![Yan Pei-Ming, "Un enterrement à Shanghai (Montagne céleste, Ma mère, L’adieu) (A Burial in Shanghai ((Celestial Mountain, My Mother, The Farewell))" [detail] , 2019, will be on view at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego beginning April 17, 2025.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/73c71aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1153x710+174+0/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F8a%2F79%2Ffc21f0984eabbf5cd46c11cdeb40%2F2019-0000fnh-03598-tr315x668-03.jpg)
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April 1-6 | April 7-13 | April 14-20 | April 21-30
April 1-6
🎨 Visual art
Fine Art and Craft Sale: Grief and Hope L.A. benefit
Dozens of local artists and collectors will offer up hundreds of pieces of art for sale in this benefit for Los Angeles-area artists and arts workers affected by the recent devastating wildfires. The pieces will be on display for two weekends or until sold.
2-6 p.m. Friday; 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 4-6 and 11-13 | Union Hall Gallery, 2323 Broadway St., Golden Hill | Free (art prices range from $10-$8,500) | MORE INFO
Burn All Books' First Annual Postcard Show
Two hundred postcards mailed in by artists and community members will be on display at Burn All Books' Normal Heights shop and gallery space. Also included in the show are postcards painted by participants in Project PAINT's visual arts program at Donovan Correctional Facility.
6-9 p.m. Friday, April 4 | BAB & Friends Gallery, 3131 Adams Ave., Normal Heights | Free | MORE INFO
'Fashioning an Icon: Virgin of Guadalupe Imagery in Textile Design'
Mingei International Museum's Ariana Torres has curated this collection of pieces inspired by La Virgen de Guadalupe's presence in fashion, textiles and adornment. The exhibit features the work of 70 Mexican artists as well as three local artists, Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski (Sew Loka), piñata-informed artist Diana Benavídez and photographer Arianna Ytselle. A curator-led tour will be held 1 to 2 p.m. on April 10.
Don't miss the Student Craft exhibit, opening on the same day, featuring work by local high school students connected to the themes of "Fashioning an Icon."
April 5 - Sept. 7 | Mingei International Museum, 1439 Plaza de Panama, Balboa Park | Free-$15 | MORE INFO
'The Art of Autism: A Different Lens'
Local nonprofit The Art of Autism has partnered with the Oceanside Museum of Art for an exhibition of visual art by talented neurodivergent artists, including Joel Anderson, Kevin Hosseini, Sydney Edmond, June Hasty, Alex Nichols, Jeremy Sicile-Kira and more.
April 5 - Aug. 3 | Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside | Free-$15 | MORE INFO
'Young Art: Nurture and Nature'
The 48th biennial youth exhibition (nearly a century in the making!) combines San Diego Museum of Art's long-running youth exhibit with that of the Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA@SDMA). K-12 students from the San Diego-Tijuana region submitted their photography, paintings, sculptures and more that explore how humans and the natural world intersect. These exhibitions always leave me astonished and endlessly hopeful.
April 5 - May 18 | MOPA@SDMA, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park | Free | MORE INFO
🎵 Music
Quartyard 10th Anniversary
East Village outdoor venue Quartyard celebrates a decade of live music and arts events, with Adrian Younge and his orchestra performing alongside DJs and food from El Comal.
6 p.m. Saturday, April 5 | Quardyard, 1301 Market St., East Village | $29.69 | MORE INFO
'Chopin: The Language of the Divine'
Le Salon de Musiques presents an intimate, salon-style chamber music performance with pre-show mingling and a musicology lecture. This month's program explores Chopin, featuring pianist Sung Chang and a string ensemble.
4 p.m. Sunday, April 6 | La Jolla Woman's Club, 7791 Draper Ave., La Jolla | $69+ | MORE INFO
💃 Dance
Malashock Dance: 'Seed'
Contemporary dance company Malashock Dance presents new works by six local choreographers: Bernard Brown, Erica Buechner, Guillermo Castro, Cecily Holcombe, Anna Medina and Briele Mehlan.
7:30 p.m. Wednesday - Saturday, April 2-5; 2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 5-6 | Malashock Dance Black Box Theater, 2650 Truxtun Rd., Ste. 200, Liberty Station | $10-$35 | MORE INFO
TranscenDANCE: 'CREATE 2025: Rooted and Dreaming'
Youth arts program TranscenDANCE presents its annual spring showcase, pairing student-penned poetry with choreography developed alongside local professionals. The CREATE program is an advanced dance intensive focused on equity in dance and creative expression.
7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday, April 4-5 | Hoover High School Performing Arts Center, 4474 El Cajon Blvd., City Heights | $15-$45 | MORE INFO
🎭 Theater
The Old Globe: 'Regency Girls'
This world-premiere musical comedy from Jennifer Crittenden, Gabrielle Allan, Curtis Moore and Amanda Green follows a young, unmarried pregnant woman in 19th-century England as she embarks on a road trip with friends.
April 2 - May 4 | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park | $45-$141 | MORE INFO
'Hillary and Clinton'
New theater company OnWord Theatre presents its second production: Lucas Hnath's darkly comedic alternative-universe retelling of the 2008 presidential campaign. Directed by Marni Gobel.
April 4-19 | Alma Hotel, 1047 Fifth Ave., downtown | $45 | MORE INFO
OnStage Playhouse: 'Knock Loudly'
Anna Sandor's new play follows an actress struggling with addiction, aging and mortality. Chula Vista's OnStage Playhouse hosts the world premiere.
April 4-27 | OnStage Playhouse, 291 Third Ave., Chula Vista | $15-$25 | MORE INFO
📚 Books
Lenguas y Luz Poetry Reading
Kick off Poetry Month with an evening of Latinx poetry from Brent Ameneyro, Karla Cordero, Blas Falconer, Angélica M. Yañez and San Diego Poet Laureate Paola Capó-García.
6:30 p.m. Friday, April 4 | Libélula Books, 950 S. 26th St., Barrio Logan | Free | MORE INFO
San Diego Writers Festival
This annual, jam-packed celebration of writing features big names like Ed Begley Jr. and Tembi Locke alongside influential locals like Gill Sotu, Paola Capó-García and more. The Voices of Our City Choir will perform at noon.
9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday, April 5 | Coronado High School, 650 D Ave., Coronado | Free | MORE INFO
🎬 Film
San Diego Arab Film Festival
The 14th annual festival of Arab cinema will spotlight films from or about regions currently under attack, including Palestine, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen — including the Academy Award-winning feature "No Other Land." Each of the festival's eight screenings pairs a feature film with a short.
April 4-13 | MOPA@SDMA, 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park | $12+ | MORE INFO
🎈 Family
Be My Neighbor Day
Celebrate community, KPBS and Daniel Tiger at the third annual Be My Neighbor Day event, with hands-on activities, art-making, live music, appearances from Daniel Tiger and Katerina Kittycat — all with a focus on small acts of kindness.
9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Saturday, April 5 | KPBS Public Media, 5200 Campanile Dr., College Area | Free (RSVP recommended) | MORE INFO
April 7-13
🎨 Visual art
'Across the Spooniverse'
Spoons are everywhere, according to this exhibit at the Mingei, representing sustenance, abundance and even the sacred. A fascinating variety of more than 100 spoons from around the world is included.
April 12 - Aug. 17 | Mingei International Museum, 1439 Plaza de Panama, Balboa Park | Free-$15 | MORE INFO
AjA Project: 'Language of Silencing'
A new installation at the downtown library features the work of six Civil Liberties Fellows at the AjA Project. These immigrant and refugee emerging artists were selected to work with the history of Japanese American incarceration during World War II and explore that history in the context of contemporary civil liberties. The artists have created a massive 7-foot-tall book that tells the stories of some of the families impacted by the concentration camps.
11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturday, April 12 | Mary Hollis Clark Conference Center, San Diego Central Library, 330 Park Blvd., downtown | Free | MORE INFO
🎵 Music
Alisa Weilerstein: 'Fragments 3'
Cellist Alisa Weilerstein will premiere the third installment of her multi-year composition project, which blends Bach's cello suites with newly commissioned pieces into a six-part opus. Co-presented by the San Diego Symphony and La Jolla Music Society.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 8 | Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., downtown | $35-$73 | MORE INFO
Hidden City Sounds: Leonard Patton Quartet and Community Jazz Jam
Local jazz leader Leonard Patton will perform a set with his quartet, followed by a community jam session beginning at 8:15 p.m. Audience members are encouraged to bring an instrument, request a song and join in.
7-9:15 p.m. Friday, April 11 | California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free | MORE INFO
Art of Elan: 'Identities'
Percussionist and performer Fiona Digney will debut a solo adaptation of Steve Reich's "Music for Mallet Instruments, Voices and Organ" against a backdrop of visual art by Ethan Chan and David Peña. The dual exhibit, "Heavy as Ghosts," explores ideas of healing.
7 p.m. Friday, April 11 | Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego-North, 1578 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas | $12.51-$28.52 | MORE INFO
🎭 Theater
'The Hot Wing King'
Prolific playwright Katori Hall won the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in drama for "The Hot Wing King." Set in Memphis, the story follows Cordell and his partner, Dwayne, as they await the city's annual Hot Wang Festival and navigate grief and disruption in their family.
April 9 - May 2 | Cygnet Theatre, 4040 Twiggs St., Old Town | $30-$64 | MORE INFO
April 14-20
🎨 Visual art
!["Un enterrement à Shanghai (Montagne céleste, Ma mère, L’adieu) (A Burial in Shanghai ((Celestial Mountain, My Mother, The Farewell)) [detail]" by Yan Pei-Ming is on view at MCASD beginning April 17, 2025.](https://cdn.kpbs.org/dims4/default/ca756c8/2147483647/strip/true/crop/2000x1232+0+46/resize/880x542!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fkpbs-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F40%2Fbb%2Ff8a75b0f4799a841305c84605614%2Fmontagne-celeste-yan-pei-ming.jpg)
Yan Pei-Ming: 'A Burial in Shanghai'
Painter Yan Pei-Ming's exhibit "A Burial in Shanghai" was originally designed for the Musée d'Orsay in Paris, where it debuted in 2019. Three massive canvases — "Celestial Mountain," "My Mother" and "The Farewell" — form an impressive, varied triptych. His painting style nods to traditional portraiture and landscapes with contemporary motifs, using muted or monochromatic colorways and powerful elements of both expressionism and realism. Pei-Ming will be present at the free, public opening for a lecture at 5 p.m. on April 17.
April 17, 2025 - Jan. 4, 2026. Free public opening: 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Thursday, April 17 | Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla | MORE INFO
C Fodoreanu: 'Writings'
San Diego artist C Fodoreanu will open a new solo exhibition with a notable variety of styles and mediums: paintings, photography, video, and a site-specific sculpture that involves actual water. The exhibit is inspired by Fodoreanu's hometown of Nicula, Transylvania, and its traditional religious iconography.
Reception: 4-6 p.m. April 19. On view April 19 - May 26 | Level of Service Not Required, 7910 Ivanhoe Ave., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO
🎵 Music
Mardi Gras Celebration with the San Diego Symphony Orchestra
Trumpeter, singer and conductor Byron Stripling will join the San Diego Symphony alongside Sydney McSweeney, Bobby Floyd and Jim Rupp to perform a selection of New Orleans jazz music, inspired by the city's legendary nightclubs, parades and parties.
7:30 p.m. Saturday, April 19 | Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., downtown | $39-$93 | MORE INFO
The Salty Series: 'Echoes of Density'
Project [BLANK]'s regular experimental chamber music and performance series at Bread & Salt brings flutist Teresa Díaz de Cossio, local group in^set (David Aguila and Ilana Waniuk) and Universidad Autónoma de Baja California student performers together to present music inspired by Claire Chase's "Density 2036," a monumental solo flute project.
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 18. Bread & Salt, 1955 Julian Ave., Logan Heights | $15/pay what you can | MORE INFO
💃 Dance and Film
Screening: 'CRWDSPCR' by Charles Atlas and Merce Cunningham
"CRWDSPCR" is an influential work of choreography by Merce Cunningham, originally created in 1993 using the LifeForms choreography software — revolutionary at the time — and then adapted for film decades later by Charles Atlas. This fascinating high-tech collaboration will screen in the California Center for the Arts Museum every 30 minutes during regular gallery hours.
April 18 - June 1 | California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free-$12 | MORE INFO
🎭 Theater
North Coast Rep: 'Peril in the Alps'
Steven Dietz's comedy-mystery play, "Peril in the Alps," is inspired by the "Poirot Investigates" stories by Agatha Christie and is a follow-up to Dietz's "Murder on the Links," which also premiered at North Coast Rep several years ago.
April 16 - May 11 | North Coast Repertory Theatre, 987 Lomas Santa Fe, Suite D, Solana Beach | $54.50-$59.50 | MORE INFO
'¡Lotería: Game On!'
CCAE Theatricals hosts this one-day, free theatrical event for families, featuring an interactive play about the game of lotería and some kids who can't seem to imagine a world without their phones.
12-3 p.m. Saturday, April 19 | Lyric Courtyard, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido | Free (RSVP recommended) | MORE INFO
'Mary's Wedding'
Scripps Ranch Theatre Company presents Stephen Massicotte's 2002 drama, "Mary's Wedding," which follows the romance between two young people as they fall in love, but are interrupted by the onset of World War I. Directed by Kate Rose Reynolds and starring Dennis O'Connor and Liliana Talwatte, the production also includes original compositions.
Through April 27 | Scripps Ranch Theatre, Alliant International University, 9783 Avenue of Nations, Scripps Ranch | $29+ | MORE INFO
📚 Books
Mara Altman: 'A Little Shelf Love'
Local author Mara Altman just published her first children's book, "A Little Shelf Love," a story of empowerment that also serves as a plant and botany guide for young children. Altman will discuss the book with the illustrator, Reesa Baxter, at The Book Catapult. Altman recently joined KPBS Midday Edition, and you can check out that interview here.
5 p.m. Tuesday, April 15 | The Book Catapult, 3010-B Juniper St., South Park | Free | MORE INFO
April 21-30
🎨 Visual art
Art Alive Floral Exhibition
The San Diego Museum of Art's annual floral fundraiser pairs thoughtfully crafted floral sculptures with works of art in the museum's galleries. This year's rotunda designers are Natasha Lisitsa and Daniel Schultz, a Bay Area-based married couple known for their large-scale, sculptural floral design and public art pieces. Their proposed kinetic sculpture resembles a shimmering, blossoming floor-to-ceiling DNA helix. Each afternoon features family-friendly art-making in the Garden of Activities, and Friday night is the famous and fancy Bloom Bash.
April 25-27 | San Diego Museum of Art, 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park | Free-$40 | MORE INFO
Natalie Gonzalez: 'Ventana Huichola'
Artist Natalie Gonzalez's site-specific construction of tsikuris — sacred, geometric objects traditional to Mexico's Indigenous Huichol people, made from brightly colored yarn — includes pieces created in community workshops.
April 26 - Sept. 21 | Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside | Free-$15 | MORE INFO
Día de la Mujer virtual curator talk
Curated by Claudia Cano, The Front Arte & Cultura's 18th annual Día de la Mujer (Day of the Woman) exhibition, "Visions of a Future," features guest artists Janelle Iglesias, Yin Yu, Yasmine Kasem, Mónica Arreola, Katie Ruiz, Arlene Mejorado and Ghost Agency. Thirty-four more artists were selected from the open submission application, including Akiko Surai, JAX, May-ling Martinez, Natalia Ventura, Sage Serrano, Yvette Roman and more. Cano will hold a virtual curator talk on April 23 to discuss the project.
Zoom discussion: 6 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 | On view through May 8 | 147 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro | Free | MORE INFO
Sidro Saturdays
This month's Sidro Saturdays art and culture block party theme is "GIRLPOWER," which ties into the current Día de la Mujer exhibit at the Front Arte & Cultura gallery. Local creators will sell their goods, with music, performances, food and art. The event is held in the lot adjacent to the gallery.
12-4 p.m. Saturday, April 26 | 151 W. San Ysidro Blvd., San Ysidro | Free | MORE INFO
🎵 Music
'An Evening with Isaac Mizrahi'
Maybe you only know him as a fashion designer, but Isaac Mizrahi is also an actor, writer and performer, bringing his cabaret show of comedy, singing and storytelling to the Lawrence Family JCC.
7:30 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 | David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre, 4126 Executive Dr., La Jolla | $72+ | MORE INFO
Caroline Shaw: 'The Mountain That Loved a Bird'
At the heart of this special family-friendly concert from the San Diego Symphony is accomplished contemporary composer Caroline Shaw's adaptation of the beloved children's book "The Mountain That Loved a Bird" by Alice McLerran (illustrated by Eric Carle in the 1985 edition). For this performance, the music will be accompanied by new animation, and the full concert features works by Lili Boulanger, Ravel, John Williams and more — plus a narrator to help guide young listeners through the music. Recommended for ages 6-12 (and beyond).
11 a.m. Saturday, April 26 | Jacobs Music Center, 1245 Seventh Ave., downtown | $29-$52 | MORE INFO
San Diego Master Chorale: 'Brahms Requiem'
A requiem, by definition, is a mass of remembrance for the dead. But Brahms' 1868 masterpiece, "Ein deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem)," was instead intended to provide solace to the living. The San Diego Master Chorale will perform the piece with two pianos.
4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 26-27 | Point Loma Community Presbyterian Church, 2128 Chatsworth Blvd., Point Loma | Free-$30 | MORE INFO
🎭 Theater
WOW Festival
La Jolla Playhouse's celebrated festival of groundbreaking and boundary-pushing theater will feature 20 new works from artists around the world. WOW Festival — short for Without Walls — focuses on performances that are immersive and interactive. Browse their catalog to find events by day, or filter for programs that are family-friendly, by local artists or free.
April 24-27 | UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla | Free-$37 | MORE INFO
San Diego Opera: 'La Traviata'
A romance in 19th-century Paris is the backdrop for Giuseppe Verdi's beloved opera, "La Traviata." San Diego Opera brings it to the stage with Andriana Churchman as Violetta and Zach Borichevsky as Alfredo.
7:30 p.m. Friday, April 25 and Saturday, April 26; and 2 p.m. Sunday, April 27 | San Diego Civic Theatre, 110 Third Ave., downtown | $46-$260 | MORE INFO
Trinity Theater Company: 2025 New Works Festival
The third annual festival of new playwriting at Mission Valley's Trinity Theater Company will feature staged readings of 14 new plays, including six by local playwrights: Austin Steinmetz, Sashank Kanchustambam, Wesley Preis, Roger Henry, Melissa Jordan Grey and Lisa Balderston.
April 23-27 | Trinity Theatre, 1640 Camino Del Rio North Ste. 129, Mission Valley Mall | Free/pay what you can | MORE INFO
📚 Books
San Diego Book Crawl
Fourteen of our beloved local indie bookstores are participating in this year's highly anticipated San Diego Book Crawl. It combines competitive shopping (there are prizes!), books and supporting our indie arts and culture community. Visit as many bookstores as you want (there's even a shuttle), and you might get a chance to meet Dave Eggers, this year's author ambassador. This year welcomes a new independent bookstore to the list: East Village's Hey Books!, which just opened this spring.
April 26-28 | Various locations | Free | MORE INFO
🎬 Film
New Village Arts Short Film Festival
A new short film festival from New Village Arts will spotlight three shorts: "What Would You Say? (If You Had a Song to SIng)" by Joshua Hill; "The Mosleys: Love for the Ages" by Anthony Golden Jr., and "Extraordinary Character" by Alex Astrella. The latter film is about NVA's Mainstage Players, a neurodivergent teen and young adult company — you can check out the trailer here. In addition to the April screening in Carlsbad, the festival will re-screen at Digital Gym Cinema on May 17.
6:30 p.m. Sunday, April 27 | New Village Arts, 2787 State St., Carlsbad | $10 | MORE INFO
🎈 Family
Park Opera: 'Chorus of Bluebirds'
Project [BLANK]'s exciting Park Opera production, which will be performed May 10 at Balboa Park, needs some inventive bird calls for use in a sound installation during the show. To pull that off, the experimental performance organization is turning to the community for a free workshop with ornithologist Shannon Mendia, fiber artist Bogdana Voitenko and musician Jasper Sussman. After learning about native birds, families can design a new bird species and then record its bird song.
10 a.m. or 1 p.m. Sunday, April 27 | Art Produce, 3139 University Ave., North Park | Free | MORE INFO
