Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Available On Air Stations
Watch Live

KPBS Midday Edition Segments

San Diego Weekend Arts Events: 'Domestic Geographies,' Leonard Patton, Moxie Theatre And OH San Diego

 March 5, 2021 at 10:28 AM PST

Speaker 1: 00:00 This weekend in the arts, we have a festival of photography, a new play for Moxie theater across border exhibition of art about the domestic realm and architecture festival, and even a Broadway sing along. It's a packed weekend, but joining me to walk us through it is KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon Evans, and welcome Julia. Speaker 2: 00:21 Hi Maureen. Thanks for having me now, Speaker 1: 00:23 First up is the medium festival of photography, which you say is great for avid photographers and the rest of us alike. Can you tell us about how we can attain Speaker 2: 00:33 And yeah, so this is a San Diego based organization, medium photo, and it's their annual festival and portfolio review. They have a pack lineup of panels, workshops, and keynotes for anyone interested in elevating their work or learning from some masters. And most of the things you can buy individual passes for too, if you can't attend the full thing. And they're also offering student rates too, but they have some local photography exhibitions for the rest of us. There's a Northern exposure exhibition at coffee and tea collective in North park, which features five outstanding photographers working in Mexican border States. And while you're at coffee and tea, you can pick up a pack of special roasted coffee beans with packaging designed by cross-border artists Pancha. And another great option for viewing is the portfolio presentations. This year, they're looping the works of about 60 participating photographers on screens that you can watch from the sidewalk at art produce in North park. Speaker 2: 01:40 And those will run 24 seven. So you can just walk by and check the stuff out. And the portfolio review is, is really at the heart of the medium festival, and it's a really great chance to discover new work. But if you want to learn more, a Saturday evening is the keynote by Southern California photographer, Katherine Opie. Who's pretty iconic in her work as a contemporary photographer and photo journalist. And they're doing limited availability, outdoor simulcasts at the photographers eye in Escondido or at art produce in North park. And of course you can also tune in online. That's a six o'clock on Saturday. Speaker 1: 02:17 The medium festival of photography is going on now, and it runs through March 13th in the theater world. Tell us about what Moxie theater is up to. Speaker 2: 02:26 Yeah, they're doing a production of I and U, which is a popular new-ish play by one of the most prolific living playwrights in America, Lauren Gunderson. It's a one setting to actor thing, which I, I always love the intimacy of normally, but it's just the sort of script that works really well for filmed virtual performances. And this is Moxie's second show from there 2020, 20, 21 season. And this one is set in the bedroom of Caroline played by Justine belong who has become home bound from school due to illness. Her classmate, Anthony comes over seemingly uninvited to work on a school poetry project together. And the play takes us through Caroline's anger and resentment into all of these themes of human connection. And Gunderson's writing is always whip smart and funny. Here's a clip from when Anthony first comes over, Speaker 3: 03:23 Why would I help you? And what planet and what universe would I help with a school project when I'm not in fact in school right now, like at all? Cause I'm kind of sick. Like everyone knows I'm sick and everyone's freaked out about it. And no one comes here and brings what is that waffle fries and brings a waffle fries and bad posters to my house. Speaker 2: 03:47 That's a scene from Moxie's I and you, and I'm almost certain that the original script called for the character to bring cookies. I kind of love how in this prediction they use waffle fries. I'm told they're also cookies at somebody Speaker 1: 04:03 Moxie theaters Inu opens Friday and runs through March 28th with ticketed virtual performances every Friday and Saturday night at seven 30 and Sunday afternoons at two, there is a multidisciplinary exhibition opening at Sandy sea droves, the front gallery this weekend. Tell us about domestic geographies. Yeah, Speaker 2: 04:22 Yeah. There's a lot of moving parts to this program, but let's start with the virtual opening reception this weekend. It's the front's 14th annual DIA de Dayla mohair exhibition celebrating the date of the woman. And this work was stitched together by a Tiguan artist and curator Ingrid Hernandez. And it includes something like 30 women and nonbinary artists, mostly from the border region ranging from visual art performance, art and video there's pinata workshops and musical productions and film screenings. They all center on themes of resistance and power in the domestic realm. For example, it features work by Claudia Ikano, who is known for these striking performance works, where she dresses as a domestic worker and cleans in public spaces or at gallery openings and stuff like that. There's also work by Laura [inaudible] and Aramis Sophia powder, Hong Kim and Shanta Penya Losa and tons more that exhibition will open for in-person viewings by appointment starting Tuesday. So this is a nice way to get a fuller sense of what to expect as well as listen to some of these incredible artists working in the region and beyond that's Speaker 1: 05:35 Domestic geographies opening at the front on Saturday with a virtual reception and artists talk at 6:00 PM. Okay. Now for families, what have you scoped out from the annual open house? San Diego festival of architecture? Speaker 2: 05:49 Yeah, there's plenty of free stuff. Lots of it. Walking or self guided tours. But one thing that caught my eye is that architectural lessons for kids and adults taking place both Saturday and Sunday morning at 11:00 AM and each one focuses on an iconic building locally. And it's virtual Saturday is the national city aquatic center. And Sunday is the ocean discovery Institute in city Heights. So grab a pencil and channel your inner Frank Lloyd Wright. Okay. Speaker 1: 06:20 Open house. San Diego runs today through March 12th and it's free to the public. And finally, a little Sunday afternoon music from San Diego is Leonard Patton. How can we tune it? Speaker 2: 06:31 Yeah. So this kicks off Bodhi tree concerts. New season it'll be a Broadway cabaret style performance with the silken voice Leonard Patton. And he has a backing band. That's like a who's who? Of San Diego's finest jazz musicians. Rob Thorson on bass ed Kornheiser on piano and Julian Centum on drums. They're promising to do some sing along where the tunes, but thankfully it's virtual. So you don't have to, but I'll leave you with this Leonard Patton song. Your love makes me blue it's from his latest full length album. A beautiful day. Speaker 4: 07:03 Yeah. Try to my mind just begs blue bill. Can you stay on my mind? You [inaudible] Speaker 1: 07:24 Love makes me blue. Pattonville perform virtually with Bodhi tree concerts on Sunday at 4:00 PM for more arts events or to sign up for the weekly KPBS arts newsletter, go to kpbs.org/arts. I've been speaking with KPBS arts editor and producer Julia Dixon, Evans, Julia as always. Thank you. Speaker 2: 07:44 Thanks Maureen. Have a great weekend. Speaker 4: 07:52 Wow man. Every tear that bottles is saved for that book say every day, try to when you, um, my mom and mine's day. Oh, you blew up feeling low as love as me. [inaudible] [inaudible] next to you. [inaudible] [inaudible] yeah. Well I'd say for every day I try to, my mind just blew my mind blue zone [inaudible] makes me [inaudible].

This weekend in the arts: a powerful new group exhibition at The Front, Broadway hits from jazz greats, Lauren Gunderson’s play “I and You,” a city-wide art and architecture event.
KPBS Midday Edition Segments