Over the years, the San Diego International Airport has hosted some of the city’s most innovative and impressive art. Much of that is due to Constance White, who has been the airport’s art program manager since 2006.
White participated in our Meeting of the Minds event back in 2012 to share her expertise on meaningful public art – check out the video from her talk. Two years prior, we heard all about the airport’s offerings in a story written by artist Dani Dodge.
CityBeat reports that White will be stepping down from her post on Aug. 8 to take on a post as vice president for public art at the Arts & Science Council in Charlotte, N.C.
“We are talent scouts, always looking for an artist that does something fun, funky and new,” White told us in 2010. Her eye for fresh pieces that bring a sense of wonderment to a boring old airport will be sorely missed.
You’re reading the Culture Report, Voice of San Diego’s weekly collection of the region’s cultural news.
A Call to Michael Jackson Fans, Scott White Goes Private and More Visual Art Links
• Performance artist and photographer Jamie Warren is looking for a few people to be part of a project that will re-imagine a 15th century painting with characters relevant to Michael Jackson’s life. This sounds insanely random and fun. Deadline is Aug. 3. (U-T)
• Art dealer Scott White is closing up shop on his La Jolla gallery and going private. (CityBeat)
• Artist Amos Robinson unveiled his latest public art piece, a kinetic sculpture titled “Lift Me with Your Love,” at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.
• Artist Isaias Crow wants your money, but it’s for a good cause. (San Diego Free Press)
Fresh Sound, Freaky Dentistry and More Music and Performance Tidbits
• The Fresh Sound music series returns this year with more fascinating, experimental music performed at Bread & Salt. The U-T lays out all the performers, with insights from series founder Bonnie Wright.
• SummerFest has a fresh new crop of “fellowship artists” and they’re ready to make sweet, sweet music. (U-T)
• San Diego Dance Connect is looking to create a tighter, more united dance community, one pirouette at a time. (CityBeat)
• The La Jolla Playhouse’s latest play, “Ether Dome,” will reignite everyone’s fear of the dentist. But it also sounds so brutally awesome. Is it as good as “Under the Dome”? That is yet to be seen, but probably. (KPBS)
• Get your Geezer on and your Weezer on in the same week. Hope you like Werther’s Originals! (U-T)
• Get to know San Diego Youth Symphony viola player Andrea Fortier in this Q-and-A. (U-T)
• Sacra/Profana brings beautiful notes to the local classical music landscape. I just saw them perform with the San Diego Symphony at the Summer Pops concert featuring Danny Elfman’s music from the films of Tim Burton and it completely ruled. I got a bit verklempt when they went into music from “Edward Scissorhands.” (U-T)
• Come and get ya theater reviews! Intrepid Shakespeare company gets witty with “Much Ado About Nothing” (U-T); New Village Arts’ “The Full Monty” whips it all out (U-T); Lamb’s Players’ rendition of “Les Miserables” is a heart-wrencher and thankfully Anne Hathaway-free (U-T); and “Into the Woods” returns home (CityBeat).
Comic Book Winners, Small Spaces and More Culture Crumbles
• Three women made a serious push for a harassment-free Comic-Con. We talked to the members of Geeks for CONsent about their cause and how they hope to change the atmosphere of future Comic-Cons.
• Local comic book publisher IDW Publishing won big at Comic-Con’s annual Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, taking home seven awards. Super! (U-T)
• UC San Diego’s Books for Prisoners program is now operating out of a storage closet. (CityBeat)
• Some new local architectural gems are up for San Diego Architectural Foundation’s Orchids and Onions Awards. (KPBS)
• A San Diego chef now living in Copenhagen talks about his food adventures and missing good Mexican grub. (San Diego Magazine)
• San Diego Magazine highlights five people to keep an eye on this month, including the Timken Museum’s new visiting director David Bull and Carol Padden, a MacArthur Genius Grant winner who’s joining the staff at UC San Diego.
• Ready to get beer drunk after hitting up the Balboa Park museums? Yeah, me too. (Reader)