens. The musical features original songs and lyrics by Duncan Sheik, who also won a Tony Award for composing Broadway's "Spring Awakening"—and will bring new meaning to his 90’s hit “Barely Breathing…” (sorry, we had to)
Meanwhile, the San Diego Repertory Theatre’s brings us “boom” this Friday. The storyline is hard to describe, but it involves the apocalypse, Craigslist, and a journalism student. Just be there.
Skip the American Idol onslaught this week (or don’t) and catch “Glorious” at the North Coast Rep, the true story of Florence Foster Jenkins, the self-proclaimed worst singer in the world. Despite her tuneless ways, Jenkins still sold out Carnegie Hall nightly during the 1940’s. Her mantra? “People may say that I cannot sing, but no one can say that I didn’t sing.” A woman after our own heart.
Speaking of S.D.’s bounty of bourgeoning theater stars, this Monday, they’ll be honored at the 13th Annual Patté Awards for Theater Excellence, hosted by the effervescent (and Emmy-winning) Pat Launer. Newsflash: the awards show was also newly nominated for an Emmy itself. Tickets are available on their website for a fun Monday after a culture-crammed weekend.
MUSIC
Another tuneful titan will take the stage tonight, as gypsy jazz ambassador John Jorgenson and his quintet hit up Anthology. Jorgenson, who’s collaborated with the likes of Bob Dylan and Elton John, is one of the pioneers of the U.S. gypsy jazz scene, and his performance is a nod to Django Reinhardt, the master of the genre.
Connections Chamber Music Series, brainstormed by composer Matthew Tommasini and the California Quartet, will debut its inaugural performance this Sunday at the Encinitas Library. “The Silver Screen in Concert,” the first in its spring/summer-long series, boasts big-screen compositions and accompanying film clips, a must-hit for film and music buffs alike.
They’re not quite so incognito nowadays, but dynamic DJ duo Prince Zohar and Eddie Turbo have spun for many an underground dance-off. Catch their globe-trotting blend of beats, ¡GEMATRIA!, this weekend at The Office, featuring Cumbiatronics, African Rave, and Arabic street jams, to name a few.
