'SD Practice'
Visual Art
SD Practice, a pandemic-era program from the City of San Diego's Commission for Art and Culture, saw the purchase of 100 works of art from 89 regional artists for the civic art collection, made possible by a gift from the Thomas Rasmussen estate. These pieces will be on view this summer in a split exhibition — half the works will be on view at Bread and Salt in Barrio Logan, and the other half at San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park.
Celebrate this long-awaited exhibition with a two-part opening reception on Saturday — in the span of a few hours you can party-hop between both exhibitions.
Some highlights at SDAI: Claudia Cano, John Brinton Hogan, Manuelita Brown, Hugo Crosthwaite, Chitra Gopalakrishnan, Melissa Walter and Sofia Gonzalez — Gonzalez' textile piece is featured in '5 Works Of Art To See In San Diego In July.'
At Bread and Salt, don't miss works by Griselda Rosas, Katie Ruiz, Thomas Driscoll, Christian Garcia-Olivo and Bhavna Mehta. Nearly a hundred more works! This is our one chance to see these works in the same two places. After Sept. 5, they'll find their homes in public spaces, buildings and institutions across the city.
Details: Opens Saturday, July 10, 2021 with two receptions: 4-6 p.m. at SDAI (with opening remarks at 5 p.m.) and 6-8 p.m. at Bread and Salt. The exhibitions will be on view at both locations through Sept. 5. 1439 El Prado Blvd., Balboa Park; 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. Free.
Ghost Light Masquerade
Dance
My experience with the evocative, out-of-the-lines creativity of The Rosin Box contemporary dance company is grounded in the pandemic, when going out of the lines (or out of the box, if you will) thinking was a must-do. But with this weekend's Ghost Light Masquerade, they're back on-site, in-person, with an immersive, mysterious audience experience.
Held outdoors, beneath the stars at Liberty Station, the performances will explore hauntings and superstitions of the theater, and also implicate the audience. Dances won't be passively consumed as much as they'll be stumbled upon or discovered, tucked in corners of the performance space as you explore. Perhaps the in-person performances are informed by what's possible with augmented reality, and maybe it's a sign of what may change when the performing arts make it through the other side of the pandemic.
The Rosin Box will also package this production for virtual consumption later in the month, July 23-30, with tickets ranging from $35-50 depending on whether you include the extra perks, like a cocktail kit and personal VR headset.
Details: Performances Friday and Saturday, July 9-10, 2021, at 8 p.m. 2640 Historic Decatur Rd., Liberty Station. $65.
'High Tea': Thee Sacred Souls, Irenie, T.Rexican, The Renters And More
Music, Art, Food
Last week, we spoke with cultural strategist Andrea "Angie" Chandler about High Tea, and she pointed out that this fundraiser for The Hill Street Country Club is really an extension of their mission and work for the past nine years. The Oceanside art space is WOC-owned and operated, and routinely shows solo exhibitions of artists working outside of traditional museum and gallery spaces. High Tea is about mutual aid, lifting up other arts organizations and supporting artists by making space for their work.
RELATED: Art That Reframes American Independence
The family-friendly event includes outdoor music, art, food and drinks, with performances from Thee Sacred Souls, who were part of our Summer Music Series last year; Irenie, who I spotlighted in this month's "5 Songs To Discover In San Diego In July"; T.Rexican and the heartfelt, sun-soaked indie punk of The Renters. Chulita Vinyl Club will also spin records. It'll all take place outdoors at Goat Hill Park.
Details: Sunday, July 11 at 4 p.m. 2323 Goat Hill Drive, Oceanside. $0-250
Cristóbal Gracia: 'A Money Laundering Pond, Which Is Also A Painting...'
Visual Art
Cristóbal Gracia's new installation at Best Practice opens on Saturday, featuring a wishing well constructed on-site, filled entirely with Valentina hot sauce. It's a commentary on money, but also on superstitions, labor, the earth, and blood. For the record: yes, it will smell like hot sauce and yes, you can toss your own coins in (but you'll never know which way up they land). Read more in the "5 Works Of Art To See In San Diego In July" feature here.
There's an opening reception on Saturday from 5-8 p.m. For your weekend dance card: Best Practice's new home is in the Bread and Salt complex, where the SD Practice opening reception will also take place that night, so you can hit up both events.
Details: Opens Saturday, July 10, 2021 from 5-8 p.m., and runs through Aug. 14. 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights.
Even more visual art: The Marking Time: What Athenaeum Artists Create in Quarantine exhibition at the Athenaeum has been open since mid-May, but there's an artist reception this Friday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. The exhibition itself runs through July 31.
'Soft Plans' Music Video Night
Music, Film
"Soft Plans" is the latest track from Alan Lili, the solo project of Tuluenga's Alan Lilienthal (also known as the KPBS Port of Entry podcast host). To commemorate the release of the new video, Lilienthal is celebrating the entire craft of the music video.
In a mini-tour, Lilienthal will screen the new video at venues from Tijuana to Los Angeles, and also highlight pivotal videos from music history. In San Diego, the program will land at Kensington Club on Saturday evening.
"I love watching music videos so much, though it tends to be a solitary experience," Lilienthal wrote on Instagram. "What a lovely thing to be able to be in the same room and watch our all-time favs with real life humans."
Details: Saturday July 10 at 7 p.m. 4079 Adams Ave., Kensington. Free.
For more arts events, visit the KPBS/Arts calendar, and be sure to sign up for the weekly KPBS/Arts newsletter here.
