S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. For today's arts and culture , show journalism through illustration. Then an art exhibit highlighting Arab-American heritage and digital gems. Cinema fills a void. I'm Jade Hyndman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and engaged. Illustrated reporting lays out the fentanyl crisis in San Diego County.
S2: That's what I would hope this series or this this project rather can shine a light on is how fentanyl is in everything.
S1: Plus , Arab-American heritage is celebrated through an art exhibit now in a new space. Then your weekend preview. That's ahead on midday Edition. Fentanyl is one of the defining issues across San Diego County and the country. While overdose deaths from the drug fell between 2023 and 2022 , it is still a leading cause of death in the county. San Diego also remains a major port of entry for fentanyl. A new reporting project from my news source combines art and journalism to highlight the staggering loss caused by fentanyl in our region. Cartoonist and illustrator Steve Breen is behind the piece. He joins me now to talk more about it. Steve , welcome. Thank you. Well , it's great to have you here. So , Steve , there's been a lot of long form coverage of fentanyl over the years , but you took a unique spin on it.
S2: Maybe. Um , we've done or I've done projects similar to this when I was formerly with the Union Tribune. I did something on homeless and and something on migrants , but this is probably the most ambitious project I've done.
S1: Yeah , well , I mean , it's ambitious , and I've got to know why.
S2: This this scourge , this problem. And , um , when I started thinking about the numbers , the deaths in particular , you , they really give you pause and you think , wow , is that right ? Did I hear that right ? That , you know , 74,000 people died last year from fentanyl in the United States. And and you if you really start thinking about that number , um , it's it's staggering. And also it's easy to just kind of gloss over. So that's where visuals could come in. Uh , visualizations. Illustrations where they can , um , really help drive the point home and really help the mind comprehend those big numbers. Right.
S1: Right. And speaking of those big numbers in the piece , you compared it to 50. Titanic's sinking. I mean , the scope of loss is really devastating. Talk more about that and how you wanted to show that in the piece.
S2: Well , there were different ways we showed it. One way was the Titanic illustration , which I think is probably my favorite in there. Um , and we also showed it with plane crashes. Then we kind of took a look at , uh , fentanyl deaths over the past decade. And if you totaled those up , it's like the the population of Atlanta disappearing. So , uh , again , the scope is staggering. I guess my brain works well at , uh , coming up with those kinds of analogies and visualizations And we. We wanted to do something different. And like you said , there's been a lot of long form coverage of this topic. But we wanted to do something that was that was different. And then the other thing that really drives it home is when you go out looking to talk to people. When I started this , I knew I wanted to talk to doctors and I wanted to talk to people at the DEA. But I knew I wanted to talk to victims families. And I thought at first , oh , it's going to be hard. How am I going to find people who who lost loved ones ? But it was very easy. And they're all over. Yeah.
S1: Yeah.
S2: Yeah , they're all over the county.
S1: They are indeed. I mean , I really like what you've done here because so often people hear , you know , the numbers and the statistics and so much so to where it becomes white noise. Yeah. Especially when there's no context given for those numbers. And what you've done through your illustrations is really given those numbers Context. Thank you.
S2: And that was the goal. I mentioned that I did a series on migrants and one on homeless , and the goals with those projects were to humanize those issues. And I wanted to add a human element to this. So I knew from the beginning that I wanted to draw victims and their families. I probably should have put more. I wish I could have put more victims in there , but I wanted to really capture their faces. So I , I took time to get their smiles just right , you know , because , um , and I do I wish I had more space and time in this to talk about who these people were as humans. You know , what their interests were and what they had been through and what they hoped to achieve. Um , but , you know , it just kind of becomes a time issue. But , um , that was one of the goals. And when you're sitting down talking with the parents of someone that has died. It's so. It's so devastating. You know , and they would they want to talk for hours about this loved one that was so central to their lives and that they loved so much. You know , you almost feel overwhelmed , overwhelmed by the responsibility of conveying the importance of that person , you know ? So I guess if the in my mind , if this project had a shortcoming , it was it was just that I couldn't say more about these people that I talked to. Right.
S1: Right. Well , and to go back to your point about interviewing the families of victims and those who've struggled with addiction themselves , you actually expanded on one specific story here. Tell us about Tim.
S2: Yes , Tim. So I know some people in , uh , Rotary Club here in town , and the topic of the day was fentanyl several months back. And Tim's mom stood up and spoke of her son and his substance abuse issues , and said that he went to Mexico and had this fentanyl experience. So I tracked her down and she put me in touch with Tim , who was more than happy to share his story with me. Uh , Tim lives in Vista , and I drove up and we spent time together , and he was very lucid in recalling , you know , how he fell into drugs , which which started like so many other people , so many other fentanyl victims , where they kind of became addicted to painkillers. And then when those prescriptions run out , those pills run out that are produced through legitimate sources and means , then they seek , you know , drugs from elsewhere. And those those street drugs are what they die from because so many are laced with fentanyl. So Tim was using these incredible amounts of pills as a teen. At one time , he told me he took like nine Xanax in one day because he struggled with depression. So he was he was taking these counterfeit Xanax pills. I asked him , I said , did you know that those could be laced with fentanyl ? And he he said , yeah , I suspected it , but I didn't care. They made me feel good. And I just wanted , you know , I just wanted to escape. Uh , so he had this this , uh , you know , really intense habit. So Tim , uh , went down to Mexico to buy some , some pills because a lot of the pharmacies in Baja will sell them , and they're very cheap down there. They're only a dollar a pill , usually. And he bought a ton. Bought like a thousand. He and a friend. And they they sampled a few and they overdosed back , uh , back in Vista. And luckily the friend that he OD'd with kind of came to. I guess he didn't have as much fentanyl in his system , and was able to call 911 to help revive Tim , and they saved him with Narcan.
S1:
S2: He was he was really close with them. Yeah. And it was so hard on everybody.
S1:
S2: He is sober with the help of a program. He. He was in the Army , so he was entitled to VA help , uh , when he left. And he is now sober , and he's , uh , Uh , he's he just recently got certification so that he could counsel young people with with , uh , addiction issues.
S1: That's good to hear. Yeah.
S2: He's just kind of your average kid , um , living here in San Diego. That's the thing about this , this fentanyl crisis is that it's , um , affecting people you wouldn't suspect of being drug users. You know , it's it's the straight-A student who just happens to go to a party one night and , you know , takes one pill , like , doesn't have any history with with drugs or very little or limited history with drugs and takes one pill and it kills them , you know. So , uh , that I guess , I guess that's what I would hope this series or this this project rather can shine a light on is how fentanyl is in everything , or almost everything out there. So do not mess around. That would be my message to kids. I mean , drugs we used to tell kids not to mess around with drugs back in the in the 80s and 90s.
S1:
S2: Um , I went to the DEA , uh , laboratory up in North County and the DEA , by the way , the the San Diego Sheriff's Department and the DEA were both very helpful to me. And , um , I went to a lab up in , um , up in North County. I was amazed at at how many bags of pills were were floating around that they had just recently confiscated. Um , I mean , there was also a lot of , you know , meth and other other drugs there. I there's an illustration in this , in this project that shows this chute coming out of a machine , and it's just pouring pills on this figure representing America. And that seemed to be the perfect analogy. They're just really just raining down on us. We're just awash in these pills that that they're getting in across the border.
S1: You know , at the end of the piece you write , we can blame China and the cartels all we want. But the real problem is America's voracious appetite for drugs , and not just for fentanyl.
S2: We can't go back to this law enforcement. We'll save the day mindset , even though law enforcement is doing a tremendous job. I mean , these these individuals are. Let me tell you , hard at work , and I've spoken to people at the top levels here in San Diego and , and they're they're really working hard. But but they're playing like whack a mole with these with the trafficking. But it's not going to be solved by that. It's going to be solved by awareness and education and and treatment here. And we have to take the stigma away from things like Narcan. Narcan is a drug which is featured in the project that reduces the effects of opioid overdoses. You know , um , we didn't hear about it so much five years ago because there was this stigma , you know , oh , that drug is associated with people who people who use drugs , but we need to get it out there in more places , more public places , you know , even in schools , maybe even in middle schools , right ? I mean , I know it's it's something you don't want to , uh , admit that there could be kids in middle school experimenting with pills , but but there are , you know , um , so those are just a couple of things that I think we need to do. And I don't want to present myself as an expert on drugs. I'm just kind of I'm just kind of reporting on or commenting on what others who are much more knowledgeable have told me.
S1: Right , right. Well , I mean , and you brought up the middle school kids. I know what it was like in the 80s , being in elementary school , and we were taught about LSD and , you know , just say no to drugs.
S2: Remember ? I remember too. Yeah. Right. Um. And that's good. And that that that stuff is good. I don't want to downplay that , but we have to. We just have to have honest conversations with kids. And one of the goals , one of my goals with this. In addition to showing the scope of this problem and the deaths. But I want more young people to be a to be aware of what is out there. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Here's another question that comes to mind about this. And I don't know if you you came across this in your reporting , you know , but you mentioned , you know , people who you would never really suspect of , um , using drugs , becoming addicted to pills like this.
S2: But what I can tell you is the doctors that I spoke with and , um , and the law enforcement people that I spoke with , they really , uh , blame the pain management. Over the past ten , 15 years , the approach to pain management with with doctors and with , uh , drug plans and , uh , with pharmaceutical companies , the way they were pushing this stuff is one mom told me the mom of Alex , who is featured in the project , she said that , you know , young guys who are injured , they don't need a bottle of of Vicodin. You know , they they just , uh , extra strength. Motrin is is is all that they need. You know , we're we're we're conditioned in this country. She was saying to not have any pain at all , you know , like , even a little bit of pain. We got to get rid of it. We gotta , you know , dull it as much as possible. But who said that ? There can't be a little bit of pain , you know , especially when we're dealing with such a life and death substance here , you know ? So there's just been way too many pills given away out there that were floating around , which created this problem in the first place , which got so many people hooked on these opioids. And and that was kind of like the first wave , you know ? And then there was a second wave , which was like this heroin crisis. That's the real problem is going back several years to when America was overprescribed these these painkillers. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , in your reporting , you highlighted Tim , who , um , has really come out of addiction. Did you come across any resources for people who may be dealing with this ? Yeah.
S2: Uh , there are a bunch of phone numbers and , uh , websites that we put at the at the end of the series that are very helpful. Okay. Yeah , there are a lot there are a lot of them out there.
S1: And of course , we'll be sure to put those on our website as well. PBS.org.
S2: So anyone out there who's listening ? If you know of a way to get this series out there with schools or universities , In-you source wants to hear from you.
S1: Well , this has been a very enlightening conversation , Steve. You can find a link to the full project from eNews source on our page at KPBS midday. There you can also find the resources we mentioned on where to find Narcan and hotlines. I've been speaking with eNews source cartoonist Steve Breen. Steve , thank you so much. Thanks , Jay. Coming up , an art exhibit celebrates Arab American culture and youth.
S3: We seek to kind of create an a space and an outlet where our youth can say , no , I'm reclaiming my heritage.
S1: Hear more when KPBS Midday Edition is back. Welcome back to KPBS Midday Edition I'm Jade Hindman. An exhibit highlighting Arab-American art and culture has just been reinstalled at the El Cajon Branch Library. Homeland and Home Making showcases work honoring the experiences and identities of immigrant communities from Middle Eastern countries. It highlights youth stories through various art forms like dance and even embroidery. The exhibit is hosted by the center , also known as the Arab Community Center of San Diego. Last fall , I heard the details from Farida Erekat. She's the youth programs manager for the Mesh Doll Center. I began by asking her about the intention behind youth storytelling workshops leading up to the exhibit.
S3: When we first started conceptualizing this project back , I want to say end of 2022. We recognize that , of course , culture is really integral to all communities , but particularly with our community across many different waves of migration , resettlement in the US. Um , and also now different , uh , different Arab communities even within San Diego. So we have a Syrian community , an Iraqi community , a Palestinian community , and culture and the arts are a really integral way for us to kind of maintain that relationship with our heritage , as well as kind of , uh , I guess , participate or partake in kind of like that enrichment with each other. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , I mentioned dance and embroidery earlier. Um , but what other kinds of mediums can we expect to see in the exhibit ? Yeah.
S3: So we did , uh , a variety of different workshops. And what was really cool is that we partnered with predominantly Arab artists. And this was , of course , by intention , because of course there's many great artists all over the world. But for us , working with our youth , especially the kind of 1.5 generation of immigrants , um , we wanted to create workshops where they can see themselves in the artists , where they can see that they have not just opportunities for learning , but also opportunities for becoming these people , you know , becoming filmmakers , becoming photographers , becoming theatre practitioners , um , whatever it is that we're focusing on. So we did storytelling. We did filmmaking , photography , theater , um , traditional folkloric dance called , as well as printmaking , poetry and tall trees or traditional embroidery. Wow.
S1: Wow. And tell me what you mean by 1.5 generation. Yeah.
S3: So the 1.5 generation is basically this term that's coined to describe this generation of immigrants that are kind of coming , I want to say , between the ages of early childhood and kind of kind of like adulthood. So it's kind of that adolescent period , you could say. Um , and they're called the 1.5 generation because they're neither coming with their own families as adults , where their formative years were in another country. But they also didn't necessarily grow up fully in the US. And so there in this juxtaposition , you could say where they're trying to adapt , um , and a culture in schools , learn the language , learn the culture. But then they're also at home , expected to play this role with their families , you know , helping their parents adjust in terms of translation , in terms of navigating a lot of different social services. Um , being cultural liaisons is kind of like how we refer to them.
S1: Yeah , it's like this dual identity. It sounds like , for sure.
S3: And I think that , um , I myself , I grew up in San Diego my whole life. Um , but I think I also relate a lot to the youth , especially the ones who kind of came at age five , age ten , whatever it is , because I think that they very much feel caught in the middle. Particularly growing up in a culture that is not always welcoming to Arab Americans or Muslim Americans. Um , especially these days , when on the news , all we see is our communities are being villainized , um , or our home countries are being painted , as you know , say , propagators of harm. Um , it can be hard to find a space or find a community , um , in school or just in general outside of the home. Yeah.
S1: Yeah. Well , one goal of the exhibit is to highlight collective yet individual experiences of displacement and migration faced by refugee communities across the world.
S3: Arab youth tell their stories through the arts. And I think also to touch on this point of , you know , why , particularly for Arab youth. And I think that , of course , Arabs were not native to this land. Um , and we come from , I think , a very rich culture. And within that larger culture there's unique specialties , you could say , or just different food , different dialects , different clothing , and so many different traditions across countries. And I think especially with youth who are now in America , in San Diego and El Cajon , and they're in a more politically conservative environment where they sometimes feel rejected or feel like they're not really sure what their place is. Creating this platform for them to explore traditional art mediums or art mediums to express themselves , allows them to really navigate these questions of identity in a rooted in , I would say , a community center where we are coming from within as opposed to from outside. So we're not looking at our youth and saying , tell me who you are. Tell me about your trauma. You know , tell me. Oh , okay. You're a refugee. Oh , you're an immigrant. Like where we are coming from , we are all immigrants or families of immigrants or were coming from this understanding where our youth for the first time uh , can feel like they're with their community and they don't have to explain themselves. They really just get to focus on what is it that I want to do and who am I as a person ? And of course , part of my identity is , uh , where I'm from , uh , where my parents are from , uh , the language I speak , my traditions , my heritage , my religion. And so we just create that platform for youth to feel safe , uh , really engaging those things.
S1: Yeah , well , you touched on this , but I really want to hear more about your own experience as a first generation Palestinian-American and how that's really guided your work with youth at the medical center. Yeah.
S3: Yeah. Um , so I yeah , I grew up in a very large Palestinian American Muslim family. Um , my parents immigrated actually , from Kuwait at different points in time. Um , and before that , uh , their parents , my grandparents , um , you know , were in Palestine and then , you know , forced to relocate , um , after the Nakba. And so my family , I think I grew up with a lot of amazing family presence here. But outside of my family , I didn't feel like I had a space and particularly in school , um , I didn't feel like there was really this , like outlet. And so my culture and my community was just my extended family. Um , maybe like some sort of community events on the weekends. But there wasn't this it wasn't a time , especially ten years ago , where I felt like I could just show up in this proud way or show up and just , like , be who I am unapologetically. Um , and I think , of course , with all these different waves of immigration and all these different changes happening , um , there's still pushback that our youth experience , there's still discrimination they face and xenophobia and Islamophobia. And I think for our youth , what we want to do is help them actually have that outlet to not just push back , but to , in their own way , tell their stories. And so this name , this theme of like storytelling is because when our communities have faced historical erasure when our communities are being described by outsiders , or being labeled or being framed a certain way. We are kind of stripped of our ability to tell our own stories. And so through this project , through our work with youth in general , we seek to kind of create a space and an outlet where our youth can say , no , I'm reclaiming my heritage. I'm getting in touch with this different aspect of my culture. And through this medium of a prince or a film or a picture , I get to decide what my narrative is , and I get to be the voice speaking on behalf of myself and the community. Yeah.
S4: Yeah.
S1: Well , I'd also like to talk about how the Palestinian community is meeting this moment and responding to current events. What are your reflections on the power of art and community in the face of what's happening in Gaza ? Yeah.
S3: So I think , yeah , having grown up also kind of with the Palestinian community , which is not necessarily based in El Cajon , I would say it's kind of spread out across different places in San Diego. Um , I think the past year has been definitely , really , really challenging. It's not just about our families and being like , connected , but it's also that we're constantly 24 over seven witnessing the massacre of our communities , feeling helpless , and then an onslaught of media narratives that are , again villainized us. And we feel pretty powerless at times. And so I think that , you know , sure , there's demonstrations and there's different things and actions we can take. But I think what's really beautiful about the arts is art is a place where you get to be your own. Narrator. Right. No one else can really define that for you. And so art becomes this outlet for us to again , push back against the erasure of our culture , to reclaim things that have been stolen from us or reclaim things we've been deprived of. And so through especially tall trees , which is Palestinian embroidery that was famously used um , in uh , such as traditional Palestinian garments , um , during different waves in Palestinian history of repression , you could say women traditionally who were responsible for the embroidery would weave in different designs as ways of , you know , conveying different messages , um , when certain colors , when the Palestinian flag itself was banned , they would weave in the colors of the flag or weave and use certain colors and themes and motifs to kind of convey the messages that we were not allowed to speak or not allowed to say openly. And so I think that art can be this way , where you can kind of push against that , um , in an alternative method. And I think the art is something that's so interpretive. It can reach wider audiences and something that maybe conversation might not reach someone , but maybe by looking at this piece or watching this film , they can be impacted in a way that they otherwise wouldn't have been.
S1: That was my conversation with Frida Faridah Arquette , youth programs manager for the Middle Center. Their youth storytelling exhibit is up right now at the El Cajon Branch Library. You can check it out during normal business hours. Hillcrest cinemas may be gone , but Media Arts Center founder Ethan Von Tilo feels more inspired than ever to get people to the movies.
S5: So we , as a nonprofit , need to make sure we are preserving the act of seeing movies together. We believe in the communal experience of seeing movies on the big screen with a sound and being able to dialogue about these issues and these films.
S1: That and your weekend preview. When KPBS Midday Edition returns. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. Today's weekend preview is going to sound a little different , because we have two film centric people joining us to talk about what to look forward to this weekend , both on the big screen and elsewhere. I'm here with Beth Accomando , KPBS arts reporter , as well as Ethan Von Tilo , executive director of the Media Arts Center San Diego. Beth , Ethan , welcome to you.
S6: Thank you.
S5: Yeah , thanks for the invite.
S1: So , Ethan , before we get into this weekend's events , I want to talk about the nonprofit media arts Center. It runs digital cinema , which opened 12 years ago.
S5: Just incredible. Just to say those words , when you think about all the people that live and work down there. And it's also the last independent arthouse cinema here in the city. And so we are in a very special place. It's very sad to see the Hillcrest cinemas closing. So we as a non-profit , need to make sure we are preserving the act of seeing movies together. We believe in the communal experience of seeing movies on the big screen with a sound and being able to dialogue about these issues and these films. We screened independent arthouse films every day. Is it really important that people come out and want to see movies on the big screen ? And we're continuing to show movies that are independent in nature , maybe foreign films that otherwise you wouldn't see in local , like mainstream cinemas , like the AMC's.
S1: Well , and you've got a special workshop coming up on Saturday morning called Project Development Masterclass with Sue Dean. What can you tell us about that ? Yeah.
S5: So in addition to screening movies , our nonprofit educates youth and young adults of all ages on how to make films. Especially in today's world. We believe in the importance of media literacy , critical thinking , Analyzing media. And so we have a wonderful masterclass this Saturday , 10 to 3:00 with Sue ding. See she's a filmmaker from LA. So she's coming down from LA to be here and spend a whole day. We have a room for about 50 students. So we invite and encourage independent filmmakers , emerging filmmakers , student filmmakers that maybe are interested in producing their own films. This whole class is going to talk about the kind of production and more pre-production side of things. And , you know , how do you find grants , how do you work on your storyboards ? How do you write the script ? And so we encourage everyone to come out and learn about filmmaking. And yes , shooting this Saturday masterclass at the Digital Gem Cinema from 10 to 3.
S1: Wow , Beth , cinephiles are still reeling from the Hillcrest Cinemas closing. But rather than mourn its lost , you have chosen to focus on venues like Digital Gym that still exist.
S7: And first of all , I need to thank Ethan for providing a home for this group that I'm involved with called Film Geek San Diego , where a group of volunteer programmers and we've been with Digital Gems since they opened. He allows us to program some crazy things , but Ethan has just done so much for the community in terms of film. Between Digital Gym and the Media Arts Center and the San Diego Latino Film Festival. So I'm just very grateful that we have that as something that we can use and go to in terms of films. Digital Jim is a great place to go this weekend because they're tapping into the awards season buzz with this kind of four year consideration series that about this time of the year , they bring in a lot of independent films , foreign films , documentaries that have created some sort of Oscar buzz or awards buzz. And it gives you one more chance to see these 2024 releases. So this weekend alone , you can see four films that are in this category. There's the French animated film flow , which has already won some awards. It's about a group of animals who are dealing with a flood , and it's a wordless animated film that's just gorgeous. There's also a Nora , which is an independent film by Sean Baker. And then there's also a Different Man , which has Adam Pearson and Sebastian Stan as two people , giving us different points of view about dealing with being different from other people.
S8: This drug seems to have the potential to actually heal you. The implications life changing.
S9: Face has fallen off in clumps. Oh sure.
S10: It only looks like clumps to you.
S8: Perhaps any potential risk is worth the reward.
S7: But the film I'd like to recommend the most is Palestine's entry for best International Feature at this year's Academy Awards. Its title is from Ground Zero. It's an anthology made up of 22 short movies made by Palestinian filmmakers living in Gaza. And the topics are topics are quite diverse. Recycling deals with a woman who has to use one bucket of water to drink , wash clothes , wash her kids , water the plants. There's another one called Hells Heaven , in which a man finds a body bag and uses it to keep warm to sleep in during the night. And the one that probably impacted me the most was called Soft Skin , and it's an animated film made by children.
S11: Who had read the letter.
S7: In which these two young children talk about the fact that their mother wrote their names on their body , on their arms , and on their legs for fear that if they ever got killed , no one would be able to identify them.
S11:
S7: And then they'll continue to be showing more of these for your Consideration films throughout January. So once again , I am highly recommending that people go out and support the independent cinemas that still exist here in San Diego.
S1: Wow , lots of really compelling movies to see this weekend. And Beth , you wanted to also introduce a new feature to Weekend Preview today.
S7: Yes. So I feel like I would like to hear from local artists and people from the arts community to find out what they're interested in seeing. Because if you respect somebody who's a filmmaker or maybe an artist , you may like their work , but you might also be inspired by something they're recommending. So I decided to talk to some artists. And first up is a local artist , poet , podcaster , and hip hop and horror fan. And her name is Gaby Moreno. And so I wanted to let her have an opportunity to suggest something for this weekend.
S12: Hi , this is Gaby , aka Seven Octobers , the host of Nightmare on Sedgwick Avenue podcast and also recently published poet. My poem Jaguar Warrior was recently published in the Somos Chicanos anthology book , and this weekend I wanted to share a really dope event that's taking place Saturday. To be specific , my friend Claudia , aka solo , is organizing a music and group art show. It's taking place at Villa musica Recital Hall. Hopefully if you're free this weekend and are looking for something to do , I hope you can check it out.
S1: And Gaby also wanted to recommend something that Ethan has coming up in addition to running Digital Gym cinema. You and the media Art center also oversee the San Diego Latino Film Festival that's coming up in March , but you have a free mixer and outreach event up in Escondido on Saturday. Tell us more about that.
S5: Yeah , the film festival is celebrating its 32nd year this upcoming March. Pretty incredible. And , you know , really a way to. We can reach out to new audiences and connect with the new folks. Just to get out there. And so we're having a special event in North County at the North County Mall. They're co-presenting this event along with the California Center for the Arts in Escondido and Paco Pablos Studios. It's a wonderful new gallery inside the mall , and the mall is doing some great works. They have concerts and a lot of different events happening throughout the mall. And so this Saturday , January 18th , 4 to 7 p.m. , we're going to be having a collection of artists there selling their work , displaying their work. We're going to have beverages , appetizers. Also , we're going to be selling a special pass for the film festival at a very discounted price for the North County residents. It's just going to be a fun event. We encourage local filmmakers , film lovers to come out , art lovers to connect and talk about cinema , Latino art at this event , and it's going to be a fun time.
S4: And the first.
S1: 100 attendees will get free concert tickets for that night at the Escondido Center for the Arts.
S5: Tallahassee and Jackie Rivera. Incredible Latin music. And we encourage everyone to come. It starts at 7:00. So come to the reception first the North County Mall and then run to pick up your ticket and go see this great concert.
S1: Sounds like a lot of fun. Ethan , your interest in music goes beyond just appreciating it. People may not be aware of the fact that you are a musician yourself and in multiple bands. Is that.
S4:
S5: You know , I've , I grew up playing the violin. Classical music , actually , music in Spanish all throughout my life. But then there was definitely a period after college , and I started this nonprofit and this film festival for 32 years and raised a couple boys. I got a little busy , so I got away from music for a while. But you know , this , this idea of continuing to be creative no matter what age you are and who you are. So I , I picked up the mandolin , which is , you know , very similar to the violin in terms of strings and , and music. And so I started playing the mandolin. And yeah , now I find myself in about 4 or 5 different , different bands and two of the bands are playing this weekend , so I kind of want to invite everyone to come out. Um , my trio , it's a folk bluegrass trio called Whiskey and Burlap , is performing 5 to 7 at Humphreys Backstage Live , which is a great venue of local music every day. Proceeds from that concert is going to benefit those in LA who's been suffering through this fire disaster. We're going to be donating to a few artists up there. So that's 5 to 7 whiskey and burlap , if you like folk , bluegrass , a little country. And then later that night I'm in another band that also has the word whiskey. It's called the Ace Pocket Whiskey Fellas , which is an eight piece Irish rock band full of fun. And that's going to be at McGregor's Bar and Grill in Mission Valley. And if you love Irish music , and that's actually a fundraiser for the organizers of the Saint Patrick's Parade that happens every March. So lots of fun and lots of evening full of music.
S1: Sounds great. Well , okay , so let's hear some of your music. This is whiskey and wine.
S13: I may have had too much wine tonight. Cause I am fine and I'm not alright. Cause when you slip into my mind I can't stop wanting you. I may just need.
UU: Another whiskey to check it out from this old soul. Cause I am known to be a little frisky. I'm wanting.
S13: You all for my. Own.
UU: Own. Is it a whiskey and wine ? All right.
S4: Well , Beth , you have a final nerdy recommendation.
S1: What is.
S6:
S7: As usual , I just want to remind people that comic book culture exists in San Diego for more than just the five days of Comic-Con. And one of my favorite places is a place called Little Fish Comic Book Studios. This is on El Cajon Boulevard , and they have something that they regularly do , and it's called a Comic Savvy. And they're having one this Saturday. And these events are basically just for nerdy people who love comics to come and get together. It's an open house at the comic book studios. Um , Alonso Nunez specializes in having classes for young people to learn about comic book arts and create their own comics and , you know , learn how to draw and put together a comic book. So at these events , it's all ages. You can come. They're going to have a big blowout sale on graphic novels. And they're also going to talk about launching their summer camps , which are mostly for kids , but also this really amazing program called Comic-Con intensive. And so this is where kids get together , and on the Monday before Comic-Con , they will start creating a comic book that they will then bring with them to Comic-Con and have professional comic book creators at the convention take a look at it and give them feedback. So I think that's a really amazing program that he does. And I have been with some of his kids when they go to Comic-Con , and it is such a delight. I went one year with a kid who had never gone to Comic-Con before. When you go and you see it through the eyes of a kid who's never been there , you suddenly remember like , ah , yes , this is why I love coming to this convention and why all this nerdy pop culture is so much fun. And since we're talking about comic books and pop culture , the next artist that I wanted to get a recommendation from is Patrick Ballesteros. And he has a recommendation that includes something that's got both nostalgia and something new and related to some comic book characters.
UU: Just waiting for a spider. Can't make a fire.
S14: Hi , my name is Patrick Ballesteros and I am an artist illustrator based in San Diego. Now on streaming , Disney+ is coming out with something that I'm really excited for.
S15: I'm okay.
S14: Your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man. It's an animated take on a classic look of Spider-Man when he's based in high school. It has that old school feel of when Spider-Man first came out. Drawn by Steve Ditko , written by Stan Lee. Really looking forward to the animation style. Looks wicked fun.
UU: Superpowered kid. No.
S1: I want to thank our guest , KPBS Arts reporter Beth Accomando , and the Media Arts Center Executive Director Ethan Van for their recommendations , and also thanks to the local artists who contributed their ideas and their picks. I loved hearing from them. You can find more information on all these events and more at pbs.org. Ethan. Beth , thanks so much.
S6: Thank you.
S5: Thank you.
S16: Won't you bury me in whiskey ? Let me die , let me die. Bury me in whiskey. Let me die , let me die. The label on the bottle says. Now here at last I lie. Won't you bury me in whiskey.
UU: Let me die.
S1: That's our show for today. I'm your host , Jade Hindman. Thanks for tuning in to Midday Edition. Be sure to have a great day on purpose , everyone.
