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Celebrate this new year with us in a festive environment with dragon and lion dances, firecrackers, games, food, and more! SD Lunar New Year Festival is a 3-day celebration of the most important holiday in many Asian cultures. The festival will include folk and traditional performances, arts and cultural exhibitions, lion dances and firecrackers, and plenty of family fun activities for the kids. More importantly, the festival is inclusive and free. Visit: https://www.sdlunarnewyearfestival.com/

The world's highest concentration of data centers is in Virginia. Many residents are not happy about that.

Kosuke Matsuda will present his solo recital on Monday, January 6th, 2025, at 5 p.m. at the Conrad Prebys Music Center Experimental Theater. This recital marks a significant milestone for Matsuda as it concludes his Doctor of Musical Arts degree and launches his 2025 season as a music performer. The concert showcases works by John Cage, Kaija Saariajo, and Hans Werner Henze, whose compositions integrate Japanese concepts of silence and sound as central musical elements. Through these pieces, Matsuda aims to explore how silence can be shaped by sound and gesture, offering a nuanced interpretation of its depth and meaning. In his doctoral research, Matsuda delved into the conceptual differences of silence in Japanese culture, analyzing its representation in literature and its influence on music. The Japanese language itself offers over seven words to express varying forms of quietness and tranquility, each with unique contextual nuances. This recital invites audiences to experience these dimensions of silence brought to life through music. This recital also serves as the beginning of Matsuda’s 2025 concert season, which will include a solo performance in Tokyo, Japan, on March 12th, 2025, and additional engagements throughout the year. Join Kosuke Matsuda on January 6th for an evening of profound musical exploration, where sound and silence intertwine to create a deeply reflective concert experience. Kosuke Matsuda, originally from Nagasaki, Japan, began his career as a percussionist, deeply inspired by the natural soundscape of his hometown. Matsuda pursued a master’s degree at Aichi University of the Fine Arts. He continued his studies in the United States, earning a second master’s degree and Artist Diploma at the Frost School of Music, University of Miami. Currently based in San Diego, he is completing his Doctor of Musical Arts degree at UC San Diego. Visit: https://music-web.ucsd.edu/concerts/cms_index.php?now=1&query_event_code=20250106-Matsuda Kosuke Matsuda on Facebook

Tuesdays, 9:30 a.m. –12:30 p.m. January 14–February 11 (5 weeks, 15 total hour of instruction) AAC Print Room Looking at a life organically: Pick a time frame or a theme: a day-in-the-life, the places where you have lived, a special trip, or significant events over a lifetime. We will map the event(s), then utilize words, text-as-image, and actual images to represent those events as a vine that winds its way through the pages of an accordion book. This organic approach uncovers the threads that connect these phenomena, as well as your thoughts about them. For the cover page, we will make a low-tech, ink self-portrait. Then, using folded paper, we will create non-adhesive hardcovers to house the accordion pages. The resulting structure will be an exploration of the twists and turns of self-reflection on our past stories and our potential future stories. Materials: Cutting knife, stylus (for scoring), sharp pencils and a good eraser (Pink Pearl is good), glue (UHU glue stick or PVA & brush or small roller), 12” ruler, scissors. Optional/recommended: 12” centering/beveled ruler, bench hook with cutting mat (9” x 12” cutting mat size is ideal), bone folder. Materials will be provided to create the book and the covers. Max Students: 8 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/classes/71 Athenaeum Music and Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. January 25 (1 day, 4 hours of instruction) La Jolla Studio Explore making fun, floral, fabric collages embellished with embroidery and hand stitching. These little gems can be turned into wall hangings and pillow embellishments, used as part of a quilt or in a visible mending project. You could embellish a cloth tote or decorate your denim jacket with one. We will focus on color and design using basic stitches and appliqué. Nancy will teach you the techniques and walk you through the step-by-step process to assist you with creating your work of art! Nancy’s approach is all about self-expression. Please feel free to bring any fabrics or swatch of clothing that you like or has a special meaning that you would like to include in your project. All the sewing and embroidery is done by hand. It is a slow stitch process. Prerequisites: Please be able to thread a needle, tie a knot repeatedly, and make a basic running stitch. (A bonus if you can backstitch.) Materials: Students to bring: A needle or two for sewing and embroidery, embroidery thread or floss, sharp fabric scissors, any fabrics, bits of lace or clothing that has a special meaning, beads, or baubles that you would like to include in your project. Please pack a snack! Instructor to bring: The instructor will provide background fabric, fabric scraps, bits and bobs, embroidery floss and threads, basic tools, samples for inspiration, and stitch-sample books. *If you don’t need to use any of the instructor’s supplies—and you have lots of opaque and transparent fabric scraps, embroidery thread, floss, and needles, as well as a background fabric in linen or vintage cotton approximately 18” x 18”—you can bring them and forgo paying instructor for materials. *Please note: The best fabric is linen, cotton, or something used or vintage. If you want to stitch on knit fabrics (T-shirt type), you can. NO heavy fabrics like denim! We will be layering many pieces together. Max students: 12 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/classes/14 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Instagram and Facebook

"King: In the Wilderness" documentary (2018, TV-14, 1h 51m) Friday, Feb. 21 at 4 p.m. at the Carlsbad Dove Library In honor of Black History Month this February, we are proud to present a documentary that explores the final months of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s life. Dr. King's legacy is deeply woven into the fabric of American history over the past 70 years. This film provides an intimate look at his last months, marked by personal struggle and doubt, as he and his closest advisors wrestled with the belief that his role as a leading advocate for change had come to an end.

Become a Master Composter! Join us at the beautiful Water Conservation Garden to gain in-depth composting knowledge to expand your sustainable gardening practices. You can earn a certificate of completion after attending all 5 weeks, then go on to receive the Master Composter certification and badge after completing the additional requirements! Meet new people in this fun, hands-on course. Class size is limited. Attendees must preregister. After completing this 5-week course you will have a better understanding of how to: * Minimize your carbon footprint and reduce your methane emissions by keeping food and yard waste out of the landfill. * Create natural nutrient-rich soil amendments with your food and yard waste that help your garden grow. * Avoid using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. * Reduce water use and increase water retention. Compost increases your soil’s water-holding capacity and improves water retention. The Master Composter course provides training in the art and science of composting through lectures, demonstrations, and a field trip. The course covers the following topics: * In-depth traditional composting and the basics of composting with worms (vermicomposting) * Compost bin building and troubleshooting (in teams!) * The microbiology of composting, including the role of fungi and bacteria * Bokashi fermentation for saving food scraps to compost * Macro decomposers in your compost pile * A tour of the Water Conservation Garden’s composting exhibit * The environmental impacts of composting * … and much more! Schedule (This class will meet Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.:) * March 15th, 2025 * March 22nd, 2025 * March 29th, 2025 * April 5th, 2025 * April 12th, 2025 How to get certified: Master Composter certification requires attendance at all 5 classes, as well as 30 volunteer hours of related community service. Certification is optional. Residents of unincorporated San Diego County receive preferential registration. All others will be placed on a waitlist and apprised of space available 1-2 weeks before the start of the course. Course Fee: $25* *If this course fee presents a financial hardship, it may be waived upon request. Please contact Erin Stone at erin@solanacenter.org before registering to inquire. Made possible through generous funding by the County of San Diego. Thanks to our host, The Water Conservation Garden. Visit: Master Composter Course – El Cajon Solana Center for Environmental Innovation on Instagram and Facebook

Local Indigenous leaders are working to increase representation and cultural awareness. That also means making higher education more inclusive. We hear from San Diego State University’s tribal liaison. In other news, the California Center for the Arts is a North County hub for culture, art and community. A foundation has managed it for 30 years, but a budget deficit for Escondido could mean a change. Plus, Seaworld San Diego doubled as a giant classroom yesterday for STEM: science, technology, engineering and math.

The entire Point Loma community is invited to make their unique mark on a community mural in this workshop where participants will learn about pattern-making from muralist and public artist, Molly Z, and then participate in creating a community mural that will be on display at Point Loma Church. This workshop does not require artistic experience, is open to all ages, and is free. We can make beautiful things when we come together! Visit: https://pointlomachurch.org/event/23713317-2025-02-08-choosing-unity-community-mural-workshop/ Molly Z. Art + Design on Instagram and Facebook

Wounded Warrior Homes will provide a single-family home to a veteran woman with children while she's enrolled in one of their programs.