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Join us for an enlightening discussion with Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski, the Chicana textile artist and slow fashion designer behind Sew Loka. In this talk, Rodríguez-Biezunski champions sewing as both a vital art form and a powerful response to our disposable fashion culture. Rodríguez-Biezunski will explore how the deliberate practice of sewing transcends mere utility to become an expressive medium, worthy of the same respect given to traditional fine arts. She'll discuss how reclaiming this craft provides a meaningful alternative to fast fashion's environmental and ethical pitfalls, offering a path toward more conscious consumption and creation. The conversation will also address why sewing skills—once considered essential knowledge—deserve renewed appreciation in today's society, not just as practical abilities but as conduits for creativity, sustainability, and personal empowerment. Discover how Rodríguez-Biezunski's work honors the hands that make our garments while inviting us to reimagine our relationship with clothing in an age of mass production. Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski, better known as Sew Loka, is a San Diego-based textile artist and fashion designer who has made a significant impact in the intersection of streetwear, sustainability, Chicana culture, and DIY fashion. She gained prominence for her distinctive style of customizing and upcycling clothing, while only using recycled, reclaimed and repurposed fabrics to create all of her one of a kind fashion designs and textile art pieces. Beyond her fashion work, Rodríguez-Biezunski is also known for her commitment to community engagement and teaching others the art of sewing and customization. You can visit her any time at her sewing studio, Sew Loka, in the vibrant neighborhood of Barrio Logan in San Diego, CA. Claudia Rodriguez-Biezunski on Instagram Mingei International Museum on Facebook / Instagram

This poetry workshop explores how writing can serve as a powerful tool for self-reflection, growth, expression, and comfort. Through examples of original work, participants will see how poetry can help navigate challenges, capture emotions, gain clarity, and express joy. The first 45 minutes will focus on understanding the impact of poetry and its connection to personal experiences. Participants will then have 45 minutes to write, using prompts designed to inspire creativity and self-expression. The session will conclude with an opportunity to share work, offer constructive feedback, and engage in a collaborative critique to support growth as poets and individuals. Join us for a chance to explore, create, and connect through the art of poetry! Visit: https://writeyourstorynow.org/classes-workshops/2025-05-03-exploring-themes-in-our-lives-through-poetry/ SD Writers Ink on Instagram and Facebook

Here's where to spend your Fourth of July in San Diego County — from fireworks and food to parades and outdoor activities.

Join Golden Guide for their inaugural Golden Makers Market, a vibrant celebration of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) creativity and entrepreneurship. This free community event showcases over 20 AANHPI-owned businesses, makers, and artists from across Southern California. Explore handcrafted products, art, and culinary experiences highlighting rich cultural heritage and contemporary creativity. The two-day event features a curated art show themed "Hiraya Manawari" (Reach Your Dreams) plus workshops including Japanese tea tasting, ikebana flower arranging, jewelry making, and more. Hours: Saturday & Sunday: 11a.m. - 4 p.m. (General Admission, FREE) VIP Shopping Hour: 10 a.m. - 11 a.m. daily ($20, includes tote bag) Workshop tickets available separately. For tickets and workshop registration: goldenguide.org/golden-makers-market Celebrate AANHPI Heritage Month with community, creativity, and connection! Golden Guide on Facebook / Instagram

Journey through the history and geography of Mexico through music & dancing from two of San Diego’s finest mariachi & dance troupes! This Concert is to benefit: Friends of Friendship Park. Visit: https://www.bodhitreeconcerts.org/mariachi-folklorico Bodhi Tree Concerts on Facebook / Instagram Friends of Friendship Park on Facebook / Instagram

Grand Opening JWL ART DESIGNS by Joel White Art Gallery and Studio 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., May 2, 2025 and May 3, 2025 May 2, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., (Music by Gregory Page from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) May 3, 2025 from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m., (Music by Gregory Page from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) Black and white, pen and ink abstracts and highly stylized representations, minimalist to elaborate. Thanks to Funding provided by Arts District Liberty Station. Visit: https://libertystation.com/do/grand-opening-art-studio-and-gallery-jwl-art-designs

The series concludes on June 21 with the return of the Melissa Aldana Quartet, with Aldana on tenor sax, Fabian Almazan on piano, Pablo Menares on bass, and Kush Abadey on drums. Aldana’s last Athenaeum performance was in March 2020, when she played music from her album "Visions" for Frida Kahlo, which earned her a first-ever GRAMMY nomination for Best Improvised Jazz Solo. Her program this June will feature music from her 2024 release on Blue Note Records, Echoes of the Inner Prophet. A native of Chile, Aldana moved to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music. In 2013, at age 24, she became the first female instrumentalist and the first South American musician to win the Thelonious Monk International Jazz Saxophone Competition. Her latest album explores a fascinating paradox. As Aldana explains, it reflects her “personal journey, with an especially introspective point of view. The inner prophet is my own self, now older, who has the knowledge and the intuition and the truth about what my path should be. So, it’s this idea of connecting with that inner prophet,” she continues, “which reveals things about myself, including those things I don’t like.” At the same time, this deeply intimate, searching project is a celebration of collaboration and community. It documents the evolution of her quartet, capturing the collective insight they’ve garnered after extensive touring and travel, and arguing for their place among the most incisive working groups in jazz today. Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/events/jazz-25-0621 Melissa Aldana on Instagram and Facebook

Health advocates say the proposal to reinstate the Medi-Cal asset limit would keep people in poverty while Gov. Newsom says it’s essential to cut rising costs.

This weekend in the arts: "Jaja's African Hair Braiding," "The Counter," "Nighttime Julianne" and more theater openings; plein air art meets San Diego farms; Lucha Fest; anti-fascist art; San Diego Ballet; plus Wonderfront Festival and more live music picks

As painters, we need to know basic color theory and color mixing to make our work look vibrant and alive. In this class we will explore the four basic ideas behind color and the ways we mix and make it all work for successful paintings. We will deal with primary colors, building blocks for all hues; secondary colors, created from two primary colors; and tertiary colors, formed by mixing a primary and a secondary—as well as hue, value, and color temperature. Our class will create color studies using the classic color wheel. This is about color and color relationships in our compositions. We will do a color study and then a full painting from that study—for example, making a green color chart, then making a painting in greens, or a color chart in earth tones, then a painting in earth tones. There are new exercises for painters who have taken this class in the past. Come join us; all levels are welcome. Let’s explore this informative and exciting subject. We are going to have a lot of fun, along with learning, and you will have charts to refer to for years to come. Materials: Oil or acrylic paint: Titanium White, Cadmium Yellow Light or Pale, Cadmium Yellow/Orange (from the Winton range by Winsor & Newton), Cadmium Yellow Deep, Cadmium Red Light, Alizarin Crimson, Ultramarine Blue, Cerulean Blue Hue (by Winton), Viridian Green Hue, Burnt Umber, Raw Umber, Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Yellow Ocher, Dioxazine Purple, Quinacridone Magenta, Black. Brushes: hog-hair bristles in flats, #2, 4, 6, 8. Other: disposable 12” x 16” paper palette pad; odorless Turpenoid and linseed oil for oil paint; Masterson plastic, 12” x 16” box with blue lid to keep paints moist; soft, thin vine charcoal; 2” blade palette knife (no bigger!); Silicoil jar with spring inside; two tall canisters, one to hold clean brushes and one to hold used brushes; paper towels; 12” x 16” canvas pad; sketchbook. Please email me at sharoncaroldemery@gmail.com if you have any questions. I am always happy to help. Max students: 13 Visit: https://www.ljathenaeum.org/