Arts in 2023

(left to right) Inside the Quantum Mirror installation at WNDR Museum from artist Adrian Stein. (Photo courtesy Brian Salak); Joshua White improvises inside the Guggenheim Theatre. (Photo by Kendra Sitton); The red Clark Cabaret stage will be the spot many future performance artists try out their skills in front of an audience for the first time. (Photo courtesy Diversionary Theatre)

From world-renowned artists to people performing for the first time, San Diegans have the opportunity to experience a variety of art this year from even more varied creators.

Lots of flash

At the freshly-opened WNDR Museum at 422 Market St., interacting with the art is the most important part.

The cutting-edge, immersive installations at the 15,000-square-foot space located in the Gaslamp District demonstrate the intersection of tech and art. Glass, projectors, lights, mirrors and speakers engage multiple senses, delighting crowds with immersive experiences.

What is the nature of art and creation is explicitly asked in the AI art studio, next to the blockchain art gallery, where guests input prompt phrases to the artificial intelligence program which then displayed its personalized creations to screens in the room. Does that make visitors the artists? With its Instagram-background worthy features, guests became artists in another way: through the photos and videos they took.

By attracting social media influencers, the building could double as a fashion museum with the innovative threads on stylish attendees. Even the docents look like they moonlight as streetwear models.

This is the museum’s second location after the success of its Chicago flagship location, which was voted as one of the best immersive experiences in the country by USA Today readers.

“San Diego is home to a dynamic, inclusive art scene and we’re thrilled to provide a new unique environment to showcase both internationally-acclaimed artists and incredible local talent,” said Ryan Kunkel, President of WNDR Global. “We’re honored to join the ranks of San Diego’s world-class cultural institutions and we look forward to becoming a lasting contributor to the community.”

Being able to observe from the outside and then step into the garden house to weather the light storm in the U.S. debut of Leigh Satchwitz +flora&faunavisions’ Inside Out makes the entry price of $22 well worth it.

Learn more at https://www.wndrmuseum.com/sandiego.

Beginners ‘werk’ it

What drag, burlesque and clowning have in common, beyond a rich cultural history of entertainment, is that they are just some of what you might see on the third Sunday of the month at 6 p.m. at the Clark Cabaret & Bar inside Diversionary Theatre.

“[Diversionary has] this mission of inclusion, of centering a variety of queer arts, of centering people who maybe don’t have a space in a lot of mainstream theater spaces,” said TJ Barr, one of the organizers behind the monthly event.

The Werkshop is an open stage night meant to give beginners in many different performing arts their first opportunity to share their craft on stage, without a focus just on comedy or music or poetry.

“We call it a grab bag of a show– you never know what you’re gonna see. I have had people in werkshops past do things as random as reading erotic fanfiction on the microphone,” said Mercury Divine, who ran Werkshop for five years in Seattle.

Recent transplant Barr, with Divine as partner, began a San Diego version of the monthly open stage event in January. The drag and circus background of the organizers means most of their initial connections are in those particular crafts but the stage is open to all – or at least the first 10 to sign up each month.

At the Jan. 15 night, one person performed a comedy set for the first time while another demonstrated their burlesque skills. With a $6 entrance fee and no pressure to drink, Divine and Barr are just as focused on audience accessibility as they are on breaking down barriers for new performers.

The cozy setting cultivates a warm audience that hands out dollar bills to the worthy and those who did their best.

To sign up to perform, visit https://tinyurl.com/WerkshopInfo. Otherwise, stay updated about the variety show calendar at https://www.diversionary.org/cabaret.

New, yet historic concerts

UCSD’s East Village location, Park & Market, debuted a new interdisciplinary event series called Intersections that promises to include everything from artistic performances to lectures. This year, the series is focused on global music concerts hosted by ethnographer-artist Yale Strom.

“With wanting to create a civic arts and culture destination, I was looking to do something that was different, interesting, something that could pull from the resources that are unique to Division of Extended Studies,” explained Andrew Waltz, director of arts management at Park & Market.

The first concert on Jan. 27 featured three San Diego pianists on the same instrument creating very different sounds. Jazz pianist Joshua White improvised a moving piece to the enraptured audience. Tina Chong demonstrated the technical skill required of classical musicians. Irving Flores brought in modern Latin songs, some of which he composed himself.

At less than a year old, the Guggenheim Theatre in which the concert was held is so freshly minted the theater’s namesakes, philanthropists Claire and David Guggenheim, were in attendance at the inaugural event.

With his background in preserving Yiddish and Romani music, Strom will elevate traditional music from different parts of the world in the upcoming series, starting with Indian classical musicians in February.

A place of higher learning hosting the public event series shines through– with an emceeing Strom asking the musicians educational questions about their background and influences. The semi-formal setting and caliber of musicians (expert but not famous) seemed entirely of the academy.

Waltz said his goal when bringing in outside artists and speakers is that the events would be experiential and distinctive– not something that could be replicated by watching their YouTube page.

Tickets for this year’s global music concerts range from $20 to $40, to cover the cost of hosting world-renowned musicians. Information about upcoming events at Park & Market can be found at https://parkandmarket.ucsd.edu/events/.

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