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San Diegans are paying more for food, housing, medical care, and day care while unemployment ticks up. They’re also witnessing immigration raids at workplaces and schools, the deployment of troops to U.S. streets, and rapid advances in artificial intelligence that threaten job stability.

An agreement with the California Department of Transportation gives city crews access to more encampments downtown. But few people are accepting offers of shelter and support services.

We will be doing small to medium-size loose studies. We will keep the watercolor simple and fresh. We focus on the process more than the finished product, and we encourage play and experimentation. This is a great technique to learn for travel sketchbooks, greeting cards, or adding a little custom painting to your scrapbook, journal, or website. You will be able to finish several paintings. Lori will walk you through each project, and she will demonstrate and show samples, all in a very relaxed atmosphere. We will be drawing from observation of photos and from real life. We may have a guest artist join us for one lesson. This class is set at an intermediate level. You should have some experience with drawing and painting before taking this class. MATERIALS: Pens: I recommend Faber-Castell PITT or Micron waterproof, black. There’s a pack of four Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens that have nib sizes superfine, fine, medium, and brush-pen. If you have a variety of nib sizes in another brand of acid free, waterproof pens, feel free to use them. (Note: Be sure it is not the four-pack that has thick pens used for calligraphy.) Paper: one 9” x 12” watercolor pad. (From 90 lb. to 140 lb. is good. My favorite brand is Arches, cold or hot press, but others are fine.) Watercolor: If you have watercolors, just use what you have. If you want to buy some, you can get the Prang-brand, 16-standard-color set or splurge and buy tubes of Daniel Smith or Winsor & Newton. If you want a set for travel, get a travel Winsor & Newton set, with professional colors. Brushes: The sets usually come with a brush. I recommend that you get additional brushes (round #2, 6, and 8) and a flat, wash brush (½”). Feel free to set up any pens or paper you would like to try. If you would like to get a travel water brush, Niji is the best brand. Misc.: glue stick, scissors, two water containers, spray bottle, water mister, watercolor well palette. (It’s a palette with little cups to hold the paint.) Optional: one Uni-ball, Signo white fine-tip pen or white gel pen, Speedball sketching project set, and black waterproof India ink. Faber-Castell PITT Artist Pens, waterproof, sanguine and/or sepia, any thickness of nib. Max students: 12 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/class/103 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

Special Event in honor of Juneteenth on June 19 from 6-9 p.m., more info forthcoming! Oolong Presents “Sun Goin' Down” A Debut Solo Exhibition by 2025 UCSD MFA Graduate John Singletary June 6 to 25, 2025 This powerful body of work, four years in the making, introduces Singletary’s haunting, symbolic, and deeply personal paintings to the public for the first time. Singletary’s painting practice delves into memory and myth. Drawing from Biblical and Classical tales, Southern folklore, his family’s spiritual lineage, and the subconscious, the artist channels a visual language steeped in longing, pain, and transformation. His work explores themes of death, love, and fear, and reanimates the sacred and the subconscious through ritualized technique and iconographic reference. “My aim is to make paintings that create a separation from the self and its fears or desires, creating space for thinking.” In “Sun Goin' Down,” Singletary’s technique and process becomes part of the meaning. Through methods such as sgraffito, sfumato, sanding, and scraping, the surface of each canvas evokes a kind of resurrection—a cycle of death and rebirth in oil and pigment. “In moments where I render carefully, there is longing. In moments where I have sanded the canvas bare, a subconscious death has occurred.” Singletary explores Christianity as both salvation and trauma, magic and evil. His paintings pulse with the ghost-like presence of those who came before, and the spiritual residue of Southern Black life. “Painting is alive—a deity that brings the dead back to life and allows what is absent to appear present.” “Sun Goin’ Down” refuses easy categorization. The works are both confession and apparition, echo and invocation. Rich in symbolism yet elusive in narrative, these paintings ask to be felt more than explained. They speak in the language of dreams—where trauma is transfigured into image, and gesture becomes truth. Join us at Oolong Gallery for this artist whose work is already pulsating with the intensity of a masterful voice. Gallery Hours: Wednesday–Saturday from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. | appointments recommended w/ wider availability Instagram

More than 1,100 of you wrote to tell us about the books that broadened your horizons, that you kept through every move, that inspired you to become English majors, librarians, writers and teachers.

Having a song go viral is usually good news for an artist. But as politicians become more social media savvy and jump in on viral trends, how can musicians respond if they don't like the way a party or administration uses their song?

Critics say that "slop" videos made with generative AI are often repetitive or useless. But they get millions of views — and platforms are grappling with what to do about them.

It's been 70 years since Emmett Till, a Black teenager visiting relatives in Mississippi, was killed by white men because he whistled at a white woman. Now the gun used in his death is in a museum.

Experience the vibrant energy of Endea Owens and the Cookout, a dynamic ensemble led by the exceptionally talented bassist Endea Owens. Their performances are a joyful fusion of jazz, soul, and global influences, creating a feel-good atmosphere that captivates audiences. Owens, known for her commanding stage presence and masterful playing, often takes center stage with riveting bass solos, while the band members shine with compelling instrumental riffs and uplifting vocal harmonies. The Cookout’s performances are more than just a concert; they are an experience that leaves audiences feeling inspired and connected. Endea Owens’ exceptional talent and impact have garnered significant recognition. She is a recipient of an Emmy, a GRAMMY Award, and a George Foster Peabody Award. In 2019, she was hailed as an Emerging Artist by Jazz at Lincoln Center. Owens has also been commissioned to compose for prestigious ensembles such as the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra, where she served as the 2023 MAC Music Innovator. Her debut album, "Feel Good Music," released in 2023, has further solidified her position as a rising star in the jazz world. Endea Owens on Instagram / Youtube

A decade later, Arabella Benson's elaborate "Days of Future Past, Past" — reimagining the X-Men as 18th-century aristocrats — remains a fan favorite of the Comic-Con Masquerade stage.