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After a sold-out opening night, the festival returns April 17-19 with new screenings at the Museum of Photographic Arts in Balboa Park.

"Boodlines & Brushstrokes" celebrates Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month through a dynamic group exhibition highlighting the voices, stories, and creative perspectives of a diverse roster of AAPI artists. This marks the first chapter of a two-part exhibition, followed by a second opening in Escondido in collaboration with @distinction_gallery on Saturday, May 9th, from 6 p.m. –10 p.m. Timed with each gallery’s monthly art walk, both receptions invite the community to experience contemporary works that honor heritage, identity, and artistic expression across two connected exhibitions. Visit: https://distinctionart.com/exhibitgallery.php?showID=242&fltr=exhibit Distinction Gallery on Instagram and Facebook

For years, El Cajon has long been a hub for refugees and immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa. Now, amid President Donald Trump’s refugee ban, they are coping with the help of neighborhood ties and a local nonprofit.

The San Diego Museum of Art offers free admission to San Diego County residents (with ID) on the third Tuesday of every month. A valid ID is required for admission and certain restrictions apply as Resident Free Tuesdays tend to be busy. We ask that you not bring food, beverages, backpacks, or other oversized items. The San Diego Museum of Art on Facebook / Instagram

Elegant and inviting, this café jazz style band blends silky swing rhythms and classic standards into an atmosphere made for courtyard vibes. Saturdays in the Courtyard is a vibrant outdoor performance series that fills the beautiful Ann Kulchin Courtyard with music, energy and community spirit. Bring friends, enjoy the festive atmosphere and experience the best new and emerging artists in North County and San Diego under the open sky. Admission is always free. Soto Six: Website / Instagram / Facebook

From Friar franks and popcorn to fine dining in Carlsbad, we bring you a taste of arts and culture news in San Diego this week.

Antique African spoons as vessels of history and aesthetic beauty Please join us for a captivating evening showcasing local author and African art collector Richard Ulevitch and his book "A Taste of Beauty: Spoons of Africa" from the Collection of Richard Ulevitch. Come learn about the extraordinary artistry and cultural significance of African spoons depicted in this captivating book. This beautifully crafted book explores how these masterfully carved utensils transcend their practical purpose to become profound expressions of artistic excellence and cultural identity. Stunning photography and detailed analysis reveal the intricate designs, symbolic meanings, and historical contexts of these remarkable artifacts. This comprehensive work illuminates the sophisticated artistic traditions of African craftspeople while exploring the intersection of functionality and aesthetic beauty. Ulevitch has collected African spoons for over 30 years, dating primarily from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In 2025, the Crocker Art Museum in Sacramento mounted an exhibition of the collection, the most comprehensive display of these objects to date. Ulevitch is a professor emeritus at Scripps Research where he served for over 50 years and his research transformed our understanding of the immune system. Visit: https://www.sandiego.gov/public-library/central-library

"Bloodlines & Brushstrokes" AAPI Group Exhibition Presented by Thumbprint Gallery, Hosted at Distinction Gallery Opening Reception: Saturday, May 9 | 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. Exhibition Dates: May 9 – June 6 Location: Distinction Gallery Thumbprint Gallery is proud to present "Bloodlines & Brushstrokes," a dynamic group exhibition celebrating Asian American and Pacific Islander artists and their diverse creative voices. Hosted at Distinction Gallery, this exhibition serves as an extension of the "Bloodlines & Brushstrokes" exhibition currently on view at Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla, expanding the conversation and bringing additional visibility to the featured artists and themes. The exhibition opens Saturday, May 9 from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. and will remain on view through June 6. Featuring original works by several local AAPI artists, "Bloodlines & Brushstrokes" highlights the richness of cultural identity, heritage, and lived experience through a wide range of visual styles and mediums. From deeply personal narratives to bold contemporary expressions, the exhibition offers a vibrant reflection of the many perspectives within the AAPI community. The opening reception coincides with the Escondido 2nd Saturday Art Walk, inviting guests to experience an evening of art, community, and culture throughout downtown Escondido. Attendees will have the opportunity to meet participating artists, explore the exhibition, and enjoy live music during this special celebration. This month's featured window display artist at Distinction Gallery is Lourans Mikhail, a multi-faceted creative currently living in San Diego, California, after honorably serving 13 years as a U.S. Marine. Born in Baghdad, Iraq, and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Mikhail creates work across sculpture, painting, murals, and graphic design to explore different perspectives and challenge complex narratives surrounding socioeconomics, culture, politics, and race. Inspired by his Assyrian heritage, graffiti, comics, anime, cartoons, and fine art, Mikhail’s work exists between the realms of lowbrow and pop surrealism. Through the use of wordplay and perspective—both figurative and literal—his work invites viewers to reconsider familiar ideas and engage with layered visual storytelling. "Bloodlines & Brushstrokes" serves as both a celebration of artistic excellence and a platform for representation, dialogue, and connection within the AAPI community and beyond. The exhibition is free and open to the public. Cover art "Rock, Paper, Scissors" by Lucy Halle (detail) Live music by Soft Serve Thumbprint Gallery on Facebook / Instagram

Since 1922, the Coronado Flower Show has invited neighbors and flower fans to gather “beneath the tent” to celebrate beauty, community, and heritage. Now in its 104th year, the festival takes place April 18-19; this year’s theme is “Welcome to the Jungle.” Organized by the Coronado Floral Association (CFA), the two-day festival is the largest tented flower show in the U.S. and Coronado’s longest running tradition. This year, the Association invites every visitor, exhibitor, volunteer, and gardener to wander into a wild and lush world where together the delicate and the bold, the native and the exotic, the sculptural and the wild promise: • Immersive installations, inspired by the forest canopy, understory, and hidden glades. • Botanical theatrics, featuring dramatic textures, tropical foliage, layered compositions, and surprise vignettes. • A lush visitor journey with meandering pathways, intimate hideaways, and moments of discovery. • Creative expression across horticulture and design, from floral arrangements to structural natural wonders. The main event is divided into five divisions: Horticulture, Design, Special Exhibits, Youth and Botanical Arts. Located at Spreckels Park, this two-day event includes landscape displays, a variety of floral competitions, educational lectures and demonstrations, live bandstand entertainment, food, a beer & wine garden with locally crafted beers, and shopping. The annual Coronado Flower Show is organized in partnership with the City of Coronado. Over 250 CFA volunteers work to make the flower show weekend a success. For more information on the Coronado Floral Association or the Coronado Flower Show, visit www.coronadoflowershow.com. Coronado Flower Show on Facebook / Instagram

Missed the show live? You can still experience "Dead Moose" through our limited-time streaming presentation! Watch this bold world premiere musical from home from February 24 –March 1, 2026. Once you purchase a ticket, you’ll receive a private streaming link and password so you can settle in, press play, and experience the show from home. "Dead Moose" tells the story of Job, an eighteen-year-old who miraculously survives a car accident with a moose. Returning home from the hospital, he begins to reassess his life in a series of non-linear vignettes — grappling with questions of death, fate, and religion. All the while, the nagging voice of the dead moose lingers in his head, pushing and provoking him at every turn. Originally conceived by writer/composer Tafolla while attending AMDA Los Angeles, "Dead Moose" first introduced audiences to its songs in 2018 at Republic of Pie in Los Angeles. A concert reading was later staged in January 2025 at the City Heights Performance Annex in San Diego, directed by Tafolla and produced by Kevin “Blax” Burroughs. Content Disclaimer: "Dead Moose" is not recommended for audiences under the age of 14. Content includes themes of suicide, abuse, death, religious trauma, body shaming, homophobia and racism. This production contains flashing lights and projections, haze and loud music. Oceanside Theatre Company on Facebook / Instagram