'Octavia E. Butler: Seeding Futures'
Visual art, Books, Family | The New Children's Museum (NCM) opens a long-awaited special installation about the work and imagined futures of legendary speculative fiction writer Octavia E. Butler. The exhibit fills an entire room in the museum with interactive art and play spaces, including a climb-in tree, a mini library and other items inspired by Butler's own childhood. Butler-informed murals by artist Mithsuca Berry adorn the exhibit and museum lobby.
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Dr. Ayana Jamieson, advising curator of the NCM exhibit and founder of the Octavia E. Butler Legacy Network, said that the exhibit invites children of all ages to consider who they are, and who they might become.
"I think her writing and her life, which is also what things that exhibit are based on, really provide opportunities for people to explore and dream and imagine and speculate about the future that we would love to see," Jamieson said.
Jamieson said that because of its practice of letting young people interact with contemporary art in meaningful ways, NCM is uniquely positioned to present an exhibit about Butler.
"It's a wholly unique place that is really fertile ground for the kinds of imagination that we need in order to all thrive together as a community in the future," Jamieson said.
On opening day, the curators and some of the artists in the Seeding Futures Collective will discuss the life and legacy of Octavia Butler in an off-site panel, 2-3 p.m. at UC San Diego Park & Market, a 15-minute walk from NCM.
Details: Event link. Opens March 9. Museum hours are 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. New Children's Museum, 200 W Island Ave., downtown. $0-$24.
'Architecture of Jubilation: The Art and Vision of James Hubbell'
Visual art, Architecture | Iconic San Diego artist James Hubbell's work will be on view in a four-location exhibition at the San Diego Central Library Art Gallery, Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, Mission Valley Library and Otay Mesa-Nestor Library. If you visit each location, you can collect different commemorative stickers.
Details: Event link. Multiple locations, on view March 9 through Aug. 4. Opening reception is 5-7 p.m. on Saturday, March 9 at San Diego Central Library Art Gallery, 330 Park Blvd., downtown. Free.
'King James'
Theater | This new play by Pulitzer Prize finalist Rajiv Joseph follows the connection between two men who meet as a result of a ticket transaction for a basketball game. One man is Black, the other white, and they seemingly have nothing in common beyond being fans of the Cleveland Cavaliers and basketball royalty LeBron James. Directed by Justin Emeka and starring Joshua Echebiri and Caleb Foote.
Details: Event link. On stage Mar. 9-31. The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park. $36-$106.
'Musical Masterpieces: Pictures at an Exhibition'
Music, Classical | While Mussorgsky's masterful "Pictures at an Exhibition" is the titular piece of music in this San Diego Symphony performance, don't sleep on the English Horn Concerto from contemporary composer Ned Rorem, who passed away in 2022. The symphony's principal English Horn Andrea Overturf performs.
Details: Event link. 8 p.m. Saturday, March 9. California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido. $25-$70.
'The Treachery of Pleather,' 'Through the Maze' and Barrio Art Crawl
Visual art, Festivals | Consider Bread and Salt a jam-packed stop in your Barrio Art Crawl plans this Saturday. Joshua Tonies and Joe Yorty's "The Treachery of Pleather" opens at Best Practice, and Tarrah Aroonsakool's "Through the Maze" has an opening reception at the Athenaeum Art Center. Guadalupe Vidal's stunning work is still on view in the main Bread and Salt Gallery.
Details: Event link. 5-8 p.m. Saturday, March 9. Bread and Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. Free.
'Collective Yearning: Poems of grief, love and longing'
Books, Poetry | Pasadena-based poet Margaret Anne Kean will join several local poets at Verbatim Books to celebrate her recent collection, "Cleaving the Clouds." Katie Manning, founding editor of Whale Road Review and author of "Hereverent" and seven other poetry collections, will read, as well as Leonora Simonovis, Merry Dennehy and Carly Marie DeMento. Each poet will read work that in some way explores grief, rituals and love.
Details: Event link. 6:15 p.m. Sunday, March 10. Verbatim Books, 37493 30th St., North Park. Free.
'Invisible Traditions'
Visual art | This year's annual Dia de la Mujer exhibition at The Front Arte & Cultura is actually a binational exhibition, with a sister installation at Tijuana's Casa de la Cultura. Curated by Katalina Silva and Arzu Ozkal, this year's theme is "Invisible Traditions," about the intersection of power with the everyday practices of women and nonbinary artists.
In San Ysidro, Foi Jiménez Jurado, Maria José Crespo, Carmina León, Ava Avnisan, Andrea Carrillo and Gail Swanlund are the invited artists, along with 24 juried artists (including Sepideh Shamloufard, Chitra Gopalakrishnan, Sage Serrano, Natalie Gonzalez and more). At Tijuana's Casa de la Cultura Altamira, Beliz Iristay and Carolina Montejo are the invited artists, along with 12 juried artists (including Claudia Cano, Lauryn Pacheco, Gabriela Ponce and more).
Details: Event link. On view March 9 through May 11. San Diego opening reception: 5-7 p.m. March 9 at The Front Arte y Cultura, 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Free.
Live music picks
* Indicates local acts.
Thursday: Gregory Alan Isakov at The Sound (folk); Kendra Morris with The Silvertone and City Soul Collective* at Soda Bar (soul, R&B, reggae); Dark Alley Dogs*, Authentic Sellout*, 12 Gauge Trixie* at Casbah (punk/rock); Isabel LaRosa and Ari Abdul at House of Blues (pop, indie); Juniper Honey*, Blue Hour* and Sands* at Che Cafe (indie); Stove God Cooks at The Holding Company (rap); Christone "Kingfish" Ingram at Observatory (blues); Between You & Me at SOMA (pop punk).
Friday: Vanillaroma, Indigo, BluNites* and Evan Volk* at Soda Bar (rock, indie); Mustache Harbor and Radio Thieves at Music Box (rock); Elephant Gym at House of Blues Voodoo Room (math rock, indie); Bas at House of Blues (rap); Fellow Pynins at Templars Hall in Old Poway Park (bluegrass).
Saturday: Preservation Hall Jazz Band at Belly Up (New Orleans jazz); Big Boy, Last Wishes and more at Che Cafe (hardcore) (1:30 p.m. show); Sprung Monkey* at The Holding Company (rock/punk).
Sunday: Jackie Mendoza*, Teal Pop and moondaddy* at Soda Bar (indie, pop); The Wailin' Jennys at Belly Up (folk, pop) (two shows; 4:30 and 8 p.m.); Liily, Bad Nerves and Garbagebarbie at Casbah (alternative, punk); Real Estate at Observatory (indie); Danny Green Trio at Panama 66 (jazz).
More arts and culture events this weekend
Cherry Blossom Festival | Art, Music, Festivals
The Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park will host their annual Cherry Blossom Festival. The four-day festival is packed with music, dance and traditional performances, as well as visual art, cosplay and sake tastings. According to the bloom tracker on the Japanese Friendship Garden website, some trees are beginning to blossom. Event link. 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 7-10. Japanese Friendship Garden, 2215 Pan America Rd. E, Balboa Park. $12+.
Leslie Jones Live | Comedy
"Saturday Night Live" and "Ghostbusters" star Leslie Jones is touring on the heels of last year's memoir, "Leslie F—ing Jones." Event link. 7 p.m. Saturday, March 9. The Magnolia, 210 E. Main St., El Cajon. $49+.
Molière's 'Tartuffe' | Theater
North Coast Repertory Theatre will open a production of Molière's "Tartuffe," translated into English verse by Richard Wilbur. It's a comedy following the outwardly pious Tartuffe, an imposter, fraud and overall high society leech. Event link. On stage March 6-31. North Coast Rep, 987 Lomas Santa Fe Dr., Solana Beach. $49-$79. $45 San Diego Theatre Month tickets available with code SDTM24.
Kronos Quartet and Sam Green | Music
One of the more prolific and well-known ensembles in the world, Kronos Quartet, will celebrate their upcoming 50th anniversary with a visit to the La Jolla Music Society to perform a "live documentary" with filmmaker Sam Green. Event link. 7:30 p.m. March 8. Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla. $48+.
Open House (OH!) San Diego | Architecture, Visual art, Festivals
San Diego Architecture Foundation's free festival will spotlight notable public art, architecture, public spaces and more across several San Diego neighborhoods throughout the weekend. Saturday's tours hit Banker's Hill, Barrio Logan, National City and Point Loma. On Sunday, visit Coronado, downtown San Diego and La Jolla. Event link. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, March 9-10. Locations vary. Free.
Bach Collegium San Diego: 'Love & Revolution' | Music
Early music ensemble Bach Collegium will perform a selection of Renaissance music from Claudio Monteverdi and Sigismondo D'India, with two performances at two different venues. Event link. 7 p.m. Friday at All Souls Episcopal Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd., Point Loma. 3 p.m. Saturday, March 9 at Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, 3459 Manchester Ave., Cardiff-by-the-Sea. $15-$60.
