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Change starts here. The Human Rights Watch at the Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) is hosting its 14th annual Human Rights Watch Film Festival from Feb. 2 to 10, 2024. The San Diego Human Rights Watch Film Festival will feature critically acclaimed films on topics including the rights of LGBTQ+ teens, family separation, refugee rights, disability rights and the right to free and independent press in Native American tribes. Each in-person screening will be accompanied by a question-and-answer session with filmmakers and human rights leaders. The festival will kick off on Feb. 2 with an in-person-only screening and opening night reception and celebration of queer joy with the life-affirming film, "Summer Qamp", followed by a live panel discussion with the film team and local LGBTQ+ rights advocates. "Summer Qamp" follows a group of queer youth as they attend a camp like no other: a judgment-free zone where they explore their authentic selves while building community, finding joy and making memories that will last a lifetime. Uplifting, funny and moving, this film invites audiences to experience the innocence and joy of a summer away with friends while never losing sight of the bravery of these young protagonists. Following the opening night celebration, the festival will continue on Saturday, Feb. 3, with three San Diego film premieres, including "Bad Press," the Sundance award winner for “U.S. Documentary Special Jury Award: Freedom of Expression.” The landmark film follows the story of what happens when the elected leaders of the Muscogee Nation, the fourth largest Native American tribe, curb press freedom by giving officials the authority to edit all news stories before they reach the public, and a rogue Mvskoke Media reporter fights to expose her government’s corruption in a historic battle that will have far-reaching ramifications for Native American communities. Next up at the festival is the California premiere of "Si Pudiera Quedarme (If I Could Stay)," a film by California-based filmmakers Florencia Krochik and Theo Rigby. The film chronicles the story of two undocumented mothers, Jeanette and Ingrid. As they face deportation and separation from their young children, they and their communities rally support to keep them safe despite the risks. A story of courage and allyship, "Si Pudiera Quedarme" is a timely look at the transformative power of communities uniting for justice. The final film in the in-person lineup is Waad al-Kateab’s film, "We Dare to Dream." The film shares the story of athletes from Iran, Syria, South Sudan and Cameroon—all refugees who swim, run and fight their way to opportunity and safety in host nations across the world. Spanning a breadth of backgrounds, personal stories and Olympic sports, the film reveals their lives and hopes as they train to compete on the world stage, showing the fire and the drive of young people forced to leave their families, homes and countries of birth to build new lives. We don't want the cost of a ticket to keep you from participating. Email filmticket@hrw.org for free tickets to any event. For more information visit: ff.hrw.org Stay Connected on Facebook / Instagram

Drawing on her background in neuroscience and architecture, artist and UC San Diego Professor Dr. Pinar Yoldas (b. Denizli, Turkey) has built a practice of speculative design that imagines new products, appendages, and creatures in the service of a more compassionate culture. While Yoldas has shown extensively in Europe for nearly two decades, this show will be Yoldas’s first solo museum exhibition in the United States. At ICA Central, Yoldas is producing several new projects, including photo bioreactor systems that transform algae into a biodegradable plastic alternative. In addition, she will debut CATGPT–a companion video to her 2016 work, The Kitty AI– that considers the relationship between AI and human creativity. Yoldas will create an immersive experience that illuminates the connections between technology, creativity, and human desire in contemporary life. “If we ask ourselves what drives technological progress,” Yoldas explains, “we can see that it is as much our collective desires –wealth, longevity, beauty– as it is our collective needs, such as access to clean water, food, and shelter.” This exhibition invites us to consider how desire and emotion can combine with technology to create a more just and compassionate future. ICA CentralSaturday, Feb. 24 - Sunday, June 23, 2024 Hours: Thursday–Sunday Noon to 5 p.m. Monday–Wednesday Closed Visit: icasandiego.org/art/pinar-yoldas-synaptic-sculpture/ ICA San Diego on Facebook / Instagam

Discover an evening of culinary excellence as Chef Itze, owner of Black Radish, hosts a lavish dinner on March 13th, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m. With limited seating available, reservations are highly sought-after, adding to the allure and exclusivity of this remarkable event. Chef Itze showcases her culinary mastery with a thoughtfully crafted five-course menu, artfully paired with exquisite wines from El Molino Winery. In collaboration with Memento Mori, this event promises an unforgettable gastronomic journey, where each dish is a symphony of flavors, showcasing the finest seasonal ingredients and Chef Itze's creative genius. This exclusive dinner experience offers discerning palates the opportunity to indulge in an extraordinary culinary collaboration, where every detail is meticulously curated for an unforgettable dining affair. Secure your reservation now at exploretock.com and join us for a night of gastronomic delight at Black Radish, where culinary excellence meets the art of approachable dining. For more information visit: blckrdsh.com Sat Connected on Instagram

Dylan Cease pitched the second no-hitter in San Diego Padres history, a 3-0 win over the Washington Nationals on Thursday that completed a three-game sweep.

Revered abolitionist Harriet Tubman, who was the first woman to oversee an American military action during a time of war, was posthumously awarded the rank of general on Monday.

The series concludes Monday, May 12, with the New Orford String Quartet presenting works by Mozart, Dinuk Wijeratne, and Schubert (Death and the Maiden). Violinists Andrew Wan and Jonathan Crow, violist Sharon Wei, and cellist Brian Manke formed their ensemble with the goal of developing a new model for a touring string quartet: bringing four elite orchestral leaders and soloists together on a regular basis over many years to perform chamber music at the highest level. The Toronto Star has described this outcome as “nothing short of electrifying.” They have seen astonishing success, giving annual concerts for national CBC broadcast and receiving two Opus Awards for Concert of the Year and a 2017 JUNO Award for Best Classical Album. Recent seasons have featured return engagements in Chicago, Montreal, and Toronto, as well as their New York City debut on Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series. 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. For more information visit: ljathenaeum.org Stay Connected on Facebook and Instagram

The series continues Tuesday, April 8, with the Great Wall String Quartet performing a program of Mendelssohn, Schulhoff, and Beethoven. Its members share a vision to connect with more immediacy to audiences and to give guidance to the next generation of chamber musicians. In his role at the Deutsches Symphony Orchester Berlin, violinist Wei Lu is one of the youngest concertmasters in a major orchestra. Violinist Qi Zhou is a member of the prestigious chamber orchestra Philharmonisches Kammerorchester Muenchen. Xu Wenbo is the current viola and chamber music instructor at the North German Radio Symphony Orchestra Academy in Hamburg. Hailed in New York Concert Review as “a superb cellist with intense and sensuous sound,” Yao Zhao performs with a dynamism that has secured him a successful career as the principal cello of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra. 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. For more information visit: ljathenaeum.org Stay Connected on Facebook and Instagram

On Monday, February 10, the Grammy-nominated ensemble AGAVE returns to the Athenaeum with Reginald Mobley, a countertenor noted for his “shimmering voice” (BachTrack) and renowned for his interpretation of baroque, classical, and modern repertoire. AGAVE will present American Originals, a program based on their album of the same name that features music by brilliant yet underrepresented composers and explores how the blending of European, African, and indigenous styles created uniquely American sounds. The ensemble will include Mobley, Co-Director Aaron Westman on violin and viola, Anna Washburn on violin and viola, Kevin Cooper on guitar and theorbo, Katherine Kyme on violin and viola, William Skeen on viola da gamba and violoncello, and Co-Director Henry Lebedinsky on harpsichord and piano. 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. For more information visit: ljathenaeum.org Stay Connected on Facebook and Instagram

The series continues Monday, November 4, with clarinetist Boris Allakhverdyan, pianist Alin Melik-Adamyan, and guest artist (and Co-Director of Chamber Music at the Athenaeum) cellist Alex Greenbaum. This program will include music from Debussy, Martinu, Mangani, and will close with Brahms’ beloved Trio for piano, clarinet, and cello. Allakhverdyan was appointed Principal Clarinet of the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2016. The New York Times called his playing “inspired” and “superlative,” and the Los Angeles Times praised his “energetic, vibrant solos.” Melik-Adamyan is a prize-winning collaborative artist, soloist, and chamber musician praised for her “sensitivity unique in the piano world” (Musical Gourmet). 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. For more information visit: ljathenaeum.org Stay Connected on Facebook and Instagram

Experts predict funding cuts and policy changes. But Trump and Newsom appear to agree on encampment sweeps.