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Saturday, October 25, 2025 2–7 p.m. Catherine and Robert Palmer Gallery Helena Westra: "Lying Fallow" On view: August 9–October 25, 2025 Mark the final day of Helena Westra’s installation "Lying Fallow" with an afternoon of creative celebration at the Athenaeum Art Center. Drop in anytime between 2 and 7 p.m. for this free, all-ages gathering. Harvest the golden meadow grass from the installation and transform it into autumn treasures—wreaths, straw dolls, bundles, and other imaginative creations. Take home a piece of the artwork, enjoy time with friends and neighbors, and embrace the spirit of the season. Celebra el último día de la instalación "Lying Fallow" de Helena Westra con una tarde creativa en el Athenaeum Art Center. Llega en cualquier momento entre las 2 y las 7 p.m. a este encuentro gratuito y abierto a todas las edades. Cosecha el pasto dorado del prado de la instalación y transfórmalo en tesoros otoñales—coronas, muñecas de paja, atados y otras creaciones imaginativas. Llévate a casa una pieza de la obra, disfruta con amigos y vecinos, y abraza el espíritu de la temporada. "Lying Fallow" is a golden meadow brought indoors and an invitation to rest. In this installation of hand-gathered California grasses, artist Helena Westra creates a space shaped by slowness, reflection, and return. The title comes from the agricultural term “lying fallow,” used when a field is left unplanted for a season so the soil can restore its strength. For Westra, this idea becomes a metaphor for creative and personal renewal. Westra's installation draws from her own search for balance in a world that constantly demands effort and productivity. Elevated here instead is her deep reverence for the land, a connection between the cycles of her own body and the seasons, and the quiet, in-between moments we often overlook. This exhibition straddles late summer into fall, inviting visitors into a space that feels both grounded and dreamlike, where time slows down and the border between the external world and the inner self begins to blur. This is a show about pausing. About listening. About what can only grow after a period of stillness. "Lying Fallow" offers a soft-landing place for memory, for imagination, and for whatever may come next. "Lying Fallow" es una pradera dorada llevada al interior y una invitación al descanso. En esta instalación de hierbas de California recogidas a mano, la artista Helena Westra crea un espacio moldeado por la lentitud, la reflexión y el retorno. El título procede del término agrícola "lying fallow”, utilizado cuando se deja un campo sin plantar durante una temporada para que el suelo recupere su fuerza. Para Westra, esta idea se convierte en una metáfora de la renovación creativa y personal. La instalación de Westra se inspira en su propia búsqueda de equilibrio en un mundo que exige constantemente esfuerzo y productividad. En cambio, aquí se eleva su profunda reverencia por la tierra, una conexión entre los ciclos de su propio cuerpo y las estaciones, y los momentos entre cosas que muchas veces no notamos. Esta exposición, a medio camino entre el final del verano y el otoño, invita a los visitantes a un espacio que se siente a la vez conectado a la tierra y onírico, donde el tiempo se ralentiza y la frontera entre el mundo exterior y el interior empieza a difuminarse. Es una exposición sobre la pausa. Sobre escuchar. Sobre lo que sólo puede crecer tras un periodo de quietud. "Lying "Fallow ofrece un lugar de aterrizaje suave para la memoria, para la imaginación y para lo que pueda venir después. The exhibition can be viewed in the Catherine and Robert Palmer Gallery at the Athenaeum Art Center (1955 Julian Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113) during open gallery hours, Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and every second Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., during the Barrio Art Crawl, and by appointment. Athenaeum Art Center on Instagram

Exploring Identity: Integrating Art & Ethnic Studies This dynamic professional development session is designed for all educators, not just art teachers, who are seeking innovative ways to meet California’s new Ethnic Studies graduation requirement. Exploring the Ethnic Studies Model Curriculum theme of Identity, participants will explore how visual art can serve as a powerful tool to deepen students' understanding and enhance learning outcomes. Aligned with the National Core Art Standards, this session equips educators with contemporary art resources, creative techniques, and adaptable project ideas that can be seamlessly integrated into various subjects. Attendees will leave with practical strategies to foster student engagement, promote cultural awareness, and build a stronger sense of community in any classroom. ArtReach: Website / Facebook / Instagram

Join us at the Museum of Photographic Arts for a compelling double feature that explores memory, identity, and personal storytelling through the lens of photography and film. "A Photographic Memory" and "Ben Between Africa" are both documentaries that follow deeply personal journeys of two filmmakers seeking to understand a late family member through the photographs, letters, and archives they left behind. Together, they explore universal themes of grief, intergenerational healing, memory, and belonging. These aren’t just films; they’re acts of remembrance, filmmaking as a bridge between past and present. We believe the pairing of these two works offers a unique opportunity for audiences to reflect on the power of personal storytelling and the emotional resonance of archival film. Medium Photo on Facebook / Instagram

Celebrate ten years of "A Christmas Carol" at Cygnet Theatre with a fresh twist in honor of our new home at The Joan in Arts District Liberty Station. This reimagined production of Charles Dickens’ timeless tale of hope and redemption brings a visually stunning and heartwarming experience to the stage. With a captivating storytelling, and festive magic, this cherished holiday tradition is perfect for audiences of all ages and sure to delight the entire family. Join us as we welcome the season with joy, wonder, and the enduring spirit of the holidays. Begins November 26. Tickets on sale now! Please Note: - There are not performances on Thursday, Nov. 27 and Thursday, Dec. 25 - The performance on Wednesday, Dec. 24 will be held at 2 p.m. Cygnet Theatre on Facebook / Instagram

Step behind the scenes for a rare opportunity to explore The San Diego Museum of Art’s private library. Celebrate Book Month with a rare chance to explore the literary heart of the Museum. Browse hundreds of art books, view selected rare titles up close, and take home a book (or several!) from our free book cart. San Diego Public Library will also be on-site, offering free library cards for those who want to explore the libraries of San Diego even further. Perfect for art lovers, bookworms, and the curious at heart. The San Diego Museum of Art on Facebook / Instagram

07. Halloween Decorations in Plein Air Kevin Inman Saturday, 9:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. October 25 (1 day, 3 total hours of instruction) On location (either Kensington, Mission Hills or Loma Portal) $90/$110 Back by popular demand! Join Halloween-obsessive Kevin Inman for a pumpkin-spiced painting session in the streets of San Diego. We will paint in San Diego’s top Halloween décor spot of 2025 (if you know, you know) after extensive research by our intrepid teacher. Costumes strongly encouraged; candy provided. Painting outdoors gives the artist the opportunity to experiment with light, color, and atmosphere. Work with San Diego landscape painter Kevin Inman to learn how to paint spontaneously, appreciate nature, and enjoy the moment. Topics include color mixing, design, and letting go of your inner critic. Materials: Recommended oil or acrylic colors (Gamblin and Rembrandt paints): Limited palette: Alizarin Crimson Permanent, Cadmium Yellow Medium, Ultramarine Blue, Titanium White. This palette saves money but limits your options in advanced painting techniques. Basic palette: Cadmium Yellow Medium (or Hue), Cadmium Yellow Deep (or Hue), Cadmium Red Medium (or Hue), Alizarin Crimson Permanent, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue, Titanium White, Burnt Umber, or preferred alternatives. Recommended but optional palette: Ivory Black, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ochre. Brushes: a range of brushes from #2 on up. (I prefer hog bristle flats and filberts.) Other: cup or jar for solvent; paper towels; palette or paper palette pad; Gamsol or Turpenoid; linseed oil or Gamblin Solvent-free Gel; sketchbook; pencil; vine charcoal; palette knife; gloves; travel easel or pochade box; hat and sunscreen. Supports: Stack of inexpensive materials for quick studies and exercises, such as a five-pack of Blick canvas boards, size 8” x 10” or 11” x 14”, an Arches oil paper pad, or a canvas pad. Two larger canvas boards or stretched canvases, size 11” x 14” to 16” x 20” for longer projects. Max students: 12 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Facebook / Instagram

Join Museum educators in an activity using colored foam to recreate images of desserts. Using a template, cut shapes to create a fun, colored foam image of your favorite dessert! This workshop is inspired by the work of Wayne Thiebaud. No reservation is required. All materials are provided. Visit: https://www.sdmart.org/event/community-art-workshop-wayne-thiebaud-desserts/ The San Diego Museum of Art on Instagram and Facebook

Premieres Friday, Oct. 17, 2025 at 9 p.m. on KPBS 2 / Stream with KPBS+. Weaving together stories of artists featured in the Getty’s 2024-25 Southern California art event Pacific Standard Time, the documentary showcases a sampling of the participating arts organizations and scientific institutions throughout the region.

Opening Reception | Nolan Oswald Dennis: "Demonstrations (i)": Presented with INSITE Athenaeum Music & Arts Library 1008 Wall Street La Jolla, CA 92037 October 25, 2025–January 17, 2026 Opening Reception: Friday, October 24, 5:30–8 p.m. Conversation with Nolan Oswald Dennis and critic KJ Abudu: 5:30–6:15 p.m. Joseph Clayes III & Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Galleries Nolan Oswald Dennis: "Demonstrations (i)" Presented with INSITE INSITE is pleased to announce Nolan Oswald Dennis: "Demonstrations (i)," opening at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library in La Jolla, California, this October. Nolan Oswald Dennis (b. 1988, Lusaka, Zambia) is an artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Informed by the study of geological and planetary systems—and situated within African and diasporic relations to the land, cosmos, and anti-colonial political structures—Dennis’s work approaches the world as it is while mapping possibilities for transforming it. "Demonstrations (i)" marks the West Coast premiere of Isivivane, an ongoing project by Dennis that replicates rock specimens from geology museums and university departments in South Africa and parts of the world where the work has been shown. Originally commissioned for INSITE Commonplaces in Johannesburg in 2021, this project has since traveled to the Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, Netherlands; the Swiss Institute in New York; and Gasworks in London. Isivivane is a Zulu word which translates to a "pile of stones,” similar to a cairn, which marks a spiritually or historically significant site. Isivivane also means to make an individual contribution to a collective future. Manufactured daily by a 3D-printer on site, the new rocks become part of what the artist calls a Black Earth Library. This is an effort that has arisen from discussions with geologists and geology museum curators concerning restitution and repatriation of culturally significant objects. In asking the host institution to create digital and physical copies of more or less significant rocks, stones, and other small geological objects, Dennis suggests a geo-social system not built by a single person, but by many over time. Isivivane will be accompanied by related sculptures and drawings, and displays of rocks and minerals selected by the artist from local collections. "Demonstrations (i)" opens to the public at the Athenaeum with a reception on Friday, October 24, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The closing of the exhibition on January 17 will be celebrated with the presentation of INSITE Journal__08: Reverse Forward and All at Once. The publication comprises documentation and essays related to the INSITE "Commonplaces" project curated by Gabi Ngcobo in Johannesburg, with commissioned work by participating artists Nyakallo Maleke and Nolan Oswald Dennis. Further public program announcements to follow. About Nolan Oswald Dennis Nolan Oswald Dennis is an artist based in Johannesburg, South Africa. They hold a bachelor's degree in architecture from the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) and a master’s degree in art, culture, and technology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Their work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Kunstinstituut Melly in Rotterdam, Netherlands; Swiss Institute in New York; Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town; and Gasworks in London. They have been featured in group exhibitions at FRONT Triennial (Cleveland), Lagos Biennial, Liverpool Biennial, MACBA (Barcelona), Palais de Tokyo (Paris), Seoul Mediacity Biennale, Shanghai Biennale, and Young Congo Biennale, among others. They are a member of the artist groups NTU and Index Literacy Program, research associate with the VIAD Research Centre at the University of Johannesburg, and a member of the Edouard Glissant Art Fund Scientific Committee. About INSITE Since 1992, INSITE has produced more than 250 artists’ projects conceived for specific sites and political-social contexts across San Diego and Tijuana, as well as in Mexico City. INSITE Commonplaces is a curatorial platform established in 2021 for producing work with artists and communities commissioned locally in different regions of the world. In addition to Johannesburg (Reverse Forward and All at Once), these long-term projects have taken place in Lima, Peru (Common Thread), and presently, the transnational region encompassing San Diego County and Baja California, Mexico (The Sedimentary Effect). The exhibition can be viewed in the Joseph Clayes III and Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Galleries at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037) during open hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Facebook / Instagram

Supporters of the displays say the Bible is on their side, but critics call the scenes sacrilegious and politically divisive, accusing the churches of abusing sacred imagery.