How San Diegans are honoring International Women's Day and the arts this weekend

S1: It's time for Midday Edition on KPBS. It's Thursday , and that means we are talking about the arts and culture shaping San Diego. I'm Jade Hindman with conversations that keep you informed , inspired , and engaged. Centro cultural de la Raza will use art to raise awareness of violence against immigrant women.

S2: It is a moment to pause and just reflect and also denounce , uh , you know , some of the realities that continue.

S1: Then an intimate , revolutionary and heartfelt cabaret show makes its way to Diversionary Theater's stage. Plus , we'll tell you how you can take a tour of San Diego's iconic places and spaces. That's ahead on Midday Edition. This Saturday is International Women's Day. It celebrates social , cultural and political achievements of women across the globe. It also is a day to recognize how gender based violence affects the lives of women and girls. This Saturday , Centro Cultural de la Raza , or the Cultural Center of the people , will be denouncing violence and celebrating women. Joining me now is Ana Hernandez. She is executive director of Centro Cultural de la Raza. Ana , welcome to midday edition.

S2: Thank you very much , Jade.

S1: So glad to have you here with us. So this Women's Day , you'll begin your morning by protesting outside the Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in San Diego.

S2: So let's see where do I start ? So first of all , as you were saying , uh , March 8th is International Women's Day. And so it is a day in which we recognize the collective power , but also the ongoing discrimination and oppression against women. Right. So first of all , it is a moment to pause and just reflect and also denounce , uh , do you know some of the realities that continue on the basis of simply of gender ? Not just in the US but globally ? And so one of those particular issues or conditions , if you will , is the the prevalence of violence against women , gender based violence in particularly , you know , sexual violence is simply one example of the ways that this manifests against women , girls and LGBTQ folks.

S1: Members of the Centro Cultural de la Raza will stage a perform a protest.

S2: Is it is an a collective public action , if you will. Um. Centro Cultural de la Raza. Before I got here. So this was the first Trump administration when they were making a point and a practice of separating families , Centro staged their first performer protest specifically on that particular issue , family separation. And so for us , in a way , and I cannot speak to that very much date , I apologize because I wasn't here , I wasn't in San Diego at the time. But I know that for us , this one is a continuation of that kind of work , of that kind of reflection and analysis and denunciation of federal policies and practice when it comes to both the , you know , immigration and migration and then also issues specific to women , immigrants and migrants. In this case , it is a two performance art pieces that we will be staging on March 8th in front of the ice field office , as you referenced earlier. So one of them. Both of these pieces come from the work and in collaboration with the Chilean feminist group called performance Art collective , they're named La theses. And so we had a residency with La Stacy's at Centro de la Raza at the end of January , and one of the projects , one of the scheduled events that we had during the course of that week was a cohort of a organizers , activists , advocates , academics , you know , students , people working in different arenas on issues of gender based violence here in San Diego. So , in collaboration with this cohort , developed a performance art piece that we will be staging on March 8th. And then we will also be doing the piece that actually , to my knowledge anyway , really went viral for La Stacy's themselves. It's called La Dorinda Camino , which means a rapist in your path , and it specifically names the state as a perpetrator of sexual violence against women.

S1:

S2: It is the it is a collectively developed and performed piece. And so that in and of itself has a particular energy and a particular dynamic to it that I find personally very compelling. There is a beat to it. And so when you think about , you know , syncopation and rhythm and percussion , uh , that is experienced physically in a very , um , uh , like kinetic way , you know , it generates movement. And so the movement , the percussion , the chanting , the particular lyrics , like for me , it's a very , very powerful crystallization of a particular , you know , energy of the group , but then also a very specific and pointed message.

S1: That's I mean , it sounds like an amazing experience. I want to talk more about this issue of state sanctioned violence against women. Um , this is really something that resonates globally.

S2: And so we have we are invested in , um , retaining systems of power over. Right. So there's long there's long histories of , uh , and analysis and investigation of , you know , women in particular. We are groomed to make sure that we , you know , a are , uh , used for reproductive capacity. So do you know , to , to maintain a labor force , to maintain the family , to maintain systems of inheritance , you know , like there's reasons that having women reproduce and reproduced in a controlled way is a very important tool for society and culture to evolve and to keep going in a particular way. There's good reason that we like to groom women to maintain a household. So , you know , so if the household is maintained and it's maintained in a particular way and women are doing that work , then of course it frees men to do war or , you know , to , to , uh , to , to maintain that power over that particular dynamic. So sexual violence is a very handy tool that if you are deviant and that's in air quotes , if you will , uh , if you deviate from these particular roles , these particular patterns , these particular needs to maintain a society and a culture in a particular way , then sexual violence is one of the forms of punishment. And so to my understanding , this is why this or one of the reasons , you know , in very generalized and very broad strokes , why this form of violence continues over hundreds of years , over generations. You know , across countries , across borders and , you know , different sociocultural classes and so on and so forth. Like it is a it is a it's a tool of power and control , essentially.

S1:

S2: Uh , this has to do with preying on people's vulnerabilities. So it is not uncommon to say whether it's in a work setting or , you know , an intimate partnership or even like in a landlord type setting , where if it is known that the person has an immigrant you know , is an immigrant and has a status that may be influx to say , if you don't acquiesce , then I will call migra. You know , I'll call the immigration authorities on you whether or not that's even legally , if you will , permissible. There are laws and there are visas and so on and so forth that protect a , you know , immigrant women and LGBTQ are actually all victims of crime , immigrant victims of crime. Now , the backlogs for those are even huger than for , you know , asylum cases and that sort of thing. So even though the laws and the protections exist , uh , they aren't necessarily an option for all persons who may seek them. Hmm.

S1: Given that that's the case , then what are the realities , then for immigrant women to protect themselves from this violence. Yeah.

S2: Yeah. Um , so one of the resources or ways of protecting and this applies more broadly. So I would say it's not simply or only immigrant people , but for survivors in general is one first to to the degree that one is safe to be able to do so , to start talking. We are never alone in this experience. There's actually more of us , probably in any room than we realize who are survivors in one way , shape or form. And so to be able to start speaking of that , to realize that you're not alone , there is enormous there's a healing power , but then there's also actually a political power in numbers. And so to be able to speak this truth like that is one of the first , you know , if you're a community organizer , if you're an activist , if you're a political organizer , that is one of the first steps in order to when you can name the thing and name the perpetrator , that is one of the first steps Into um , activating change into into organizing for change , if you will. And so but that is that's not an easy thing , right ? There's so much at risk for those of us who who try to speak up or may choose to speak up. And so there's negotiating that. There's also the need , of course , for like enormous , uh , social and yeah , social services for folks so that they can be safe , um , before you can get to a place maybe where you might choose to speak up and share your story and organize with , uh , like , you know , with other survivors or with like minded folks. Mhm.

S1: After the protest on Saturday morning , to raise awareness about all of this , you'll host a celebration at your space in Balboa Park in the evening. I'd love to hear about the performances and art people can see.

S2: It's a commemoration , if you will , of International Women's Day more broadly. So we start with an open mic. Uh , so for any persons who wish to reflect or share. Do you know , uh , poetry ? Um , do know a reading , what have you. There is the opportunity to do so. And then from roughly 730 to 830 , we have a the the program is still under development , but we have um , confirmed a few performances. One is Mujeres and Resistencia. So they are a support. The other group who has been who calls Centro like an artistic home and has been practicing at Centro for years now , is one of my favorite nights , you know , of the week is when they come in and and start practicing is brilliant , so they will do some performance for us. And then there's also a group called Colectivo Canto who will be offering , I think they're doing anywhere between 2 and 4 songs. I'm not quite sure. Again , as I said , the the program is under development. Some , uh , we may have 1 or 2 other offerings to , you know , within that program , but either way , we close out the night with DJs. It is important to just as much as it is important to , uh , be politically active and to name what is happening and to denounce it and to create , you know , these , these visions of new worlds and then organize for change. It is also really important to be able to find community and joy and celebrate. And , you know , just like sweat out some of the some of the angst. And so that is why we're closing out with DJs , essentially , or in my mind , that's how that's how I like to describe it.

S1: Listen , that balance between protest and joy is like it's you got to have both.

S2: Absolutely , absolutely. And that is , you know , like that is that is what the system is trying to like , deny and take away. And so the more like it is a form of rebellion in and of itself and resistance. Yeah. Yeah.

S1: Yeah. Well Centro cultural de la Raza has been in Balboa Park since the 1970s. It emerged from the San Diego Chicano Movement.

S2: And I'm going to , you know , I , I expect to be accepted on , on my own terms. And it is a space in which we are constantly pushing ourselves to know our own understandings of the world , our own analyses , our own visions for , you know , equity and justice and peace. And so in doing so , you know , people know that we push ourselves and try to articulate these things and try to live them in our daily practices. It makes us a relatively safer space. Whether you are choosing to come and just , um , share space with us. Or if you're choosing to , you know , explore your own creative expression or build community or organize. So for all of these reasons , right , it is super important to me personally. Um , and of course , to like the , the larger community to whom , you know , I , uh , owe so much and like , you know , the rest of us who call central , uh , home to some degree or another , like , you know , have long debts to and , you know , precisely like the founders and , you know , the Chicano movement , uh , in different organizers here in San Diego.

S1: Well , I've been speaking with Anna Hernandez , executive director of Central Cultural de la Raza , and I thank you so much for your insight and for for talking with us.

S2: Thank you. Thank you very much , Jade , for the invitation , I appreciate it.

S1: You can find more information about their events happening this Saturday on our website. That's kpbs.org. Coming up , we'll tell you about a new cabaret showing at the diversionary theatre called Idol Worship.

S3: There is a spirituality to these gatherings where we need this. There is a healing quality to this. And maybe in my church we we worship movies.

S1: KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. You're listening to KPBS Midday Edition. I'm Jade Hindman. This Sunday , Diversionary theater will host Idol Worship , a cabaret show featuring cult film icon Mink Stole and San Francisco drag impresario Peaches Christ. KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando caught up with them both to talk about their friendship and their touring show.

S4: Peaches , you are going to be coming to San Diego with Idol Worship. So for people who have no idea about the kind of programming you do , explain what idol worship is.

S3: It's really kind of a show that's about evolution in some ways , because it all began back when I was doing my Midnight Mass movie series in San Francisco , and that whole thing was me as a hostess , staging elaborate drag shows , celebrating the movies that we love and the form of sketch comedy and contests. And eventually I decided to , you know , kind of see if I could bring an actual icon , someone I idolized to Midnight Mass. So back in 2000 , the year 2000 , I invited the legendary cult film actor Mink Stole to come up and attend Midnight Mass. And she did. And for the next almost 25 years now , we've been doing shows on and off together. And and that evolution has basically led to this most modern version of the show , which is basically me celebrating mink. But over the years it turned into a show that's more about our friendship and our love for each other. So it has evolved.

S5: Yeah , I actually like it a whole lot better this way. Peaches has become such a big part of my life that , you know , having a show that's about me just didn't make any sense because I idolize him in exactly the same way and , well , not exactly the same way , but a similar thing.

S4:

S5: They actually make people laugh. People can go and and it's it takes I mean , the early ones in particular. I mean , they take people so far out of the reality of their normal lives that it's a real fantasy trip.

S6: It's contagious , it's outrageous. It's John Waters Desperate Living , starring Hollywood sex goddess Liz Rooney.

S7: All that support feels heavenly.

S6: And mink stole as hysterical outpatient Peggy Gravel.

S7:

S6:

S3: But for me , the kernel of all of this started as a kid who was growing up a black sheep in Maryland , going to Catholic school , queer and weird and feeling like I didn't fit in. And it truly changed my view of the world and my entire life trajectory. When I discovered Mink and John and Divine and who they were and what they were doing , and the fact that it was in my backyard as a kid blew my mind because Hollywood was a million miles away for me. You know , I didn't think there was anything cool going on in Maryland , let alone the most punk rock filmmaking I'd ever experienced. So as a fan , I think what it comes down to is the transgressive , unapologetically wild way in which these people were making these movies that has stood the test of time. They are still shocking to a lot of people. I mean , show pink flamingos to young people. You will. You will see it is still very effective. Uh , so I think they've just stood the test of time. And , and for many of us , that John Waters immersion period , the period of our lives where we discover these movies and we devour these movies. And I memorized every line of dialogue that mink has ever uttered. That was a transformative period of my life. And I'm not alone. I'm not the only one who builds events centered around celebrating these folks.

S5: And also , you have to remember that I was also a black sheep in my family growing up Catholic , so the films were very liberating for me as well , you know , in the making of them , I was feeling very liberated , but I had no idea I no conception at all that anyone else would feel that. It's incredibly gratifying. It's it's thrilling and humbling that , you know , things that we did 50 , 50 , 60. I don't even know how long ago. I met John in 1966. So it's almost 60 years , you know , that we've been working together and people still care about them. It's really astonishing to me.

S4: So one of the things about John Waters that I love is I feel like it's joyous obscenity , like there's obscene things , but he seems to always get like when he's shocking you , there's just seems to be this sense of joy , which makes it so much fun to watch in a way that other things are it.

S5: There's no actual anger. There's no viciousness. I mean , even in the rivalry between who's going to be the filthiest person alive. We're almost pranking each other. It's all in a spirit of , you're right , joyfulness. I never really thought about it that way , but. Yeah , but there's no anger.

S3: It's not. It's not mean. I think it's. Yeah , that's an interesting thing that I actually had never really thought of either. You know , it's this sort of reflection on society. A lot of the reflection is about how freakish normal people are. And I think that we as the , the quote unquote weirdos of the world appreciate one that it's not mean to that the sexual representation is about how absurd sex is , how funny sex is. And so the sort of sexual shock value of it is in its absurdity in many ways. And there is a joyfulness to all that and also connective tissue. And then the people that are actually mean or awful tend to be , you know , the normal people of the world.

S4: And think you were with John Waters from the very beginning.

S5: We didn't have food. We didn't , you know , we made our own costumes. You know , I , I did I mean , I even in Pink Flamingos did my own hair , makeup and wardrobe. And so , you know , there was there was a lot of , um , I wouldn't call improv. John probably hate that word , but , you know , there was a pitching in , you know , everybody had to pitch in and and do , you know , multiple jobs or , you know , just take care of stuff. I am in Roman Candles , which was the second movie that he made. So when I met him , he wasn't John Waters and air quotes. He was just John.

S4: Well , you mentioned the title Roman Candles , your speeches. Your show is Idol Worship and you also have midnight Mass. I was raised Catholic. There is a thread of Catholicism running through this and like I always thought , Catholicism is a great foundation for horror.

S8: Oh , yes.

S4:

S3: Of course , I was attracted to the religious gore of it all , and the horror and the gothic nature of Catholicism and the drag. I mean , my God , the drag , the the nuns and the priests. I mean the priests , you know , depending on what they theme , their drag , you know , depending on what , you know , religious holiday it might be. I loved it all , but I also knew that it didn't love me. I knew that it was judgmental. I knew that it was ridden with guilt. I also kind of knew enough about myself to to to know that I was an outsider. So when discovering really multiple maniacs , you know , life changing. For me , it made me understand the power of sacrilege , the power of comedy , how you could reclaim that power as queer people. And it really did , you know , set me on a path. So it very much is , I'm sure , the the biggest inspiration when it comes to me taking on a drag name like Peaches Christ and creating a show called Midnight Mass. It's a way for me to reclaim these things that I grew up with and to make them my own , and to turn them something that that was used to hurt me and my friends into something that's entertainment and fun. And I realize that what I started to do as a middle finger , you know , to the , the patriarchy and the church has grown into something that actually has a similar meaning to me , meaning that this style of worship , this fellowship that we experience coming together to celebrate Mink and John or , you know , a few weeks ago I did a show celebrating Tim Curry. There is a spirituality to these gatherings where we need this. There is a healing quality to this. And maybe in my church we we worship movies.

S5: But yeah , I mean , I grew up also surrounded , you know , completely cloaked in the guilt and sin and badness of , of Catholicism. And I had nuns that were the medieval garb who crack your knuckles , but the ruler , and they seem to take great pleasure and gratification out of taking every bit of creative spark that a child might have and destroying it. So I was able to release with John. I was very lucky that to to have met John and had this outlet to release that anger and hostility that I felt towards Catholicism by the time that I had met him , because I left the church at 14.

S4: Peaches doing drag right now , at this particular moment in time.

S8:

S3: Important , and.

S8: It feels.

S3: Like something I can do to make myself feel better about the state of the world. I love celebrating John and Mink , and I love sort of sharing their work with the world. I think it does make connections and community stronger to to come together and enjoy these things , and especially troubling dark times. I've intentionally booked the next set of shows in Texas , so in April , mink and I are going to Texas because there are transgressive revolutionaries all over this country who want to fight back , who aren't buying into this , that don't want to roll over , that don't see drag as being this criminal offense. They don't see me as being a groomer and all the things that they want to , you know , paint us as to distract from their own closets. So I think it's sort of an exciting time. It's also really dark and awful time. I mean , one thing that's going to come out very soon is that I was booked to do a show at the Kennedy Center , and I was super excited , and it was a done deal , and I was going to go to Maryland. And of course , I was born in D.C. you know , to think that I would ever hit the stage at the Kennedy Center was a dream come true for this kid. And of course , that's been taken away , and we know why. Um , and so I think it's more important that we keep going. I'm not going to roll over and stop doing shows.

S5: And there's a wonderful thing about people coming together and laughing together and enjoying themselves together in a room with other people who are laughing with them , who are enjoying themselves with them , that sense of community and our show isn't me. Our show is very friendly and we do not discuss politics in the show. We are an escape from that. And yet , even while we are escaping from it , we are fighting against it because we are keeping we are hoping to keep people together in our community.

S3: Yeah , I think you're right. I think laughter is healing. We have to continue to get together and laugh.

S5: We cannot let them take all the joy out of our world. Yeah. They win. If that happens.

S4:

S5: There is no fourth wall. We speak to each other. We we're speaking to the audience. It's it's very casual. It's not scripted. I mean , we talk about similar things most every time , but every now and then a new something pops up. We show film clips. We talk about the evolution of our friendship and how we got to know each other. You know how I got to know John and how that started , but then how peaches and I got to know each other and our work together , it's kind of just evolved into a mutual little love fest. You know , I'm the original idol , but I idolized peaches just as much as he idolizes me. He came later in my life and I came in his. But the respect and the love is very strong. And that comes out in the show. Yes.

S8: Yes.

S3: And and one thing mink is , uh , forgetting to mention is that mink is an incredible singer and has an album and has done music now for years and years. And the show also showcases some songs , is part show , part living room storytelling and part movie clip viewing , you know , and when we show those movie clips , of course , we encourage the audience to , uh , scream out the lines as , as they often do.

S4: Well , I want to thank you both very much for speaking with me. It was an absolute delight.

S3: Thanks for having us.

S5: Well thank you. This has been really fun.

S1: That was KPBS arts reporter Beth Accomando speaking with the stars of Idol Worship An Evening with Ming Stoll and Peaches Christ. The show takes place Sunday at Diversionary Theatre. Coming up a festival to learn about the architecture of San Diego. Spaces and places. Plus your weekend preview. This is the one time of year that someone will open up their shop. Or a small Adu. That's amazing. Or , you know , this building that you walk by downtown and you're like , who lives there ? Then you find out. We'll take you inside the festival. KPBS Midday Edition is back after the break. Welcome back to KPBS midday edition. I'm Jade Hindman. So have you ever wondered about the buildings you pass by each day ? Like , how are historic buildings preserved , or what's the story behind some of the newer buildings and their unique structure ? Well , this weekend you can find out the 10th annual open House San Diego is happening , where you can go on guided or self-guided tours of different homes , buildings and spaces to learn all about their design and architecture. Lauren Cook is executive director of San Diego Architecture Foundation , and she recently sat down with KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans to talk about what visitors can expect this weekend. Here's that conversation.

S9: Okay , so this is the 10th year that the San Diego Architecture Foundation has has done open House San Diego. Can you explain what the intention is behind this program ? Sure.

S5:

S1: It is to open up our neighborhoods and communities to anyone and everyone to look at good design or questionable design , or just design. In general , we feel like everyone should have access to it , and this is the one time of year that someone will open up their shop. Or a small Adu. That's amazing. Or , you know , this building that you walk by downtown and you're like , who lives there ? Then you find out and they're like , oh , well , I can see why. And it just opens up the communities and neighborhoods and things you wouldn't normally see. And , you know , that kind of promotes good design. Like is is our mission statement to promote good design in the built environment. So opening it up , giving everyone access is just right aligned with us.

S9: Can you talk about the different neighborhoods in San Diego and some of the kind of architectural distinctions that the tours and the events will highlight ? Sure.

S1: So let's start in South Bay. This year we have San Isidro for the first time , which is interesting because a lot is going on in San Isidro and a lot of building and a lot of historic things that you might not know about. And that kind of points out if San Diego is the first and oldest city in California. Second is National City , and a lot of people don't know that. So they have these lovely historic homes that have been redone and Brick Row , which you would think you were in London , you know , they have all of that and it's very not known. It's kind of secretive. So we open up National City , we get to go look at they have a full working farm down there that kids can go to and tour and , and all of that. So National city , Barrio Logan murals , obviously you see them from the street kind of keep traveling up the transit system. But we've had Coronado in the past. We've done La Jolla , but divided it into two because downtown La Jolla and East , you know , in the village is very different than UCSD , which is really almost.

S10:

S1: And this is exciting. So we want to keep it open.

S9:

S1: So it used to be your neighborhood , the three blocks that you lived in or that type of thing. And what we're finding is San Diego is a city of neighborhoods. It's a county of neighborhoods. You know , if you go to Del Mar , it's very different than Chula Vista. If you go to El Cajon , which has a lot of historic stuff , it's going to be very different than PB. They're very distinct. And people will not say , I'm from San Diego. If you're in this region , they'll go , I'm from Ocean Beach , I'm from this. So kind of just starting to see like that. They still keep their personality and they keep what makes them special. But yet what can we all share ? That's going to be a shared thing for all of us.

S9: How do you see Architecture and public art and design changing in the next ten years or in like the the upcoming future.

S1: I think there is , at least in this kind of new generation that is coming up. It very much access and opening things up. So gone is that tight. You know , you know , one door to go to the patio or now that you have a whole side of a building , I think you have one here , you know , where you can open up and go in and out. And maybe that was a Covid era thing , but it's not. People love it. So access a mural on the side of the wall of a of a building that you wouldn't have even looked at. And now you go , it's the one building. I love it , landscape architecture that that really fulfills your need for greenery. But it's in a tiny space. Who knew ? So everyone really being thoughtful about design does change. You know how we live and how we look around and are happy about it.

S9: Before we go , what is one thing that somebody could do year round to be more present or more engaged in the architecture around them or in their neighborhood.

S1: I would say membership in the San Diego Architectural Foundation is free , so anyone can sign up. You're going to get our newsletter. Almost all of our programs are free. Uh , we have something called Taste of Designs. So you go and look at new restaurant space and and hospitality space. We do a film series in Seaport Village , all of that typically free. Everyone can join. Uh , it it is architects , designers , landscape architects , structural engineers , engineers of any kind , um , muralists , designers , students. But just actually not being scared by the word architecture or architectural in any way and just going , I live in it. I want to know more. That was Loren Cook , executive director of San Diego Architecture Foundation. Open House San Diego runs Saturday and Sunday throughout the region , and she spoke with KPBS arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans , who joins me now. Julia , welcome.

S9: Hey , Jade , thanks for having me.

S1: Always great to have you on. So tell us , how can we get in on the action and tour some of these architectural spaces ? Right.

S9: So they have self-guided and also guided tours that start from some of the hubs throughout the designated neighborhoods. There's ten neighborhoods total , um , five on each day. And you can tour some of the historic houses or even entire districts , like the entire UC San Diego campus is one of them. And they have check in points for each of the self-guided tours and set times for tours. But they're also launching an app where you can find all of this information. You can find maps and get the guides right there on your phone.

S1: Very nice.

S9: There's a dance performance with Lexi Regina , who is one of the artists in residence at Liberty Station , and they're going to have artist talks. There's one of the public artists who has a piece there , Cline Swinger. Um , and just a bunch of of like , programming happening there. And another one is like an Irving Gill walking tour in Bankers Hill. You can see a bunch of of buildings and houses that Irving Gill had had designed. That's on Saturday. And then on Sunday there's a tour called A Streetcar Through Mission Hills , and that follows this former streetcar line through Mission Hills. And that's always fascinating to see that , um , not just like the architectural history , but like the transit history too. So that's cool. And yeah , I think for me , um , going on the tours in National City and San Isidro should also be really interesting. Wow.

S1: Wow. Well , that's my kind of carrying on , I like that. Um , let's hear what else is going on in the arts. Uh , this weekend there's an art exhibit opening in San Isidro tonight. So tell us about that.

S9: It's curated this year by Claudia Cano , and this exhibit is always worth checking out. It's. It's just like this mix of invited artist and juried submissions. So you get this blend of established artists , and then some emerging artists are up and coming people that you might never have heard of before. So there's an opening reception that's tonight from 5 to 7 , and then in a couple of weeks they're having an artist discussion on Saturday , March 22nd. If you want to plan ahead for that. And then the exhibit will be on view through May 8th.

S1: All right. In music , Grammy winners Third Coast Percussion are coming to town. What can you tell us about the concert ? Yeah.

S9: So this is at the Conrad Priebus Performing Arts Center. That's home of the La Jolla music society. It's a beautiful venue And Third Coast Percussion is a quartet of all classically trained percussionists , but they're performing with tabla player Salar Nader , who , um , yeah , a tablet is a percussion instrument that originated in India. It's like the set of two hand drums. And this group just put out an album of music with another tabla player , Zakir Hussain , who just passed away in December. The album is called Murmurs in Time , and we're listening to one of the movements from that composition. And they'll perform that entire piece of music , but also a bunch of other works is sort of like this memorial to Zakir Hussain. And this is Saturday night at 730. Wow.

S1: Wow. Also , the City Ballet of San Diego , they're performing one of the most iconic ballets from Swan Lake. Tell me about that.

S9: Yeah , they're doing the famous second act. This is where Siegfried meets Odette at the at the Lake at night. It has choreography by City Ballet's Elizabeth with Stritch after Liev Ivanovna , and it's set to the traditional Tchaikovsky score. And they're also going to perform The Black Swan pas de deux and a new work by Elizabeth Westridge called The Seasons. So it'll be a great mix of familiar traditional pieces and something new. And they're doing two performances at Balboa Theater this weekend , Saturday night and a Sunday matinee , and then in North County on Wednesday night at the California Center for the Arts , Escondido.

S1: Bread and salt comes to life this Saturday with lots of events. What can we expect there ? Right.

S9: So you can check out , first of all , Impact Artist in Residence Marisa Ragusa , who is at Tijuana based Visual Artists. She kind of works with found objects and then constructs and weaves these like colorful cages or nets around things. I love her work. And then you can check out a couple of other new shows that are opening in the Bread and Salt galleries. Phil Beaumont has an exhibition of what he calls long photos. They're like still frame videos of landscapes around the world. And I just really love the way that it sort of invites you to stand still and see the video through. And just like spend a set amount of time there , you might not with a still photo. There's also a solo exhibit by Christopher Wessel of his oil paintings. He's this incredible Tijuana artist , just really powerful and intricate works. They're a little bit figurative. There's like animals and bodies or insects , but then also just a bunch of abstraction. I think his works are always just kind of bigger than the canvas that they're on , I love that. And then one more ice gallery , also inside Bread and Salt , they're showing a set of four works by Michael James Armstrong , who's the gallery's curator. And his work is just a really powerful use of color and shapes and shading. And so this opening event , all of these new shows , this coincides with barrio Art call and it's open from 5 to 8 p.m.. You can just drop in and browse all the galleries and maybe grab coffee or a drink.

S1: Sounds really nice. Okay , so one more for the kids. There's a free second Sunday at the Museum of Contemporary Art.

S9: This Sunday's theme is the California Light and Space movement , and the museum has like an entire room dedicated to this. And admission to the museum is free for everyone. There are special kid friendly activities from 11 to 2 , and there is a kid friendly tour starting at 11 , so I imagine they will take them inside that light and space room and explain to the kids what's going on , and then they'll do like a macrame art making activity. There's music and storytimes and a whole bunch of stuff , and it's all just drop in. You don't have to RSVP and the museum is free all day.

S1: Oh that's great. And you can find details on these or sign up for Julia's weekly Arts newsletter at our website , pbs.org. I've been speaking with KPBS Arts reporter Julia Dixon Evans. Julia. Thank you.

S9: Thanks , Jade. This is fun.

S1: Thanks for joining us today. As we leave you , I want to pay tribute to Leon Williams , San Diego's first black city council member and county supervisor , who passed away earlier this week at 102 years old. He was an advocate for the people and broke so many racial barriers that allowed others to follow in his footsteps. In his own words , here's one reason he was so motivated.

S11: People need to realize that all of us have the same way of learning , and nobody has any way of being absolutely certain that he or she is absolutely right and everybody else is wrong. So whoever created us. Created us all with the same equipment. And sometimes we use it differently. But it would be better if we respect each other a lot more.

S1: That was San Diego's Leon Williams in a 2015 interview with Maureen Cavanaugh. Join Midday Edition on Monday to hear more about his legacy , and if you missed anything today , you can download KPBS Midday Edition on all podcast apps. Before we go , I'd like to thank our Midday Edition team producers Ashley Rush , Giuliana Domingo and Andrew Bracken , senior producer Brooke Ruth , supervising audio producer Quinn Owen , art segment contributors Julia Dixon Evans and Beth Accomando , technical producers Ben Read , lost , Brandon Truffaut and Rebecca Chacon. The Midday Edition theme music is from San Diego's own surefire soul ensemble. I'm Jade Hindman. Have a great day on purpose , everyone.