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This weekend in the arts: Ewa Słapa at Best Practice; curtains rise at The Joan; City Ballet's Sinatra-themed dance; plus indie rock and more live music.

Chaired by Catriona Jamieson and Sheldon Morris, "The Gala: Horizons" draws inspiration from their passion for science and space—realms that have long captivated artists exploring the infinite, the unknown, and the unknowable. Just as black holes bend light and reshape space, contemporary art shifts perspectives, challenges expectations, and unveils new ways of thinking. MCASD serves as a dynamic hub for these explorations, offering world-class exhibitions, cutting-edge programs, and transformative educational experiences that engage and inspire our community. Join us for an exhilarating evening overlooking the vast Pacific, surrounded by art and space. Begin your evening with specialty bites and exquisite cocktails, before enjoying a specially curated meal by Chef Tim Kolanko, Urban Kitchen Group. The Gala is the Museum’s premiere and largest fundraising event, annually raising over $900,000. Your attendance directly supports the mission of the Museum to invite all audiences to experience our world, our region, and ourselves through the prism of contemporary art. We look forward to an exceptional evening with you in support of MCASD. Please note that The Gala is 21+. Ticket Information ***Please note that the last day to purchase tables and tickets to The Gala: Horizons will be Sunday, August 24.*** PREMIERE TABLE Reservations at $50,000 for table of ten ($48,150 is tax-deductible) Individual reservations at $5,000 per person ($4,815 is tax-deductible) For all ticket holders: Premiere table location | Tableside champagne service | Upgraded wine pairings and a dedicated wine steward | Complimentary Alex Katz exhibition catalogue | Complimentary valet parking For Table Sponsors only: Private curatorial tour of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance for up to 10 guests (exhibition on view August 21, 2025 – January 4, 2026) Reserve Tickets - PLATINUM TABLE Reservations at $25,000 for table of ten ($23,250 is tax-deductible) Individual reservations at $2,500 per person ($2,325 is tax-deductible) For all ticket holders: Preferred table location | Tableside champagne service | Upgraded wine pairings and a dedicated wine steward | Complimentary valet parking For Table Sponsors only: Private curatorial tour of Alex Katz: Theater and Dance for up to 10 guests (exhibition on view August 21, 2025 – January 4, 2026) Reserve Tickets - GOLD TABLE Reservations at $15,000 for table of ten ($13,350 is tax-deductible) Individual reservations at $1,500 per person ($1,335 is tax-deductible) Seating in the Art Park Dining Room | Complimentary valet parking Reserve Tickets Underwriting Opportunities Support the future of contemporary art by underwriting The Gala: Horizons. As an underwriter, your generous contribution directly offsets event costs—ensuring that every dollar raised goes toward supporting the museum’s exhibitions, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives. Underwriters receive special recognition on digital assets and at The Gala. Reach your corporate social responsibility goals with MCASD. Grow your brand awareness and expand your client network – in an artful way. Your individual and/or corporate investment is 100% tax-deductible. Join us in making this unforgettable night of art and celebration possible. We are eager to create meaningful and lasting partnerships; please contact Alexis Polakoff, Senior Director, Development at apolakoff@mcasd.org for custom Underwriting and Sponsorship packages to fit your needs. Underwriting Opportunity – The Cocktail Hour Underwriting Opportunity – The Gala Dinner Underwriting Opportunity (PDF) About the Chairs Sheldon Morris, M. D. MPH is a Clinical Professor in the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine and Division of Family Medicine, Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at UC, San Diego. Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., is a Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Regenerative Medicine and Director of the Sanford Stem Cell Institute. Sheldon and Cat are committed to supporting their community in the arts, education and health. Cat’s mother is an artist and her father was an engineer. Together they taught her that art expands your mind. As long-time residents of La Jolla with two children, Isabella and Harris, Sheldon and Cat consider MCASD an iconic community resource that represents the strong dedication to the arts by our community and a destination to all those that live or visit San Diego. Sheldon has served on the MCASD Board of Trustees since 2021. Honorary Committee Thank you to our generous supporters and underwriters that make this event successful. Deena and Ken* Altman Barbara Arledge* Melissa Garfield Bartell* and Michael Bartell Mary* and Jim Berglund AJ and Chris* Birchby Frania and Charles* Black Nancy* and Matthew Browar Marcia Hazan* and Mark Cammell Karen Cohn* Jennifer Nelson* and John Dineen Carolyn P. Farris* Deidre Buddin* and Jose Fernandez Karen S. Fox* Celia Henely* Alex High* Margaret Jackson* Dr. Paul E. Jacobs* Chanfeng Zhao and Tao Jiang* Kathryn Kanjo and David Jurist Patsy and David* Marino Margret and Nevins* McBride Anna Haudenschild Meier* and Philip Meier Lorenza Fabre Vega* and Bruno Meli Alessandra Moctezuma* Drs. Catriona Jamieson and Sheldon Morris* Garna Muller* Kristina and Ali* Nafii Maryanne* and Irwin Pfister Elizabeth Phelps* Cami and Tom* Rosso Colette Carson Royston* and Ivor Royston Lise Wilson and Steve Strauss* *Names are listed alphabetically. 2025-2026 MCASD Board of Trustees are notated with *. List as of 8/21. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

The artist and illustrator created iconic posters for movie franchises like Indiana Jones, Star Wars and Back to the Future.

Artist Marisol Rendón explores concepts of glory, self-deception and beneficial pests in her residency exhibit at the always-free Timken Museum in Balboa Park.

Come immerse yourself in archetypal and lived journey stories with members of Storytellers of San Diego. Armchair and other travelers unite in an up close and alive tale spinning event hosted by Jim Dieckmann, aided and abetted by Marilyn McPhie, Emily Stamets, Mindy Donner, and introducing Phoenix Coverly. Tellers will regale with personal, original, folkloric and literary stories. Great java and barista drinks available. Arts-filled atmosphere near the Pacific ocean. Ages 12 and up. Storytellers of San Diego on Facebook / Instagram

Snider's supercharged relationship with her art form and open-book stance on depression and anxiety shine through in her new opera, which debuts this week in Los Angeles.

Join us for a creative-critical exploration of Yiddish poetry, where language, history and the imagination meet. We will study the works of great poets, and take inspiration from them to create new works. Our journey will take us through traditional verse as well as avant-garde experimentation, covering sound poetry, Oulipo constraints and multilingual wordplay. This course is designed for students who have already studied Yiddish for a term (or equivalent), and for speakers who can read and understand basic Yiddish, but it can be enjoyed by speakers of all levels looking to grow their Yiddish creativity. By the end of the six-week course, students will have a deeper appreciation for poetic craft in Yiddish, and develop a poem of their own. All materials will be provided by the instructor. (Transliteration of texts will be available upon request.) When: Tuesdays, October 21 – November 25, 2025, 1–2 p.m. Where: Online via Zoom Cost: Early Bird: $150 all 6 weeks or $25 for a 60-minute online class (early bird, if paid before Tuesday, October 14, 2025) Student Pricing (Upload ID): $150 all 6 weeks or $25 for a 60-minute online class Regular Pricing: $180 all 6 weeks or $30 for a 60-minute online class Osian (Oshn) Evans Sharma is a Yiddish teacher from the UK. He has studied Yiddish at University College London, and courses in Tel Aviv, Berlin and Paris. He has led Yiddish poetry courses online for Babel’s Blessing Language School and in-person workshops at the Shtetl Berlin Festival, the Maison de la Culture Yiddish and the Yiddish Sof-Vokh UK, which he also helps to organise. He teaches at the summer programme ‘Ot Azoy’ and recently completed a pedagogy fellowship at the Yiddish Book Center (Amherst, MA). From Verse to Voice: A Workshop in Yiddish Poetry with Osian Evans Sharma Discover the beauty and creativity of Yiddish poetry. Together we’ll read great poets, experiment with sound and wordplay, and craft poems of our own. No prior experience beyond basic reading is needed – just curiosity and imagination. Yiddish Arts and Academics on Instagram Yiddishland California on Facebook

Join us in Encinitas for even more ways to interact with contemporary art! Weekly Wellness Saturdays at ICA San Diego / North expands on our 2025-2026 exhibition season theme, "On Healing." The exhibitions are part of a year-long exploration of the ways artists address the various socio-cultural wounds revealed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Similarly, the associated programs and events seek to explore how art can serve as a vital tool for mental, physical, emotional, and community wellbeing. Weekly Wellness Saturdays will take place most Saturdays throughout the year during ICA San Diego’s open hours (Noon – 5 p.m.), and includes: 1–2 p.m.: A rotating healing session hosted by a local facilitator 2:15–3:15 p.m.: A complimentary tour of the current exhibition in its Lower and Upper Pavilions, the outdoor garden, and Sculpture Trail 3:30–4:30 p.m.: A rotating healing session hosted by a local facilitator 12–5 p.m.: An all ages art-making activity related to this year’s "On Healing" season 12–5 p.m.: Complimentary admission to ICA / North’s exhibitions Admission to Weekly Wellness Saturdays at ICA / North is free, and a donation will be suggested for healing activities, and made directly to the facilitator. (Sep. 20, Oct. 18, Nov. 15, Dec. 20): 1 p.m.: Energy Medicine for Self-Care with Noriko Whitfield — A gentle 1-hour outdoor self-care workshop designed to help you feel calmer, more energized, and balanced. Using simple, body-centered energy techniques like breathwork, meridian tapping, and movement, this class supports hormone health, emotional well-being, and digestion. No experience is needed. Just come ready to learn easy tools you can use daily to reduce stress, boost vitality, and reconnect with your inner calm. 3:30 p.m.: SOULscape Mindful Movement Meditation with Soultry Sisters— Are you looking for a practice to quiet your mind, ground your body, and elevate your spirit? Join us for SOULscape, a movement-based healing and communal practice led by the Soultry Sisters Arts + Wellness Collective. The session will include mindful movement meditation incorporating breathing, visualization, and creative movement, as well as journaling and collective reflection. In doing so, we will participate in a soft space for folks to embody rest, foster creative flourishing, and connect with the community. ICA San Diego / North in Encinitas is open Saturdays & Sundays, Noon – 5 p.m. RSVP to a Weekly Wellness Saturday! Donations made at time of RSVP or upon check-in will go to ICA San Diego, and a QR code and cash box will be available at the healing activity for donations to healing facilitators. ICA San Diego - Website / Facebook / Instagram

Big Ma dashes off commands, pots clang, aunts and uncles shoot the breeze, little ones beg to lick the bowl, ham and candied yam. Family Feast! is about food, family and love.

Join Madison Gallery for the opening reception of "LOVE LETTER | CARTA DE AMOR," a new solo exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist RETNA, on Saturday, September 20, 2025. The artist will be in attendance. Widely recognized for his iconic hieroglyphic script, large-scale public works, and influential presence in both the contemporary art world and street culture, RETNA now turns his focus inward—offering a rare and personal meditation on love, loss, and healing. In "CARTA DE AMOR," the artist explores the many forms of love and the redemptive power of connection. The exhibition will feature new large-scale canvases, mixed-media works, and site-specific installations that reflect RETNA's more authentic shift in artistic intention and tone. The exhibition runs from September 3 – October 11, 2025. RSVP by calling 858-523-9155 or emailing info@madisongalleries.com. Madison Gallery on Facebook / Instagram