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Join us for a collection of true stories from the VAMP nonfiction showcase! It’s a night of bold truths and heartfelt comedy by local storytellers from the So Say We All literary arts community. Featuring stories by: Dallas McLaughlin | Allison Gauss | Brent Hannify | Jaime Barker | Jordan Coburn So Say We All on Facebook / Instagram

As she reflects on her career in a second memoir, Sally Mann warns of a "new era of culture wars" after police pulled several photographs she took of her children decades ago off the walls of a museum.

We are excited to present the 2025–2026 season of the Athenaeum’s Barbara and William Karatz Chamber Music Series, which features artists who have established themselves as favorites with our audiences and those we enthusiastically welcome for the first time. Our season opens October 20 with cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia, who wowed us a couple seasons ago with a solo recital and will return with pianist Victor Santiago Asuncion in an adventurous program of duos. The season also features two remarkable string quartets (longtime Athenaeum favorites, the Maxwell Quartet, on November 17 and gut string heroes, the Diderot Quartet) on April 14; star pianist Conor Hanick on March 16; early music experts, the Artifex Consort, on May 4; and two of our important teachers, violinist Andrés Cárdenes and cellist Steven Doane, joined by local favorite pianist Ines Irawati, on February 23. Putting these concerts together has been a true labor of love, and we can’t wait to welcome you back in October! Monday, October 20, 2025—Santiago Cañón-Valencia (cello) with Victor Santiago Asuncion (piano) Superstar cellist Santiago Cañón-Valencia returns to open our season with a dreamy duo program of French sonatas, unique transcriptions, and Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne (adapted from his ballet Pulcinella). Cañón-Valencia is a BBC Next Generation Artist and Tchaikovsky Competition silver medalist; his skill is hailed by The Strad as “technically flawless … totally under the skin of the composers’ idioms.” Monday, November 17, 2025—Maxwell String Quartet A longtime favorite on the Athenaeum chamber music series, the Maxwell String Quartet returns with a colorful program that opens with their signature dose of Scottish folk tunes, followed by Edmund Finnis’s first quartet, a poetic work that draws inspiration from the choral music of William Byrd, which closes the first half in an arrangement by the Maxwell String Quartet. Brahms’s epic second quartet rounds out this exciting evening. Monday, February 23, 2026—Andrés Cárdenes (violin), Steven Doane (cello), Ines Irawati (piano) This special “lineage” program combines world-class performers and pedagogues in their debut performance as a trio, featuring romantic lyricism alongside playful folk melodies, culminating in Dvorak’s always riveting “Dumky” piano trio. Monday, March 16, 2026—Conor Hanick (piano) We eagerly welcome pianist Conor Hanick to the Athenaeum for the first time for an adventurous solo recital featuring Charles Ives’s monumental first sonata and two Schubert Impromptus paired with a new revision of Samuel Carl Adams’s Three Impromptus (a West Coast premiere) inspired by Schubert. Tuesday, April 14, 2026—Diderot String Quartet The Diderot String Quartet will make their Athenaeum debut with a journey to 18th century Vienna, featuring masterpieces by Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. One of the premiere ensembles performing on gut strings and historical instruments, this dynamic group (Adriane Post, violin; Johanna Novom, violin; Kyle Miller, viola; Paul Dwyer, cello) breathes new life into old works. Monday, May 4, 2026—Artifex Consort Specializing in the rich and varied “sound-world” of the late 17th century, the Artifex Consort (Malachai Komanoff Bandy, Rebecca Landell, and Eva Lymenstull, bass viols; John Lenti, theorbo; Ian Pritchard, keyboards) closes our season with works showcasing the viola da gamba as an ensemble instrument outside of the English consort tradition, during the height of its later flourishing in parts of England and Germany. The program features virtuosic music for two bass viols by Christopher Simpson and Johannes Schenck, alongside lush and ingenious—though little-known—works for three bass viols by Benjamin Hely and Johann Michael Nicolai. All concerts are preceded by a pre-concert talk at 6:45 p.m. and are followed by a reception with the artists in the Sharon & Joel Labovitz Entry Hall. The Diderot String Quartet concert is generously sponsored by Sally and Einar Gall. Athenaeum Members: Unlock exclusive video access to the 2023–2024 Chamber Concert Series, featuring pre-concert talks and performances. Dive into the music with behind-the-scenes insights and captivating performances from world-class artists. Please contact the Athenaeum for the password to access these videos. Athenaeum Music & Arts Library on Facebook / Instagram

Join us for the French Literary and Arts Festival, a new cultural event taking place in La Jolla over three days, featuring a wide range of literary and artistic events. Thursday, October 2: - Theater Night: “Stupeur et tremblements” (Fear and trembling) 6 p.m. Location: Lycee Francais de San Diego 8401 Aero Dr. San Diego, CA 92123 Friday, October 3: - Workshops with authors 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Movie night From Book to Screen: “Hola Frida!” 6:30 p.m. Location: San Diego French-American School 6550 Soledad Mountain RdLa Jolla, CA 92037 We are welcoming 20 authors from around the world, who will lead workshops and meet with students at various schools, including: - The French American School - Patrick Henry High School - The Bishop’s School - Le Lycée Français de San Diego - Clair de Lune Academy One highlight will be a special afternoon at the Geisel Library at UCSD, in collaboration with a delegation from Quebec and the French Consulate. Acclaimed journalist and author Eric Fottorino, former Director of Le Monde, will present a conference in English. We’ll also be hosting a short story competition for students. Events reserved to the students of each participating school. Saturday, October 4: On Saturday, the Festival continues at the La Jolla Athenaeum, where the public is invited to a full day of free workshops and discussions (10 a.m. - 4 p.m.). Highlights include: - A workshop on connecting with highly gifted children (in English) - A conversation with Eric Fottorino on the theme of identity (in English) - Discussion panels on wellness, and how to turn a book into a film (in French and English) The Festival will conclude with a special piano concert (6 p.m.): “A French Emotional Journey” featuring Aleck Karis This inaugural event is organized by the Alliance Française of San Diego, and we hope to establish it as an annual celebration for the La Jolla community. Alliance Française of San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

As the planned giving program manager for KPBS, Brenda Jones has the privilege of working with donors who want to leave a lasting legacy through their estate plans. She provides guidance to individuals and families on a range of planned gift options including gifts through a will or trust, beneficiary designations of retirement assets and charitable trusts. Brenda is passionate about helping donors find a way to support the public media they love and works to ensure KPBS has a secure future for generations to come.

Many Black San Diegans left or were forced out of their neighborhoods due to redlining, freeway construction, other policy decisions and the high cost of living. We dive into some of that history and ongoing efforts to revitalize that sense of community and cultural identity. But first, a breakdown of Proposition 50.

Melissa Ann Pinney's photographs capture everyday moments of adolescence inside Chicago Public Schools over the course of a seven-year artist residency.

Come celebrate the start of Project [BLANK]’s seventh season at ICA San Diego, with a fierce lineup of local female performers presenting work in dialogue with the museum’s "NextGen 2025" exhibition of emerging voices. The evening features performance artist Allison Beaudry’s absurdist body-challenging works, violist Amy Cimini’s adventurous sound worlds, and vocalist Mariana Flores Bucio’s bold new explorations in voice. Join us for an evening of art, music, and community as we raise a glass to San Diego’s fearless creative spirit and kick off our bitchin’ new season. Visit: https://www.projectblanksd.org/season-launch Project [BLANK] on Facebook / Instagram

On the museum’s second Saturday of Hispanic Heritage Month, visitors can enjoy a vibrant mix of hands-on and educational activities. Guests will have the chance to make traditional Lele dolls, view and learn about live snakes native to Mexico and Latin America with an expert herpetologist/environmentalist , and attend a fascinating lecture on the legalities surrounding pre-Columbian art. Each Saturday in September highlights the richness of Hispanic culture, with engaging displays featuring Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, the historic Lemon Grove Incident, Peru, and more. To see each weekend's list of events click here. Heritage Of The Americas Museum on Facebook / Instagram

Stream now with KPBS+ / Watch Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025 at 3 p.m. on KPBS TV. Pati steps into Mexico City's creative scene at El Volador, where Francisco Enriquez shows how his team builds the towering art behind Day of the Dead parades and festivals. Later, Pati visits papel picado artist Yuriria Alfaro and her team to learn about the history of punctured paper and share fish tamales that honor its enduring spirit.