I’m very excited about this.
We had so much fun with our event experiment in June that we’re throwing another one. Join us Wednesday, Feb. 1 for the next “A Meeting of the Minds,” a rapid-fire glimpse of six stimulating local arts and culture ideas.
It’s easy to get stuck in our niches and neighborhoods. We know when the nearest farmers market is and when our favorite group’s playing. Maybe we’re theater buffs who know about all the plays on local stages or museum-goers whose calendars reflect the exhibition dates around town. But in many cases the dance fans aren’t going to visual art shows, and the indie bands aren’t checking out the symphony.
There’s something refreshing about opening the window to let some new air into those routines. Let’s cross-pollinate with a handy dose of ideas and crush the sense that there’s nothing going on here.
Join us Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. for a glimpse at some exciting happenings and highlights in the county’s arts and culture scene:
Six speakers will illuminate these topics and share what’s making them stick in a visual, rapid-fire presentation style called pecha-kucha. They’ll have 20 slides, displayed for 20 seconds each, to share their topic.
That means each presenter will be up and down in less than seven minutes, giving you plenty of time to grab a drink — including special cocktails from our new friends at St. Petersburg Vodka — and compare notes with engaged, stimulating people from neighborhoods and niches all across the county.
We’re excited to film the short talks and share them online, thanks to our partners from the Media Arts Center San Diego. (See how it works: Watch our six videos from last time.) And our friends at Sezio will spread the word with the poster you see above, designed by Chadwick Gantes.
I’m delighted to tell you about the six presenters:
• Mario Chacon, artist: What the next generation of muralists sees at Chicano Park as the park’s famous murals are revitalized.
• Vanessa Dinning, actor and director, and ticket sales at San Diego Opera: How costumes and context help expose the intrigue in classical music at the symphony. (Follow her at @PlantVan)
• K. Lorraine Graham, writer: Why poets belong in the buffet of local arts and conversation that is the San Diego Museum of Art’s summer salon series. (Follow @klorrainegraham)
• D.A. Kolodenko, writer: Who San Diego’s local jazz legends are and where to hear jam sessions.
• Lynn Susholtz, artist, educator and owner of Art Produce: How Eveoke Dance Company connects to the county and what it’s like to collaborate with them.
• Constance White, art program manager for the San Diego airport: The esteemed collection of public artwork that lives at the UCSD Stuart Collection, just a little ways north of the collection she’s building for the airport.
Please join us at the lovely Luce Loft, 1037 J Street in East Village, on Feb. 1. You can RSVP on our event Facebook page.
♦♦♦
Did you miss our last event? Catch up with our links below:
• Our six speakers illuminated topics ranging from visual art and theater to furniture design. Watch videos of their presentations here.
• What some members from our big, buzzing crowd said about the event. And what they tweeted about it. (“#mindsmeet reminded me why I love San Diego,” wrote Oscar Ramos.)
• What stuck with our speakers afterward.
• A few months later, what the groups we’d featured were up to.
I’m Kelly Bennett, the arts editor for VOSD. You can reach me directly at kelly.bennett@voiceofsandiego.org or 619.325.0531.
And follow Behind the Scene on Facebook.