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Join us at Southwestern College Art Gallery for the opening of Movidas Razquaches and Other Cheap Thrills, a collection of new work by artist Perry Vásquez. The exhibition is open from February 4 - March 4, 2025. Regular Gallery hours are Monday through Thursday, 10:30 AM -2:30 PM or by appointment. ARTIST STATEMENT“As an artist I try to pay attention to things being created and consumed within my milieu along the San Diego/Tijuana boundary. I find inspiration by reframing and recontextualizing overlooked things I find here and there and on the margins. I chose Movidas Razquaches as the title for my show because I think it captures the spirit and methodology of what I want to accomplish as an artist.” – Perry Vásquez. ABOUT THE LANGUAGEAccording to Tomás Ybarra-Frausto, rasquachismo is a sensibility that gets expressed in Chicano cultural forms and practices. Ybarra-Frausto writes, “It is a sensibility that is not elevated and serious, but playful and elemental. It finds delight and refinement in what many consider banal and projects an alternative aesthetic, a sort of good taste of bad taste.” Like African-American funk, or the improvised inventions of Rube Goldberg, the emphasis is on wit, resourcefulness and working with what is at hand. The add-on word, movida, can be translated as a maneuver, or a play (as in a game). Poet Juan Felipe Herrera interprets movidas rasquaches as “cheap thrills”, linking it to a pleasurable activity open to anyone who cares to partake. While legal scholar Alfredo Mirandé offers the word “hustle,” suggesting an illicit or unethical way to make a living. Sociologist David Spener uses movidas rasquaches to describe the network of the ad hoc work-arounds and tricks employed by migrants to navigate the US/Mexico border. While no single one of these terms perfectly captures the full meaning, taken together they give a reliable framework for interpretation. ABOUT THE WORKOver the last year and a half, Vásquez has created new work that divides into four projects using different media and including collaborative and solo work. Some of the projects are well established while others are being presented to the public for the first time in this exhibition. Blankets Vásquez collects flyers advertising gardening services left on his driveway by workers seeking employment. The no-thrills graphic style and the not-so-subtle way in which they seem to copy each other caught the artist’s eye. The act of weaving the flyers into blanket designs celebrates the DIY approach while reminding us of the workers’ aspirations to provide warmth and shelter for their families. Le Voyage/El Viaje This is an AI imaging project whose goal was to rethink and replace the transactional language used to prompt and generate AI images. “The AI image making process is hyper-focused on the outcome as the only part of the process with artistic merit. The prompt itself is written to be transactional and limiting.” Vásquez turned the process of generating imagery into a Surrealist game by inserting lines from French poet Charles Baudellaire’s poem Le Voyage into the software. The resulting images were used as the basis for a series of oil paintings. Monopalms The presence of cell towers disguised as palm trees (monopalms) has become a common sight in Southern California. This series of paintings implies the link between palm trees and the myth of paradise. The paintings also offer commentary on the telecommunications industry and how it alters our perception of nature and our sense of public and private space. Mexus Nexus Fluxus Inspired by Mexican recording artist Esquivel and the German techno artist Señor Coconut, Vásquez arranged four traditional Mexican songs for the synthesizer. He then worked with visual artists Lianne Mueller-Thompson and Carlos Solorio to create video and animations for the music. The music will be presented as a video installation. RECEPTIONSSaturday February 8, 11 AM -1 PM. (free parking in Lot O for this event) Tuesday, February 11, 11 AM -1 PM.

Another masterful adaptation of a Molière Classic, School for Wives, by Culture Clash founder Herbert Siguenza. Set in Sinaloa, Mexico in 1992, Don Ernesto is a Narco king who has a young girl named Eva being trained by nuns to become his loyal subservient wife. He sends his wise cracking housekeeper Armida to get the girl via train. While they wait at the train station Eva has a love at first sight encounter with Mario Grande Jr. who is there for his father’s funeral and Don Ernesto’s rival Narco enemy! This narco-novela-comedy borrows from Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet and The Importance of Being Earnest for a wild ride that ends with a double wedding and a Narco family truce! Visit: https://www.onthestage.tickets/show/palomar-performing-arts/66b5317e48dddb3c17f9a383/tickets#/productions-view Palomar Performing Arts on Instagram and Facebook

San Diego Filipino Cinema marks its sixth anniversary with CineLibre, featuring a free screening of San Diego Filipino Film Festival short films and conversations with filmmakers, including Luke Lace and Marissa Roxas.

Join us at Artreach HQ for a Beadmaking workshop! Express yourself through bead-making and 3D design! Create beautiful patterns and designs through the processes of creating “canes” with colorful polymer clay. Working on a smaller scale, this process teaches pattern and design sculpturally that can be achieved through cutting and slicing. Perfect for making small items and jewelry. Visit: Polymer Clay Beadmaking ArtReach San Diego on Instagram and Facebook

Experience the enchanting world of Javanese gamelan music and dance with Joko Sutrisno and Tri Martodikromo. Joko, an acclaimed performer, composer, and educator, and Tri, a celebrated dancer of this refined tradition, have thrilled audiences in both Indonesia and the United States. In this special performance, Joko will be joined by the Indonesian Consulate Community gamelan and members of the Canyon Crest Academy gamelan. Together, they will bring to life the intricate rhythms and rich harmonies of traditional Javanese music and the captivating dances that reflect the cultural depth of Indonesia’s artistic heritage. Following the performance, join Joko, Tri, and the ensemble for a Q&A session, where you’ll have the chance to delve deeper into the history, instruments, and stories behind the music and dance. Expect an evening that offers an unforgettable glimpse into one of Indonesia’s most cherished art forms. About the artists: Joko Sutrisno is an accomplished Javanese gamelan performer, composer, and educator who has engaged with students and audiences both in Indonesia and abroad. Sutrisno graduated from the Indonesian Institute of Arts, Surakarta, Java, in 1987. He directed the gamelan ensemble at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand for 8 years before moving to Minnesota in 1995, where he was artistic director of Sumunar Gamelan and Dance Ensemble. He was recently appointed as a professor of gamelan at UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music and the UC Riverside School of Music. As a Center for World Music teaching artist, he directs the Javanese gamelan ensemble at Canyon Crest Academy high school. He is also currently the consulting director for the student gamelan ensembles at Saint Thomas University, The University of South Dakota, (Vermillion); Concordia College, (Moorhead); and Hamilton College (New York). In 2024, Sutrisno was appointed as an apprentice for the Alliance for California Traditional Arts (ACTA). Tri Martodikromo, born in Central Java, Indonesia, has been deeply immersed in dance from a young age. After moving to the Twin Cities in 1995, she became the dance director for the Sumunar Indonesian Music and Dance Ensemble. Known for her inspiring choreography and teaching, Tri has shared Indonesian dance across the Midwest through workshops, residencies, and community classes. Now residing in Los Angeles, Tri continues her mission of connecting communities through the art of Indonesian dance. Visit: Sounds of the Royal Courts: Gamelan Music & Dance of Java Center for World Music on Instagram and Facebook

Our intermediate art class for ages 5-11 nurtures artistic growth through more advanced exploration of color theory, composition, and techniques. Young artists will enhance their skills in painting, drawing, and mixed-media, focusing on developing their unique style and creative problem-solving. Visit: $15 Art Class for Kids ArtReach San Diego on Instagram and Facebook

Our intermediate art class for ages 5-11 nurtures artistic growth through more advanced exploration of color theory, composition, and techniques. Young artists will enhance their skills in painting, drawing, and mixed-media, focusing on developing their unique style and creative problem-solving. Visit: $15 Art Class for Kids ArtReach San Diego on Instagram and Facebook

Our intermediate art class for ages 5-11 nurtures artistic growth through more advanced exploration of color theory, composition, and techniques. Young artists will enhance their skills in painting, drawing, and mixed-media, focusing on developing their unique style and creative problem-solving. Visit: $15 Art Class for Kids ArtReach San Diego on Instagram and Facebook

The North Coast Symphony Orchestra presents "Voices of Spring", a program of operatic favorites, on Saturday, May 17 at 2:30 p.m. at the San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdelena, Encinitas. The performance features Katherine Polit (soprano), Sarah-Nicole Ruddy-Carter (mezzo soprano), Aaron Humble (tenor), and Michael Sokol (baritone) and includes selections from operas by Delibes, Saint-Saens, Donizetti, Verdi, Offenbach, and Wagner. The orchestra will also premiere the orchestrated version of “A Long Trip,” a 17-minute opera by its conductor Jordan Kuspa. Visit: https://www.northcoastsymphony.com/concertstickets.html North Coast Symphony Orchestra on Facebook

Learn to sculpt with clay in this 8-week series! Sundays, January 5, 12, 19, 26, February 2, 9, 16 & March 2, from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. The art of pottery is more than just a skill; it’s an opportunity to express our feelings and thoughts through art. Our deep connection with soil and clay fills our lives with beauty and wonder. Each piece we create tells a story about ourselves and our time. Learning how to create pottery reminds us that art is not just about making things beautiful; it’s a way to communicate with the world. This 8-week course teaches us that every piece we make is an opportunity to discover and create within ourselves. Sculptures made of clay have been created since prehistoric times and are still a form of artistic expression today. Artists and artisans around the world practice this art and create human and animal sculptures, geometric objects and shapes, and even create large works of art that tell a story. Sculpture, with a history that goes back centuries, has had a constant presence in the art and culture of different societies. In this 8-class series, students learn to make simple forms and finally proceed to make handmade structures in the shape of plants, animals, and humans. It’s a creative experience that starts from nothing and turns into something meaningful! This course covers the following topics: history of figurative pottery; materials and tools; practical exercises; designing and creating initial forms; creating abstract and organic shapes; understanding the structure of animal bodies and designing facial and body expressions; understanding the structure of human faces and bodies and designing facial and body expressions; and techniques for drying, painting, glazing, and firing clay. All materials included. Beginners welcome. Ages 12+ years. • Military and sibling discounts • Scholarships available • Homeschool funds accepted • If this class is full, join the Interest List. • If you would like to be notified of future offerings, join the Interest List to be notified when new dates or spaces are available. Visit: Ceramics | Handmade Figurative Clay from Ancient to Modern San Diego Craft Collective on Instagram and Facebook