Visual arts
'Farm to Craft: Grains in Global Folk Art'
A new exhibition in the free gallery at Mingei International Museum explores the use of grains in craft and folk art, and how food can be both nutrition and inspiration. The pieces, including tools, containers and figurines, range from Japan, the Czech Republic, Malaysia, China and more. Note: Admission to the Mingei's entry-level gallery space is always free and open to the public. Access to the upstairs galleries requires an admission fee or membership.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 14, 2026 through Jan. 10, 2027 | Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park | Free | MORE INFO
Barrio Art Crawl
This weekend, the cultural district of restaurants, shops, galleries and studio spaces along Logan Avenue and beyond celebrates the monthly Barrio Art Crawl, running from noon to 8 p.m. Saturday. Some highlights include the studios and shops in Art Hub (2151 Logan Ave.), Selena Idioma’s new gallery exhibit at Sew Loka (2113 Logan Ave.), an art exhibit at Por Vida Cafe (2146 Logan Ave.), Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (1960 National Ave.), Bread & Salt (1955 Julian Ave.) and plenty more.
12-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 | Logan Avenue, Barrio Logan | Free | MORE INFO
Jonathan Paul Parker: ‘All Shall Be Well’
A vivid new exhibit at the Athenaeum Art Center in Bread & Salt explores the imagination and consciousness. Jonathan Paul Parker's paintings are bold and dynamic, with bright abstract shapes and rendered scenes. An artist talk is scheduled for Feb. 20.
11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; extended hours 5-8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14. Through March 7 | Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | Free | MORE INFO
'Neon Afterlife'
Oceanside Museum of Art recently opened a new exhibition at its Seabird Resort annex and will celebrate with a free reception on Thursday. Curated by Natalie Gonzalez, the show features artists Magz Yang, Jon Savage and Evyn Hewett and explores the aesthetics of modern pop culture — from icons to language and memes — with striking, share-worthy art.
5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 | Seabird Resort, 101 Mission Ave., Oceanside | Free | MORE INFO
Theater
'The Recipe'
Tony-nominated playwright Claudia Shear's adaptation of the book "Dearie" has its world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse. It follows the early life of celebrated chef Julia Child as she begins to figure out her true calling, starting out as a bored kid in Pasadena and ending up at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
Feb. 10 - March 22 | La Jolla Playhouse, 2910 La Jolla Village Drive, UC San Diego | $61-$114 | MORE INFO
SDMA+ San Diego Shakespeare Society: Romantic ArtStops
Actors from the San Diego Shakespeare Society will perform mini scenes from "Twelfth Night," "Romeo and Juliet" and other Shakespearean love stories throughout the museum, inspired by different works of art on display. The one-hour performances begin at the rotunda and travel through the museum. Free with museum admission.
1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 | San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park | Free-$25 | MORE INFO
'The Barber of Seville'
San Diego Opera presents Gioachino Rossini's iconic opera, packed with unrequited love, mistaken identities and a matchmaking barber, Figaro. The San Diego Symphony accompanies, and English and Spanish translations are projected above the performers.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13-15 | San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown | $53-$285 | MORE INFO
Dance
San Diego Ballet: 'Perspective'
The museum and the ballet are intrinsically connected to me — I'll never forget stumbling upon a magical ballet performance at the San Diego Museum of Art, peering down at the dancers from above the rotunda. San Diego Ballet is celebrating the museum's 100th birthday with a special collection of ballet vignettes in the Copley Auditorium, some inspired by art in the collection, like Joaquín Sorolla y Bastida's familiar and lovely "Maria at La Granja."
7 p.m. Friday, 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 13-15 | San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park | $45-$55 | MORE INFO
Music
Jason Mraz Foundation: DREAM
Local performing arts nonprofits PASACAT, Art of Elan, Culture Shock, Arms Wide Open and San Diego Young Artist Music Academy will take the stage alongside Jason Mraz, MILCK, Raul Midón, Albert Posis and more in a special performance showcase.
7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 14-15 | California Center for the Arts, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | $25.50-$30.50 | MORE INFO
Blackwater Holylight, Glassing and Hauntu
Blackwater Holylight, an all-woman rock and doom metal band out of Portland, sometimes described as "doomgaze," puts on a heady and impressive show, with a sort of spectral, hazy lightness to its otherwise doomy darkness. The band will perform at Casbah with Austin-based Glassing and locals Hauntu.
8:30 p.m. Friday, Feb. 13 | Casbah, 2501 Kettner Blvd., Little Italy | $24.74 | MORE INFO
Blacktronika: Afrofuturism in Electronic Music lecture series
UC San Diego professor and music producer King Britt continues his series of lectures inspired by his famed Blacktronika course, tracing the Black evolution of electronic music, from its roots in Chicago house music to Detroit techno, funk and more. I went to last week's lecture, and it was both eye-opening and fun. Audience members choose the point in electronic music history he'll cover each week. The free, drop-in lectures run weekly through the end of the month.
3 p.m. Saturdays through Feb. 28 | San Diego Central Library | Free | MORE INFO
Lila Forde and Sophia Bacino
Singer Lila Forde made it to the top five in “The Voice” Season 24, and her debut album "Vessel" is a soulful collection of Americana, folk and R&B tunes. She'll perform at Lou Lou's with LA-based indie-pop artist Sophia Bacino.
8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 15 | Lou Lou's Jungle Room, 2225 El Cajon Blvd., North Park | $20 | MORE INFO
Film
CINEMATHEK: 'Mississippi Masala'
Pac Arts' CINEMATHEK film series screens "Mississippi Masala," a 1991 film by Mira Nair starring Denzel Washington and Sarita Choudhury.
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 12 | Digital Gym Cinema, 1100 Market St., downtown | $9-$13 | MORE INFO
Books
The Library Friends of San Diego County Book Crawl
San Diego County Library branches in East County will host a weeklong book crawl in support of the Library Friends of San Diego County. Readers can pop into the Alpine, El Cajon, Descanso, La Mesa, Lakeside, Ramona, Rancho San Diego and Santee branch libraries, purchase a book from the (usually super cheap) Friends of the Library book sales and earn a passport stamp. Collect four or eight stamps and you could win prizes.
Feb. 14-21 | Multiple locations | Free | MORE INFO
Festivals, family and more
AXIS: Lunar New Year
The Old Globe's annual free community Lunar New Year event is hosted this year by Winlove Soriano and Lillian Lin and features dragon and lion dancing, drum music from San Diego Taiko, comedy, craft activities, contemporary dance and martial arts. The all-ages event is held in the outdoor courtyard, and no tickets are required.
5:30-7:30 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14 | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park | Free | MORE INFO
