Good morning, and welcome to the U-T Arts & Culture Newsletter.
I’m David L. Coddon, and here’s your guide to all things essential in San Diego’s arts and culture this week.
Christmas is coming early for Swifties. On Firday, Disney+ will stream not one but two Taylor Swift projects. One is the first two episodes of the six-part “The End of an Era” docuseries that chronicles Swift’s Eras Tour. The other four episodes will stream two at a time over the next couple of weeks.
Also available for streaming will be “The Final Show,” which captures the last concert, performed in Vancouver, B.C., on Swift’s Eras Tour.
Maybe it’s a coincidence but these two programs are streaming just ahead of Swift’s 36th birthday, which is on Saturday.
If you’ve been paying attention, of course, you’ve already heard that next summer Swift will be celebrating another 13th day of another month: That’s June 13, 2026, when Swift will wed Kansas City Chief tight end Travis Kelce at the Ocean House in tiny Watch Hill, R.I.
I checked and it’s been more than two years since I name-dropped Taylor Swift in this newsletter. I guess I was overdue.
Scottish pop singer Sheena Easton oerforms Dec. 13 in San Diego. (Sheena Easton)
Pop music
Scotland-born Sheena Easton was never as big a star as Taylor Swift, but she’s done one thing Swift hasn’t: recorded a James Bond film theme song. Hers, for 1981’s “For Your Eyes Only,” is one of the best in the series, maybe behind only Shirley Bassey’s definitive “Goldfinger” and Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice.”
Easton isn’t likely to cover “For Your Eyes Only” on Saturday (unless she’s singing it to Santa) when she joins singer-songwriter Peabo Bryson and trumpeter Ilya Serov for a “Home For The Holidays” concert at Sycuan Casino Resort’s Live & Up Close Theater in El Cajon. Showtime is 8 p.m.
Sacra/Profana chamber choir, photographed near the Geisel Library at UC San Diego. (Ken Jacques)
Choral music
The beauty of choral music is synonymous with the yuletide season. San Diego’s Sacra/Profana led by Artistic Director Juan Carlos Acosta is in the spirit again this year, with a one-night-only concert Friday titled “Immeasurably Bright.”
The program at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church in Clairemont will be a mixture of old and new — the new including a piece (“Three Points of Light” by British composer Grayston Ives). Among the old – or shall we say, traditional? – will be “Silent Night.” How old in “Silent Night?” The solemn carol based on a poem was first performed in 1818 on Christmas Eve in a church in Oberndorf, near Salzburg. Tickets at sacraprofana.org.
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego will host the Winter Mkt on Sunday, Dec. 14. (Stacy Keck)
Visual art
A few years ago I visited a gallery exhibition downtown that was featuring a series of paintings by local artist Perry Vasquez, who’s also a friend. The images were of palm trees burning, which as he says on his website “led me to ask questions about the palm’s role in art, the ecosystem and the mythology of California.”
Those paintings are now the subject of a book, “25 Palm Trees in Paradise,” that Vasquez will be signing on Sunday afternoon (from 2 to 3 p.m.) as part of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s Winter MKT.
The free event from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. will also include music spun by DJs, merchandise for sale and free admission to the La Jolla museum throughout the day at 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla.
Brian Mackey, left, Rachael Van Wormer, Veronica Murphy and Walter Ritter are regular performers for Write Out Loud in San Diego. (Write Out Loud)
Spoken word
“Hauntings of the Holiday” might sound antithetical when it comes to this time of the year, but think about it: Arguably the most popular ghost story of all time is Charles’ Dickens “A Christmas Carol.” And in fact, telling ghost stories was a tradition, probably around a roaring fire, during the yule in Victorian times.
Anyway, back to “Hauntings of the Holiday.” The Write Out Loud people will be telling Christmas ghost stories both Saturday and Sunday at the Villa Montezuma Museum in Sherman Heights. These story concerts/rehearsed readings starring actors familiar to San Diego theatergoers will be presented at 1, 3 and 5 p.m. both days. Tickets are $30 at writeoutloudsd.com.
UCTV
University of California Television invites you to enjoy this special selection of programs from throughout the University of California. Descriptions courtesy of and text written by UCTV staff:
“Engineer Turned Restaurateur: Cris Liang’s Journey”
Cris Liang, a UC San Diego engineering alumnus, shares how his upbringing across the U.S.-Mexico border shaped his journey from engineer to restaurateur. Raised speaking Cantonese and Spanish, Liang came to see food as a cultural connector — bringing together neighborhoods, generations, and identities. In this conversation with Frank Silva, he reflects on how his family’s entrepreneurial spirit and his own cross-cultural experiences led him to open restaurants rooted in community and belonging. Liang prioritizes long-term relationships and purpose over quick wins, viewing hospitality as a form of care, creativity and resilience. His story is a testament to how identity, perseverance, and shared meals can bridge divides and build something lasting.
“Circadian Rhythm and Intermittent Fasting”
Circadian rhythms — the body’s internal clock — play a key role in how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., of the Salk Institute, explains how syncing daily habits like light exposure, meals, movement, and sleep with our natural biological timing supports better alertness, metabolism and recovery. Evening light and late-night eating, he notes, can disrupt sleep and glucose control, while well-timed activity boosts both energy and rest. Even the timing of medications matters, as the body’s responses vary throughout the day. Though travel and shift work can strain circadian rhythms, simple routines — like limiting eating to consistent windows and using light strategically — can help. Panda’s ongoing studies test practical tools to improve daily well-being through circadian alignment.
The documentary “Flower and Flame” honors internationally acclaimed glass artist Paul J. Stankard, who spent over 60 years transforming paperweights into intricate, lifelike botanical sculptures. Known for his wit and visionary work, Stankard describes inventing “a new language” in glass, with designs like the “Celestial Bouquet” evoking sacred art through gold leaf and symbolic forms. Collectors praise his ability to create tiny, immersive worlds that invite close attention. Parts of the film were shot at UC San Diego’s Stankard-Graeber Studio, named in honor of Stankard and Dave Graeber. The university holds several of his works in its public collection and will open a 10,000-square-foot Glass Center in early 2026 to support the campus’s growing glass arts community.