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Need a last-minute holiday gift? Paint a portrait of your furry friend and deck it out with pom poms, collage paper, foam stickers, and festive flair! All proceeds directly support ArtReach Studio Programs, bringing free and low-cost art opportunities to kids across San Diego. Make art, celebrate your furry friends, and help spark creativity in our community! $75 (drinks included) 6:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.: Doors open 7 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.: Workshop Visit: https://www.hisawyer.com/artreach/schedules/activity-set/1693156?day=2025-12-19&view=cal&source=activity-schedule ArtReach San Diego on Instagram and Facebook

Join us for a three-day Lantern-Making Workshop at The Woo, presented in collaboration with All For Logan and inspired by the cultural traditions of Fiesta de la Guadalupana. This hands-on workshop invites participants of all ages to explore the history, symbolism, and storytelling that shape this beloved celebration. Across three guided sessions, attendees will learn the foundations of lantern construction, reflect on personal and collective narratives, and design illuminated lanterns using tissue paper, natural elements, photographs, text, and more. The workshop blends cultural education with creative expression, culminating in lanterns prepared for a community procession. Workshop Schedule: • Wednesday, December 10 | 5–8 p.m. Introduction to lantern-making, imagery, and the history behind the Feast Day. • Thursday, December 11 | 5–7 p.m. Building lantern panels, assembling tealight holders, and beginning lantern structure. • Friday, December 12 | 5–7 p.m. Final assembly, decorations, and preparation for community display. All materials are included. Families are welcome. This workshop is a warm invitation to create, learn, and honor tradition through art — strengthening community ties and preserving cultural memory. Location: The Woo, Barrio Logan Registration on Eventbrite

The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the image of creative rebirth; the eternal cycle of change within us; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know. — Joseph Campbell In this transformative four-week writing workshop, we will use the universal framework of the Hero’s & Heroine’s Journey to unlock the structural secrets of compelling narrative. We go beyond formula to explore how this blueprint shapes stories of transformation and change. We will bring the Monomyth to life by viewing its stages through the lens of an art exhibition, examining illustrated myths and stories using classical paintings, prints, sculpture, and iconic movie stills from Star Wars. The 4-Week Mythic Map This class applies the heroic structure through diverse narrative studies: Week 1: The Epic Founder. We begin with the foundational myth: Homer’s Odyssey. Week 2: The Forest and the Fear. We explore the framework through Russian and German Fairy Tales, focusing on female protagonists. Week 3: The Trickster’s Call. We study an international perspective with a Tlingit Origin Myth, examining the journey through the unconventional protagonist, Raven. Week 4: The Wrong Kind of Hero. We conclude by analyzing the ultimate complication: heroes whose journey leads to tragedy, studying Oedipus alongside Luke Skywalker from Star Wars. You will learn to apply these timeless archetypes directly to your work-in-progress, ensuring your plot is structurally sound and your character’s emotional journey is profound. This class is ideal for writers of fiction or screenplay looking to infuse their work with mythic power and universal resonance. The Writer’s Journey Map Your Story: The Hero’s and Heroine’s Journey Through Art and Myth “The journey of the hero is about the courage to seek the depths; the uncanny discovery that the seeker is the mystery which the seeker seeks to know.” — Joseph Campbell Ready to write stories that resonate across time? In this 4-week workshop, we reveal the universal structure of powerful storytelling (The Hero’s and Heroine’s Journey) using visual illustrations and storytelling. We explore this framework through diverse global narratives, illustrating every step with classical paintings, sculpture, prints, and iconic movie stills from Star Wars. You will study the journeys of: Homer’s Odyssey (The Epic Founder) Complex female protagonists from Russian and German Fairy Tales (The Forest and the Fear) The unconventional journey of the Raven from Tlingit Origin Myth (The Trickster’s Call) The tragic flaws of heroes like Oedipus and Luke Skywalker (The Wrong Kind of Hero) Learn how these mythic structures inform your own manuscript. Perfect your plot, deepen your characters, and discover the true power of the Monomyth. Four Sessions – Mondays, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26 & 2/2 (1-3 p.m.) ZOOM (LIVE) San Diego Writers, Ink on Facebook / Instagram

"Because We Eat - How Growing Our Food Affects Farmworkers" is a multimedia installation by Antonia Davis that shines a light on the invisible labor behind the food we consume. The centerpiece of the installation is a dining table with a quilted and embroidered tablecloth. Engraved place settings and chairs each tell a story of a farmworker, highlighting the physical, emotional, and social costs of the work that produces the food that sustains us all. Every stitch and detail embodies respect for the resilience, endurance, and dignity of farmworkers. This work asks us to honor their struggles, to acknowledge the fruits of their labor and to see our shared humanity in the act of eating. Davis is a lifelong artivist whose creative practice is rooted in amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. Since 2003, Davis has worked at the intersection of art and social justice, co-founding the San Diego Puppet Insurgency to provide visual storytelling and art builds to grassroots organizations, student groups, and local social movements. This exhibition was previously installed at Centro Cultural de la Raza (March - May 2024) and the Chicano Park Museum (May - October 2024). This installation calls viewers to partake in interactive reflection and it continues to grow through community engagement. We are grateful for the Kroc School of Peace Studies for sponsoring this exhibition. Galleries are closed for university holidays: November 27, Thanksgiving and Friday, November 28 Antonia Davis on Instagram

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a disciplined art form that breathes life into each composition, harmonizing the elements of nature and humanity. Learn to create these stunning pieces of art that intertwine Japanese culture and the changing of the seasons. By end of the semester, you will have learned to design beautiful and professional looking arrangements for both everyday and special occasions. This class is free and open to the public. Contact Prof. Takeya at mtakeya@sdccd.edu for more information and to register. Audience: Adults, Seniors Location: Community Room Visit: https://sandiego.librarymarket.com/event/ikebana-floral-design-468767

Eight-time Grammy-nominated Mariachi Sol de México de José Hernández brings holiday cheer with its “Merry-achi Christmas” tour. Known as Los Embajadores del Mariachi, the world-renowned ensemble will entertain audiences with dazzling renditions of mariachi favorites and Christmas classics, from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker” Suite to “Feliz Navidad.” This year’s tour also celebrates Hernández’s 50th year of preserving and elevating the mariachi art form. Mariachi Sol de Mexico de Jose Hernandez on Facebook / Instagram

iris yirei hu will share the work she's created as the 2025 Longenecker-Roth Artist in Residence at the Department of Visual Arts, UC San Diego. iris is a multidisciplinary journey-based artist from Los Angeles who works across paintings, installations, intercultural collaborations, writing, and public art. She roots her art practice in processes of material and spiritual transformation, as evidenced in labor intensive pieces and installations that explore the subterranean realms of grief and loss, cycles of life and death, the earthly and the otherworldly, and the infinitely evolving self. Central to her practice is working across territories and peoples, through which she investigates how geography, kinship, and the sacred are reflected in cultural technologies and ecological practices. A lifelong learner, she has undertaken rigorous study of ceramics, weaving, and papermaking by being in community with culture bearers and experts, and proposes that the preservation of craft is integral to bridging cultural, geographic, and generational divides. In 2022, LA Metro commissioned iris to design a large-scale mosaic artwork for the future UCLA/Westwood Purple Line Metro Station slated to open for the 2028 Summer Olympics. She has exhibited at the Armory Center for the Arts (Pasadena, CA); Center for Arts, Research, and Alliances (New York, NY); Museum of Contemporary Art (Tucson, AZ); Plug In Institute for Contemporary Art (Winnipeg, MB, Canada); John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, WI); Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery; among many other venues. Notable awards and residencies include: John Michael Kohler Arts Center Arts/Industry Artist-in-Residence in Pottery (2025), Meztli Projects Cultural Worker Fellowship (2024), California Community Foundation Fellowship for Visual Artists (2022), Headlands Center for the Arts Artist-in-Residence (2022), California Arts Council Individual Artist Fellowship (2021), and Foundation for Contemporary Arts (2020 & 2018). iris yirei hu on Instagram

Experience the magic of Front Row Saturday, a free live performance series held in the cozy and intimate 215-seat Ruby G. Schulman Auditorium. This series celebrates the vibrant talent of emerging and established artists from San Diego and North County, offering an exciting mix of music, theater, dance and more. Enjoy an up-close and personal performance that brings creativity to life in a welcoming setting designed for connection and inspiration. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. Talented multi-instrumentalist Dean Ratzman plays a variety of genres including swing, jazz, rock and soul from the 1940s through the 1980s.

Join us on Saturday night, December 13, from 6–10 p.m. at Distinction Gallery in Escondido, California, for the opening reception of “Besties and Beasties,” a solo exhibit of new works by celebrated sculptor Valency Genis. Genis’ whimsical sculptures of creatures continue to delight art lovers, her strange and endearing works are sought by collectors all over the world. For more than 20 years, Distinction Gallery has been a beacon of the Southern California art scene, specializing in representational painting—ranging from surrealism and realism to figurative works. Guests aged 21 and over can also enjoy drinks available for purchase from Last Spot Bar during the event. Last Spot Bar has a curated selection of wine, beer, sake, cider and non-alcoholic options. The rest of the gallery will be open for view during the reception and guests are welcome to explore exhibits. Distinction Gallery, 317 E Grand Ave, Escondido, CA 92025 Valency Genis on Facebook / Instagram Distinction Gallery on Facebook

Chris Ryall signs new "Daredevil: Born Again" and SDSU scholars break down comics from the U.S., France, Italy and Japan.