S1: It's time for KPBS Midday Edition. On today's show. The arts and culture shaping our region. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and make you think. The work of a coin artist gets minted in honor of America's 250th. Then Beth Accomando takes us behind the scenes of the monsters. Now at the La Jolla Playhouse. Then your weekend preview. That's ahead on Midday Edition. So choosing to be an artist as your life's work can be challenging and often unpredictable. For San Marcos artist and illustrator Chris Palance , it's really the only job he's ever known. And now his work is gaining new attention after his designs were included on coins from the U.S. mint , including one honoring America's 250th anniversary. And Chris Palance joins me now , coins in hand , to talk more about his work. Chris , welcome to Midday Edition.
S2: Thank you. Jade.
S1: So listen , you've got your coins here on the table. And for our listeners , they can't see the beautiful shiny coins that I'm looking at. Can you describe them?
S2: Well , the one you spoke of for the 250th anniversary of our nation has a quill pen kind of floating off of the surface with storm clouds in the background that are slightly breaking apart with rays of sunshine pouring through. Down upon the birth of our new nation. Hmm.
S1: Hmm. And so , what's the idea behind the the image on the coin?
S2: Well , the quill pen represents the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And it's touching the center of the coin at a horizon line. And the storm clouds in the background represent our breaking away. And our declaration of Independence from British rule and the impending storm of our rebellion. You could call it. And the success of that , and then the birth of our new nation.
S1: And so the the coin is part of an ongoing series on American democracy. Uh , what's the story behind it? Tell me about. That.
S2: That. It covers the. This coin , the Declaration of Independence. And then next year will be an image for the US Constitution. And then the third iteration in 28 will be the Bill of rights. Each one having a different image , of course , for that subject.
S1: And these are collector coins you're showing us today , right?
S2: Yes , there are platinum coins and they're not in circulation. They shouldn't be. People pay a bit of money , and yet typically they're expected to just go into your collection. Wow.
S1: Wow. Well , how much are they worth?
S2: Uh , the platinum is was around 3000 , maybe 2900 or 3200. Okay.
S1: Okay. Yeah.
S2: Yeah.
S1: And I mean , it says $100 on there. Yep.
S2: Yep. It's worth 100 bucks. I don't know if it'll fit in a vending machine. Right. Right.
S1: Right. Um , well , they're absolutely beautiful. What elements are needed to make a coin image work? Well? I mean , these your images , I will say on the coins , it's it's almost like there's movement to them when you look at them in the way that the light hits it and reflects it. Um , so , so what do you need to to make a coin image work?
S2: Thank you for that. You could probably put almost any image on a coin in platinum or gold and it would be beautiful. But the the process is it's quite involved. Um , and it starts out with very loose sketches for myself. Once I've arrived at a my finished design , it goes to the mint. There are very specific guidelines that have to be followed. The A template accompanies each design program , whether it's for a quarter or $0.50 , or. A collectible coin like this or a medal. The the guidelines. Once my coin has gone , the design has gone to the mint. It's reviewed by the experts at the mint , who makes sure that it's fulfilling all the requirements required to actually mint into a coin. And it's it's always kicked back a couple of times with adjustments that need to be made. The quill pen was much more complicated in the elements that I had included in the initial design , and they know what will work much better than I do. They've been doing it a much longer time than I have. I've been doing it for just two and a half years , and there are people at the mint. They have decades of experience and they're the ones that sculpt it and know what the requirements and capabilities are with the minting process. So they come back and you know , you need to get rid of this. This has to go. Um , they really fine tune it. And. Once that's been done , then the whole portfolio of coins and in this case , with the Declaration of Independence , there were about 20 different designers working on their own designs for that program.
S1: That's interesting. That's a lot of folks. I mean , and I know you went into this obviously hoping that your coin would be selected. What was your expectation level here? I mean , because. Well.
S2: Well.
S1: My , my.
S2: Yeah , I feel very lucky. Um , of course I wanted to be selected , but I don't really count on it because it's the designers , all of them have beautiful work. And so it's very competitive. And after the mint has it all ready to go and the portfolio is all coin able , so let's say there's 20 images , then it has to go through two separate committees that review the entire portfolio. And they each committee makes their recommendation for what their preferences. And then that entire portfolio moves on to the Secretary of the Treasury. And then the Secretary of the Treasury can choose any , anything from the portfolio. They usually go with what the committees recommend. So there are many steps in the selection process. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well I mean congratulations for making it. I mean , I want to talk about your first coin though , because you designed it. This is the 2025 American Liberty high relief gold coin. On one side of the coin is a sunflower and a bee. And can you explain the significance of that and the story you're telling in that image?
S2: I thought the sunflower was a strong representation of America. The farmland , uh , the sun bursting , beautiful , um , bright yellow orange of a sunflower. Um , sunshine. It represents hope , growth , prosperity. And then the honeybee. There's a relationship between the honeybee and the sunflower. They depend on each other for survival. And much like our nation depends on the people , the democracy , our government to work together to the benefit of all.
S1: That's a beautiful thing. This coin is is up for a pretty big award , right? Yes.
S2: Yes. It's the coin of the year award. And it's a global contest where all , all nations , all all banks , all mints from all over the world submit their best designs to a new numismatic committee. And the sunflower coin. That image is in the top 100. Wow.
S1: Wow. Maybe.
S2: Maybe. Maybe the top ten. I don't want to exaggerate it. I've read about it , and I'm still trying to figure out how they categorize these things , but it's in the top 100. Definitely.
S1: Okay , don't sell yourself short on this here.
S2: Well , I don't want to. Okay.
S1: Okay.
S2: Make quotes that are inaccurate when people because there are people collectors who are really into this and they'll say , no , he. That was wrong.
S1: Oh my gosh. Well , either way , we'll be rooting for you. Thank you. This is. That's pretty exciting. How are you reflecting on getting that type of recognition?
S2: It's things like today being invited to be a guest on KPBS , which makes it more real. The coin is it's been a thrill , and I still am trying to believe that I've been so lucky to have my design selected. It's the culmination of a 40 year career. But really , the fun is I have the mayor of San Marcos call me and congratulate me , and I've been invited here and other things have happened. And really , you know , I'm still doing the same thing I've been doing all my life. It's just now I'm getting a lot of attention , and it's it's a fun ride. It's great.
S1: How bad? Well , I mean , you mentioned you've been at this for 40 years , and you started your career in Los Angeles before coming to the San Diego area? Yes. How has working in San Diego shaped you as an artist? And really , what what drew you to this work?
S2: The coin work was. As a freelance artist , you're always looking for new avenues to create business. As a freelance artist , designer , illustrator. I've never held a job , so I'm just on my own. And you need to always seek out. Nothing lasts forever. So the way it worked with the it's the Artist infusion program with the mint , where they get a stable of artists to basically be on call. We're on contract with the mint , and we're invited to participate on certain campaigns with coin designs. And that was just referred to me by a friend who saw it on Instagram that there was a call to artists nationwide submit your work , fill out the paperwork , and we will let you know if we're interested in you being a part of this. And that was two and a half years ago. Wow. All right. And I was surprised , um , because my work is not if you go on my Instagram site. My work is not mainstream. It's kind of , you know , a little fun.
S1: And that's how we're describing it. Okay.
S2: Okay. It , uh.
S1: I love. It.
S2: It. You know , the mint I think of as being pretty conservative , traditional as it is. And I like that tradition. Um , I was very surprised that they selected me. I thought , well , this will be fun , but I do not fit what I consider the profile of a mint designer. Mhm.
S1: Mhm. You're you're you're not boxed into that , right? Your your work is broader than that.
S2: I like to think so. Yeah , I was I really cut my teeth in LA being a commercial illustrator. And I refer to myself as a bread and butter artist , where I did anything that came along that I could do for work , I wasn't I did not pigeonhole myself or I was not pigeonholed by my portfolio. I was open to do anything. I needed the work. I always wanted the work and the coin. Working with the mint is really nothing different. It's a different client.
S1: Well , you mentioned your work. You know , it's not not traditional. You started with the the sketch pencil.
S2: Um , correct. Yes.
S1: Yes.
S2: I start every design drawing in a sketchbook to get an idea of a direction and refine it , refine it , refine it until it's ready. It's pretty much figured out. Then I scan it into the computer and it all goes digital. Interesting.
S1: Interesting. Is there any type of art that you like more than the other?
S2: You know , before the pandemic. And I've been teaching for 40 years , just part time. And I've been a staunch supporter of traditional art and very much against digital art , because it lacks a little bit of the human quality. I've changed my mind.
S1: Oh , wow. Things change.
S2: Yes , the pandemic helped scoot me long into the digital world because I had to start teaching online and working digitally. They both have just fantastic qualities to them that are uniquely their own. And I love the hands on human element of drawing on paper with pencils. The digital is a modification and an addition to that. That is almost a necessity for changes because in the olden days , doing it my way , I would almost have to start over with a whole new fresh drawing , with the kind of changes that are usually requested in the coin designs where I can just go into Photoshop , go into layers , pull some layer out , throw another one in , and do what would maybe take a day traditionally in an hour or even minutes. So sometimes it's a give and take. It might take longer on the computer that I'm saying , but it is easier digitally to make changes than it is traditionally. Wow.
S1: Wow. And briefly as you reflect back on 250 years , right? You look back on this country. How are you? How are you reflecting as an artist?
S2: On our country's history? Well , it's having now the experience and visiting the Philadelphia mint. We had a symposium there. Given a tour of the mint and been introduced to the history of coin designs and the recording of our nation on coins. It's given me a new interest. I'm a little bit of a , you know , I like history , but just as a kind of side thing. But it has given me a lot of insight to the importance of the history of our country and the changes that it is going through and has gone through. I notice it more The the mint. The personnel at the mint are very much committed to the history and the tradition and very knowledgeable about it. And so it's when I get on programs like this that I can say too much and sound like I know what I'm talking about.
S1: Hey , well , listen , I have so enjoyed this conversation. Congratulations again to thank you for your call. Thank you for having me. Absolutely beautiful. Uh , and if you want to see them , you can go to our website , KPBS. They really are something to look at. I've been speaking with San Diego artist Chris Palance. You can see more of his work again on his Instagram at Christopher Palance. We'll also link his work on our website. Chris , thank you so much and congratulations.
S2: Thank you very much.
S1: Still to come. Beth Accomando takes us behind the scenes of the monsters now on stage at the La Jolla Playhouse. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Fight , cry and forgive if you grew up with siblings , that might seem like a familiar cycle , but what happens when you throw mixed martial arts or MMA into the mix? Well , that's the focus of the play. The Monsters , which is currently running at La Jolla Playhouse's Mandell Weiss Forum. It's by playwright and actress in Ghazi , Iowa. And the fun fact is , she actually got her MFA from UC San Diego. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando went down to the Playhouse to discuss the play with Nazi ahead of previews. Take a listen.
S3: So to begin with , tell people a little bit about what the story is. Sure.
S4: Sure. The story essentially is a reconciliation story between siblings , an older brother and a younger sister. An older brother who was an aged fighter who should be on his way out , who is thrust upon the task of being a big brother again when his sister shows up in her adult life on his doorstep , and hijinks and drama and fighting and and loving each other ensue.
S3: And you chose to use MMA as a backdrop for this. What inspired you to do that? Well , my.
S4: Brother is a retired MMA fighter that he used to fight in the CFFC league in new Jersey and Philadelphia , so that was something that I was really interested in , in exposing that kinship , that lifestyle. I was really interested in the duality between the violence of what the sport is , but also the kind of art and technique that is also mixed into it. And the people that really I think you have one idea about them , but actually being close to them and watching him train and watching the camaraderie and the kinship that he felt and the brotherhood that he really entered himself into. I was really interested in exposing the duality of that.
S3: And you actually have some fighting or some MMA on stage for this. What made you want to include that and make that a very prominent element of the play?
S4: Yeah , I mean , I was so interested in the idea of writing this play about intimacy , and I also found the sport really intimate and beautiful , like if you like , took MMA , boxing , anything that I think that is quite a violent form and actually like did some stop images of it. You'd be like , that looks like a hug , right? And then you turn it , then it looks like a tackle. Right. And so I was really interested in the theatricality of the entertainment because I'm like , oh , this is actually this is also a form of entertainment that we watch , but let's add some dialogue and some sport into it. So I was just really interested in that. You know , I'm influenced by plays like The Royale , the musical Rocky. So you know , and I love a good fight movie. So I was like , oh , can we take that and add in more elements? Right? Not just like striking but like wrestling. And so I just really interested in the theatricality and the potential of that.
S3: Well , I'm a huge fan of action films , and I know that with stunt work , there's really a lot of choreography to it. So for this play , I saw that you also have a choreographer as well as like a fight consultant. So talk about the interplay of that and how what you're going to see may not be like real MMA , but something a little different. Yeah.
S4: Yeah. I mean , you know , it's theater. So we want to one be safe with the bodies. Right. So we have to have a fight choreographer or fight consultant to be like , yes , let's go ahead and mimic that thing , but also let's make it safe. And I was just really interested in the authenticity of it. So we brought on this amazing woman , Sarah Eubanks , who's been with me since I directed it in New York , and actually since I was since I wrote the play. She's a former UFC fighter , an MMA fighter and a coach. So I really was interested in having someone who is integrated into that world. I kind of think of her as my cultural consultant. Essentially , to keep the thing authentic. And then I had for this production , Tamla hired Ardila as our choreographer who does have martial arts experience. So I think it was this play is so much about the body and the text , right? And so what you're going to see is a mixture of that. Right. It was my interpretation of MMA , and I really wanted to show how beautiful it was. So you're going to actually see like us doing some moves , but you're also going to be seeing us like not necessarily fighting other people and fighting each other. So you're going to see some real like wrestling , some real striking , but you're also going to see like the the artistic interpretation of what we want that to feel like.
S3: And do you yourself actually practice any MMA?
S4: Absolutely not. No. I'm a lover , not a fighter. Um , I've taken jiu jitsu since taking on the task of this play. Kind of doing , I guess , what you would call method writing. So I have been taking martial arts. I have been taking things like for the last two years , but I'll pop into a class and really just get thrown around , right? I will not at all put myself in the badass stages of what Sejarah and my brother used to do , but since writing this play , I've kind of ingratiated myself in the world just to kind of keep it up. You know , as an actor , right? And as a writer , as I'm moving through the texts around the country with the play and just kind of really keeping it authentic but keeping it artistic.
S3: And another thing with stunt work and with action is in good films that use that , you really get something of the character in how they deliver actions. So how does that play out in this?
S4: You know , the characters of little and big , their athletes. You know , so we have Sullivan Jones , who's so wonderful , so amazing. And he he boxes. And so there's just something about also we're walking around as tough guys. And so I think there's really something about how the body you know I'm just going to repeat myself the body and the text really inform you know us walking around and having to work out. Really. Does it inform how we deliver this show? And there's so much emotion in the show. So it's nice because it's like , you know , halfway through the show. Halfway. No , the first like five minutes of the show , you're watching a routine that really allows for the emotion to pour out of us. So it really is like a dance between like the , the text and the and the movement that you're going to actually really see the characters of these people kind of go from you're going to watch big go from monster to man , right? You're going to watch little go from girl to monster , and you're going to watch us do that physically. And how we carry ourselves , how we yell at each other , how we scream at each other , how we hug each other. You're really going to see really how the physical form involves all of that and informs the play.
S3: Now , you mentioned monster. This is also the title monsters. What did you want to kind of convey with that? Why did you feel that was a good title?
S4: Yeah , I mean , because it's so much of a love letter to my brother , I really was interested in the duality of what we think we see when we see fighters , what we see , what we think we see when we see black men , big black men who are capable of violence , like , quite frankly , any of us are , right. And so for me , it was like this callback to what I think people perceive my brother as. I remember when he hit puberty and he went from five , 2 to 6 foot and gained £50 , and how he was in detentions faster and how everyone considered him a threat. So for me , it was like , let's just put the thing out there , let's just put the word out there and then subvert it with what you want to see , because they're not that at all. But that's why I chose the monsters , because it's like it's a moniker that the fighter goes by and you see how much he actually isn't that. So?
S3: So? This sounds like it's somewhat personal , is it? Yeah.
S4: Yeah. I mean , very much so. I think all my plays are personal. The first one I ever wrote , this play , Good Grief , was very autobiographical , but the rest of them are. This is still very much a fictional story , but the the jumping off point is a love letter to people who are , I think are always needing to be seen. So this one's very much an ICU play for my brother and for men like him.
S3: What inspired you to tackle this in the very first place? Why did you want to make this particular play at this point in time?
S4: I mean , most of my plays are very , I would say connection , disconnection oriented. I really kind of delve into intimacy. And so I really do make family plays at the end of the day. And I was really interested in a small , big play. Can you make a play that is just intimate? That is just two people where you do feel like the world is big , but can you really hone in on them? So I was interested in the challenge of a two hander. Obviously we'll keep it real that the economic times are like willing us as writers to kind of write small , but can you still keep it big? So I was interested in that sort of artistic and economic challenge. And then I really do love writing love letters to people. So this one really was a love letter to my big brother to be like , hey , I love you , I see you , and can I actually , like , make a compelling piece of work just based off of that need? And so , so far , so good.
S3: So you said you wanted to see the challenges of doing a two hander. What did you feel you learned or what did you explore by doing this?
S4: What we really explored was the theatricality of the movement and the intimacy. And can we keep that all going? Can you keep an audience engaged with just these two people? Can you actually infuse other characters that they fight where you don't actually see them? Is the audience still going to be enthralled? Are they going to be bored? Are they going to be asking too many questions? Or are we just going to trust them to like , use their imaginations? There's a lot of imagination work that we ask the audience to do from the jump of the play. And so far , as someone who sat in the audience as just a director , so far they're in it and someone. And now that I'm stepping into it as an actor , you know , we've gotten really warm reception. So , so far , so good. I think challenge has been accepted. Challenge has been liked thus far. We'll see what La Jolla thinks.
S3: So how is it wearing all those hats?
S4: Uh , people are like , how do you balance those plates? I'm like , yeah. Some of them break , uh , you know , you just got to be at peace with it , you know? Now , here , the challenge has been after having directed it. You know , Tamela Woodard is directing this really has directed this really wonderful production. So a lot of it is like , uh , releasing of the ego. Let's let this be her production. And I do a good job of that. And then sometimes I do not do a good job of that. So for me , it's really been like figuring out how to just kind of release control and just let the now , let the play kind of just speak through me.
S3: And how did you get into playwriting? Why did you feel like this was the avenue that you wanted to express yourself?
S4: I always wrote a little bit. I always feel like a lot of playwrights come from being bad poets , and I was a very bad poet , but I always performed , and so I really loved poetry , and I always wrote like little scenes and monologues here and there. In undergrad , I actually went to grad school here in La Jolla at UCSD , and I wrote my first play. I don't know what got into me , but wrote my first play , my third year of grad school and was really encouraged , probably by going to school with other playwriting majors , scenic designers , ensemble members. And it was pretty clear to me , even being in New York for 6 or 7 years before going to grad school , that you were going to have to kind of make a place for yourself. And I did like writing. So as there were places that I really wanted to aspire to be in , having tackled acting first , I was like , well , I don't know if I'm going to get into that play because it's quite competitive. So it was like the practical thing of like , all right , well , if I want to act , I should probably write something until someone puts me in something. And then people happen to have like the writing. So the writing kind of took off and allowed for me to perform. So a lot of it was a channel for me to perform. And then I found out that I had more things to say as a writer. So the writing kept coming.
S3: And how's your experience been so far here at La Jolla Playhouse?
S4: I mean , I've only been back for like , what? 10s. But it's been lovely. I'm like , oh , they're treating me like a queen here. I'm like , I'm like , my my itinerary is full. I got to go talk to the alumni. I'm now esteemed alumni , which is awkward because I feel too young for that. But so far , so good. It's been really it's been really great being home.
S3: Have you interacted yet with the alumni? Because I'm wondering what it's like coming back and talking to students.
S4: Apparently I have a whole hour and a half to two hours with them next Monday. I've reluctantly been placed in a mentorship , a place for the last few years , so I very much feel welcomed to to talk to the students , but I haven't done so. They're quite shy , actually. I feel as though I'm going to have to be a little bit more like , hey , hey , how are you doing? They're all very , very respectful. So. And I was not that respectful when I was in alumni. I'm like , hey , talk to me. Come talk to me. Hey , give us advice. What's happening over there? You know , so I got to be a little bit more aggressive with this generation , I think.
S3: And do you have some advice?
S4: Do I have some advice? Run. No. Um , I would say that my advice really would be to create , to take this thing into your own hands , that you are the creator of your future. Don't rely on anyone to pick you. We are in this really weird , scary time with all the technology that is given to us , but actually there's so much advantage that you can take out of that. Don't wait for anybody because no one's waiting for you. And that might feel really scary , but actually it's very , very liberating. So know the fact that no one's really waiting is that you got to go now and jump forward and do it yourself. And that doesn't have to be scary. You have people near you that are trying to do the same thing. If you look.
S3: And this is a play that's been evolving , it's been performed elsewhere. What have you seen changed in the course of this , if anything?
S4: I mean , it's interesting. This production is actually much quicker , much faster. My production was a little bit more ritualistic and it was in a tinier theater. I think the thing that I'm learning is that the play holds right , even if it's not my idea of something. The play actually the text holds and the thing holds. And if an audience member wants to come and get moved , they can in either production. And so it'll be interesting. I'm tagging along for the Dallas production. I'm not going to be acting in that or directing that. I'm just going to pop in and see what they made. I have an apprentice slash mentee who is directing a small production in Maine. I'm going to see what they made. So. But right now , having been in this production and directed the other one , the confidence that I have now , I have more confidence in the piece and that as I make little tweaks or as I go , actually , we're going to go back to that old version that the play holds. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. Now , since you are a writer , you've also you're now acting. You've also directed. Do you see it with different eyes in each of those different kind of roles? Yeah.
S4: Yeah. I mean , I think the thing that one of the big differences obviously , is that the part that I'm playing , a young woman , Annie Mizelle , who originated it , we are 15 years apart in age and man , do I feel it in my body. So I it did make me go , hey , how was your body during that realm? Were you doing okay or were you just being like a nice actor? And so for me , what I actually learned about the piece is the sustainability of the play. And can I actually build a guideline for the director in the play to be like , hey , like , let this be a range , but also make sure that this play is sustainable. So the thing that I'm learning right now about the play is sustainability. Having stepped into it now as a performer , to talk to the directors and the productions , to be like , hey , let's be mindful about the actor's body. I haven't been on stage in three years , so I do forget how much we do not consider performers and how much we kind of treat them as workhorses. And so though I love that that is , I love working hard on stage , I go , oh , hey , what about me? What about my body? And how there's a kind of , um , there's an expectation of us to not complain , to conform. And it's actually nice to have the power to go , oh , sorry , guys , I'm done. Because I wrote the play. That's the thing that I think I'm learning about this piece , particularly stepping into it as a performer , is how to take care of the the next performer who takes on the beautiful work of getting to do this physical and emotional play. But to be like , oh , make sure that this person is taken care of because you don't have a play If you don't have these two actors , look at their emotional and physical best.
S3: And what do you hope people might take away from this?
S4: You know , this is a big old like fight cry. You play about forgiveness , you know. So my biggest hope right in this time , I don't know if you've noticed. You know , we're in a time of just unrest , I don't know. Accountability is everything. And there's nothing like a good I'm sorry to actually move us through and that it is really difficult. I'm aware that that's a really difficult thing , but like , perhaps your little tiny world can be changed with some I'm sorry. Or that the act of forgiveness is really difficult , but maybe forgive. Like , can you mustered up to eat your hat and forgive that person , you know? So my biggest dream for this play is that somebody calls that person and men's offense.
S1: That was playwright and actress in Gaza. Ayo Speaking with KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando. The monsters will run at the La Jolla Playhouse Mendel Weiss Forum , now through June 28th. You can find more details at KPBS. And when KPBS Midday Edition returns. Julia Dixon Evans joins us with a look at your weekend preview. We'll be right back. Welcome back. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. For our weekend preview , we'll take a look at a few ways to get your culture fix from design to dance. Joining me with all the details is KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , welcome.
S5: Hey , Jade. Thanks for having me.
S1: Always good to have you here. In visual art , there's a design market happening at the Museum of Contemporary Art , San Diego called Expo. What can you tell us about it? Yeah.
S5: Yeah. So they've been doing this for a couple of years now. It's like this big , almost like a vendor. Fair to spotlight all the publishing , design , music , creativity of all kinds. Like just that community in San Diego. There's a lot of panels this year. There's a couple about the design of of like , football jerseys , especially the San Diego FC away jersey. Also Eric Carter , he's author of the book Design Harder , is going to do a panel that's on Saturday. And on Sunday there's a furniture designer , filmmaker , artist , um , also giving talks. But then there's zine making workshops. There's Scanners Archive and Mortis Studio are going to be leading those all throughout the weekend. Um , but yeah , at this vendor fair , a bunch of small presses and collectives and artists will be there , like sharing their art and having stuff for sale. There'll be music DJ's all day and some after parties. Those are off site in the evening at Kiku Room. That's like in midtown area. Um , Expo at the museum is totally free both days , day and night. Um , but if you do want to go into the museum , like to see giants or hometown heroes or any of the other exhibits , you don't have to get a ticket to the museum. But expo attendees can get half price admission , so that sweetens the pot a little. And Expo is 11 to 7 on Saturday and 11 to 5 on Sunday.
S1: Sounds like a really fun event , and there are a couple of dance events too. Let's start with the traditional ballet events.
S5: So Golden State Ballet , their local ballet company , they're doing a production based off of Shakespeare's a midsummer Night's Dream. So the magical fairy comedy. There's puck , the notorious mischievous fairy love potions , there's a donkey head , everything you imagine and company artist Raoul Salamanca has choreographed this for the Golden State Ballet , and they're also performing a shorter ballet that the company premiered in the spring. It's Houston Thomas's The Four Seasons , and this is set to composer Mack Max Richter's reimagining of the Vivaldi piece , and this is his take on spring. There are evening performances this is Friday and Saturday , and then matinees Saturday and Sunday this weekend at Balboa Theater downtown.
S1: All right , I know that's not all going on.
S5: So also in dance , we have Disco Riot doing the annual queer movement fest. Um , it's already underway. It's going to run through the weekend that spots spotlights and Local LGBTQ plus dancers , choreographers , movement artists and kind of like the intersectionality , the themes throughout their work. They have performances , workshops , film screenings , and as far as the performances go , there are a couple highlights this weekend , they're both at the Black Box Studio Theater that's in Liberty Station , and they have a variety show on Friday night. And then kind of the culmination is their featured artist showcase. That's Saturday night. Wow.
S1: Wow. There's a new installation at the new Children's Museum. Tell us about woods woman , Earth Seed and and how people of all ages can check it out. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. This is artist Sarah Woolfolk. And it's a this like immersive play based installation like like they do at the Neutral Museum. And this has giant sculptures. There's murals , projections and it's inspired by like the science fiction imagined futures and then also nature. Like basically kids get to become California butterflies as they like , move through and explore the space. They have these giant like , acorn like structures that you can climb in and go inside. Like , I actually thought they were spaceships at first and they weren't painted yet , so. But they're having a free all ages opening reception so you can check it out. This is Friday from 6 to 9 and the artists will be there to discuss it. This is probably more for like , the parents , but Ayana Jamison , who's the founder of the Octavia Butler Legacy Network , they'll be talking about the work together. So it's going to be a really interesting conversation , talking about like the way the play and children's literature can really , like , reimagine the way we think about the planet in the future.
S1: I love that , I love it also in literature , there's a reading Friday night at Burn All Books , and I hear you're part of the lineup.
S5: Yes , but a tiny part. Okay , I'll be reading just a couple of minutes of fiction. Um , but yeah , this is from Peel Lit. It's a local literary journal and reading series they launched in 2024. They're hosting a free reading , and it's also going to be an auction and a raffle to support Burn All Books there , a local press store. And just like all around gathering Space. Other readers are locals Kazim Ali , Jack gems , and our very own poet Laureate , Paola Garcia. And she is currently in the homestretch of her two year term as San Diego Poet Laureate. And I just talked to her last week , and I asked her if in all of this chaos of being poet laureate , and she also has a full time job as an educator. Like if she's been able to still find time to be creative. So I just asked her , like , are you writing?
S6: Yes , I'm happy to report I am. This was not necessarily the case a year ago in this position , though , because I'm asked to write poetry about San Diego , which is really outside my comfort zone. Like , I don't typically write place poems. I don't typically , you know , write about a vacation , but it has pushed me to be in a space where I'm constantly producing work.
S5: And I can't promise that she's going to read like a place poem specifically , but it will be great to see her read. This is Friday night at Burnell Books and Normal Heights starting at seven.
S1: Oh , definitely something to see there. Finally , it's the North Park Music Fest this weekend. What can we expect there?
S5: Yeah , so this is all day Saturday. It's basically like a venue crawl with performances scattered throughout the neighborhood at like restaurants , cafes and bars. And there's a lot of performances. There's 30 different bands. The way it works is you get a wristband , it gets you into all the venues. Wristbands are $25 in advance or 35 the day of the festival , so go get them now. And , um , they're even like , open to the public venues that are free you don't need a wristband for. And you can get a VIP pass , um , that gets you access to a like a VIP lounge. And there's an art exhibit there. Um , Some of the artists on my radar. Let's see , there's Lion Cut , which is probably everyone's favorite cat theme band. They're playing at Queen bees at 315.
S7: It's all right. Tigers in the night. The tigers have a sight.
S1: All right. A cat band. Um , what else is on your radar at the festival?
S5: Okay , so one of my favorite local acts is Jesus Gonzalez. Um , I think about this song forever. All the time. Like , it's such a quiet song. It just gets under my skin. And this is actually a tiny desk. An NPR Tiny Desk Contest submission a couple of years ago.
S8: The river can never be measured. Forever has no high place.
S1: It's a very soothing vibe. They're very otherworldly. Are there any artist performing at the free venues. Yeah.
S5: Yeah. So Saint Misty is playing a playground , art and coffee at 6 p.m.. And this is Saint Missy's latest single , poison.
S9: I notice the longer I stay , have I become the newest obsession. Hands together. Applause.
S5: And also the band. Horn two is playing at 7:00 at overload , the skate shop and shoe store on 30th. This is from their debut full length that came out last fall. It's called The Arrival.
S7: So I decided to space and time to leave our house.
S5: And while you're in North Park , it's also the North Park Mini Book fair , um , near Verbatim Books , and that's totally free. So , so much to check out in North Park.
S1: All right , a full weekend for you. You can find details on these and more arts events on our website , npr.org. I've been speaking with KPBS arts reporter and host of the finest podcast , Julia Dixon Evans. Julia , thank you so much.
S5: Thank you. Jade.
S7: I'm so sorry. I mean , you're not alone.
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.
