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The city of Tijuana has a bad habit, and I don’t mean anything drug- or taco-related. Beautiful buildings and structures are often demolished to make way for newer, less visually appealing buildings. The latest to feel the incoming force of the wrecking ball is the iconic La Concha structure.
La Concha is the half shell-shaped structure that served as a bridge along Tijuana’s border line for decades. It was built in 1964 and stands as a testament to the style of midcentury architecture and design. With the ongoing border expansion and reconstruction, La Concha may end up gone forever.
Rene Peralta, a Tijuana architect and faculty member at Woodbury University, recently wrote a piece for the San Diego Reader on the possible loss of La Concha and what happened at a recent meeting of 150 Tijuanenses at the Tijuana Cultural Center. Some argued in favor of the demolishing while others pleaded for it to be preserved.
Whether La Concha can be saved is still unclear, but here’s hoping a resolution is found. The structure is stunning and holds so much history.
You’re reading the Culture Report, Voice of San Diego’s weekly collection of the region’s cultural news.
The Spanish Acquisitions, North County Arts Network and More Visual Art Stuff
• The San Diego Museum of Art acquired not one but two Spanish masterworks with the help of some deep art-loving pockets, all in time for the centennial celebrations. (U-T)
• Meet PANCA, aka Paola Villaseñor, in CityBeat’s profile of the amazingly talented artist. Her work recently appeared on their cover and can be seen all over urban Tijuana, both on street walls and canvasses, and currently at the San Diego Art Institute in Balboa Park.
• A newly formed network is hoping to bring more amazing art to North County. The North County Arts Network is made up of arts administrators and figures to bring creativity to the forefront. (KPBS)
Chamber of Magic, Brave Board and More Music and Performance Goodies
• The Athenaeum Music and Art Library in La Jolla hosts some of the finest chamber music in concert because its music director knows how to work a room. (U-T)
• San Diego Opera’s Alyson Cambridge can’t help but bring soul to her gorgeous vocal work. (U-T)
• The opera’s board was called the bravest in America at a special symposium held at UC San Diego. (U-T)
• Last chance to see the Tijuana Cultural Center’s fantastic exhibition of Mexican superhero comic book art, on view through Sunday. Make a day trip out of it and see the center’s other great exhibits, like the insanely lovely Janet Jarman photography exhibit documenting the life of a young girl.
• Meanwhile, SDMA’s phenomenal Gaugin to Warhol exhibit closes in a week. If you haven’t visited it yet or want to check it out one more time, do it ASAP.
Extreme Green, Drones and More Culture Crumbs
• Environmental activist Rob Greenfield is going HAM on living a green life, living in a 50-foot home and opting out of showering in order to save water. And you thought your little composting project was making a difference. (CityBeat)
• A mini-temporary park will soon be coming to the East Village. (KFMB)
• The Balboa Park Centennial won’t pack the big punch that was once hoped, but it will still be a lovely and modest hat-tip to our beloved park’s history, KPBS tells us. Among the events and exhibits to look forward to: the Coast to Cactus exhibit at the San Diego Natural History Museum, monthly concerts at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center and lots more.
• A local law professor stopped by KPBS’s studios to talk about her new book revolving around the impact of drone strikes.
• A Leucadia man took a three-year motorcycle road trip, traveling more than 60,000 miles, and documented all his adventures in a book. (KPBS)