{"id":466235,"date":"2026-09-17T01:50:13","date_gmt":"2026-09-17T01:50:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/466235\/"},"modified":"2026-09-17T01:50:13","modified_gmt":"2026-09-17T01:50:13","slug":"top-10-weekend-arts-events-in-san-diego-queer-nightlife-desert-landscapes-and-new-romantasy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/466235\/","title":{"rendered":"Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Queer nightlife, desert landscapes and new romantasy"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>                                        \ud83c\udfa8 Visual art<\/p>\n<p>Rebecca Webb: &#8216;Uncanny Cacti&#8217; and &#8216;Hado Southwest&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Photographer Tina Krohn is opening a new gallery space in La Jolla, with an exhibition of work by local photographer Rebecca Webb. I love how Webb&#8217;s work calls attention to the way we perceive, comprehend and coexist with nature. The show will feature Webb&#8217;s &#8220;Uncanny Cacti&#8221; series and pieces from her powerful &#8220;Hado Southwest&#8221; project, setting wisp-like textiles against expansive regional landscapes.<\/p>\n<p>5-7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19; through Nov. 20 | Tina Krohn Photo Gallery, 1110 Torrey Pines Road Unit B, La Jolla | Free | <a href=\"https:\/\/lajollabythesea.com\/event\/official-opening-of-tina-krohn-photo-gallery-featuring-rebecca-webb\/\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Martine Gutierrez's &quot;Clubbing (Still)&quot; is a 2012 work that's part of &quot;Visiones Nocturas&quot; at MCASD.\" width=\"880\" height=\"542\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789609811_79_.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Martine Gutierrez<\/p>\n<p>\/<\/p>\n<p>RYAN LEE Gallery, New York<\/p>\n<p>A still from Martine Gutierrez&#8217;s &#8220;Clubbing,&#8221; a 2012 work featured &#8220;Visiones Nocturas&#8221; at MCASD. <\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>To kick off a new exhibition, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego will hold a free public opening on Saturday. The exhibit is about LGBTQ+ dance clubs, dive bars and other safe spaces and their use and appearance in contemporary art \u2014 especially along the U.S.-Mexico border. Curated by MCASD&#8217;s Amy Crum, it centers on the immersive photographic research work of Andres Payan Estrada, and will include a new addition to the project documenting queer nightlife in San Diego.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I think of nightlife as a living archive. I&#8217;m interested in how places shape us long after we&#8217;ve left them,&#8221; Estrada said in a statement. &#8220;Every dance floor and nightlife space carry stories of friendship, desire, movement, grief, resistance and joy. These are spaces where communities create and transmit forms of belonging that extend well beyond the night itself.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>In addition, artists include Guadalupe Rosales, Joey Terrill, Vani Aguilar, Jes\u00fas Hilario-Reyes, Xandra Ibarra and many more, with sculpture, textile, video, photography, collage, painting and performance pieces.<\/p>\n<p>11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19; on view through Jan. 17, 2027 | MCASD, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla | Free-$25 | <a href=\"https:\/\/mcasd.org\/events\/free-public-opening-visiones-nocturnas\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"Monochromatic woven wool and cotton works by Christine Lee are shown installed at Quint Gallery in an undated photo.\" width=\"880\" height=\"542\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789609811_348_.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>            Monochromatic woven wool and cotton works by Christine Lee are shown installed at Quint Gallery in an undated photo. <\/p>\n<p>Christine Lee: &#8216;By Hand&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Local artist Christine Lee works with a variety of materials and processes in her interdisciplinary work, like woodworking, drawing, digital modeling, watercolor, weaving, textile work and metalwork. A new solo exhibition at Quint Gallery showcases three distinct series of Lee&#8217;s work. I love her monochromatic weavings, and the play of light and texture on the canvas.<\/p>\n<p>Reception: 6-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19. Gallery hours 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; through Oct. 10 | Quint Gallery, 7722 Girard Ave., La Jolla | Free | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/events\/ongoing\/christine-lee-by-hand\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfb5 Music<\/p>\n<p>Jos\u00e9 Gonz\u00e1lez: &#8216;Against the Dying of the Light&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Argentinian-Swedish indie folk sensation Jos\u00e9 Gonz\u00e1lez returns to San Diego on the heels of a gorgeous, wistful new album, &#8220;Against the Dying of the Light.&#8221; Gonz\u00e1lez blends a lyricism that&#8217;s both mournful and achingly hopeful with his distinct and intricate lo-fi guitar style.<\/p>\n<p>7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 | Epstein Family Amphitheater, 9480 Innovation Lane, UC San Diego | $40-$75 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/events\/2026\/09\/19\/jose-gonzalez-against-the-dying-of-the-light-tour\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>SACRA\/PROFANA: &#8216;Un Di\u00e1logo, Dos Conversaciones&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Local choral ensemble SACRA\/PROFANA launches their 18th season with a performance of music inspired by conversation and communication of the written word, both dialogue and monologue. The performance is conducted by artistic director Juan Acosta.<\/p>\n<p>7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 | San Dieguito United Methodist Church, 170 Calle Magdalena, Encinitas | $15-$40 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/events\/2026\/09\/19\/sacra-profana-presents-un-dialogo-dos-conversaciones\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udc83 Dance<\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"'REVEL'\" width=\"880\" height=\"542\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789609812_992_.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ballet Collective San Diego<\/p>\n<p>                    A dancer from Ballet Collective San Diego is shown in an undated photo.<\/p>\n<p>Ballet Collective San Diego: &#8216;REVEL&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>Dancers Jenny Asseff and Emily Miller lead Ballet Collective San Diego, a platform and network for local professional ballet dancers to train, develop work and help build a sustainable profession with offseason performances. For its &#8220;REVEL&#8221; program, talented local dancers will perform with live chamber music. Choreographers include Katie Spagnoletti, Holly Curran, Tylor Bradshaw, Emily Miller and more.<\/p>\n<p>5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 | The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center, 7600 Fay Ave., La Jolla | $50-$95 | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/events\/ongoing\/ballet-collective-san-diego-presents-revel\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfad Theater<\/p>\n<p>&#8216;Come From Away&#8217;\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The La Jolla Playhouse-born musical &#8220;Come From Away&#8221; returns to the region after a run on Broadway. The musical centers on a small town in Newfoundland where thousands of travelers were rerouted and stranded on Sept. 11, 2001. As we mark the 25th anniversary of 9\/11, &#8220;Come From Away&#8221; is a thoughtful and hopeful reflection on how human connection can shine even in the darkest periods of trauma and crisis. The production is presented by Moonlight Stage Productions and performed in the outdoor amphitheater in Vista.<\/p>\n<p>Through Sept. 26 | Moonlight Amphitheatre, 1250 Valle Terrace Drive, Vista | $51-$71 |<a href=\"https:\/\/links.kpbs.org\/z\/c\/23130\/7b8d10a85bf4475996e0af879487c938\/5723883270dc4d8eb287b74f88894024\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moonlightstage.com\/events-tickets\/2026-broadway-musicals-season\/come-from-away\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83d\udcda Books<\/p>\n<p>In the Park Till Dark and Book Swap<\/p>\n<p>Bring your books and blankets to Bird Park in North Park on Thursday to get an hour of quiet reading surrounded by fellow book lovers and an amazing sunset view of downtown. This month&#8217;s iteration of the Verbatim Books-hosted park hang also includes a book swap. Bring at least one book, add it to the Verbatim tent, then choose a new selection. The event kicks off with mingling at 5:30 p.m., then includes a silent reading time from 6-7 p.m.<\/p>\n<p>5:30 p.m. to sunset, Thursday, Sept. 17 | Bird Park, 28th St. and Thorn St., North Park | Free | <a href=\"https:\/\/verbatimbooks.com\/events\/#event=verbatim-books-in-the-park-til-dark-and-book-swap;instance=20260917173000?popup=1&amp;lang=en-US\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Adalyn Grace: &#8216;The Wretched Divine&#8217;<\/p>\n<p>I interviewed local fantasy author Adalyn Grace at Comic-Con last year about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/podcasts\/the-finest\/romantasy-rising-how-a-dismissed-book-genre-became-a-publishing-powerhouse\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">the astonishing rise of the romantasy genre<\/a>. &#8220;I write fantasy, and the fantasy I write has romance in it, just like a lot of books by male authors,&#8221; Grace said in 2025. &#8220;Now that women have infiltrated the categories, we have to create this whole new word for what we&#8217;re doing, and it&#8217;s the exact same thing that people have been doing forever. My actual dream is that we are just acknowledged for writing fantasy and that we get equal footing in that space.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Grace celebrates her new adult debut book, &#8220;The Wretched Divine,&#8221; which is about knights, angels, demons and an ancient war. She&#8217;ll be in conversation with &#8220;Wicked Games&#8221; author Kaylie Smith, who also appeared on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/thefinest\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">The Finest<\/a> podcast. Renaissance costumes are encouraged. Tickets are required and include a copy of &#8220;The Wretched Divine.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19 | Mysterious Galaxy Books, 3555 Rosecrans St., Ste. 107A, Midway\/Sports Arena | $40 | <a href=\"https:\/\/mystgalaxy.com\/91926Grace\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udf89 Bonus: Free Design<\/p>\n<p>            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"Image\" alt=\"San Diego Design Week participants tour public art installations in an undated photo.\" width=\"880\" height=\"542\"  src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/1789609813_280_.jpeg\" loading=\"lazy\"\/><\/p>\n<p>            San Diego Design Week participants tour public art installations in an undated photo. <\/p>\n<p>San Diego Design Week 2026<\/p>\n<p>This year&#8217;s San Diego Design Week theme is &#8220;Design for Everyone.&#8221; A packed slate of panels, exhibitions, interactive events, workshops, tours and more explores how design pops up in health and wellness, architecture, fashion, digital spaces and media. Many, but not all, events are free. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/news\/arts-culture\/2026\/09\/16\/san-diego-design-week-2026-free-things-to-do\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Check out my list of 15 free picks here<\/a>. <br \/>Sept. 15-20 | Multiple locations | Free+ | <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kpbs.org\/news\/arts-culture\/2026\/09\/16\/san-diego-design-week-2026-free-things-to-do\" class=\"Link\" target=\"_blank\" data-cms-ai=\"0\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MORE INFO<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\ud83c\udfa8 Visual art Rebecca Webb: &#8216;Uncanny Cacti&#8217; and &#8216;Hado Southwest&#8217; Photographer Tina Krohn is opening a new gallery&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":466236,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[74,76,75],"class_list":["post-466235","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-san-diego","tag-san-diego","tag-san-diego-headlines","tag-san-diego-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466235","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=466235"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/466235\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/466236"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=466235"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=466235"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=466235"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}