Photography Pop-Up 6:30-9:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Marriott Courtyard, 2435 Jefferson St., Old Town. Free.
Open Portfolio Walk 6:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25. Marriott Courtyard, 2435 Jefferson St., Old Town. Free.
Keynote lecture with Cara Romero 7 p.m. Friday, April 26. San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., downtown. $20 lecture/reception without festival pass.
‘The Artist Speaks: Cara Romero’ exhibition opens 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 27. MOPA @ SDMA, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park
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‘Size Matters’ Exhibition Reception 5-7 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. Free.
Mónica Arreola Exhibition 5-7 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Best Practice, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights. Free.
Bus Tour to Tijuana 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, April 28. $150 without festival pass.
Tickets, festival passes and more information available at mediumphoto.org
Visual art, Photography | The 12th annual Medium Festival of Photography kicks off this week, a locally based convening of photographers and photography lovers worldwide. With a keynote from Indigenous photographer Cara Romero, exhibitions, lectures, studio tours, a Tijuana bus tour, receptions, portfolio reviews, pop-up markets and more, it’s a busy week with plenty to stumble upon, even if you don’t have a festival pass.
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The festival began in 2012 by an organization called Medium Photo, founded by Scott B. Davis.
“Medium started because I knew a lot of people working in fine art photography who didn’t have a platform for their work, and I myself as a photographer learned the most in my career by hearing other artists speak about their work and by attending educational workshops. And those didn’t exist in San Diego,” Davis said. “I really want to see the community feel a shared love of photography. It’s such a dynamic medium and it reaches people on so many different levels — as a storytelling tool, as a tool for creative expression, as a tool for abstract ideas.”
Photography has transformed significantly since the festival originated. Smartphone camera use is not just more widespread, but the technology is much better today than in 2012. Davis has also noticed a resurgence of analog photography. In addition, artificial intelligence has begun to shape the landscape of photography — and a Medium Festival panel on copyright and AI will attempt to help attendees sort through it.
Festival passes are still available, but some of the events are free and open to the public, or — like Romero’s keynote lecture on Friday evening at the Central Library — are ticketed separately at a lower-cost and don’t require a festival pass.
Details: Event link. Thursday, April 25 through Sunday, April 28. Locations vary.
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San Diego Book Crawl and Independent Bookstore Day
For more arts events or to submit your own, visit the KPBS/Arts Calendar. If you want more time to plan, get the KPBS/Arts Newsletter in your inbox every Thursday to see event picks for the weeks ahead.
Books, Poetry | Independent Bookstore Day is back, and with it, every local book lover’s favorite tradition: San Diego Book Crawl. Here’s how it works: visit and support as many of the 13 participating indie bookstores in San Diego as you’d like. Bonus perks may be yours if you make purchases at each shop. This year’s author ambassador is Susan Lee, and a new addition to the crawl this year is a shuttle service, on Saturday. You can learn more in our interview with Book Crawl organizers here.
Details: Event link. Saturday, April 27 through Monday, April 29. Times and locations vary. Free (purchases required at stores to receive prizes).
‘Afterburner’
Courtesy of Techne Art Center
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A sculpture by John Oliver Lewis is shown in an undated photo.
Visual art | Named after the afterburner combustion mechanism on jet engines, this exhibit at Oceanside’s Techne Art Center spotlights artists who push boundaries — with materials and form in art. Artists include Jon Elliott, Jack Henry, Robin Kang, Dave Kinsey, Jason Clay Lewis, John Oliver Lewis, Mônica Lóss, Jessica McCambly, Tim Murdoch, Sasha Koozel Reibstein and Allison Renshaw. Curated by Chuck Thomas. You can view samples of the works by some of the participating artists here. Notable are the intricate, charred-looking relief pieces by Dave Kinsey, the sculptural, textile works of Mônica Lóss, the curious and almost candy-like constructions of John Oliver Lewis and the minimal works on paper by Jessica McCambly — but there’s so much to discover from the 11 artists.
Details: Event link. Opens with a reception from 5-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. On view through July 20. Gallery hours are 1-6 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; and 1-5 p.m. Saturday. Techne Art Center, 1609 Ord Way, Oceanside. Free.
‘Madama Butterfly’
Opera, Music, Theater | Giacomo Puccini’s masterpiece opera, “Madama Butterfly” returns to the San Diego Opera stage — it was last produced in 2016. The story follows a young woman in Japan, Cio-Cio-San, known as “Butterfly,” who meets an American officer, Pinkerton, falls in love and — so she thinks — marries him. He returns to his American family, while she is left to raise their son alone, awaiting his return. It’s a tragic story, with a gorgeous and quintessential operatic score.
Details: Event link. 7:30 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. San Diego Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., downtown. $13-$340.
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Art Alive
Visual art | San Diego Museum of Art’s annual spring floral show will be on view this weekend. Floral designers are tasked with interpreting works of art in the museum, and those floral arrangements are displayed near the inspiring art. Don’t miss the kid-friendly activities in the sculpture garden. And of course, there’s the ever-dazzling rotunda display in the museum’s two-story entrance lobby — designed this year by Meghaa Modi, Art Alive’s first international selection for rotunda designer.
Details: Event link. 12-5 p.m. Friday, April 26, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 26-28. San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park. $40 for general admission, $5 for guests aged 7-17, or free for museum members.
Courtesy of The Front Arte & Cultura
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Alejandra Dueñas’ sculpture, “¿A dónde se van las lágrimas que nos guardamos?” is shown in an undated photo.
Sidro Saturdays
Visual art, Music, Food, Theater | This special community arts event in San Ysidro is a great chance to check out the “Invisible Traditions” exhibition at The Front Arte y Cultura Gallery, curated by Katalina Silva and Arzu Ozkal. Plus, between The Front and the nearby El Salon space, you’ll also find live theater performances, music and lots of food, including tacos from Los Pinches Birrieria.
Details: Event link. 12-4 p.m. on Saturday, April 27. The Front, 147 W San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro. Free.
Live music picks
* indicates a local act
Thursday: San Diego Music Awards Showcase: Blair Gun*, Swive*, The Psychlops* and Grampadrew* at Casbah (pop, rock, alternative, folk); Cathedral Bells, Foliage and Rew at Soda Bar (indie); Gone Gone Beyond, Lily Fangz and Jesus Gonzalez* at Music Box (folk/Americana, alternative/hip-hop); Eliza McLamb, Mini Trees and Tan Universe at House of Blues (indie); Kamaiyah at SOMA (rap); Neil Young & Crazy Horse at Cal Coast Credit Union Open Air Theatre (rock)
Friday: LA LOM and Radio Malilla at Quartyard (cumbia); Tep No and Sunsets* at Soda Bar (dance/electronic); Guerilla Dragfare: Greenwitch, Lacerated, Agonista* (Tijuana), Angel Guts*, and Violuminescence* at Che Cafe (metal, hardcore/punk, indie); Johnny Dynamite & the Bloodsuckers at Casbah (rock); Songwriter Sanctuary: Lizzie Wann*, Calman Hart*, Bug Guts* and Missy Alcazar* at Normal Heights United Church (singer-songwriter); Bang Yongguk III at Observatory (rap/hip-hop/k-pop); The Gravities* and Jonny Tarr* at Civita Park (funk/blues, pop); The Brothers Burns*, San Diablo Allstars*, Bastard The Enemy* and Katie Ladubz* at Pour House Oceanside (hip-hop)
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Saturday: Rufus Wainwright and Francis Blume* at Belly Up (indie/pop/folk); Choir Boy and Trit 95* at Lou Lou’s Jungle Room (darkwave, goth); Surfer Girl, The Wide Eyed Kids* and Dune Blue at Casbah (reggae/rock); Peter Sprague plays Antonio Carlos Jobim at Dizzy’s (jazz); Julia Wolf, Scro and Zach Palmer at Quartyard (pop, alternative)
Sunday: Nico Play and Aloe Vera* at Soda Bar (indie); A Beacon School at Casbah (pop/dreamwave); PinkPanthress at Observatory (pop); Tenille Townes and Henry Morris at House of Blues (country, indie); Quarters of Change at SOMA (alternative); The Grinnells at Books & Records (jazz).
More arts and culture events this weekend
Adams Avenue Unplugged Live music, Festivals | Browse the schedule and lineup of bands that will take over bars, cafes, restaurants and performance spaces along Adams Avenue. Event link. 12 p.m. to midnight, Saturday, April 27. Adams Avenue, University Heights, Normal Heights and Kensington. Free (except headliner concert, which is $25).
Little Italy Mission Fed ArtWalk Visual art, Festivals | This annual art festival is the longest-running one in the region, and it celebrates its 40th year with more than 250 artists working in painting, sculpture, photography, jewelry and more. Learn about this year’s featured artists here. Event link. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 27; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 28. India St. between Grape St. and Beech St., Little Italy. Free. Free MTS trolley passes while supplies last.
Sazón Live Dance, Music | Centro Cultural de la Raza will host vibrant performances of Mexican dance along with live music. Event link. 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 28. Centro Cultural de la Raza, 2004 Park Blvd., Balboa Park. $15-$90.
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‘Tuck Everlasting’ Theater, Music | This weekend, Coronado Playhouse opens their production of “Tuck Everlasting,” a musical adaptation of Natalie Babbitt’s classic book. The story follows 11-year-old Winnie as she gets caught up with a mysterious, immortal family in the woods near her home. Event link. On stage April 26 through May 2. Coronado Playhouse, 1835 Strand Way, Coronado. $27.
Twelfth Night Ensemble: ‘The English Orpheus’ Music, Classical | San Diego Early Music Society presents the debut of a new ensemble featuring harpsichordist David Belkovski and violinist Rachell Ellen Wong. The group will perform works by Purcell and Handel. Event link. 7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 27. St. James-by-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. $10-$50.
‘Duruflé Requiem’ Music, Classical, Choral | The San Diego Master Chorale will perform Maurice Duruflé’s 1947 “Requiem” along with works by J. S. Bach, Mark Butler, Benjamin Britten, Felix Mendelssohn and Gerald Finzi. 4 p.m. Saturday, April 27 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, 2728 Sixth Ave., Banker’s Hill; and 4 p.m. Sunday, April 28 at St. James-by-the-Sea, 743 Prospect St., La Jolla. $10-$35.
Four suspects were behind bars Friday for allegedly beating a man to death two months ago during a fight at Linda Vista Park.
Arrested Wednesday on suspicion of murder in connection with the violent death of 59-year-old Ruben Rimorin were Juan Garcia Alavez, 21, Juan Manuel Lopez, 26, Brian Reyes, 20, and Franklin Joseph Tuell, 21, according to the San Diego Police Department.
Rimorin was found gravely injured about 3:45 a.m. Oct. 18 on a sidewalk in the 6800 block of Osler Street, just west of the park, SDPD Lt. Chris Tivanian said. Paramedics tried in vain to revive the victim before pronouncing him dead at the scene.
It remains unclear what sparked the deadly fight.
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The suspects were being held at San Diego Central Jail without bail pending arraignment, scheduled for Friday afternoon.
National City’s Pepper Park can soon expand in size by nearly 50%, thanks to a ruling this week by the California Coastal Commission to approve the National City Balanced Plan.
The approval of the plan at the CCC’s Wednesday meeting, developed by the Port of San Diego, means that not only will the popular park have the ability to increase in size, big changes are coming for commercial, recreation and maritime uses on the National City bayfront.
“We are grateful to the California Coastal Commission for its support of the National City Balanced Plan,” said Danielle Moore, chair of the Board of Port Commissioners. “The progress we have made has been anchored in tireless collaboration with the community, business leaders and, of course, the city of National City. It’s about bringing more recreational opportunities to the bayfront while also streamlining and strengthening maritime operations, and we are eager to bring these projects to life.”
Other components of the balanced plan include:
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Realigning Marina Way to serve as the buffer area between commercial recreation and maritime uses
The closure of Tidelands Avenue between Bay Marina Drive and West 32nd Street, and West 28th Street between Tidelands Avenue and Quay Avenue, around six acres, to increase terminal efficiency by eliminating redundancies
The development of a recreational vehicle park, tent sites, cabins and the “ultimate development of up to two hotels with up to 365 rooms, as well as dry boat storage,” a port statement read
A connector rail project to connect the existing rail and loop track located on the National City Marine Terminal to additional rail car storage spots at the existing Burlington Northern Santa Fe National City Yard east of the National Distribution Center
The Board of Port Commissioners must accept the CCC’s certification, then the port and city can begin the process of completing the above projects.
“I am proud of the work we have done to help create a lasting legacy for National City, the Port of San Diego, and the entire region,” said Port Commissioner GilAnthony Ungab. “Nearly a decade in the making, this plan balances the interests of the community and many other stakeholders, addresses public access, maritime, and recreation uses, and expands waterfront access in my community.”
The National City Bayfront is 273 acres of waterfront land and 167 acres of water, and includes the National City Marine Terminal, Pepper Park, Pier 32 Marina, the Aquatic Center and pieces of public art.
Mayor Todd Gloria announced an initiative Wednesday intended to expand housing options in neighborhoods by integrating small-scale residences such as townhomes, rowhomes and cottages into an area’s existing character.
The Neighborhood Homes for All of Us initiative is also intended to support community land trusts — nonprofit organizations that acquire land to create permanent affordable housing.
“Since Day 1 of my administration, I have been focused on building more homes that San Diegans can actually afford — and getting them built faster,” Gloria said at a news conference Wednesday. “‘Neighborhood Homes for All of Us’ is the latest piece of that puzzle. This innovative program will break down the barriers that have gotten in the way of building the type of housing that I believe is ideal for young families and first-time homebuyers for whom the dream of homeownership has long felt out of reach.”
Around 80% of land zoned for housing in the city is restricted to single-family homes, which continue to increase in price, Gloria said. And a significant portion of new housing being built consists of apartment buildings with primarily studio and one-bedroom units, leaving working-class families fewer and fewer options for homes.
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Neighborhood Homes for All of Us is intended to increase the housing supply and allow community land trusts to keep housing affordable in disadvantaged communities for low- to middle-income families.
“San Diego is an incredible place to raise a family, and more families need the opportunity to do that in San Diego’s existing, highly desirable single-family neighborhoods where their kids can learn and play in a great community,” City Planning Director Heidi Vonblum said. “But today, that comes at a price that is out of reach for too many. Integrating more options for families requires careful and thoughtful planning, with input from existing and future community members across the city, to ensure these new home opportunities for San Diego’s families are built in ways that best enhance and benefit San Diego’s amazing neighborhoods.”
The initiative will roll out in two phases. In the first phase, beginning this week and continuing through next summer, San Diegans can help determine what the neighborhoods can look like. The public will be able to see renderings showing small-scale neighborhood homes within San Diego’s existing communities, along with new regulations that “provide a clear pathway for building these homes,” according to a statement from Gloria’s office.
Phase 1 will also include an open house and ways for the community to provide feedback and concerns.
Phase 2, scheduled for the second half of 2026, will be for city staff to develop regulations allowing for the building of more neighborhood homes in a way informed by the public feedback.
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The initiative is partly funded through a Regional Early Action Planning grant from the San Diego Association of Governments.
