UCSD Park & Market announces dates, artist lineup for rest of 2023
The Gilbert Castellanos Quintet at a previous concert. (Photo courtesy Xavier Bailey Photography) UC San Diego Park & Market announced the remaining performances of the 2023 season for its signature Intersections concert series, presented by UC San Diego Division of Extended Studies. Intersections offers new and diverse takes on traditional ideas and forms in a variety of disciplines, from artistic performances to educational lectures, was launched in January of this year, and has successfully attracted hundreds of music enthusiasts to the event series each month at Park & Market’s state-of-the-art Guggenheim Theatre.The series is curated by Andrew Waltz, Director of Arts Management at Park & Market. Upcoming Intersections events include a concert series curated and hosted in partnership with leading ethnographer-artist Yale Strom, which will offer authentic explorations of global music.“Intersections fits directly into the mission of Park & Market, which is to forge connections between people, artists, educators, businesses and innovators both in San Diego and worldwide,” said Andrew Waltz. “Since the start of 2023, we have been working with curatorial partners including Yale Strom and bringing world-class artists, writers, leaders, and experts to our world-class venue. San Diego audiences have had the opportunity to learn about the creativity behind each musician through the carefully curated narrators that help guide them through the experience.”“Having traveled and performed throughout the world, I think it’s incredibly valuable to be able to bring artists from everywhere who have never performed in San Diego to play in our city. I love seeing how artists and genres mix and complement each other during each performance. The audience has truly been enjoying the Intersections concert series at Park & Market and I look forward to the remaining lineup we have in store for the community,” said Strom.Scheduled Intersections Concerts in 2023 at The Guggenheim Theatre, UC San Diego Park & Market:June 22, 2023, 7 p.m., The Allison Brown Band presents Bluegrass: Bending it with folk and jazz influences. Brown is acclaimed as one of today’s finest progressive banjo players; she’s known for leading an ensemble that successfully marries a broad array of roots-influenced music: folk, jazz, Celtic and Latin. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with Allison after her performance.July 27, 2023, 7 p.m., Souls on Fire featuring flamenco dancer Lakshmi Basile, Exploration of flamenco and Sephardic dance and music with Yale Strom & Hot Pstromi. Lakshmi’s passionate dancing coupled with Yale Strom one of the world’s leading ethnographer-artists of klezmer and Roma music and history and Hot Pstromi band is sure to get you off your feet. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with Lakshmi after his performance.August 10, 2023, 7 p.m., Beyond the Blues with Mamie Minch & Mara Kaye. Immerse yourself in a night of exploration of the blues from the 1920s-30s mixed with 21st century Brooklyn-bred attitude. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with Mamie Minch and Mara Kaye after their performance.September 21, 2023, 7 p.m., The Don Byron Quartet: presenting innovative compositions of Byron and others. World-renowned clarinetist and composer Don Byron and his Quartet bring their playful, innovative sound to Park & Market, performing Byron’s inventive compositions and works of others from Bach to Blakey and beyond. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with Don after his performance.October 24, 2023, 7pm, Yale Strom, Hot Pstromi and Guests. Enjoy a night of exploration of traditional and new klezmer with a large dose of improvisation from this highly talented and fun group of artists. Get tickets here. There will be a Q&A with Yale and guests after their performance.November 7, 2023, 7pm, Mariachi Garibaldi with Jeff Nevin. Get ready to celebrate the extraordinary variety and range of mariachi. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with Jeff after the performance.December 7, 2023, 7 p.m., Slavic Soul Party. Balkan Brass Beats & Beyond, an exploration of Balkan Folk Music. Slavic Soul Party pumps a strong Balkan brass sound through the filter of life in New York’s outer boroughs, making new music out of the unplanned results of immigration, proximity, and globalization. Get tickets here. Yale Strom will host and conduct a Q&A with the band after their performance.For more information about creative, cultural and civic engagement collaborations, or about Intersections at Park & Market, please contact Andrew Waltz at awaltz@ucsd.edu. To sign up for the Park & Market Event Newsletter visit: https://parkandmarket.ucsd.edu/#subscribe. To find out what events and performances are coming to Park & Market, please visit parkandmarket.ucsd.edu.
Rue the blue!
Many travelers arrive at their destination only to discover that they have forgotten to pack one of their essentials. A toothbrush? A comb? Talcum powder? Perhaps U.S. Grant, Jr. considered this common dilemma when he set about building the structure that was to become the Owl Drugstore, located across the street from his signature project, the U.S. Grant Hotel.The imposing four-story building was designed by the Quayle Brothers and their new partner, Charles Cressey, but actually constructed by an Oakland firm — Oliver Duval and Company. When the edifice was completed in 1913, it featured an open courtyard facing Broadway, which was later filled in.The rectangular structure, modeled after the U.S. Grant Hotel, is marked with strong vertical features by alternating rows of square windows and Ionic pilasters covering three floors. A deep, plain frieze across the top imparts a strong horizontal balance. The exterior, which was finished with cement and artificial stone, features decorative columns extending from the second story to just below the roof cornice. The roof is flat with an unadorned parapet. The Fourth Avenue side featured multiple rows of prismatic tiles to add additional light towards the recesses of the structure. This is one of the few characteristics of the original store fronts that have remained.The interior first floor featured four businesses, while the upstairs contained offices, all including a lavatory and a clothes closet.When opened, the Owl Drug Store occupied the corner store, while other businesses occupied the three other ground floor spaces. These enterprises included Hart, Schaffner & Marx Clothes, Farley Outfitting and Brooks Clothing Company. The longest lasting was the Owl Drug Store which remained until 1960 before it changed hands.Owl Drug Company was a chain of apothecary retail stores that sold drugs and patent medicines at a reduced cost. Additionally, they also sold candy, soda, Kodak film, stationary, cosmetics, perfumes and other toiletries. The first store opened in June of 1892 in San Francisco, and billed themselves as the “Drug Palace of the Pacific Coast.” The five partners/directors were Derwent Kirkland, Henry Trowbridge, P.J. Tormey, Richard Miller and Frederick Stratton. Before opening the Owl, Kirkland and Trowbridge had been leading pharmacists in Oakland, California, and also owned a hardware store.Upon opening, the group was met with a major boycott by the San Francisco Retail Druggists Association because the Owl partners refused to join the association and because they set their prices below the established fee schedule of the association. The Owl Drug Store outlasted the boycott, and opened their second store in 1894 in Los Angeles. By 1918, there were 26 retail sores in California, Oregon and Washington, and by 1937 there were more than 125 stores in the chain. By 1909, Miller was in control of most of the stock in the company due to friction between himself and Trowbridge. Miller simply bought everyone out. He remained in control until his death in 1934.Not only was the Owl Drug Company known for their low prices, they also excelled in variety. Their counter displays featured Varna Rouge, KCL toothpaste, Beech Nut Gum, Jonteel Powder (face powder), Vernice Preparations (laxatives), Owl Cold Cream, Mary Garden beauty products, Red Feather beauty products, Bay Rum, Owl Epsom Salts, Lord Baltimore Linen (playing cards with linen finish), Mirimbi Lily products (imported cosmetics) and talcum powder.In the notions department, the Owl featured playing cards, razor blades, powders, wallets, fountain pens, toothbrushes, lipstick, pocket combs and manicure aids.Their plate glass window contained artful displays featuring Kodak film and albums, Djer Kiss Talcum Powder, Keystone Shaving Cream, Creme Elcaya fragrance, Ezonall Shaving Cream, Bromo-Seltzer, Chlorox Tooth Paste, Clemente Soaps, various Owl drugs and a Star Vibrator for headaches.The druggist (or apothecary) also had a private lab where medicines not on the shelf could be compounded and botanicals, herbs and minerals could be pounded and processed for use. The late 19th and early 20th centuries were a time of extensive experimentation with new drugs that had been isolated to their active ingredient. Of course, most of the experimentation was done on animals. Popular drugs utilized were morphine, cocaine, opium, arsenic and mercury. The latter two were widely used to cure syphilis. On the apothecary’s shelf also were camphor, chamomile, willowbark, chlorine, carbolic acid, lime, charcoal, sulphur, caffeine, digitalis, ginger and parsley. There were also the standards — leeches and spermaceti used for any number of things.The building was designed to look like the U.S. Grant Hotel.If you preferred to mix your own poison or act as your own exterminator, clients could make their purchase from the separate poison shelf. Most of the poisons were distinguished by the signature handblown, cobalt blue glass bottles. The larger ones were triangular, and featured a winged owl perched on a mortar and pestle on one side, “poison” embossed on another, and “The Owl Drug Company” on the third. They are now quite collectable with prices ranging upwards from $479. If that is a bit too steep for your budget, one may purchase an antique Owl thermometer for $60, a bottle of aspirins for $199.99, a bar of Owl soap for $45 or a “shot” glass to bolt down your medicine for $150. Something for everyone!After Miller died in 1934, the company went into bankruptcy and was purchased by the Rexall Drug Company. The Owl continued to operate as a subsidiary until 1970, when the name was changed to Owl Rexall Drug Company.Throughout the 1970s, the San Diego storefront housed a variety of businesses featuring everything from fast food to jewelry to shoeshines.The entire first floor and the basement now house CVS Pharmacy (another drug chain!), while the upper stories are occupied by Viridian Lofts.Owl Drug Store building(1913)Northeast Corner of 4th and BroadwayArchitects: Quayle Brothers & Charles CresseyArchitectural Style: Neo-Classical— Sandee Wilhoit is the Historian/Lead Tour Guide for the Gaslamp Quarter Historical Foundation. She can be reached at swilhoit@gaslampfoundation.org.
Summertime in Little Italy
Can you feel the energy that summer brings to San Diegans? As everyone prepares for their ultimate summer adventures, Little Italy is also getting ready with their lineup of exciting summer events that will be open to all this June!Taste of Little Italy | 6/20 – 6/21Whether you’ve been looking for an excuse to eat at all your favorite Little Italy restaurants in one night or have been interested in trying it out for the first time, Taste of Little Italy is the perfect excuse for fun and tasty night. Join locals and visitors alike at Taste of Little Italy, the neighborhood’s most popular culinary event, on Tuesday, June 20th, and Wednesday, June 21th, from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Attendees will make their way through 48-square-blocks sampling some of the best bites and sips our beautiful neighborhood has to offer. Make sure to check out both nights because each one will showcase different restaurants. Tickets can be purchased here.Marine Band San Diego Summer Concert 7/29Who doesn’t love some live music from the amazing Marine Band San Diego? Join the popular music group, “Sound Strike,” alongside the lager 40 piece band on Saturday, July 29th at 7:00pm at the Piazza della Familia for an exciting night full of live music and a cheerful atmosphere. Everyone is welcome to dance along the Marine band for a groovy evening in the breathtaking streets of Little Italy.SD Padres Italian Heritage Night 8/4Calling all San Diegans up to home base! It’s time to rally together to show our unwavering support for the beloved baseball team on a very special day, the San Diego Padres Italian Heritage Night, proudly presented by The Little Italy Association, Convivo, and the Italian Cultural Center. Mark your calendar for Friday, August 4th, with the first pitch starting at 6:40pm, to gather to witness the epic game between the Padres and our rival, the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as celebrating Italian Heritage Night. As a token of appreciation, each ticket purchased includes a limited-edition commemorative San Diego Padres Italian Heritage Night hat, co-designed by the Little Italy Association. Whether you’re planning to cheer from inside PETCO Park or share the love from a TV screen, support your favorite baseball team this summer! Tickets can be purchased here.Little Italy Mercato | Wednesdays & SaturdaysAt this point, it is obvious that many come from all over to visit the famous Little Italy Mercato. It has everything you need for the perfect summer morning! As one of the biggest farmers markets in San Diego, the Little Italy Mercato connects the community with various local vendors, artisans, and more. Every Wednesday from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm and Saturday from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, make your way down to Little Italy and stroll through the six city blocks on West Date Street from west of Kettner Blvd to Front Street. You never know where the morning might take you while in San Diego’s bustling neighborhood.Summer in Little Italy is breathtaking. Not only is it fun to attend all the events, but walking around and enjoying the beautiful scenery, visiting the local dog park, and taking in all the neighborhood charm makes for an amazing time in Little Italy!For more information, please visit us at LittleItalySD.com or follow us on Instagram @LittleItalySD, Twitter @LittleItalySD and Facebook @LittleItalySD.
Categories
Recent Posts
