Visual art | Music | Live music | Theater | Dance | Books | Film | Family/festivals
Visual art
'Materiality'
A new group exhibit at Oceanside's Techne Art Center features 12 incredible local artists known for their distinct use of materials: Michelle Montjoy, Matthew Bacher, Adriene Hughes, Kline Swonger, Annie Claflin, Trevor Amery, Christiana Updegraff, Becky Guttin, Ben Godward, Mônica Lóss, Jason Rohlf and Ye Hongxing. A standout piece by Swonger, "Crossing the Line," is a marvel of curved steel scraps patchworked together in a suspended wave. Don't miss Hongxing's pointillist collage works, created with tiny colored stickers and sparkling beads.
5-8 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | Techne Art Center, 1608 Ord Way, Oceanside | Free | MORE INFO
Tijuana Design Week
A three-day festival exploring design south of the border includes exhibitions, talks, workshops, performances, activations and more, scattered across galleries, studios and businesses in Tijuana. KPBS podcasts Port of Entry and The Finest will present a panel discussion on storytelling and narratives at 2 p.m. Friday at the Free School of Architecture. Highlights include a panel with independent publisher Ediciones Caradura at noon Saturday; a workshop using beer bagasse and other bio/industrial byproducts at Telefónica Gastro Park at 11 a.m. Saturday; and a series of exhibitions throughout the weekend at Vortex and Pop Gallery.
May 2-4 | Various locations, Tijuana, Mexico | Free | MORE INFO
'Voice Out: A Youth Media Arts Exhibition'
Local arts education nonprofit Outside the Lens will host its second annual juried exhibition, featuring photography, mixed media and video works from young people around San Diego. The celebration will also include a discussion with selected artists and local arts leaders, a free nachos bar and a live DJ. The main event is free, but a VIP preview at 3 p.m. costs $50.
4 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | Outside the Lens Wonder Lab, 125 14th St., downtown | Free | MORE INFO
Oceanside Museum of Art Exhibition Celebration
OMA will celebrate three of its newest exhibits with an event. If you haven't had a chance to check out the new shows, this is your chance. Mary Jhun's "In Losing Sleep I Painted," "Art of Autism: A Different Lens" and "Ventana Huichola" are the focus of the event.
5-7 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside | Free-$15 | MORE INFO
Print Day in May at the Athenaeum Art Center
Local printmakers-in-residence will open their studios at the Athenaeum Art Center in Bread & Salt as part of the global celebration of printmaking. Kelvin Lopez, Phoenix Tran and Delaney Stewart will be on hand to demonstrate their processes. Visitors can also try printmaking during open studio time.
12:30-4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | Free | MORE INFO
'uncluttered: the beauty in less'
New Chula Vista art space Art Through the Glass will host its third exhibit, "uncluttered: the beauty in less," featuring 25 artists exploring themes of simplicity, design and letting go. The show, organized by Yvette Roman, includes a market and music from DJ Betty Bangs at the opening reception.
2-5 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | Art Through the Glass/Chula Vista Center, 555 Broadway, Ste. 1019 (near Macy's), Chula Vista | Free | MORE INFO
G. Love Art & Music
Musician G. Love brings his visual art on the road alongside local artists including Maxx Moses, Regan Russell, Monty Montgomery, Gloria Muriel and more. Artists will create live installations on the spot, and G. Love will perform an acoustic set.
6 p.m. Saturday, May 3 | The Soap Factory, 2995 Commercial St., Logan Heights | $28.25 - $131.25 | MORE INFO
Kamyar Mohsenin: 'Nūr (light)'
Seattle-based filmmaker, sculptor and multimedia artist Kamyar Mohsenin presents a solo show at the recently opened Deixis Gallery in North Park. Inspired by Mohsenin's Iranian-American heritage, the work explores themes of home, searching and light.
6-9 p.m. Saturday, May 3 or by appointment through May 23 | Deixis Gallery, 4129 30th St., North Park | Free | MORE INFO
Music
Leonard Patton Trio
Jazz great (and owner of the cozy Rolando venue The Jazz Lounge) Leonard Patton performs a free concert with his trio at La Jolla Music Society. Patton recently spoke on KPBS Midday Edition about his work, music and International Jazz Day.
"I think, in San Diego, the jazz culture, everybody who's running venues or doing programs, everybody's together — collectively are creating the culture. It's not one person, one place," Patton said.
4:30 p.m. Friday, May 2 | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO
'Echoes of Time'
The La Jolla Symphony and Chorus honors local composer and pipa player Wu Man, the winner of this year's Steven Schick Prize for Acts of Musical Imagination. The concert will include compositions by Julia Perry, Arnold Schoenberg, Alexander von Zemlinsky and Robert Schumann, along with the world premiere of Lei Liang's "Five Seasons for Pipa and String Orchestra."
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4 | Mandeville Auditorium, 9500 Gilman Dr., UC San Diego | $20-$45 | MORE INFO
Czech Masterpieces and a Saxophone Concerto
The San Diego Symphony will perform Takashi Yoshimatsu’s "Soprano Saxophone Concerto (Albireo Mode)," Smetana's "Overture and Three Dances from The Bartered Bride" and Dvořák’s "Symphony No. 8 in G Major."
7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4 | Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., downtown | $39-$120 | MORE INFO
Bach Collegium San Diego: 'Knock Out Sounds' with Reginald Mobley
San Diego's baroque ensemble Bach Collegium performs with jazz-baroque artist Reginald Mobley in a genre-spanning program from Bach to Ella Fitzgerald. Performances take place at two venues.
7 p.m. Saturday, May 3, at The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla; and 4 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at All Souls' Episcopal Church, 1475 Catalina Blvd., Point Loma | $17.85+ | MORE INFO
Live music
King Hannah and moondaddy
U.K. indie artist King Hannah (Hannah Merrick) performs Sunday with local act moondaddy at Soda Bar. King Hannah's 2024 full-length album, "Big Swimmer," is a great listen, blending Merrick's moody, almost '70s-tinged spoken word elements with her rocking, melodic singing.
moondaddy, the recording project of singer, songwriter and producer Cara Potiker, recently released a lush, dreamy four-track EP, "Lightwave Lightwave."
7 p.m. (doors) Sunday, May 4 | Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights | $26.78 | MORE INFO
Theater
Moonlight Stage Productions: 'Grease'
North County's beloved outdoor theater venue is bringing back "Grease" to the stage — a story of high school love, rebellion and cliques, set to some of the catchiest tunes in musical theater history. Directed and choreographed by Nikki Snelson.
Through May 17 | Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1200 Vale Terrace Dr., Vista | $25-$67 | MORE INFO
SDSU Musical Theatre Program: 'RENT'
Directed by Courtney Corey, who originally played Maureen in the early Broadway tours of "Rent," this one-week run of Jonathan Larson's groundbreaking 1996 musical follows a group of artists living in New York's East Village during the height of the AIDS pandemic.
7:30 p.m. May 2 through May 8 | Main Stage Theatre, School of Theatre, Television and Film, 5400 Campanile Mall., SDSU | $17-$20 | MORE INFO
Dance
City Ballet: 'Carmen'
City Ballet of San Diego presents two single-act works: "Carmen," choreographed in 1989 by Elizabeth Wistrich to Bizet’s iconic score, and "Divertimento No. 15," a 1956 Balenchine ballet set to Mozart.
8 p.m. Saturday, May 3, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4 | California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $39-$99 | MORE INFO
Books
Mara Altman: 'A Little Shelf Love'
Local author Mara Altman shares her debut picture book, inspired by her childhood in her parents' nursery, as part of Warwick’s Weekends with Locals series.
"It's about a pothos plant, which is a green, leafy vine, and she joins a new shelf of plants. And she sees what all the other plants are doing and tries to be like them. And then, until she realizes that she has badass green vines and it's just inherently her," Altman said.
1 p.m. Saturday, May 4 | Warwick's Books, 7812 Girard Ave., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO
Film
'Compensation'
Digital Gym screens Zeinabu irene Davis’ acclaimed 1999 feature that chronicles Deaf Black Americans through the eyes of two Deaf and hearing couples living 80 years apart, portrayed by the same pair of actors. A post-screening panel with Davis and screenwriter Marc Chery follows the 4 p.m. Saturday show.
May 2-8 | Digital Gym Cinema, 1100 Market St., downtown | $9-$13 | MORE INFO
Family/festivals
'The Big Exchange'
San Diego Museum Council's "The Big Exchange" allows members of 50 participating museums to visit all others for free. Now is a great time to smash "buy" on that one membership you've been considering. Participating institutions include the New Children's Museum, the Japanese Friendship Garden, MCASD, Living Coast Discovery Center, Comic-Con Museum and Birch Aquarium. Online reservations may be required; perks like films, special events or discounts are excluded.
May 1-18 | Multiple locations | Free with one membership | MORE INFO
