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Art as an "anti-tribute" to a children's book; the power and burden of heirlooms; Asian American Dance Festival; Carnaval of New Latinx Musicals; Ess Whiteley's immersive sound art; soul music; Jesus Gonzalez in Jacumba; SummerFest finale and more.

The Department of Visual Arts is pleased to welcome Kelly Akashi as this year's Longenecker-Roth Artist-in-Residence! With deft manual skill and deep material knowledge, Kelly Akashi’s visual language emphasizes the impermanence of the natural world, recording and indexing fragmented moments in time. Her practice is characterized by a rigorous conceptual approach, yet the work is distinguished by a deep reverence for process. Always a student, Akashi continually studies new practices and physical techniques, including glass-blowing, flame-working, casting, candle-making, and stone carving. Born in Los Angeles in 1983, she holds a BFA from Otis College of Art & Design, an MFA from the University of Southern California, and studied at the Städelschule in Frankfurt. Recent institutional solo exhibitions include the San Jose Museum of Art, Frye Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Henry Art Gallery, SculptureCenter, and Galleria d’Arte Moderna di Milano, among others. Public commissions include a monumental installation for JFK International Airport’s New Terminal One, the Hyundai Terrace for the 2026 Whitney Biennial, an upcoming outdoor sculpture commission for Williams College Museum of Art, and projects with the Aspen Art Museum and the Clark Art Institute. She is the recipient of the 2024 Distinguished Women in the Arts Award from MOCA Los Angeles, as well as grants from the Trellis Art Fund, Andy Warhol Foundation, LACMA Art + Tech, Peter S. Reed Foundation, and Tieger Foundation. Akashi serves as Core Faculty in Grad Art at ArtCenter College of Design, and in 2025 was selected as an Artist in Residence at Pilchuck Glass School. Kelly Akashi on Instagram

Book by Alfredo Ratniewski Theatrical Adaptation by Todd Salovey Featuring: Marco Barricelli as Alfredo Rosina Reynolds as Zofia Kate Rose Reynolds as Izabella A dramatic play reading reveals the story of a family who risked everything to save a Jewish man during the Holocaust in war-torn Poland, and their descendants who, 80 years later, reached out to his son to ensure that history was never forgotten. Alfredo Ratniewski knew his father as a man of carefully chosen silences. A respected doctor in Mexico City, Bolek carried the weight of a past he refused to speak about, leaving his son with more questions than answers. But when a mysterious email arrives from Poland eighty years after the war, a door to the past swings wide open, revealing a breathtaking journey of survival, courage, and a secret hidden behind a single oil painting. The program is a 50-minute play reading, followed by a special Q and A with the memoire’s author Alfredo Ratniewski and Izabella Cooper, daughter of the woman from Poland whose family hid and helped save the author’s father. A special thank you to our community partners: Ken Jewish Community, A Culture of Peace, House of Israel, Lou Dunst Foundation and Congregation Adat Yeshurun The Lipinsky Family San Diego Jewish Arts Festival on Facebook / Instagram

A San Ysidro pedestrian bridge is now home to glow-in-the-dark public art through a partnership between Caltrans and BLK Box Gallery. The project is designed to do more than brighten the space.

Gem Buffs Hold Gem & Mineral Show The nonprofit San Diego Mineral & Gem Society holds its Gem & Mineral Show, GEM DIEGO. The show features gems, minerals, crystals, fossils, rough, cut stones, books, jewelry and slabs. There will be nearly 30 dealers and over 20 exhibits along with lapidary demos, free gem identification, kid’s zone, door prizes and a grand prize raffle. Free admission. Eateries are next door. The San Diego Mineral & Gem Society was formed in 1934 and runs a museum and workshops at the northwest corner adjacent to Spanish Village in Balboa Park. The museum has mineral, gem, lapidary and fossil specimens from around the world. The museum aims to educate the community about minerals, gems, fossils and the lapidary arts. Visit www.sdmg.org Trained service animals only!

A loss of federal and local funding and grants has led to employee layoffs. But a group of former ICA San Diego employees said there’s another side to the story.

2026 Annual Symposium - AI and Healthy Aging: Advancing Health and Longevity Thursday, September 24, 2026 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. Join us on Thursday, September 24, 2026 from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Park & Market, UC San Diego (1100 Market Street, San Diego, CA 92101) for our Annual Healthy Aging Symposium exploring how artificial intelligence is transforming health and longevity. We’ll explore how AI is opening new possibilities for living healthier, more independent lives as we age. The day will feature keynote talks from Jeffrey Egler, MD, Chief Medical Officer at Noom, and Amy Sitapati, MD, Chief Medical Information Officer for Population Health and Clinical Professor of Medicine at UC San Diego — Along with three expert panel discussions, we’ll examine how AI can support your health, independence, and everyday well-being, with conversations focused on independent living, personalized healthcare, and using new technologies safely and confidently. Registration is now open. This event is free to attend, but space is limited! Visit: https://healthyaging.ucsd.edu/

Temperatures will rise and high winds will hit San Diego County starting Thursday, prompting county officials to urge caution and preparation.

Join us for a workshop to build your own custom gratitude journal! Gratitude is a practice that will change your life! Choose from over 40 Journal & Art Prompts, Stickers, Page Ideas, Collage Materials, & More! Curate a journal that speaks to you! A vegan-leather bound journal is provided, or bring that one from home that you love but have been waiting to start! This is your sign! A glass of your choice is included in the ticket fee. The magic of gratitude starts to work on your heart when you take it home and start to really connect with your life. Start recording daily blessings and positive moments, doodles, patterns, and treasured bits & bobs and soon you will see how your life is full of blessings! Please see our listing on Eventbrite to purchase your ticket. Tickets include all materials and a glass of your choice. Goldbridge Art Academy is a CA non-profit and our mission is to bring art education to every neighborhood in San Diego! Thank you for helping us! Goldbridge Art Academy on Instagram

Logan Heights Community Development Corporation invites San Diegans of all ages to help create history at the free CommUnity Mural Project Kick-Off on Saturday, Aug. 15. Community members will have the opportunity to paint alongside local artists through a guided paint-by-numbers experience and help bring one of Greater Logan Heights’ largest public art installations to life. The event will begin with a Kumeyaay blessing to celebrate the start of a community-driven mural project more than four years in the making. No art experience is needed — just bring your creativity! Attendees can participate in mural painting, enjoy live music from local DJs, explore youth art activities, connect with neighborhood organizations and receive free lunch. Led by Logan Heights CDC in partnership with Caltrans, SANDAG, and the City of San Diego, the CommUnity Mural Project will create two large-scale murals, transforming the underutilized gateway beneath the Interstate 5 and State Route 15 overpasses along Imperial Avenue into a vibrant public space, preserving the stories, traditions, and culture of Greater Logan Heights. DATE: Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026 TIME: 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. LOCATION: Imperial Avenue Family Health Center: 2121 Imperial Ave. San Diego, CA 92102 REGISTRATION: FREE. Sign up to volunteer