S1: It's time for Midday Edition on Kpbs. Today , we're taking a look at arts events around San Diego. I'm Harrison Patino. Here's the conversations that keep you informed.
UU: Inspired and make you think.
S1: A new exhibit reveals never before seen photographs of iconic artist Frida Kahlo.
S2: When you see the portraits of them together , there's a very interesting conversation. Maybe that's going on without words. There's just something very interesting that's happening.
S1: Plus , we take a deep dive into San Diego's public art scene , and big changes are in store at the Old Globe Theatre. That's ahead on Midday Edition. If you're an art lover , then there's a good chance you're familiar with the vibrant , surrealistic works of iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo. And while you've likely seen her face on coffee mugs , murals and T-shirts , a new exhibit offers a more intimate look at the iconoclastic Kahlo through a series of photographs. Joining me now with more on what to expect is Beth Solomon Moreno , the director of museum and visual arts at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. And , Beth , welcome to the program.
S2: Thank you so much.
S1: So , Beth , I'm sure most of our listeners can picture the classic self portrait of Frida Kahlo. She's sitting stoically and she's usually adorned with flowers or flanked by animals. It's become such an iconic image.
S2: You know , I have loved Frida's work for so long , and I really think that she has become so iconic because her work is so strong and her story of her life is so incredible. So she makes us one of those people that were just really drawn to. Like I said , her work speaks for itself. It's so interesting and detailed and thoughtful. And when you combine that with the life that she lived , it's pretty incredible.
S1: And unlike many artists , her work in her image has really broken into the mainstream consciousness.
S2: I mean , I think her work is very accessible , and that's one of the things that I think people are really drawn to is she's looking at her own life and her circumstances and her experiences and expressing them on the canvas in really interesting , deep and thoughtful ways. And I think that for a lot of viewers , to get an opportunity to peek into someone's life in such a personal way is so interesting. Okay.
S1: So everybody knows Frida Kahlo , but what some people might not know is that the iconic portraits that are featured in this exhibit , they were taken by Hungarian photographer Nicolas Murai.
S2: And I think that what's really great about this exhibition is it obviously elevates Frida Kahlo , not that she needs much elevation , but it really elevates him as well and their story together. He's a fascinating , fascinating guy who was a champion fencer and a pilot , among many , many other things. And then , of course , a very , very well respected photographer.
S1: And this exhibit focuses on the relationship between Murai and Kahlo.
S2: And another artist friend of Nicolas Murai , Miguel Korba , Kobra Rivas , introduced Nicolas and Frida in 1931 , and their friendship and relationship started from there. The special thing about this exhibition is that it not only includes many , many of the famous photographs that Nicolas took of Frida , but it also includes the love letters that they wrote back and forth to each other over that ten year span of time. And so , again , it's this really interesting peek. It's like being a fly on a wall to get to read their love letters between each other. Some discuss very mundane things and others , you know , really are expressing their love for each other or frustrations about different things. It's it's really wonderful. You really get a sense of how close they were and how much they really appreciated each other.
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S2: Absolutely. I mean , there's even portraits of the two of them together. One in particular that comes to mind. And , you know , Frida's finger is , you know , caressing his cheek in such a gentle way. You can't help but notice it when you look at the photograph.
S1: We think of Frida Kahlo as the artist. But this is free to Kahlo as a subject in photography. You know , I'm interested in how we're sort of reframing her as a subject rather than the artist.
S2: She's got such an iconic look. She definitely has the flair for dramatic think her father , because he was a photographer , think she really knew sort of in a way how to perform in front of a camera. You know , growing up with a father that was constantly taking photographs when she was young , she really has that sense of , you know , looking deeply into the camera or maybe not looking directly at the camera and conveying so much with her expression and her stance within a portrait. I think that's one of. The most fascinating things is that we're looking at her really as the subject. Not so much as the artist.
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S2: Traditional portraiture , I think , is looked at potentially in a very traditional way , a single subject. And , you know , typically , you know , a not not a busy background. But when you look at these portraits , the thing that Nicholas is doing in them , he's playing with color because you remember that color photography. This was , you know , fairly new at the time. And he was doing all these different scientific experiments to get this beautiful luminosity. And whether the ink floats on the paper or different techniques where then the ink is embedded into the paper , it gives this luminosity and glow to the photographs that think again just makes them so luscious. You want to take a bite into some of these colors. They're really , really amazing.
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S2: He took many , many photographs of famous celebrities and famous artists and other politicians of the day. If you look him up , all of his photographs , you'll recognize so many of them. I think that's one of the things that's really interesting about the show , too , is that when you see all of these images of freedom , oh , there she is in the blue blouse and the image of her on the white bench with the green background in New York and all of these different images. And when you realize , oh , they were all taken by the same photographer , it just adds to , again , what their relationship was , their closeness , the trust that they had between each other. He was really , really fantastic. I think he really , really loved her. And had when you read the letters , I get a sense that he thought that maybe , you know , there would be an opportunity for them to officially be together. But it's interesting because Frieda was , you know , writing him love letters , but also including little sketches of her and Diego holding hands. So it's very complicated , um , relationship. But I think Nicholas was such a driven person that he allowed himself to open up this little window , if you will , while perhaps knowing that , you know , it would never be a door that was fully open for him to walk through. But he was happy to have the relationship , even if it was just a peek through a window.
S1: You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. And I'm Harrison Patino. We're joined by Beth Solomon Marino , the director of museum and visual arts at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. Beth , this exhibit , it's not just a chance to celebrate an iconic artist in Frida Kahlo , but also to expose people to , for many , someone who might be a lesser known photographer , Nicholas Murai.
S2: And many of these photographs were not found until after his death. And so Well , yes , we've talked about all the iconic images of Frida that are included that guests will come and recognize right away. There's many photographs that had never been seen before , not even the family. They had gone undeveloped. So we're really presenting this opportunity to see these images that not a lot of people have had the opportunity to see before now.
S1: Now , having seen Frida Kahlo's very famous self-portraits and now having seen these photographs by Nicholas Murai , I'm wondering about the similarity of the subject matter.
S2: There were stories that Frida had painted some images and then gifted them to Nicholas , and one in particular , the very famous image where you can see Frida's feet in the bathtub and the skyscrapers of New York City coming out of the water. That was an image that she sent to him and gave to him. And he returned back and told her that he thought this was one of her greatest paintings and that , you know , it shouldn't be in a private home , that it needed to be seen. So I think he really did encourage her and appreciate her work. And I think just her willingness to always meet up when they could , whether it was in Mexico or. In the United States and to have her portraits taken by him. I think she I think she probably had an inkling that , you know , he was a good person to stay close with and be friends with. For many reasons.
S1: You paint a pretty vivid portrait of who these people were in life and how large their personalities were.
S2: I mean , you can see well , for both of them in the portraits of them together , you know , there's an obvious that Nicolas has set up the camera or I should say I'm making an assumption that Nicholas has set up the camera for the portrait , and then someone else obviously clicked the shutter that he's in it. But I think when you see the portraits of them together , there's a very , very interesting , um , I don't know , conversation. Maybe that's going on without words. Um , the way they either are one gazing at the other or both looking directly at the camera. There's just something very interesting I think that's happening in the portraits of them together. And back to the question of how it sort of relates to their work. I can't imagine that Frida wasn't using images , you know , other that her father took or perhaps that Nicolas Murai took of her when she was creating her own work about herself.
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S2: Obviously , those iconic images that we all know and recognize that's super fun to open up crates and and unwrap those. Um , it feels very , very special. But then , like I said , those images , there's a few images of Frida in her wheelchair , um , images where she doesn't look as healthy as the other photographs that we've seen of her. And we know she suffered with many , many health complications throughout her life. So that was something really , really interesting. And then back and forth , the letters that go and sometimes there were things that went unanswered. For example , Nicholas Murray's daughter had passed away suddenly at the age of 19 , and he was quite distraught about it. And in one of the letters , he sends a photograph of his daughter to Frida and he's saying , you know how upset he is that his daughter had passed and asked her to do a portrait. And that is one of the last letters that goes unanswered. And to our knowledge , she never did that portrait of Nicholas's daughter.
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S2: To a better understanding , certainly of Nicholas Murai. He's not as well known as Frida , but then also the opportunity to see. Like an interesting woman. Frida was beyond her art career. You really get this behind the scenes look at who she was , how she spoke. I mean , even in the letters , there's cursing. One of them has a lipstick kiss on it. Sometimes she would send little trinkets along in the letters. So you really get this intimate look at her and her relationship with Nicholas , which I think is really , really special.
S1: Frida Kahlo , through the Lens of Nicholas Murai , runs through November 5th at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido. And I've been speaking with the center's director of museum and Visual Arts , Beth Solomon Moreno. Beth , thanks so much for talking with us today.
S2: I really appreciate it. Thank you.
S1: What are your thoughts on San Diego's art scene ? Give us a call at (619) 452-0228 and leave a message or you can email us at midday at pbs.org. Coming up , we take a look at the Old Globe Theater as it hires a new director of arts engagement.
S3: Much of what happens here at the Globe happens on our main stages. This is our opportunity to invite people to participate and to get involved , sometimes off the main stage.
S1: You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. I'm Harrison Pattillo , in for Jade Heinemann. The Old Globe Theatre has just appointed a Denna Varner as its new director of arts Engagement Chile , the department of more than 30 employees and teaching artists that engage tens of thousands of people in neighborhoods around San Diego in theater and theater related programming. Although she won't assume the position until August. Kpbs arts reporter Beth Accomando spoke with her about the work she'll be doing.
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S3: I would say probably my household , even though no one is formally an artist , my mother is such a storyteller , her and my and my grandmother both , which is also interesting because they're by profession educators , but big personalities , very active , can't tell you a story. Seated , they must stand and act it out. So I grew up in that kind of lively , vibrant household. And I would say more formally , I sang a lot in elementary school , and that led me to the stage in fifth grade during Christmas plays at my school and even plays at my local church. Growing up , those were like the early influences Grandma , Mom , and then in school and also in church.
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S3: It is that storytelling aspect is something that I think it really is like the root of the craft really is being able to share experiences and share share traditions , share culture , share who we are just as humans with loved ones , friends , family , community. And I think that that is something that young people , that all people really should be empowered to do and have the skills and tools to do , whether it's on the stage or if it's on a newspaper or some other outlet. Just being able to share and present the things that are valuable to you and the things that you're curious about , being able to listen and receive and appreciate someone else's stories. I think that that kind of is like the fundamental truth to our craft.
S4: So you are the director of arts engagement here at the Globe.
S3: But I would say obviously much of what happens here at the Globe happens on our main stages. This is our opportunity to invite people to participate and to get involved. Sometimes off the main stage. It's an opportunity for us to come into community spaces , whether it's a school or a rec center or a senior center or even a justice center. And to share the tools of theater making theatricality with folks. So again , they can kind of create their own content. But also I think that it's an opportunity for us to continue to raise awareness and raise the profile of the work that the Globe does in spaces and with people who maybe traditionally have been marginalized and not felt welcomed into our home.
S4: And the Globe has a number of programs already established in this area.
S3: I'm learning to having committed everything to memory because it is a lot. I think one of the things that's most interesting to me is the work we're continuing to do with Shakespeare and honoring what is classic and honoring that canon. I'm really excited about the after school work that's happening and the partnerships that we have with schools. I'm excited to be able to support teachers and administrators. I'm also really excited about some of the work that we do with our seniors. That is , it kind of holds a special place in my heart. My grandparents are very important to me. My village is very important to me and that is also a marginalized community. A lot of the times we forget about our seniors and our elders , and so we have active relationships with that community as well. I love the mobile unit. I think that I can't wait to get my hands around what we do there and just being able to tour performances to different communities is very exciting. And then also having time to actually sit it down here. It's also really exciting. So there's so we do a lot and I'm excited to see what the next level of that wants to be as well.
S4: And I'm wondering , is it too early for you to have particular ideas about some new things you want to bring , or do you have some already ideas ? Yes.
S3: I was sharing earlier this week at this impromptu little impromptu for me board meeting that I've been. Listening to local news. I've been in conversation with colleagues and so really I'm allowing things to be revealed to me. I would say I try not to come into a space with my own pre-set agenda , but allow needs and concerns and the gaps to be filled. Based on my experience and what I know my skill set to be , as I listen , I'm able to kind of creatively problem solve and innovate around what the need is. So I've been really just listening to what sounds like some needs in the community. Definitely have some impulses around folks who English is not their first language. I'll tell you a story. When I came the first time to San Diego , I was leaving my hotel and I was standing on the corner waiting for my Uber , and there were so many different languages around me. I could hear Spanish. I could hear what My husband's half German. I heard some German. I heard what felt like Russian. And I was like , Wow , I'm at the disadvantage because I can't speak these languages. And it just was a moment for me of like , how are we thinking creatively around programming that amplifies different cultures and brings in folks who English may not be their first language. So those types of I'm listening. I'm very much in this kind of open , porous space where I'm allowing the culture and the people to kind of speak to me in my spirit and then allow that to form what comes next.
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S3: I'm from Baltimore , Maryland originally , and that is that was home for me on purpose. I wanted to stay home. I wanted to serve home. And I had a lot of work working with young people in a previous life. I ran a child care center. I was a child care administrator for the church that I grew up in. I went to grad school at Catholic U where specifically I started theater , majored in theater education , and then while I was there , I started to say , okay , I think it's time to step into this as the profession. And so I worked at Baltimore Center Stage for several years , and right now I'm leaving my tenure at Saint Louis Rep and then coming here to San Diego. So I've worked on the East Coast. I've been in the middle of the country , in the Midwest , and now making my way west to San Diego.
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S3: However , one of them does love to play the violin. So I should I shouldn't say he's not an artist , he is an artist. He creates in his own way. But I think the the sense of agency that young people have when they have the opportunity to create something , it empowers them , it gives them value. And I think that that is what at the core of being an artist , that's what it's all about. It's about being able to create your own thing and be comfortable in your own voice and in your own contribution to the world. And I think all mediums of art give young people access to that , whether it is media arts or singing or music or theater or dance , just getting comfortable with who you are and how you present and how you show up in the world. It's incredibly important for young people , especially now , to have that sense of ownership and agency over themselves and and also to just be able to joyfully express themselves in a healthy way. I think when I when I remember one of the things that really stood out to me when I was studying was this idea of dramatic play. And we always , you know , for a parents , you always have like this kitchen , like the kids kitchen when they're growing up. You've got like the little food , like the big plastic apples and bananas. And , you know , you get a little apron or a chef's hat for them. And they're they're trying on characters in that moment. They're learning from parents and loved ones and they're trying it on. When I used to work at the daycare fields forever ago , but I remember the two year olds would just amaze me and how they would , like , pick up a doll baby and put it in a stroller and walk it around and they would pick up like a purse and a book bag. And they're like , you know , jogging with the baby. They're imitating what they see and what they hear. And they're trying it on. They're playing and they're dramatizing and they're two , you know. And so it is a part of how we learn. It's a part of how we understand ourselves. And so it's incredibly important that we continue to give young people access to artistic expression.
S4: And I'm wondering how the idea of arts engagement has changed since the pandemic. And also. Since the letter to White American Theater and Black Lives Matter.
S3: But we do have a resource which I'm grateful for. It is our social justice roadmap that kind of keeps us accountable and also is a guiding light for us to make sure we're walking the path that we say that what I call the say do gap. So so to make sure that there is no gap in what we say and that we're doing what we say and really walking out our values , we've got that roadmap to kind of guide us and we've got partners in the community to not just hold us accountable , but to help support us in those moments where we're not quite sure what we should be doing or which way we should be walking and to kind of check our biases and keep us keep us humble and keep us accountable. I think that the industry is changing. The world is changing socially. We we are in what feels like this great transition. And I think that the institution is certainly our department is is in a space where we are very open , very receptive and very much listening to what our constituents are saying that they need. I think as as a nonprofit , we have to be in the business of serving , you know. And so , yes , we serve by way of our shows. But yes , we do need to be listening to our constituency and what this institution can do to better position ourselves as an organization that serves.
S4: For people who may not know what the social justice roadmap is. Explain a little bit about it. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. So in 2020 , early and 2020 , our executive leaders , Tim and Barry , kind of led the staff and some other key stakeholders in this this process in which we kind of wrestled with , with the truths of what it means to be an organization that is committed to social justice values. There are actual goals. It is a multi-year plan that gives us kind of benchmarks throughout the process and again , holds us accountable to make sure we're hitting those goals and really trying to evolve and transform the institution. I believe it was published the end of 2020 , and it's something that we continue to come to. I'm still very much learning the roadmap , but it's something that we revisit and again , we keep ourselves accountable.
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S3: You know , I come from a coast and so I think I had this this notion that the people on this coast would be like the folks on the East Coast. And it is a very different energy. It's something there's a warmth here. There is authenticity here. The same kind of hospitality that I experienced in the Midwest I'm experiencing here. And so I think that the people are just amazing to work with , incredibly smart , incredibly thoughtful , wildly imaginative and creative , and just I'm excited to be their next collaborator. And then I think one of the things that I'm also very excited and kind of proud of is that we are so close to Tijuana and the work that we get to do internationally. It feels like we're just scratching the surface. We actually can change the world , like actually so , so I'm excited about what's happening across the border and that we have a footprint there and that that's something what we're modeling there is not just something that we can model nationally , but it is something that has the potential to do amazing transformational work globally.
S4: All right. Well , thank you very much for talking. Thank you. Beth.
S1: Beth. That was Beth Accomando speaking with Adena Varner , the new director of arts engagement at the Old Globe Theater. Have you been to the Old Globe lately ? Give us a call at (619) 452-0228 and leave a message. Or you can email us at midday at pbs.org. Coming up , we take a look at San Diego's public art and why it's important.
S5: You've got to pay attention to your surroundings to to catch it. I think for those schools and public art , San Diego is well known.
S1: You're listening to Kpbs Midday Edition. In an age of polarization and alienation , there remains a space that binds Oz , inspires and educates public art. Kpbs Amita Sharma looked at a few local pieces and places where artists are committed to creating beauty and provoking thought.
S6: I think a mural like this absolutely stops people in their tracks.
S5: Jim Dyson is describing a multi shaded blue painting that pops off the wall at the corner of 20th Street and Imperial Avenue in Barrio Logan. In calligraphy , it spells out America's finest city and depicts quintessential local images.
S6: The Coronado Bridge , the train. You can see our friar from the Padres.
S5: Because Damien is an art history professor at Point Loma Nazarene University. He sees more a maze of lines , forms , shapes that unfolds. San Diego's story.
S6: You can think of the city of San Diego as the inspiration and the writing on the wall as a poem , a reflection , a creative interpretation of the things that are influencing the artists.
S7: I paint a lot of San Diego stuff just so people can enjoy is my city. I love my city.
S5: The artist Dice One co painted the mural with his friend Hassell in 2017.
S7: I see it as a gift and from what I've seen in the last six years , as long as it's been running , I mean , I can say people love it.
S5: Dice one's intent is for his work to be an offering , and that forms the soul of the many murals , some graffiti sculptures , statues , installations and other pieces that mark indoor and outdoor spaces across San Diego County. Damien says public art's purpose is layered. It can add beauty.
S6: But it could also challenge us on a number of political , social or any conceptual issue altogether.
S5: It could encourage people to engage with more depth , vibrance good public art , imparts fresh insights , invites repeated visits , he says.
S6: Almost like a conversation with an old friend that's full of surprises.
S5: Without it , life is drab.
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S8: It has components you can't see. It's inability to really support social cohesion , a sense of belonging , a sense of neighborhood pride , Jones says.
S5: There are many forms of public art , some that artists install in public places. And then there's art commissioned by local governments. San Diego's public art budget this year is $5.7 million. Its collection totals nearly 800 artworks. Some of Jones favorite public art can be seen inside the downtown Central Library , including its elevator.
S8: Somebody's going into this elevator and being launched into this discovery of encyclopedic nature of what a library is.
S5: Step outside the library , and public art abounds in the region. There's the whimsical think Niki de Saint Valley's exaggerated sculpture of an alligator outside the Ming Museum , the participatory , a mosaic of community faces named a place to call home at South Crest Trails Park. The startling , such as the tiny house titled Fallen Star , perched atop the engineering building at UCSD , the colorful and captivating like the murals at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido and the iconic Chicano park with its murals portraying Chicano history , culture and key civil rights activists , Jim DeMint calls the area's public art robust , finding it , he says , is similar to a scavenger hunt.
S6: We often don't see what's in front of us , and we need to get out of our cars and walk and ask questions that engage our community.
S5: Back at the America's Finest City , Mural Street performer James Harvick heeds the credo. He says he passes the mural each day on his way to a nearby Walmart and is affected by what he sees.
S9: He calls to me , makes me feel part of it. Kind of like the homies. It's a good representation of our community.
S5: I meet the Shama Kpbs News.
S1: And joining me now is Kpbs investigative reporter Amita Sharma. Amita , welcome.
S5: Thank you. Harrison It's good to speak with you.
S1: You as well.
S5: So I asked that very question at the start of all of my conversations with all of the people I interviewed. And while I appreciated everyone's answers , I thought that one person in particular really stood out in the answer he gave me , and that was Point Loma Nazarene University art history professor Jim DeMint. He had the most comprehensive definition or description. Most people just said public art is art in public spaces. But professor Decent , he said it's anything that is creative in the public sphere. It can be placed there by public groups or by government or private groups or individuals who just have something to say , something to share artistically. And they put it up on the streets like a mural. And , you know , in the piece I spoke to a graffiti artist by the name of this one. He is the one who co painted the 20th Street mural , which I really focus on in my feature. And that is an example of true public art , where , you know , one is really in love with his city and wants to share his feelings on a mural. And I just want to add that the patient , you know , says this in public art can be a mural. It's it could be one dimensional , it could be two dimensional. It can beautify a community , enhance its appearance. It can provoke discussions. It can provoke debate.
S1: You know , I want to ask you a little bit more about your deep dive into this subject as a relative newcomer a little bit later.
S5: We have sculptures , paintings within public places like the library. We have a ton of murals. I think it's very vibrant. I think that you have public art to satisfy a lot of different tastes and it spread out quite well throughout the region. There are a lot of thought provoking murals like what you see in Chicano Park , and it's also very educational over there. You've got beautiful murals in La Jolla and in Escondido. There are also these mosaic pieces in various parts of the region. I think that it's it's really everywhere. You have to be alert , though , and you've you've got to pay attention to your surroundings to to catch it. I think for those schooled in public art , San Diego is well known. I mean , it has one of the biggest collections by renowned French artist Niki de Saint Folly.
S1: And you're mentioning some pieces here and there.
S5: Some of them I've mentioned. Of course , there is the iconic Chicano park , which has a ton of education murals , educational murals , I should say , about Chicano culture and history. You have to really spend time with the murals and notice all the detail , and it forces you to think about topics that remain relevant in our society , like immigration and the fight for social justice. There is this really cool , just astonishing piece called The Fallen Star , and it's that little house that is on top of the engineering building at UCSD. That in and of itself is an engineering feat. Just getting that house up there. One of my favorites is a work done by artist Roberto Solis , and it's in Nestor near the Grove Avenue pump station , and it's called Plaza , and it has a series of these really tall stones. They've been brought here from the cliffs of New Mexico. It's so majestic. It's so powerful. The way it's set up is it creates this space for people , for adults and for kids to just hang out. There's a sandbox which if you dig deep enough , you'll find these tiles that feature bits of local history on them. And it's just it's it's engaging. It's rich has so much meaning. I interviewed him last month about the work and that story airs next week.
S1: So art and whether that's public or otherwise , it's the product of the artist's inspiration. You spoke to a few people who are pretty immersed in the world of public art.
S5: He really wanted to illustrate. He wanted to show everyone how wonderful he thought his hometown of San Diego is. And and he included what he thought makes San Diego special. You know , the Padres , the trolley , the homes , his neighborhood in Barrio Logan. He wanted to just share his love for San Diego with everyone. And when I interviewed public artist Roberto Salas , who did Plaza and Nestor , those stone structures , he really described a very elaborate process. So when he's been commissioned to do a piece , he spends time at the site , he breathes in the air , he listens to the sounds , He takes off his shoes , he walks on the grass , he lies down on the grass. He looks up at the sky. And then he says , Ideas emerge. So he again , he has a really elaborate and I thought , you know , a beautiful a poignant process.
S1: So as a member of Kpbs investigative team , you've reported on many issues from reproductive rights to uncovering abuse at local senior care centers.
S5: The Newsroom has wanted to devote some time and effort to take a closer look at San Diego's public art scene. At the same time , the I-Team has been kicking around ideas on topics subjects to cover that give us a break from reporting and writing about subjects that. You know , Harrison can sometimes be really grim. They can be deflating and they're hyper focused on wrongdoing. Public arts , to us seemed like the perfect antidote for the AI team.
S1: Sounds like a nice change of scenery for the team. Absolutely.
S5: Absolutely.
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S5: I mean , I think that there are people who travel to see public art and tourists who come to our area with a clear goal of visiting our public art. But I also think that the reality is that people are so busy , we're always in a rush to get someplace , to finish a task , to run an errand , which can make it challenging to see these just really incredible pieces of art that are in our midst. We can walk right past them. We can drive right past them without really thinking about them , what they are. What is the artist trying to say ? Why is this artwork in this particular spot ? The truth is that this region possesses these public art treasures , big and small , and. And they've been placed in expected and unexpected places. And again , because of the nature of our lives or that we simply haven't prioritized really exploring these pieces , they get missed.
S1:
S5: She's the chief of Civic Art Strategies at the city of San Diego , said about what public art can do. You know , of course it can revitalize a community. But she said , you know , it can create a sense of pride , a sense of ownership. It can generate social cohesion , a sense of belonging. And she just said , look , it makes a place special. I know that sounds like a lot , but these are words these are concepts that are coming from people who've really studied this. I think the crux of what she said really spoke to me and she said , you know , at the end of the day , we all need beauty. And that smile and that idea , those ideas and those emotions that art , public art can sometimes spark.
S1:
S5: We have a story coming up about Mickey just saying follies work and how it's preserved and maintained. We have a piece coming up that I've done on the public artist Roberto Salas. We have a piece coming up on an artist by the name of Carlos Rodriguez. We have a piece coming up about art in public restrooms. So the audience has a lot to look forward to.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with Kpbs investigative reporter Amita Sharma. Amita , thanks.
S5: It's good talking to you. Eisen.
S1: We'd love to hear your thoughts on today's show. Give us a call at (619) 452-0228 and leave a message or you can email us at midday at pbs.org. Don't forget to catch Evening Edition tonight at five on Kpbs television. Midday Edition is produced by Andrew Bracken and Giuliana Domingo with help from Ariana Clay. Our technical directors are Adrian Villalobos , Rebecca Chacon. Our segments are produced by Julia Dixon Evans and Beth Accomando. New music for the show comes courtesy of the Surefire Soul Ensemble. And if you ever missed a show , you can find the Midday Edition podcast wherever you listen. I'm Harrison Patino.
UU: Thanks for listening.
