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Jesse Ray Smith, Justin Froese & Anna Ballew all at Belly Up Tavern Jesse Ray Smith I was raised in the artistic, small-town suburbs of Marin County, a few miles and a full generation removed from the hippy movement that swept through San Francisco in the late 60’s. From Fleetwood Mac's Rumours to Stevie's Songs in the Key of Life, many great records came out of Marin County, fueled by the musical prowess of legendary concert promoter Bill Graham. This was my home, and these legends were a part of the infrastructure that sustained us. Although my parents weren’t big Deadheads, their catalog ran deep, exposing me to a vast collection of great records and artists. Whether it was Graceland, Ziggy Stardust or Dark Side of the Moon — a record was always playing and music was a very present part of my life. Justin Froese In a world where genres strive to define and confine, Justin Froese emerges as a captivating force, effortlessly traversing musical landscapes with his groove-driven alt-pop stylings. With a decade of classical training under his belt, Justin's ability to transcend and defy genres is a testament to his innate talent and unparalleled artistry. Anna Ballew A Missoula Montana native, Anna Ballew entered the San Diego music scene in 2021, incorporating jazz-guitar stylings and soulful vocals to pop R&B hits, modern classics and original songs. Her formal entrance to music started with classical violin at age four, then transitioned to bluegrass fiddle at the age of eleven. This ignited her love of free-form and collaborative musical spaces. After hearing her father jam to folk-americana artists like Jackson Browne and James Taylor as a kid, she decided to pick up guitar and try out singing for family and friends at dinner parties in high school. From hometown performances and acapella groups in college to moving to California and becoming a full-time musician, Anna has swiftly moved through stages of a musical journey. Now modeling her sound around artists like Amy Winehouse, Ella Fitzgerald and Lake Street Dive, Anna is working on her first EP to be released in the next year, and can be found performing around at local restaurants and live music venues in Southern California. For more information visit: ticketweb.com

From the gallery: Tom Driscoll has been making sculptures for over 50 years in San Diego, often organic or industrial forms cast in concrete or gypsum cement. At The Museum Of__, Driscoll presents a recent series of secondhand trophies which he has altered through a process of combining, removing, and fusing different sport figures. By dipping them in a tinted polyester resin, each figure has been manipulated in unexpected ways improvised by the artist. Sometimes two or several figures, the majority being athletes in action, are merged, holding hands, or entangled in either an embrace or struggle. Humor is everywhere in this circus of figures. Driscoll’s trophies are a reflection of one’s success transformed into archeological finds. About the artist: Tom Driscoll was born and raised in San Diego. After returning from the service in 1966, he enrolled at Southwestern College in Chula Vista. At the time, the Art Department was at a high point of activity when art faculty members included Bob Matheny and John Baldessari, and an ongoing “Artist Speakout” series included visits from Robert Irwin, Kurt Von Meier, Ed “Big Daddy Roth,” at least one Hell’s Angel, and many others. In the 80s he lived among the small art scene of Downtown San Diego, meanwhile working nights at a Scripps Institution of Oceanography lab located in Point Loma. It was there that he encountered “trashed” material which became an integral part of his work. Driscoll has continued to experiment with the formalist potential of the detritus of everyday life, including Styrofoam packaging and plastic shipping material. He has exhibited extensively in solo and group shows throughout San Diego, and his work is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Related links: The Museum Of ____ website | Instagram Quint Gallery website | Instagram

Venue Presale 7/27/2023 @ 10 a.m. Public on Sale 7/28/2023 @ 10 a.m. Christopher Cross burst onto the music scene with his 1980 self-titled debut album, winning five Grammy Awards, including—for the first time in Grammy history—the “Big Four” most prestigious awards: Record of the Year (for the single “Sailing”), Album of the Year, Song of the Year (also “Sailing”), and Best New Artist. For more information visit: ticketweb.com

The ocean was less violent Friday but the National Weather Service warned that another round of extremely dangerous surf conditions would return Saturday.

In the last exhibition of the year at Sparks Gallery, Stefanie Bales’ solo exhibition examines the theme of “imagination” through a visual exploration of collective subconscious. Amor Terrae: Letters to the Wild is the culmination of years of research and exploration into Gestalt principles of visual perception, the collective subconscious, and the artist’s own intuition and perspective on our interactions with the natural world. All of Stefanie Bales’ work reflects on the surreal, ethereal, and metaphysical state of daydreaming, and the fragmented ways in which we perceive memories. Bales draws and expands upon this feeling in her practice, creating majestic scenes that feel simultaneously personal and ubiquitous. Her work reminds us of that collective feeling that we all share when witnessing a magnificent sunset — the profound acknowledgment that we all share the same sky. None of the landscapes are geographically specific, rather, they are composites of numerous topologies blended harmoniously into one larger “place”. Regarding the creation of her pieces, Bales explains, “I’ve developed and honed an original process that I use to compose much of my work. My process is similar to collage, but instead of cut and paste, I’m using an original ‘ink transfer’ process to transfer bits of texture and imagery onto the canvas which I then paint within, over, and around, responding intuitively to the transferred piece as I continue to build out imagery and form the larger narrative and composition. My aim is that the viewer sees the work as a whole, and it isn’t until further investigation that the incongruities that give it its ‘dream-like’ qualities are noticed.” The show’s title, Amor Terrae: Letters to the Wild, reflects Bales’ appreciation for the gifts of nature: the brilliant colors created by the rising and setting of the sun, the tenor and texture of the ocean, and the quiet movement of palms and petals in the wind. These works are Bales’ attempt to make tangible and permanent all of the magnificent and ineffable things in life that are so easy to miss or to take for granted. About the Artist: Stefanie Bales is an award-winning Fine Artist, muralist, and boutique gallery owner- all of which are umbrellaed under her multifaceted creative brand, Stefanie Bales Fine Art. SBFA offers original Fine Art painting, murals, a custom home and accessories product line, educational services, and creative consulting for both residential and commercial clients across the globe. Originally from Philadelphia, PA, Bales moved to San Diego, CA after graduating Cum Laude with a BFA degree in painting from the University of Delaware’s honors program. After a year working for a La Jolla based Art Deco company, she returned to school to pursue her Masters degree in Educational Psychology and Art Therapy. Her time working with students with neurodiversities incidentally inspired her to begin exploring the visual representation of neurosciences and human subconsciousness, evident in her most recent bodies of work. Bales taught at a local design college for over a decade prior to opening her gallery Stefanie Bales Fine Art, in the heart of Little Italy, San Diego, and pursuing her art practice and career full-time. Both Bales’ fine art and mural work have become staples in the San Diego community, with local clients that include the San Diego Downtown Partnership, Balboa Park, Belmont Park, Ansun BioPharma, Estancia La Jolla Hotel & Spa, San Diego Museum of Art, Longfellow Real Estate, Greystar Real Estate Partners, and the Flower Hill Mall. Her work has been published extensively and is in both public and private collections across the country and internationally. Stefanie Bales is a mom to two young boys, Weston, 8, and Rowan, 2, who are her greatest works of Art. Bales’ works will be on view at Sparks Gallery from October 22 – December 30, 2023 with an opening reception on Sunday, October 22, 2023 from 5 to 8 p.m.

The National Weather Service warns that extremely dangerous surf conditions are in store through Saturday.

Each week, Pop Culture Happy Hour guests and hosts share what's bringing them joy. This week: 5-Second Films, an eye-opening Melrose Place article, the song "Ça plane pour moi" and rewatching 30 Rock.

Writer-producer Ron Jackson serves up "Murder and Cocktails" in his Little Italy condo. Find out whodunit when the film starts streaming in January.

Since his death at 96, tributes to the singer and activist have centered his legacies in the U.S. But it's impossible to grasp Belafonte's larger meaning without first understanding his island roots.

When artists die, it can feel impossible to imagine a world without their musical guidance. Yet it's also a moment to celebrate — not just their impact on culture but also inside ourselves.