This dance welcomes visitors into the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s For Dear Life, an examination of illness and disability on view into February 2025. The show is part of PST ART, a Getty initiative bringing together over 70 institutions to mount exhibitions themed around the relationship between science and art.

Featuring more than 80 artists, For Dear Life is the first survey of its kind since the 1960s. It follows “what some people talk about as a kind of second wave of the disability rights movement, often referred to as disability justice … and a surge of work being created around themes of illness and disability since the Covid pandemic,” says MCASD Senior Curator Jill Dawsey. But the exhibition, which spans decades, proves that artists with disabilities have always been here, producing pieces that probe the limitations and possibilities of their own bodies and minds.

The show takes an expansive approach in defining its central subjects. “We all fall ill. We all will become disabled, if we aren’t already. Disability is a category that applies to a quarter of the US population,” Dawsey says. “[It] is a thing that touches everybody.”

Grouped by era, the showcase begins in the mid-’60s, when feminist artists began to push the boundaries of what was considered worthy of scrutinizing in art. “[They were] making work about the vulnerable body, the unruly body,” Dawsey says.

Then came veterans’ explorations of the impacts of the Vietnam War in the ’70s, and, in the decades after, the work of those affected by the HIV and AIDS epidemic.

Pieces confronting substance use disorders bring context to the War on Drugs. Some link the use of pesticides in agriculture to illness and death. Others reference the Black Panthers’ community healthcare clinics in the mid-20th-century.

October 18, 2024

MCASD's New Exhibit Examines Illness & DisabilityRELATED ARTICLE

The result is an exhibition that resists the pressure to reduce social movements into bullet points on a timeline. Instead, it reminds the viewer that the waves of history always pass over the body, often to devastating effect.

Indeed, embodiment is core to the show, even as its more abstract works offer alternative ways to imagine corporality. In a piece by Senga Nengudi, spiky cones of clear vinyl filled with dyed water stretch across the gallery floor, evoking both sterile IV bags and limbs or organs, something illegible and alive.

In another, Richard Yarde’s Ringshout: Mojo, the watercolorist’s palm prints form a circle on the massive, 90-by-90-inch canvas. “His body enters the practice in a different way,” Dawsey says. “Even though he’s not representing his whole physical form, you have this large sense of the artist being in the work and moving around the work.”

Mobility aids and prosthetics also stand in for—or expand definitions of—the body (a placard under filmmaker and activist Ray Navarro’s photograph of a cane reads “THIRD LEG,” while a wheelchair is labeled a “HOT BUTT”), and many featured artists approach them and other aspects of living with disabilities with a wry humor—and a powerful sense of ingenuity.

Take Rainer’s Hand Movie, the way it distills and compresses choreography to create a form of dance that feels wonderfully strange and new. Or Sandie Yi’s Crip Couture series, which, as Yi wrote in a 2020 manifesto, “uses wearable art as a medium to articulate new meanings of disability.” Painter Katherine Sherwood’s work shifted after she experienced a cerebral hemorrhage at the age of 44 and, with her dominant hand paralyzed, relearned to paint with the other.

So often, stories about artists with disabilities center around them “overcoming” or “triumphing” over their impairment, language “that implies that [not being] disabled is the better and more normative position,” Dawsey adds. For Dear Life offers a different perspective: Disability as an impetus for creativity and innovation.

“It can really transform artists’ work,” Dawsey says. “It becomes a catalyst for developing new processes and new subject matter and new politics. Illness and disability are actually very generative.”

The post MCASD’s New Exhibit Examines Illness & Disability appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“Our sound is clean; it’s clear. It cuts through,” Taylor says. But when asked how long it took to engineer that classic Taylor sound, he laughs. “Oh, I did not [engineer it]. It was just like, ‘Oh, you really like it? Oh, okay, yeah, I meant to do that.’ We made a guitar that was very innocent, half an accident, but it helped change the music industry.”

Taylor, who started making guitars at 16, only knew one thing when he began: He’d turn his passion into a career. Three years later, he partnered with Kurt Listug, who was 21 at the time. The pair purchased a small guitar shop in Lemon Grove and began building.

On October 15, 1974, they founded Westland Music Company, which became Taylor Guitars in 1976. This year, the company celebrates its 50th anniversary. Having grown sales worldwide to $125M, Taylor counts among its fans some of the music industry’s biggest artists: John Fogerty, Jewel, Zac Brown, Jason Mraz, Katy Perry, and Taylor Swift, to name a few.

But it took more than three decades before Taylor Guitars was a household name. In the ’80s, music was all about heavy metal, synth, and glam—acoustic guitars weren’t exactly flying off the shelves.

“We started selling in Los Angeles during the Laurel Canyon days. And, you know, music was changing a lot then,” Taylor says. “Acoustic guitars were always hard to play. The necks were too big, the strings were too high; it took a death grip to play them.”

But Taylor and Listug had faith in their product. They packed up their axes and headed to the 1985 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show, an annual trade event that is the largest of its kind today.

There, they showcased a new line of guitars called the Artist Series, limited-edition models finished in colored stain. One of Taylor Guitars’ distributors challenged them to make a 12-string purple guitar for Prince, who had just released “Purple Rain,” garnering him global stardom.

Prince played his new 655 Artist Series guitar in a Live Aid video that year, though he requested no branding be shown at the time. Luckily, the industry found out who was behind the artist’s new instrument. The calls from musicians trickled in. The shift had begun.

Acoustic guitars began reclaiming their popularity. In 1989, MTV Unplugged started showcasing musicians playing acoustic versions of their songs. Riding this wave of renewed interest, Taylor Guitars ramped up production in the ’90s and early aughts. Taylor refined his guitar-making process and, in 1992, found the business a new home in El Cajon, where they remain today, occupying eight buildings.

Around that time, a young Taylor Swift purchased a Baby Taylor, which she used to write songs in the backseat of her car. Swift’s dad dropped off a cassette tape to Taylor’s office while the now-billionaire Swift was still flying under the radar, Taylor recalls.

“I know that every dad thinks his daughter’s special, but mine really is. Would you listen to that cassette?” Swift’s father said to Taylor. In 2008, Swift held her Fearless album release party at the factory.

Two years later, the company hired Andy Powers—an Oceanside native who began crafting guitars at the age of 7 and previously ran an instrument-building business of his own—as Taylor’s design successor. Powers re-engineered the brand’s entire lineup of guitars, created new body styles, offered a more diverse range of musical sounds, and developed new guitar voicing architectures. Taylor Guitars sealed its name as one of the best in the industry.

But today, as we tour the facilities, Taylor’s stories are less about the many musicians he’s worked with and more about the families his company—which became fully employee-owned in 2021—has been able to help along the way.

“[Wuhan] came to us from Cambodia,” says Taylor, who gave her a job shortly after she arrived in the states. “She worked for six months and got a raise. She was like, ‘I never thought that life could be like this.’”

Walking along the factory floor, we’re surrounded by half-finished guitar bodies, tiny lasers, larger-than life robots buffing wood, and workers installing fretboards, applying back bracing, and cutting sound holes. Wherever we go, Taylor takes the time to say hello to his countless employees by name.

I ask him what he’s most proud of after half a century of crafting instruments. Even with his focus on his team, I still half-expect him to gesture toward a wall of various celebs playing his guitars. But his reply is swift: “That we were able to make this career out of guitar-making for all these people. That’s what I’m most pleased with.”

The post Taylor Guitars Turns 50: How a Beautiful Mistake Changed the Industry appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Food & Drink | Festivals & Concerts | Theater & Art | More Fun Things to Do

Food & Drink Events in San Diego This Weekend

Taste of East Village 

August 28–29

At Taste of East Village this Wednesday and Thursday, food lovers can fulfill their hearts’ (and stomachs’) desires with a gastronomic odyssey through nearly three dozen eateries in the East Village. Check off every stop on your “Taste Passport” to enjoy items such as smoked brisket mac and cheese and wagyu meatballs, plus tequila, beer, and cold brew samples. Tickets are $45 per day and can be purchased here.  

East Village

Summer Nights: Wine Tasting and the History of Wine

August 29

The San Diego Botanic Garden will conclude its annual Summer Nights series this Thursday with a crash course in wine history from SDBG sommelier Dane Kuta. An expert on Bordeaux and Champagne, Kuta will guide enthusiasts through wine’s evolution from the Middle Ages to 2024. This presentation in the Conservatory Amphitheater will include three wine tastings. This event is a $47 add-on that can be purchased alongside your entry ticket for the garden.

300 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas

Fierce and Kind Spirits Presents Bourbon & Blues, Session II

August 29

The Guild Hotel will host a night of Southern spirits and soul music at Bourbon and Blues this Thursday. The evening will begin with a happy hour at 7 p.m. featuring Fierce & Kind bourbon and cocktails from mixologist Stephan Ahearn, followed by a concert by Lady Dottie & The Diamonds at 8 p.m. Funds raised from tickets and drinks sold at the event will go to Happy Hour Heroes, which provides low-cost childcare for single moms in the service industry. General admission is $25, while VIP is $45 and comes with a welcome cocktail, souvenir glass, swag bag, and maybe even a band meet-and-greet. 

500 West Broadway, Downtown

Lincoln High School Labor Day Brunch & Boil at Louisiana Purchase

September 2

Support the Lincoln High School football program this Labor Day while dining on a New Orleans–style brunch at Louisiana Purchase. The restaurant will host this community fundraiser from 12 to 3 p.m. on Monday to cap off the holiday weekend with live music, raffles, a medley of Cajun breakfast options, and, for an additional $44, a hearty crab boil. Partial proceeds from the Brunch & Boil will go towards the school’s football team. Reservations can be secured on OpenTable. 

2305 University Avenue, North Park

Festivals & Concerts in San Diego This Weekend

Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band at Petco Park

August 30

Def Leppard, Journey, and Steve Miller Band will turn back the clock this Friday night at Petco Park, playing hits like “Don’t Stop Believin’,” “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Fly Like an Eagle.” Tickets start at $105.80 for this concert.

100 Park Boulevard, Downtown

Santana and Counting Crows at North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre

August 30

San Diegans will have a prime opportunity to see two members of rock n’ roll royalty this Friday: Santana and Counting Crows are coming to North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre. Resale tickets are still available on LiveNation, starting at $58.91 a pop.

2050 Entertainment Circle, Chula Vista

San Diego International Children’s Film Festival

August 31

This Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the 20th annual San Diego International Children’s Film Festival, the San Diego Central Library will present dozens of family-friendly screenings, including movies from young filmmakers, live-action and animation selections from UCLA students, and five all-time audience-favorite short films. Reserve your free spot here. ​​​ ​​

330 Park Boulevard, Downtown 

Vista Vibes Mini Music Festival

August 31

Party to R&B, jazz, and hip-hop tunes at Local Roots as the Vista Vibes Mini Music Festival closes out the summertime with an afternoon of live music this Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m. The festival will include a set from San Diego’s own We The Commas, DJs playing throwbacks all afternoon at the “Backyard Boogie,” and local food vendors like Frida’s Taqueria, Cookn Creole Soul Food, and Kona Ice. General admission is $25 and VIP is $45 with perks like priority seating and exclusive merch access. Children ages 12 and under receive free admission. 

1430 Vantage Court, Vista

Theater & Art Exhibits in San Diego This Weekend

Rachmaninoff and the Tsar

Through August 31

Jack-of-all-trades musical theater performer Hershey Felder is back with another onstage portrayal of an iconic classical music figure in Rachmaninoff and the Tsar. Felder wrote the book for the musical and will take the stage as Russian composer Sergei V. Rachmaninoff, who, in a near-death haze, recalls his musical triumphs and personal pitfalls, including an encounter with Tsar Nicholas II. There will be six performances of the production at the Balboa Theatre, with tickets available starting at $75.80.

868 Fourth Avenue, Gaslamp

8-TRACK: The Sounds of the ’70s

Through September 15

New Village Arts’ production of 8-TRACK: The Sounds of the ’70s rolls through the decade’s greatest earworms in disco, folk, funk, and more. The cast of 8 TRACK will offer five performances this week on The Ray Charles Stage. General admission tickets are $60. A pair of pre-show karaoke nights this Friday and Saturday is free for show attendees and $10 for everyone else. NVA will also host an artist talkback following the Sunday matinee performance.

2787 State Street, Carlsbad

Best Laid Plans

Opens August 29

Premiering at Tenth Avenue Arts Center this Thursday, Robert Salerno’s Best Laid Plans stars This is Us actor Blake Stadnik and draws upon the real-life story of blind architect Chris Downey. The play follows a man’s creative breakthrough after he loses his sight. See Best Laid Plans Fridays through Sundays until September 22. General admission tickets are $35 for each performance.

930 10th Avenue, Downtown

Out of the Blue Opening Reception at Ashton Art Gallery

Opens August 31

The newest regional juried exhibition at the Ashton Art Gallery is all about one color: blue. Out of the Blue will showcase artwork from San Diego artists, selected by Katie Dolgov, the Oceanside Museum of Art’s Director of Exhibitions & Collections. This Saturday, the gallery will host a free reception from 4 to 7 p.m. with wine and light refreshments, celebrating the opening of Out of the Blue and local artist David Burakoff’s new solo show, both of which will be on display through September 27. 

4434 30th Street, North Park

Charlene Mosley: Embrace Your Inner Wild

Opens September 1

Sparks Gallery hosts a new exhibition from San Diego–based oil and watercolor painter Charlene Mosley. Embrace Your Inner Wild will be on view this Sunday through the end of September. Anyone interested in attending the exhibition’s free opening reception this Sunday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. can RSVP here.

530 6th Avenue, Gaslamp

More Fun Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend

SDSU Aztec Football vs. Texas A&M Commerce Football at Snapdragon Stadium 

August 31

Get your tailgate plans in order—football season is back! The Aztecs will open their 2024 campaign on the home gridiron against Southland Conference squad Texas A&M Commerce this Saturday. Tickets start at $27.15. 

2101 Stadium Way, Mission Valley

The Sandlot 30th Anniversary with the Cast

August 31

Thirty years on, you’re still killing me, Smalls! The Sandlot, one of cinema’s greatest tributes to America’s national pastime, will celebrate three decades with a special screening at The Magnolia featuring a handful of members from the cast. Tickets range from $30.50 to $154. 

210 East Main Street, El Cajon

The post 15 Things to Do in San Diego This Weekend: August 28–September 2 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

The show’s scenic designer and UC San Diego professor Robert Brill—tapped in by Hell’s Kitchen director and fellow UCSD alum Michael Greif (you may know him as the original director of Rent)—grew up in Salinas, California, but the show’s world is close to Brill’s heart, too. “I lived in Hell’s Kitchen for about 15 years,” he says. “My daughter, Sophia, went to preschool in the basement level of [Manhattan Plaza]. Many of her friends lived in those buildings.”

While concepting sets for the show’s 2023 off-Broadway run at the Public Theater, Brill revisited Manhattan Plaza, eventually zeroing in on the irregular terraces studding the exterior of the high-rise apartments. “When you look at them sideways, they’re almost like piano keys,” he points out.

Brill and his team crafted a batch of tall, movable structures with staggered levels, using the balconies as inspiration. “We were trying to create a complex web of architecture so that the space could evolve from scene to scene,” he says. Greif and Brill made miniature models of the set and spent more than 15 hours snapshotting different compositions, matching patterns to the mood and needs of each scene.

In addition, two multi-level, platformed towers provide an alternative to the orchestra pit. Musicians and cast members flit from platform to platform, Manhattan Plaza’s vibrant artistic hive always buzzing through its halls and around its exterior. “We felt it was important for the musicians to be present, to constantly surround Ali and be the inspiration for her music,” Brill adds.

The shifting set pieces capture the staggering height and ever-changing thrum of New York, shattering the constrained space of the theater into a kaleidoscope of restless motion. To bring even more kinetic energy to the show’s visuals, Brill worked with projection designer Peter Negrini (who served the same role on Dear Evan Hansen) and lighting designer Natasha Katz to pack the stage with LED surfaces, which take on varying configurations throughout the show’s run.

“The LED screens are like a number of photographs randomly put on a table,” Brill says. “Imagine those photographs shifting and moving and taking you on a journey.” Negrini and his team can send images, videos, and other content to each screen, collaging or coalescing them into the places that shape Ali’s life. The set changes every few minutes over the musical’s 150-minute run time, and the team never repeats a composition.

The show’s move to the larger Shubert Theatre gives Brill and his team more space to play, making each vertical structure 50 percent taller or more than its previous iteration—but as nomadic as ever. “[It’s like one of] those puzzles where there’s one square missing in the middle. It’s very much a puzzle off-stage, too. While there was open space off-stage 10 seconds ago, now there’s something there,” Brill explains. “Musicals are a machine. It takes quite a community to put them together and to make them feel effortless.”

Previews for Hell’s Kitchen began Mar. 28. The musical officially opens at the Shubert Theatre in New York City on April 20.

The post Designing Alicia Keys’ Set for “Hell’s Kitchen” Musical appeared first on San Diego Magazine.