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Meet the desperate characters of Mercer County
Jenna Ann MacGillis seeks to shed light on her family history and make performance more intimate in the process Graham Downes sees Bankers Hill’s future
Architect plans to replace venerable Mandarin House restaurant with a modern apartment building J. Michael Straczynski’s origin story
As the creator of ‘Babylon 5’ expands his empire, he looks to his roots in San Diego and Chula Vista ‘Yet another Martin Luther King Jr. mural’
Artists remain unhappy about a public-art project that was supposed to be so much different In painter Kelly Vivanco’s work, the eyes have it
The stories behind the artist’s characters can be found in their peepers ‘Behold, America!’ commands respect for U.S.-made visual art
San Diego Museum of Art, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the Timken Museum of Art combine forces Vegan Co-op proposed for San Diego
Will city residents support a City Heights project like they did Barrio Logan’s Public Market? Living the Day of the Dead
Good memories and art keep artist going after losing half her family ‘Warehouse 1425’ art show: creativity and controversy
Organizer of May 17 exhibition in East Village fends off criticism A tour through noir writer Jim Thompson’s San Diego
It’s a tale of crime fiction, despair and the bottle

Wednesday, February 20,2013
Arts & Culture Features

In painter Kelly Vivanco’s work, the eyes have it

The stories behind the artist’s characters can be found in their peepers

By Seth Combs

There’s just something about Kelly Vivanco’s eyes. Well, not so much her eyes, although they are a striking bluish-gray. Rather, it’s the eyes in her signature mix of pop-surrealism and Renaissance portraiture.

Wednesday, February 6,2013
Arts & Culture Features

Head Crammers

Deposit these dynamic developments into your dome

By CityBeat Staff

CityBeat Staff recommends their current favorite websites, apps and podcasts.

Wednesday, January 30,2013
Arts & Culture Features

A tour through noir writer Jim Thompson’s San Diego

It’s a tale of crime fiction, despair and the bottle

By D.A. Kolodenko

But Chandler isn’t the only legendary crime writer to have lived and written in San Diego. The other is Jim Thompson. Maybe you’ve never heard of him.

Wednesday, January 23,2013
Arts & Culture Features

A festival on the Fringe

San Diego’s set to join cities around the world with a celebration of adventurous performance art

By Justin Hudnall

Regardless of whether San Diego is really America’s Finest City or more like Kansas-by-the-bay, the weirdest, wildest and most experimental artists from around the world are going to converge on its streets.

Wednesday, January 9,2013
Arts & Culture Features

Illnesses helped shape Rob Morey's new passion

His new work is careful choreography between artist and dripping glass

By Kinsee Morlan

Rob Morey’s glass bowls and other decorative pieces are lovely, but the artist considers that side of his work his living, not his love. Lately, Morey’s passion comes when he’s working on his new body of work—extremely delicate strings of glass he weaves into chaotic yet controlled abstract compositions of color and form.

Wednesday, December 26,2012
Arts & Culture Features

Art Struck in 2012

11 art makers, gallerists and curators share favorite works of the year

To conclude CityBeat’s arts coverage in 2012, we wanted to hear from the gallery owners, museum curators and visual artists whose names popped up next to the mostbuzzed-about events and accomplishments from the past 12 months. We asked these local tastemakers to tell us about their favorite piece of art from 2012.

Wednesday, December 12,2012
Arts & Culture Features

Culture Shock grooves through good times and bad

San Diego hip-hop troupe celebrates 20 years of dancing

By Erin Jackson

Culture Shock’s founder, Bunch has seen two decades of dancers come and go—many have gone on to success on a larger stage— and as recently as this fall, she nearly lost a large part of her beloved creation to financial ruin.

Wednesday, December 5,2012
Arts & Culture Features

Head Crammers

Apps, books, albums and TV shows: Squeeze these scraps of substance into your skull

By CityBeat Staff

Last August, comedian Tig Notaro took the stage at Los Angeles’ Largo nightclub and introduced herself: “Good evening. Hello. I have cancer. How are you? Is everybody having a good time?”

Wednesday, November 28,2012
Arts & Culture Features

Christmas-tree violence and chocolate butt plugs

Twisted filmmaker John Waters returns with his twisted live holiday show

By Scott McDonald

John Waters hates Easter. Well, the popular version of it, anyway. Christmas, on the other hand, is a different story.

Wednesday, November 21,2012
Arts & Culture Features

A Ship in the Woods embarks on a limitless journey

Alternative arts venue in Del Mar will eventually need a new home

By Amy T. Granite

Down in the canyon, a gust of wind swept under the cargo parachute hanging from the tall trees, causing the side nearest Kiersten Puusemp and RJ Brooks to blow open.