In the arts this weekend: "Syntax" at Art Produce; The Rosin Box's March Series contemporary ballet performances; Denja Harris and Rafael Rios-Mathioudakis at the Mingei; "Love is an Action" at The Front; Le Salon de Musiques honors Ukraine; and Borrego Springs' site-specific art and performances at Candlewood Arts Festival.
15th annual Dia de la Mujer exhibition: 'Love Is An Action'
Visual art, music
The Front gallery's long-running women-centric group exhibition, Dia de la Mujer, opens its 2022 iteration on Saturday. This year, it's curated by Monica Hernández, with a jam-packed line-up of more than 40 artists, plus installation pieces by Xoque Art and the nonprofit youth program ARTS (A Reason To Survive).
On my radar: a piece by Angelica Omaña, called "Generico Generacional" that combines painting with stacked brand-name medicine boxes; Annalise Neil's work; Tarrah Aroonsakool's "Her Mother’s Thai Silk," as well as the ARTS interactive postcard project.
At Saturday's opening reception, there'll be music, live spoken word and installation activations, and Mujeres Brew House will be on hand for refreshments.
Details: Opens Saturday, Mar. 5, 2022 with a reception from 5-8 p.m., and will be on view through May 7. Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Front Arte & Cultura, 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Free.
The Rosin Box Project Presents: March Series
Dance, Music
Contemporary ballet company The Rosin Box will present a pair of new world premiere works this weekend at Light Box Theater in Liberty Station.
One work, resident choreographer Bethany Green's "Devil Get Behind Me," is set to a live score of bluegrass music, performed this weekend by locals Clinton Davis, Aaron Brownwood and Erin Bower.
Here's a sneak peek:
The second work, "Don't Look Down," is choreographed by company artistic director Carly Topazio, set to atmospheric and moody music by Roger Goula. This is Rosin Box's first show of their new season, following two years of increasingly innovative virtual and hybrid productions.
Details: Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Mar. 4-6, 2022 at 7:30 p.m. Light Box Theater, 2590 Truxtun Rd. #205, Liberty Station. $35+.
'Syntax': Open House
Visual art
Fifteen artists began meeting virtually at the onset of the pandemic, and since early February, they've worked together in-person, collaborating on-site, in an evolving project at Art Produce. "Exhibition" doesn't seem to be the right word; participating artist Michelle Montjoy referred to it in an Instagram post as a "laboratory." At various points throughout the process, a glance through the large front windows might have revealed bowls of cereal arranged on the floor, gigantic branch-needles suspended from the ceiling while knitting large-scale textiles, a human basketball hoop also suspended from the ceiling; tiny sticks arranged in geometric cascades casting mesmerizing shadows, twisting orange plastic tracks, among others.
This Saturday is your chance to step inside, for an open house reception. The works will remain on view by appointment (or from the sidewalk) for the rest of next week, closing Mar. 12.
Details: Saturday, Mar. 5, 2022 from 5-7 p.m. Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park. Free.
Le Salon de Musiques: 'We Will Make Music More Intensely'
Music
Citing the Leonard Bernstein quote "This will be our reply to violence: to make music more intensely, more beautifully, more devotedly than ever before," chamber music performance series Le Salon de Musiques will dedicate its monthly concert to the people of Ukraine.
The Le Salon de Musiques group — led by founder François Chouchan — is a relative newcomer to the San Diego chamber ensemble scene, but they've been doing these salons in Los Angeles since 2011. Now based out of the La Jolla Woman's Club, Sunday's concert will feature the music of Hungarian composer Franz Liszt, French composer Camille Saint-Saëns and Polish composer Frédéric Chopin.
Details: Sunday, Mar. 6, 2022 at 4 p.m. La Jolla Woman's Club, 7791 Draper Ave., La Jolla. $45-$95.
Candlewood Arts Festival opening weekend
Visual art, sound art, performance
The third Candlewood Arts Festival takes place in Borrego Springs this weekend, with invited artists taking over the tiny yet mighty desert town. Six of the artists will install large-scale sculptural installations at various points around the town which will be on view through the end of the month — including Noé Olivas, Jake Freilich, Allison Wiese, Sherin Guirguis, Alison Saar and Carlos Ramirez.
The artists were chosen because of their ability to respond to the unique environment and population of Borrego Springs. Curator Kris Kuramitsu said there are several central threads the artists were drawn to: "The way people and the environment are in different kinds of relationships, like mutual relationships and sometimes antagonistic relationships. And different people are exploring the way people relate to the land. There are a number of works that are dealing with labor issues and the sort of connected issues of labor and migration and the fact that Borrego Springs itself is very much a town that is economically based on tourism," Kuramitsu said. "And just the history of labor in the valley, the agricultural history of the valley."
Don't miss: Noé Olivas' work features collected audio recordings of service workers in Borrego Springs, playing them on a loop with massive sculptural name badges, like on a uniform, displaying their first names. Sherin Guirguis' work in a citrus farm is made with repurposed cymbals and metals, creating a sort of musical instrument. Performance artist Amitis Motevalli will collaborate with Sherin Guirguis' piece, only on Saturday at 4 p.m.
RELATED: 5 works of art to see in San Diego in March
Throughout the entire month-long festival, you can begin a self-guided tour from Christmas Circle in Borrego Springs, but this weekend you can catch artists talks, performances and receptions on Saturday, plus a chance to meet the artists at each installation on Sunday.
Details: Saturday, Mar. 5, 2022 from 9-7 p.m. and Sunday, Mar. 6 from 10 a.m. to noon. Artwork will be on view 24/7 through Mar. 27. Christmas Circle/multiple locations; Borrego Springs. Free.
'Craft Unraveled': Denja Harris and Rafael Rios-Mathioudakis
Visual art, folk art, demonstrations
Saturday afternoon at the Mingei, a free event featuring textile artist Denja Harris and metalworker Rafael Rios-Mathioudakis. Craft Unraveled is a series where guests can watch a live demonstration and ask the artists questions as they work. In this case, Harris — who sells her fiber art as Brown Acid Goods — will be working with her signature deadstock yarn and tufting process (fingers crossed we get to see a tufting gun in use). Harris' textiles take organic shape, with vivid colors and textures.
Rios-Mathioudakis, who runs the Barrio Logan jewelry studio Errant Gem, will demonstrate his jewelry-making process.
Bonus: Harris will also be leading the Family Sunday activity the next day. RSVP online for those workshops here, which run every hour on the hour from noon to 5 p.m.
Details: "Craft Unraveled" is Saturday, Mar. 5 from 1-3 p.m. The Mingei, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park. Free.
For more arts events or to submit your own, visit the KPBS/Arts calendar, and be sure to sign up for the KPBS/Arts newsletter here.
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The proposal would allow family members, first responders and others to refer people with debilitating psychosis to be evaluated, treated and housed before they end up in the criminal justice system. And, in this weekend arts preview, we have some contemporary ballet set to Bluegrass, visual art from the border to the desert, and a chamber concert dedicated to Ukraine.
