Not everyone gets to share billing with John Muir, but San Diego-based illustrator Susie Ghahremani is doing just that. The brains (and, well, everything) behind Boy Girl Party, Ghahremani has been gracing our walls, our newspapers and magazines, our jacket collars and our children’s bookshelves with whimsical, nature-inspired illustrations for years. And her cute crab design was featured as this year’s San Diego Book Crawl logo.
She’s worked on a handful of picture books with writer Jennifer Ward, has two books she wrote and illustrated on her own (including the kid favorite “Stack the Cats”), and has two more books in the works. And adding her collab with Muir, just published by the Yosemite Conservancy this week, that’s a whopping soon-to-be eight books under her belt.
John Muir’s Wild Spaces
“Little Muir’s Song,” a picture book, is a love letter to Yosemite and one of the founders of the very idea of environmentalism, and it’s easy to imagine parents reading it to their babies, hoping to foster a love for woodland creatures and wild places in their young. But for Ghahremani, illustrating the book is also an homage to what Muir meant to her as a child.
“I learned about John Muir’s journal style, a combination of notes and reflections, when I was a kid, going on ‘Muir Treks’ where I’d jot down my discoveries and thoughts,” Ghahremani said, who cited the Illinois prairies and lakeside ravines as sources of peace in her youth. The Muir Trek journaling process has stuck around, and it’s still how she uses sketchbooks even today. “Wild spaces are how I reset from the stress and feelings of over-connectivity.”
By illustrating Muir’s writings in a book that envisions Muir as a child, Ghahremani hopes nature is still just as accessible and approachable for future generations. “I would love for children to feel excited to observe natural spaces wherever they have access to them,” she said. Ghahremani wants to invite her audience to consider the natural world, and a child’s place therein. “I try to hide a lot of little special illustrated details in my nature-oriented books so children can do what they do naturally: being observant, being curious and asking questions,” Ghahremani said.
Plagiarism in the Art World
In addition to young reader-focused works, Ghahremani’s Boy Girl Party brand has stolen the hearts of people of all ages. And nearly two years ago, when Ghahremani spoke out publicly — and in court — about the theft of her work, illustrations and ideas by Etsy sellers and major chains like Zara and Francesca’s, she made a significant impact on consumer awareness. But the problem is seemingly endless.
“Theft of my artwork has been something I’ve dealt with many, many, many, many times over the years,” Ghahremani said.
Last year, when she discovered plagiarism of her work on Amazon, her story was featured in Buzzfeed and on NPR. Ghahremani fought for not just her creations, but because she believes in the good intentions of consumers.
“I speak out about the issue because I want consumers and art lovers to be aware of their choices and the origins of the products they’re being sold,” Ghahremani said. “I don’t know if coverage has deterred the actual theft but it’s absolutely raised public awareness.”
Discovering plagiarism in the art world is already unlikely enough, but whether an individual artist has the bandwidth, resources and abilities to act on the plagiarism means that much of the theft goes unchecked. And dealing with art theft can have significant and ongoing effects on artistic creativity and the drive to make and sell art, Ghahremani said.
“There is a very long conversation we could have about the mental, emotional and professional impact of being chronically stolen from,” she said. “On different days, I feel differently about it — from empowered and hopeful to complete existential dread and hopelessness.”
Illustrating Hope
But in the same way that Ghahremani offers Muir’s wilderness and his (and Ghahremani’s) own childhood love of nature to her very young audiences, she is also offering hope, empowerment and access to other artists.
“I think every time I share my experience, some other artist somewhere is feeling empowered to fight for their artwork, which is great,” Ghahremani said. “Theft is too rampant. Artists fighting back make it less convenient for thieves to get away with it.”
And despite illustrating often being a solitary endeavor, Ghahremani also finds strength in local community. “I know so many incredible authors, agents, editors, booksellers, educators and librarians in San Diego who are all so passionate about the world of literature we’re collectively making,” she said. She recommends the San Diego chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators for all levels of interest.
Ghahremani celebrates the release of “Little Muir Song” on Saturday at Rove Shop, with a discussion about her process researching Yosemite, book signings and exclusive merch.
Yay for New Libraries, Arts (and Arts Journalism) Leadership on the Move and More News for the Culture Crowd
- In 1924, the original San Ysidro branch library was built for about $12,000. The library closed its doors permanently last weekend, and is in the process of moving all of its books to its new location, built for a little bit more than $12K ($13.5 million). The new library is set to open Sept. 7.
- Wednesday, Aug. 14, The FRONT hosts an artist talk and performance, featuring Victoria Proxy.
- I’ll be presenting the award for Best Editing at Thursday night’s Women Making A Scene Film Awards. There’ll also be a screening of the semi-finalists of these woman-helmed films from around the country, including lots of San Diego talent.
- Every Thursday night in August, there’s a free film screening on the Balboa Park Botanical Garden Lawn, presented by SDMA. This week’s is Hitchcock’s dreamy-creepy “Spellbound.”
- This profile of Andrew Utt, Lux Art Institute’s new executive director, highlights his focus on education and the environment, and on being outside the city funding zones. (U-T)
- The Human Rights Campaign of San Diego recently presented the San Diego History Center’s LGBTQ+ San Diego exhibition with the 2019 HRC Equality Award. The exhibition, which runs through January 2020, was the first exhibition in Balboa Park’s history to be focused on the LGBTQ+ community.
- Saturday night only: “Future Distant Worlds” is a pop-up exhibition at Sepehri Gallery, featuring work by Greg Schaefer.
- A tree fell on A Ship in the Woods’ roof recently causing costly damage. This weekend’s scheduled kickoff to its Living Classroom series will be delayed, and the organization is raising funds for repairs.
- Back to school?! On Monday, Mesa College Art Gallery kicks off the school year with “Chromatic: Grounding with Color,” an exhibition of works by April Rose and Katie Ruiz. There’ll be a reception and artist talk later in the month, but the gallery is open middays Monday through Thursday, with extended evening hours on Thursdays.
- KPBS said farewell this week to its longtime arts editor, Nina Garin, who will soon take the helm of Pacific magazine, the U-T’s regional arts and culture publication.
- In other arts and culture journalism breaking news (perhaps the most exciting beat?), San Diego CityBeat is under new ownership, recently acquired by Times Media Group.
Closing Soon
- Although the exhibition runs through Sept. 2, Tuesday, Aug. 20 will be the last Residents Free Tuesday opportunity to see SDMA’s Art & Empire: The Golden Age of Spain exhibition
- “Along the Transect Line” closes at Oceanside Museum of Art on Sunday. This exhibition features work by 18-year-old Audrey Carver, who created mandala-inspired pieces for Cabrillo National Monument and the National Park Service. I love this tiny video of Carver talking about her work and the importance of protecting the nature she paints.
Food, Etc.
- Here’s a new article about Claudette Zepeda, the superstar chef at the recently (and abruptly) shuttered El Jardín. Has our inability to abide high-end Mexican cuisine cost this city the talent of Zepeda? (U-T)
- Ans Dry Cleaning has partnered up with Specialty Produce to bring some very limited edition flavors, through Sunday. Including… spruce tips? (SD Home/Garden Lifestyles)
- I’m pleased to hear that the delightful Revolution Coffee Roasters in Oceanside not just expanding in square footage, but in scope, too. Beer and wine are expected to be added to the menu after the expansion later this year. (Eater)
- “Historic.” “Cool.” Northern California’s big outdoor music festival, Outside Lands, legally sold cannabis for the first time. Cannabis products were consumed at this year’s festival in a 21+ space similar to a beer garden, called “Grass Lands” (lol), and it involved an intricate permitting process because cannabis products are still not legally allowed to be consumed in public. It was, according to the Los Angeles Times, a preview of what is probably in Coachella’s future.
- Get hyped on the soon-to-be “brewery-slash-Julian experience” overnight rentals, one of many hopes for Julian Beer Company’s recent acquisition of 8 acres of idyllic mountain land. (West Coaster)
What’s Inspiring Me Right Now
- On race, genre, the origins of twang in country music and (you already know where this is going, don’t you?) “Old Town Road,” courtesy of Shuja Haider in the latest issue of The Believer.
- I love it when literary writers do magazine-y stunts, like this longform Samuel Ashworth essay in Eater about training in a high-end French kitchen. “And so for four hours that night, I stood in a little alcove and worked those squid tails like slimy little Rubik’s cubes. My whole being was condensed into a single glittering purpose: reduce my per-squid time to 30 seconds.”