Visual art
'Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass'
This traveling exhibit celebrates glassblowing and glass art by 33 Indigenous artists, including four Maori and Australian Aboriginal artists working in collaboration with Native American artists. The exhibit also includes work by Dale Chihuly, a longtime champion and educator of glass art in Native communities. The exhibit includes 120 works, ranging from mosaic and stained glass pieces to sand-carved glass sculptures, blown glass and crystal pieces.
10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday. Closed July 4. On view through Sept. 20 | Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park | $10-$15 | MORE INFO
'Better Together'
Curated by guest artist Lourans Mikhail, this exhibit at Thumbprint Gallery brings together 19 artists at various stages in their careers, invited to create pieces around the theme of "better together." Artists include A.H. Romero, Christian Garcia, Marisa Deluca, Zard Apuya and more. Thumbprint, a tiny-but-mighty art space in La Jolla, is a fantastic place to discover emerging and established artists alike. After the opening reception, regular gallery hours are noon to 4 p.m. on weekends.
4-9 p.m. Friday, July 3; through Aug. 1 | Thumbprint Gallery, 920 Kline St., La Jolla | Free | MORE INFO
'Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys'
The most patriotic I've felt at an art exhibit lately has been at "Giants" at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. You have just about a month left to catch this monumental collection of art from the Black diaspora — displayed alongside a great collection of local photography by MJ Pimentel, Oscar Cruz and Chata.
Some of my favorite pieces in "Giants" include Amy Sherald's massive motorcycle diptych; Kehinde Wiley portraits of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys; 1980s photography by Jamel Shabazz; a wall full of Gordon Parks photographs; Ebony Patterson's installation, "... they were just hanging out you know ... talking about ... (... when they grow up ...)"; Kwame Brathwaite's striking portraiture and Mickalene Thomas' rhinestone-studded painting.
11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Closed July 4 | MCASD, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla | Free-$25 | MORE INFO
Music
27th Annual Summer Festival with Gustavo Romero
Pianist Gustavo Romero returns to the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library for the 27th Annual Summer Festival, a set of four Sunday afternoon concerts featuring the dynamic performer. Romero first performed at the Athenaeum as a child. Each summer, he chooses a composer and dives deep into that composer’s repertoire through the concert series — and this year it's Franz Liszt.
4 p.m. Sunday, July 5-26 | Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St., La Jolla | $55+ | MORE INFO
Gone, Maicol and Dead Ohm
Gone is an indie-punk musical project from Escondido-based front man Mario Rojas and Alex Jacobelli. Their 2023 album "Thinker" is a solid blend of both moody and rocking tracks. Also performing is Maicol, whose music has a total goth/synth/new wave sound, and Dead Ohm, rounding out a great all-local show for a Sunday night.
7 p.m. (doors) Sunday, July 5 | Soda Bar, 3615 El Cajon Blvd. | $10 | MORE INFO
Theater
'North by Northwest'
Playwright Emma Rice adapted the 1959 Hitchcock film "North by Northwest" for U.K. stages in 2025 and will now also direct its North American premiere at The Old Globe. The play centers on Roger Thornhill, a mere advertising exec who gets mistaken for a Cold War spy and thus ends up entangled in a series of dangerous, absurd and exciting hijinks. Danny Collins is Thornhill, and actors Evangeline Dickson, Patrycja Kujawska, Simon Oskarsson, Katy Owen, Bryony Pennington and Karl Queensborough round out the cast — many taking on multiple roles.
July 3 through Aug. 2 | The Old Globe, 1363 Old Globe Way, Balboa Park | $43+ | MORE INFO
Film
'All About Lily Chou-Chou'
For the film's 25th anniversary, Digital Gym Cinema is screening Japanese filmmaker Shunji Iwai's "All About Lily Chou-Chou." The devastating film is a lens into the lives of eighth-grade boys in Japan who are obsessed with music, particularly the pop singer Lily Chou-Chou.
2:15 p.m. Sunday, July 5 | Digital Gym, 1100 Market St., downtown | $9-$13 | MORE INFO
Festivals and more
Street Level x Art Walk
Oceanside Museum of Art hosts a free street party during the city's First Friday Art Walk, with music, food, docent-led tours of the museum and more. Current exhibits include Kate Tova's "A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind)," David Adey's "Sacrificial Bodies," "Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell," Aaron Kramer's "Sense of Wonder" and "Matrix Multiplied: Hybrid Approaches to Printmaking" — so there is plenty to check out.
5-8 p.m. Friday, July 3 | OMA, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside | Free | MORE INFO
Old-Fashioned 4th of July
In Old Town, travel back in time for some wholesome festival and crafty fun, where activities include a watermelon-eating contest, sack races, corn husk doll-making, community quilting, and demonstrations of blacksmithing, spinning and weaving. Hashtag grandma hobbies! The entire event is free and also features live music throughout the day. The flag-raising ceremony kicks things off at 11 a.m.
11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, July 4 | Old Town San Diego State Historic Park, 4010 Twiggs St., Old Town | Free | MORE INFO
World Cup
Barrio Logan Mexico vs. England outdoor watch party
A community block party will take place Sunday to watch what (in my opinion) should be as good as any World Cup final: the Round of 16 match between Mexico and England. The event is co-presented by the Barrio Logan Association, Port of San Diego and more. The game will be shown on a 23-by-13-foot giant mobile LED screen underneath the Barrio Logan neighborhood sign. Bring your own chairs, blankets and snacks. There are so many ways to sneak a quick dose of art while in Barrio Logan before kickoff, and you can also grab coffee at Por Vida while checking out the current exhibit, "Ricardo Islas: Mixtape."
4 p.m. (kickoff at 5 p.m.) Sunday, July 5 | Chicano Park Blvd. between Main St. and Newton Ave., Barrio Logan | Free | MORE INFO
For more arts events and ongoing happenings, visit the KPBS/Arts Calendar.
