ART
The mid-century enthusiasts over at Objects USA have their latest vintage art exhibition and sale this weekend (opening reception is Friday from 7-9pm). Featured items include work by Malcolm Leland, the architectural sculptor who designed the bronze gates at the SDMA sculpture garden, and various pieces by artist Erik Gronborg (who taught at SDSU and Miracosta College). Also for sale, furniture, pottery and paintings.
And if you want to carry the mid-century mod theme through your weekend, spend Saturday night at The Pearl for their "Mad Men" party (and if anyone pulls off a Joan, buy them a drink!)
SDMA is partnering with Agitprop to bring a series of Thursday night Parisian-style salons to the museum. Throughout the summer, you can meet and greet with San Diego's most interesting emerging artists. Each Thursday, different artists will be featured, along with drinks and art-making stations (gallery hours will be extended to 9pm). Tonight launches the series with video arist Alida Cervantes, photographer Josh Bellfy, performance artist Zac Monday, some ukelele from Eddie Miramontes, and spoken word from Steve Willard.
San Diego sculptor Roman De Salvo and UCSD brain scientist Dr. V.S. Ramachandran will talk art, science, creativity and the sublime tonight at The Neurosciences Institute in La Jolla. Doors open at 6:30pm. Bring your thinking caps.
THEATER
Before radio plays, DJs and NPR (gasp), there was the one man travelin' radio show. North Coast Rep stages "The Voice of the Prairie," which follows Davey the farmer as he tells shaggy dog tales and discovers blues musicians as he broadcasts from town to town. The play opens this weekend and runs through June 20th.
New Village Arts stages a 1948 play from the master of the Southern gothic drama, Tennessee Williams. Appropriately titled "Summer and Smoke," it tells the bodice-ripping tale of a minister's daughter (natch) who takes up with the hedonistic doctor next door.
If you own a light saber or a storm trooper costume (you know who you are), then you definitely want to be at the Sports Arena on Friday night for Star Wars: In Concert. Hear John Williams score performed by a full symphony orchestra and relive your favorite moments from a galaxy far, far away.
The long-named 17th Annual Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival begins this weekend, launching four weeks of Jewish culture in theater, music, dance, and visual arts. Lots of good stuff coming up here, including a new dance/musical collaboration between Malashock Dance and musician Yale Strom about the life of artist Marc Chagall. The festival begins on Sunday with two free music concerts featuring klezmer clarinetist, Alexander Gourevitch.
If you don't know the music of Mose Allison, go to Anthology tonight (Thursday) and thank us later. The 82-year-old Mississippi native crosses genres from blues to jazz and he's influenced everyone from Tom Waits to Frank Black. His first album in 12 years is being released by ANTI Records, home of Spoon and Dr. Dog.
Catch four of San Diego's hottest bands at the Birch North Park Theatre on Friday night. Dirty Sweet, Transfer, The Silent Comedy and Apes of Wrath are all performing at this Casbah-produced show. Every indie rock hipster in San Diego will likely be there but why not when you can sample all this homegrown talent in one place.
DANCE
Choreographer Patricia Rincon's annual Blurred Borders International Dance Festival combines dance with theater and video, blurring lines between media, style, and geography. Works from Argentina, Mexico and San Diego take the stage for two nights at the Saville Theater in downtown San Diego. Showtime is 8pm. For dance lovers, this is an annual must-do.
