Harking back to the days when La Jolla’s Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center was providing a place for artists even before it was finished, the upcoming Community Arts Open House will partner with La Jolla High School for a special exhibition.
The Conrad, home to the La Jolla Music Society at 7600 Fay Ave., will present its fifth annual open house from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday, May 11, featuring free classes, activities, arts and crafts, performances and, for the first time, an exhibit of works by students in La Jolla High’s Advanced Placement art program.
“When the building was under construction [leading up to its 2019 opening], we worked with La Jolla schools to create posters and pieces of art that were placed on our fencing that highlighted the works of local schools,” said Allison Boles, the La Jolla Music Society’s director of learning and engagement. “That was our first collaboration. For this year, we’re trying to involve all art disciplines in the open house because they are present in the education system here. It’s easy at our space to have dance performances and music performances, but we felt there was a missing aspect for visual art.”
The La Jolla High AP art students are now creating the works that will be shown for the event’s theme of “inspire.” Pieces are largely paintings and drawings, with some ceramics and sculptures.
“We have many art shows at this time of year and have always wanted to partner with The Conrad,” said La Jolla High School AP art teacher Susanne Friedrich.
Now with the opportunity to do so, the students are taking the theme a step further. Their overall themes are the “Year of the Dragon” in accord with the Lunar New Year and “celebrating our unique cross-border region in conjunction with San Diego/Tijuana’s World Design Capital designation,” Friedrich said.
“All the students researched the history of the U.S./Mexico border and the evolution of Tijuana during Prohibition,” she said. “The focus is on architecture and regional culture. Students will contribute three artworks each.”
The art will be shown for a month after the open house, and all the works will be for sale, with proceeds going to the artists.
“Knowing Susanne from my experience I had working with her [for the art that was hung during construction], I know the students will produce top-notch-quality work,” Boles said.
The open house also will include musical performances by harpist Chiara Capobianco and the Euphoria Brass Band, along with youth ensembles from the Mission Bay Mambo Orchestra, Poway High School, San Diego State University Jazz Trio, Correia Middle School and Pershing Middle School, as well as students from the Music Society’s Community Music Center.
Guests will have a chance to do their own creating in an interactive drum circle with Drummers Without Borders, a hip-hop dance class with Alyssa Junious, a dance workshop with Malashock Dance, and arts and crafts facilitated by Studio ACE and La Jolla resident Elizabeth Tobias, among others.
“The open house is one of my favorite things we do,” Boles said. “It’s a choose-your-own-adventure. As guests arrive, they get a map of the full space and a schedule for the day. Every space will have activities … and you can pick and choose where you want to go.”
She said the event encourages “people to come onsite and experience art and create it and know The Conrad is a place for belonging. It allows them to come as they are.”
The first Community Arts Open House, held shortly after The Conrad opened, was intended as a complement to the more formal events held as part of the grand opening.
“It was special because it was the first free public event,” Boles said. “I felt like it showed that we had arrived and the community knew they were welcomed. …
“The choose-your-own-adventure idea stems from wanting to create an inclusive space. When you lose the formality of a normal seated concert and strip all that away, people can feel free in the space. If you feel comfortable at the open house, you might be comfortable coming back for something else. They can come for a concert and say ‘I made art there.’”
The open house is free, but registration is recommended at theconrad.org. ◆