S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition for today's arts and culture show. Find out who's curating the San Diego Museum of Art experience. Then we'll take you to a haunted maze. Plus , your weekend preview. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. For Hispanic Heritage Month , we are profiling some of San Diego's trailblazers. Plus , Beth Accomando takes us to a haunted maze with a social conscience. Then hear about the power of printmaking in your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. So all month , we've been sitting down with trailblazers in the community as part of our Hispanic Heritage Month profile series. My next guest is Roxana Velazquez , and they've played a pivotal part in shaping and redefining San Diego's arts and culture scene. She's been the executive director and CEO at the San Diego Museum of Art for the past 15 years. Roxana joins me here in studio to talk about her own artistic journey and what she sees as the future for arts and culture in our border region. Welcome to Midday Edition.
S2: Thank you. Thank you so much. Delighted to be here with you. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Glad you could make it in studio. You know , I want to start with your journey into the arts. You were born in Mexico City , and I know you were surrounded by arts growing up.
S2: Very , very young. Young at Mexico. And there is a country that is surrounded by culture and arts , architecture , 30 centuries of splendor from the pre-Columbian times , pyramids , archeology sites. So it is very interesting because when you grow up , grow up there , you have these big fortune. Schools take you to museums. It's part of the curriculum. You visit the National Museum of History , the National Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology , or the Fine Arts Palace. So really , you get exposed all the time to music , food , colors , different world that is connected to culture. And it's part of of the way you are educated. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. What a rich upbringing.
S2: I was 16 years old when I actually was exposed to an exhibition , an exposition that was traveling from the Prado Museum in Madrid , and I saw this very strong paintings by Goya. Goya is one of the foremost artists , as you know , that had this capacity to portray the soul of all of us. He was critic , but he was always pointing out the virtues of the humankind as well. So I saw those paintings and I was so impressed and touched. They are powerful. They are very contemporary when you look at them. But of course , this was an exhibition in a fine arts palace. It's called Palacio de Bellas Artes. It's an iconic landmark architectural place that occupies four blocks in downtown Mexico City. And I dream in the fact that if I were able to communicate this powerful language named Art with the people , something would happen. And that's the route. That's how it all started when I was a teenager. And of course , after that I became an art historian. Nice.
S1: Nice. And that's what I was going to ask you , because what is it about art that really drives your interest , right ? Because so much can be communicated through art. So what is it for you ? Exactly.
S2: So. So the fact that you could learn history through art , the fact that you could see the talented humans portraying certain moments in time , teaching you context of history , but or portraits of people understanding sociology , how do we move through beautiful pieces , extraordinarily skillful and talented draftsmen. If you know , or you like oils or watercolor or technique , you could also be attracted to that , that combination of skillful ness. That's what I would tell you. But there's an emotion. What I like and love about art is , yes , it could teach you a lot of things , but it brings up this emotion , this adrenaline , excitement , because in some pieces that is high dimensional. Let's talk about paintings or try dimensional witches sculptures. Of course , you feel , actually that you're alive , that somebody made that work of art. Somebody thought about that specific space and that someone was a human just like you and me. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , there's so much vibrant and unique art that really comes from our border region.
S2: I was a director there. And of course , when I discovered San Diego and Tijuana , Baja California region , I was so impressed by the fact that there are a few binational regions , few places that have this multi-cultural , you know , communities. And I am a believer in the power of communities diversity in and really the the civilizations that come all together. Everybody brings something to the table. And of course , the energy that you see in the Mexican communities , and of course , the knowledge that you see in the American museums and the conversation of systems , creativity and all that , you know , ends up being in a wonderful , wonderful mix and result.
S1: And it's so interesting , the role that a museum can play in really bridging all of that together through arts and culture. Absolutely.
S2: Absolutely. Arts , in spite of of the fact that people think that art might be elitist or distant or that would require from you a big knowledge , a doctorate , that's not true. I always have liked and this is 32 years of career uninterrupted. I have always tried to share the fact that , first of all , art is something that is simple for all of us. We are open to learn through our visual senses. The same with music or theater or culture in general. But if we allow ourselves to open up , we will understand that. So art is not something difficult. Art exactly bridges all the gaps among societies. You can sit in front of a painting , observe , contemplate a landscape , a portrait , an abstract , colorful piece of work and we could all have a conversation around it. And nobody is good or wrong. There's obviously a dialogue , and it's almost a diplomatic exercise because we all feel something. It's just allowing us to be exposed to that. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: We spoke about the region. We spoke about the relevance of really integrating all the multiple cultures that are here. But the museum was a little slowly , I have to tell you , was slow. It was a little dorm when I arrived. And let's just talk about numbers 120,000 visitors. We had a then that's a number that I remember 120 , not even 130,000. Today. We have surpassed a half million visitors. Today we have a constant visitor ship that gets between the 540,000 550,000 visitors. And we don't need to bring a blockbuster show , a Picasso show , a monet show. We just need to invite the community. That was my goal , first of all , of course , to remember that this museum , that it's a Centennial institution centennial. We are turning 100 years of existence in the next February. Very soon we'll talk about that. But of course , getting the place awaken , the people having this sense of ownership , having and creating the pride of having a place , a cultural museum that was created by our founders and with the idea to share the art with everybody , to make it absolutely available and to teach through art. That was the reason why this museum was there. So I really wanted to create this , this sense. It was one of my goals. Of course , when you bring people , you think that's working , but when you create the sense of pride , the sense of ownership , all of us go to see Chicago or the Metropolitan. We go to Paris. Yes , I want to go to the Louvre. But when you come to San Diego and you realize that we have a museum that has 35,000 works of art from across the globe , and starting with pieces from Ramses the Second in Egypt , archaeological pieces all the way to contemporary art created here at the border precisely in Baja California , or of course , in London or in Italy. We go through figurative art. Say you love the Golden age of Spain or the 17th century Dutch art. Those beautiful flowers that remind us about the golden age of painting. Or you like American art. Georgia O'Keeffe. This museum owns five. Georgia O'Keeffe. If people only knew that it's so difficult for any museum to own one. Georgia O'Keeffe. Our foremost are , of course , painter and wonderful thinker Georgia. But also we own pieces that are exceptional , like the collection of Indian paintings , Southeast Asia. I would love to share again and again that the most important collection of Indian paintings outside New Delhi reside here in San Diego , and it's 1500 paintings from the eighth century all the way to 18. Why is that important ? You learn as a history of India. You see colors. You see traditions of elephants represented. It's a joy to see that , or how jewelry was represented for all those centuries. But also you have the best collection of Spanish art outside Madrid , which is again , Goya's the member of the artists that inspired me , Goya's Zurbaran , Morelos. You have Rivera's or Juan Sanchez Caetano and if you like , um , of course , other type of painting , French Impressionism. Who does not like a monet , a Pissarro , a Sisley. You go to Paris , everybody says , oh , it was so cool. Those Toulouse-Lautrec , you know , we have the largest collection outside Paris of Toulouse-Lautrec , 146 pieces. Wow.
S1: Wow.
S2: I mean , this is your museum.
S3:
S1: And you can find your your history and your story here as well.
S2: Today's.
S3: Today's.
S2: World , we started exercising with apps and digital exhibitions. We started knowing that everybody has a smartphone. Majority of the people can Google who's the artist , and we really focus in the contributions of those artists and in the experiences that they cause a certain time. You know , the younger generations when we give these tours , and I have to say here that we give tours every single day in more than ten languages , more than.
S3: Ten languages for. Everybody.
S2: Everybody. But we try to create this. What is your interest this generation ? Some are interested in markets. Some want to know how the stock market works. Others are. And through art , you could follow the steps of what was happening. For example , in the 17th century in the Dutch countries. Everybody knows now that tulips flowers were more expensive than paintings , so that's a piece of a conversation. But what about portraiture ? When you think about the man at the center and you think about Leonardo da Vinci , everybody knows who Leonardo da Vinci is. We all know the genius man. That , of course , is connected to art and sciences. We own a Giorgione who was the pupil , the disciple working with Leonardo. Side by side. And there are only eight in the world. And we have the portrait by Giorgione that has toured the world. So the younger generation should know. It's not boring.
S3: To go to a museum.
S2: It's exciting. There are multiple conversations , and of course , if you allow yourself to see and compare , I have seen a result that is impressive.
S1: Well , one conversation that we often have on the show is about how art can really speak to our current moment and help us process what's going on around us.
S2:
S3: Is the worst thing we have seen.
S2: It's not true. These artists have captured , for example , the German Expressionist between the two world wars. We have paintings here from 1914. Otto Dix , we have paintings by Gabriele Münter. We have those cries about the disasters of the time in between the two world wars. So when you go and see the faces that they portray , you're really moved and think. Do we really want to.
S3: Go back.
S2: There and you get questioned as well ? Goya did portraits on the disasters of war in Spain. Way back when. And you see the famine also happening in other countries. So they are really revealing and allowing you to think what was going on ? Why should we be better and question ourselves ? And we have lots of landscapes and we have lots of flowers. And for those that just want a piece of art that allow you to see yourself , yourself and get a trip , that is also possible. So art is not decoration.
S3: It could be decoration.
S2: But it's really a mirror that opens up all of us.
S1: All right. I've been speaking with Roxana Velazquez , executive director and CEO of the San Diego Museum of Art. Roxana , thank you so much.
S3: Thank you so much for.
S2: For inviting me.
S1: Coming up , we take you through a haunted maze where you might find a classic horror icon like Leatherface , but not in the way you'd expect.
S4: It's interesting going to , you know , fright for future and seeing these kind of iconic horror villains come to life , but for a different cause. You know.
S1: Hear more about this haunt with a social conscience when Midday Edition returns. Welcome back to midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. It is Halloween season , and if you're looking for a unique haunted attraction fright for future , maybe what you're searching for instead of ghosts , schools , and monsters , you'll experience a haunted maze of real world horrors inspired by climate change , animal cruelty , and pollution. KPBS Arts reporter Beth Accomando previews this socially conscious haunt with its creator , Jason Madrigal , and one of her haunt crew , John Hansen. Take a listen.
S5: Jason , you have a haunted attraction this year. Fright for future. And this may not be what people are exactly expecting this Halloween season , so explain what it is. Definitely not what people probably are expecting. So I pray for future is a haunted maze of true terrors bringing scary issues concerning people , our planet , and animals to light this Halloween. And so , you know , it addresses a variety of issues concerning the environment , human rights issues , and animal rights issues throughout the maze. And it's truly scary and it's super fun.
S6: I'm gonna get closer and you'll be joining in on the fun.
S5: So what prompted you to create this ? Well , I first learned about climate change , specifically a senior year of high school , and I proceeded to go off to college and I got my minor in environmental studies , and I am very passionate about climate change. And I am currently working for San Diego 350 , where a climate action organization locally here in San Diego. And so through and through. I'm a climate activist , but I'm also an animal rights activist as well. I went vegan in college , and I care a lot about the animals , and obviously I care about our planet , too. And the animal agriculture industry is very destructive to our planet. And so for all those reasons , I was like , okay , what can I do to educate people about these issues in a fun way ? Because I think education a lot of times , like , you know , just like learning from like a book or , you know , being taught in school. And I think it's way more fun to be educated in a cool way and to be able to take action. And so I'm involved in a lot of different groups locally. And I was like , okay , well , how can I. Like , spotlight all these groups in one event ? Because they're all doing amazing work for the animals , for the planet , for people. And so this really highlights all the different issues that local organizations are addressing. And then having people take action with those local organizations at the end of the maze. So whatever speaks to them. And , John , you have been involved in this from starting as a volunteer.
S7:
S4: The first year , it was just me and Jason and her family blowing up dolls and putting them in little masks and stuff. And it was a very modest attempt , but it did a good job , and it took off. And more and more volunteers have been signing up over the years , and it's been expanding with more and more exhibits and really is effective. I think it's resonating with a lot of people.
S7: So How do you translate like these climate change and animal rights issues into a haunt ? Like what ? I mean , I don't want you to necessarily give spoilers so people. Like.
S5: Like.
S7: Aren't scared , but like , how are you translating these things to create kind of a haunted attraction ? Yeah.
S5: So well , it starts out kind of with the concept. So I'm like , okay , how can I connect deforestation with a horror that people recognize ? So for example , one of the attractions is the Chainsaw Massacre. And so but instead of a massacre of people , it's a massacre of trees and of our forests. And so it's the full name is the Amazon Rainforest Chainsaw Massacre. And so it talks about the animal agriculture industry and its effect on our environment. And so people recognize that as horror. And so in that exhibit I have a lot of props. and I use lighting and in a lot of animatronics and to make the actual structure of the maze , since this isn't up for the whole month of October , it's up for two weeks. But to make that structure , we use like these canopies and with different backdrops. And so each section. So there's 20 different attractions to 20 different issues and 20 different sections. And it's a lot of work , but we put it on put it up really fast and it's super fun.
S7:
S4: That's how I got involved in environmentalism. And so when I set up attractions like the Dead Sea or the Ghost Netting exhibit , those are stuff that resonate with me in particular , because these are actual hazards to marine life and to put people in those situations that the animals find themselves in is a very eye opening experience that not a lot of people can get otherwise.
S7: So I have to confess that I'm a fan of horror. But generally , as the world gets scarier , I seek out horror as an escape and comfort food. So you are now presenting me with more horrors from the real world ? Yes.
S5:
S7:
S5: I'm usually at the front of the maze and so but sometimes I trot over to the end like I'm see how people are enjoying it. And yeah , it's really interesting to see what people connect with. Like a lot of people last year , I think really thought that the The Witches Cauldron exhibit was really cool and like , unique. And because they've never really heard about that issue much. And so that issue addresses animals used in our cosmetic industry. And so as which is , you know , brew their potions. Right. We're doing that in the real world with using animal parts. Yeah. So that was kind of something that spoke to a lot of people. I think the Dead Sea , like plastic pollution , also really got to a lot of people. And then our butcher shop and our cages. Those ones are about the chicken industry and the beef industry. And so that one was pretty impactful because we have videos kind of showing. And so it was kind of immersive in a different way , which was really cool. And I think people like were like , oh , wow , I didn't realize that the industry was so bad or , you know , things like that. And so and then afterwards we do have a take action section. So when people complete the maze , they get to talk to the different organizations tabling. But they also we also have a section that's a fortune teller. So it's like , take control of your future. Right. And so , uh , so then we have participants fill out a piece of paper , kind of like a pledge of , like what they're going to do to take action after walking through the maze. And so that's been interesting , like looking at the different pieces of paper that people like submit. And it's really cool. I think a lot of people are like , oh , like , I'll eat more plant based and , you know , I'll use less plastic and things like that. So yeah , that's really cool.
S7: And you do have other organizations involved in this. So tell us who some of these other groups are.
S5: We have quite a few organizations involved. We have DXC Direct Action Everywhere , San Diego Kind Heart Coalition , the Global Conservation Force. Oh , Surfrider and Coast Keeper Cafe has been involved , which is like they addressed the fur industry. Um , we have Almost ten organizations involved this year. I think we have nine , so. Oh , and then I also forgot the organization I work for , San Diego. 350 they , um , we do climate action work , so they definitely they're our fiscal sponsor of the Haunted Maze.
S7:
S5: So the organizations help out with the actual putting the maze together. DXC does the butcher shop exhibit kind Heart Coalition does the cages one about chick the chicken industry and then Global Conservation forest does like the poaching exhibit and then San Diego. 350 has like the biohazard unit and apocalypse that address the oil industry and the in climate change , air pollution and the vegan animal rescue. They have little animals that they they bring like mice , and that after going through the Mad Scientist exhibit , which is about animal testing , then you can see the actual animals in real life , which is really cool , and they bring them every year , which is so fun.
S7: So and describe the location where you're at now because you have expanded.
S5: Yes , we we have expanded. Yeah. It's it's really exciting. We added five new attractions this year , which are more the human rights aspect of the attractions. And so we are at 37 ECB. And so this is a community school here in San Diego. And we're using their visual and performing art space to have the maze this year. And I'm partnering with the school and with lots of other principals to bring in student groups throughout the two weeks , like during the week of those two weeks and so on the weekend , it'll be open for the public , and then during the week , the school day , it'll be open for students. And so it's great because I have schools busing kids in. Um , one school is bringing 100 students. Uh , you know , and then 50 students here , 50 students there. And it's super fun. And we have , I think , a little over 15 schools right now that are going to be coming through the maze. So it's going to be really great.
S7: And John , so I recently was a scare actor at the Haunted Trail. And again , this is like a very different context. So you know I go into this and to me it's a lot of fun to get put in makeup and scare kids and things like that. But when you're dealing with real world horrors , every time people are walking through the attraction , like , does that get you down or like increase your anxiety about the real world ? Or do you feel good that like you're actually doing something that maybe is impacting people ? Yeah.
S4: Um. Good question. Surprisingly , no. It's not , as , you know , depressing as it may seem. Off the bat , um , you go in and you're engaged , and instead of going to a haunted maze where you want to run through because you're getting chased by people , you actually want to stop and engage with it and learn a little bit about what's around you and how it's being presented. I think that's one of the interesting parts about fright for future is all these conceptual things that are very abstract , and people talk about all the time. They're actually in your face literally as a physical horror. And it's it's a very unique educational opportunity.
S7: And can I just ask.
S5: Like , what.
S7:
S5: Oh yeah , we are both horror fans. But yeah , so I love horror movies. Um , you know , Texas Chainsaw Massacre , like the slasher ones and things. Um , and so I never was able to watch that stuff growing up. And so that's probably why I like it now. Now. Um , so , like , you know , my mom , I grew.
S7: Up on a Hallmark.
S5: Channel and , you know , Disney. Right. And so. And then now I'm like , oh my God , I love this kind of stuff. And , and I think it's just it's a great way to be like , oh my goodness , we don't even have to watch a horror movie. Like we're living in a horror movie sometimes , like , you know , and it feels like that sometimes. So I'm like , okay , well , you know , why not ? Why not show that in a , in this cool way ? And , um , yeah , I mean , Halloween is my favorite holiday. And so , you know , instead of putting on a Halloween party , I put on a private feature maze. So , yeah , I mean.
S4: Big horror fan. Um , and it's it's interesting going to , you know , fright for future and seeing these kind of iconic horror villains come to life but for a different cause , you know , are just , you know , step on to a slaughterhouse floor and which we're used to in , in things like the Haunted trails or the Haunted Hotel. But this time it's , you know , that it's a a real place. Um , and , you know , every time you go to the grocery store and see the meat out there , that that's what happened. And to have that kind of , like connection to reality , it's a little more visceral.
S7: Well , I want to thank you both very much for talking about fright for future and giving me something genuinely scary to worry about this Halloween season. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. Of course. My pleasure to you.
S4: Yeah , thanks for having me.
S5: Thank you so much for having us. This is great. Yeah.
S1: That was Beth Accomando speaking with Jason Madrigal and John Hansen of Fright for the future. This free , haunted maze of true terrors will run the last two weekends of October at 37 ECB on El Cajon Boulevard. You can find more Halloween events on Beth's Cinema Junkie blog at pbs.org. Still to come. Local artist and printmaker Irene Zepeda talks about the power of printmaking.
S8: Everything I do has really been created on the back of printmaking , right ? So I try to teach my community. This is such an accessible medium.
S9: Hear more in your Weekend arts preview.
S1: Midday edition is back.
S9: After the break.
S1: Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman for local artist and por la mano press founder Iris Aveda. Simplicity and accessibility of printmaking makes it a powerful tool for self-expression. They'll actually be teaching about DIY , printmaking , and more at the Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Centers anniversary event this weekend. The museum and Cultural Center are celebrating three years with a physical space in Chicano Park and ten years of programming as an organization. KPBS arts reporter and host of The Finest Podcast , Julia Dixon Evans sat down with Zepeda in the Chicano Park Museum's new printmaking studio. Here's that conversation.
S10: For por la mano press. What would you say your mission is , and how long have you been doing that kind of work ? Yeah.
S8: Por la mano press is the umbrella of all of my work. Um , so I've been , you know , for a long history of doing a lot of different things in my professional kind of background , my studio practice. I'm a printmaker. I'm an artist. Um , as a community member , I'm a grassroots organizer , uh , community , um , event facilitator. Uh , I just noticed that I was doing a lot of different things. And then most recently , I graduated with my master's in art therapy and counseling. So I work with you as a youth , as a therapist. And I really wanted to bring and consolidate all of my work under one umbrella. So really , um , working with my hands is really important to me , and that's rooted in my family kind of values. Uh , my grandfather , my grandmother , they all worked with their hands , right ? They worked the land. They made tortillas by hand. They were craftspeople. So hands are really important to me. And then in the printmaking process , where you can't really have the printmaking process without the hands are really important. And another thing is like , the hand is like a bridge is a thing between you and I , right ? It's like a handshake. Um , it's the thing that connects us. So , um , I really thought , like , poor Romano is really important to my legacy in so many ways. Um , and so what Romano came about in that way. But I'm out of press , and this was five years ago. Skill sharing is really important to me. So that's really where this is rooted in. I want to teach what I know , right ? I know , although I grew up with single mother of five. Uh , you know , she had a hard time , you know , raising us and all. But I know the privilege for me had to have gone to school to get my masters right. Even though that was. That really took a lot for me. Um , I want to give back to my community and make things accessible. Um , so it really came about with skill sharing. I want to show what I know , and that came in the form of workshops , community work , bringing artists together to evolve into a sort of a platform. So I could do like events and , and also highlight other artists and other folks in my community are doing similar work. I think what I love about printmaking process. Wow. I mean , I can talk about printmaking for a very long time , but , um , it's so DIY , right ? Because it's the original form of printing. So you think about a book or text or a poster ? Um , it was all made originally through the printmaking process. So you have to actually carve out a design , a letter in order to create it , and then ink it and then print it. Right. So it's so DIY. So and it's super accessible. And that's why I love to teach it to community , because everything I've created from my merch , which is like my shameless plug , this is my shirt , right ? Um , uh , from my merch to everything I do has really been created on the back of printmaking , right ? So I try to teach my community. This is such an accessible medium. The tools are really easy to get you right. You can get a block anywhere. You can create and carve really easily. And then from there you can create stickers , you can create posters , you can create , um , merchandise. You have to you can cut out the middle person , right ? You can create your own design from from that block to a shirt. You don't have to ask anyone else , right ? It's just like right there in front of you. So for me growing up , you know , very like do it yourself. That's I think is a big it's a word part of my community. It's like you make the most from the least. Yeah.
S10: Healing is a really big part of your work. Can you talk about your experience with health and healing with the community ? Yes.
S8: So for one , I think , um , again , I can talk for for a very long time through this , but like , art was my healing. Right. And I think it starts with ourselves. Like what we're taking , it has to be our own medicine. We have to take that medicine before we can offer that medicine , because we need to know how that medicine works. Right. So our an expression , right. Ah , I have my medicine. And printmaking is a process , just as is healing , right ? So printmaking is like the conceptualizing of the idea of it. First it starts right in the ethers , right ? Then you bring it down and then you start to draw , and then you start to carve , and then you start to , um , and then you have the block and then you ink and then you print. So that's a process. Healing is a process. Right. So it really is such so symbolic in that way for me where it's like , wow , I can't get to from one step to the next step without going through this step. And healing for me is about going through a process , understanding it. Right. And then at the end , seeing it in front of you. And it's like , wow , this was really what I went through. This is what I learned. Maya Sage right. That's like a deep learning sage means a deep learning. And I was like , wow , this whole process has been a tool for me to heal , right ? The actual process and the product of of it getting my hands on this has allowed it to show me what my potential is. And when I know my potential is , I feel good about myself. Right ? And so it's like , that's the medicine to. Right ? It's not just the actual making and the carving and all of that which has healed , like healed me and allowed me to be my meditative state and my process , but also the results of it allowed to show me my own potential. And I was like , this is what I have to remind my community not to teach them because they already know it. I believe that it's deeply rooted , embedded in in us. To know these things. We just have to reconnect. And that's part of the work that I do is reconnecting. It's a remembering. It's reminding people of their sense of love for community , is their sense of love for themselves , the process and the tools around them to heal and their potential to to grow.
S10: So we're sitting inside the Chicano Park Museum. It's celebrating a double milestone on Saturday , three years as a space and ten years with programming work. Um , this space was not here when you were a kid growing up. Can you talk a little bit about what this this space means to you. And , you know , in terms of your your own past.
S8: I am absolutely grateful for the Chicano Park Museum , um , and Chicano Park in general. Like I said , this was like , you know , my outdoor gallery as a kiddo , right ? Although the museum was not here. But it's a beautiful thing to have the museum because it's like the museum is a place to archive , right ? It's like this , an additional pillar to the pillars that are already outside of us. Right ? So is this other pillar that gets to hold the legacy of all of the work that has been done to done here and put it out as a visual representation for people to , with their full senses , to be able to experience , to see , to feel , to touch. Right. And it's another community hub , right ? Which we which is really important to the foundation of what Chicano Park Legacy is. Right. So this is an extension of that and is and is also one in , one in together. Right ? Um , so yes , this place is and means a lot to be able to have this as a platform , have it as a space to archive , as a community hub , as a bridge as well , because they bring artists from LA , you know , um , and different artists from beyond just Barrio Logan to remind us that our legacy as Chicanos , you know , as Latinos , as Mexican Mexican-Americans is all tied. Right ? And this is a place about storytelling. Keeping stories and stories are important because that's our history. That's how we really know where we came from.
S1: That was Irene Zepeda , founder of LA , of por la mano press , speaking with KPBS Arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans , who joins me now. Julia , welcome.
S10: Hey , Jade , thanks for having me.
S1: Always a pleasure to have you here. So we just heard about the printmaking activity. Uh , what else is happening at the Chicano Park Museum anniversary on Saturday. Yeah.
S10: Yeah. So in addition to being this incredible space for archiving and community center , it's also a museum. They have multiple gallery spaces there in the main gallery , an exhibit. It's been on view for a while now. Ramses Noriega's Fragments del barrio. Um , that's a 60 year retrospective. There's a bunch of really incredible paintings and then tons of ephemera. So like objects , books , newspaper clippings. Noriega is a long time activist in the Chicano movement , and they're also kicking off two new community artists in their community gallery. So you can check out that art as well. There's going to be live music , DJ's and activities all afternoon , and this is all from 3 to 7 on Saturday and it's free. Wonderful.
S1: Wonderful. Okay , so let's stay with visual art for one more. The artist Paola Villasenor is opening a new exhibit in San Isidro. What can we expect there ? Yeah.
S10: So this is at the front gallery. It's Paola Villasenor or Panca. She is a cross-border binational artist. She's known for her street art styles , super vivid characters like these exaggerated lips and giant eyes dotting her paintings. And she has murals all over town. There's a big new one in Liberty Station. It spans like an entire outdoor covered walkway. There's one at the Children's Museum , and she recently moved back to Mexico after living in San Diego for several years. And this new exhibit kind of grapples with that. It's called Mevo Pueblo. It's about her experience with the current political climate , the turmoil around immigration in the United States , and this idea that she needs to flee or escape. She has 15 new paintings and a mural. These are all new works , which is really exciting. There's going to be a reception on Saturday from 5 to 7 , and then the exhibit will be up through early January , so you have plenty of time to check it out. This is at the Front Gallery in San Isidro , which is always free. Wonderful.
S1: Wonderful. And Cygnet Theatre is opening a new production of a Tony Award winning play. Tell me about that. Yeah.
S10: Yeah. So this is Christopher Durang , Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. It's this absurd comedy following the drama between adult siblings. We have two siblings who live together. Vanya and Sonia. And then the third , Masha , who is an actress and has basically been financially supporting the other siblings. And we meet them when Masha comes home to stay with her siblings , bringing home her new boyfriend spike. The play is known as being inspired by Chekhov , like these intensely character driven themes , the mood. But yeah , it's this comedy. It's absurd , just really emotionally driven. And this is happening at cygnets new space in Liberty Station. It just opened and it's in the Dotty Studio Theatre. It opened last night and it's on stage through November 9th.
S1: Definitely something to check out. Okay , so let's talk music and toddlers.
S10: He's on tour with his toddler Techno tour , and he basically takes over a nightclub or a music venue , unlike an afternoon , and plays remixes of children's songs. And here in San Diego , it's happening at Soma , this like legendary punk venue , which is , I don't know , that's kind of cute to me. Okay.
S5: Okay.
S10: And the music will be slightly less loud. There's going to be these giant inflatable toys , little hands on activities before the show. So this is Sunday at 2 p.m. , hopefully timed well with nap time.
S1: Okay , so this is this is for the grown folks and not the kids or for the kids. It's this is for the kids.
S10: It's for the. Kids.
S1: Kids. Okay , I like it. Um. All right. In other music news , the San Diego Symphony will perform this weekend.
S10: He's a Peruvian composer , and he created this work for piano. It's called ephemera. And there's two concerts this weekend , Saturday night at 730 and Sunday at two at Jacobs Music Center downtown.
S1:
S10: High time is touring in support of their new album , I quit , which is just really great. We're listening to a million years from that album. My.
S11: My. Trying to get nowhere.
S10: Get lost and they're performing with pop singer Dora Jar. This Friday night at the shell. It should be a great show.
S1: All right , well , you can find details on these and more arts events on our website , KPBS. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , thank you so much.
S10: Thank you. Jade , this is fun.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
