February 16, 2013 (San Diego’s East County)--El Cajon resident and wildlife painter Gloria Chadwick has been selected as the featured artist for the 40th annual California Open Wildlife Art Festival, Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 16 and 17, at Liberty Station in San Diego’s Point Loma area. The festival, open to the public, will run from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both weekend days at Liberty Station’s Corky McMillin Event Center, NTC Promenade, 2875 Dewey Road, San Diego. Admission is $5 per person, and children under 12 years of age are free. For more information, visit www.PSWA.net.

Join the most fun event in town!

LIMITED SEATING -- RESERVE SPACE (619) 922-9057 

By Caprice Harrison

February 22, 2013 (La Mesa) – Bring friends and come on out for some terrific comedy tonight (Feb. 22) at Holiday Inn Mesa Grill,  8000 Parkway Drive to benefit East County Magazine (ECM).  Brew Ha Ha’s hilarious comedy team, Chris Clobber from HBO and Comedy Central and internationally known comic Diane Jean, will perform stand-up comedy for an evening of laughs. Show starts at 7 p.m., or come early to mix and mingle at 6 p.m. with our staff, readers and comics. Win prizes and surprises--including a Viejas gift basket, a winery tour, restaraunt gift certificates and more!

By Rebecca J. Williamson

January 31, 2013 (Spring Valley) -- Who doesn’t like the thought of total deliverance? Spring Valley’s Total Deliverance Worship Temple offered up deliverance by hosting M.A.N.D.A.T.E.’s (a local gospel record label) 18^th-anniversary concert on Saturday, January 26, 2013. 

Nu Vision, Archie Robinson, J. Pierre, Evangel, Men 4 Christ, and others either performed, did introductions, or contributed to a fun, gospel based evening.

January 26, 2013 (El Cajon)--February is Black History Month, and Grossmont college's Black History Month Planning Committee has lined up multiple events, including a rare opportunity to join two celebrated musicians - the Queen of the Kansas City Blues Jeannie Cheatham and legendary jazz artist John Handy -- as they talk about their lives, careers and craft from 2-3:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 21, at Griffin Gate in Grossmont College's student center. 

The presentation, dubbed "Day of Giants," is free and open to the public. 

January 22, 2013 (San Diego) – The Museum of Photographic Arts, in community partnership with Survivors of Torture, International, The IRC, and other community partners is hosting the third year of the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in San Diego from Jan. 22 – 28 at 1649 El Prado, San Diego.  This film event has been described by the New York Times as the “cinematic conscience of the world.”

January 20, 2012 (Julian) -- Leena Hannonen, long time Pine Hills resident and artist who has mastered a variety of art forms ranging from sculpture to art photography, will display a collection of her latest and best work at Wynola Pizza beginning January 31.

She has shown her photos, jewelry and sculptures at the Julian Library and participated in several Julian Art Guild show. She also operated her own gallery in Wynola for several years.

January 16, 2013 (Lakeside)--Sandra (Sandie) Seckington of Lakeside won a First Place award for miniatures at the San Diego Watercolor Society’s January show, “New Beginnings”.  Sandie’s painting, “Uncertain Future”, was picked by juror Carol Mansfield because of its painterly but realistic depiction of a cheetah.  Mansfield said that the cheetah had “such presence”.  

Asked about her painting, Sandie said, “As a lifelong animal lover and currently doting "Mom" to two horses, two cats, a parrot and a dog, paintings of animals are a special pleasure for me. I try to really get to the soul of the animal through its eyes and imbue it with fanciful colors to express my delight in the creature.

January 9, 2013 (San Diego) -- Local master teaching artist and educator Jerry Hager and The San Diego State University Performing Arts Troupe present “The Enchanted Bookshoppe” as part of the Free Family Arts and Literacy Connection series on January 31 at 6:30 p.m. at The Salvation Army Kroc Center’s multipurpose room at 6605 University Avenue, San Diego.  The Free Family Arts and Literacy series is a partnership between The Salvation Army Kroc Center and Young Audiences of San Diego.

January 6, 2013 (San Diego) – The winter series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase continues in January with concerts taking place throughout the month.  The series offers a wonderful variety of some of San Diego’s vest singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers.  All concerts are free to the community.

December 28, 2012 (San Diego) – The Robin Henkel Blues Trio will perform at El Cajon Brewing Co., 110 North Magnolia Ave., El Cajon on January 16 from 6 – 9 p.m. The Trio’s performance is in the style of the Mississippi Delta blues.

December 31, 2012 (La Mesa) – O’Dunn Fine Art is serving up champagne and truffles today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the gallery, 8325 La Mesa Blvd., La Mesa. All paintings and pottery will be 10% - 50% off, including new inventory.

December 27, 2012 (La Mesa) – Looking for some laughs?  Brew Ha Ha Comedy presents Janice Remland performing live standup comedy at the Holiday Inn, Mesa Grill, 8000 Parkway Drive, La Mesa on Dec. 28.  The mixer will begin at 6 p.m. with the show time at 7 p.m.

December 7, 2012 (San Diego) – East County makes a strong showing in the upcoming San Diego Pottery Tour on December  8 & 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The tour is a celebration of ceramics, city-wide with over 25 potters in 10 locations from Spring Valley to Point Loma.  Seven of the studios are located in East County with local artists David Cuzick, Mary Cuzick, Eric Rempe and Danae Dehne, to name just a few.

The tour is self-guided and free. Click here for a map of the studios along with which artists are located at them. 

By Kathy Carpenter

Stagehouse Theatre, Grossmont College

Playing December 6, 7, 8th at 7:30, and Dec. 8th at 2 p.m. 

http://www.grossmont.edu/theatrebrochure/plays1213Season.asp

Based on La Culisine Des Anges - by Albert Husson

December 4, 2012 (El Cajon)--As a reviewer, I appreciate the fresh ways theatres keep coming up with to take care of housekeeping at the beginning of plays. The dos and don't of the theatre. In this case, the rules were read in French and then repeated by someone with a French accent, setting the tone of the play which takes place in the back of a store in Cayenne, French Guiana, on Christmas Eve 1910.

December 1, 2012 (San Diego) – The fall series of the San Diego County Library Acoustic Showcase continues in December with concerts taking place throughout the month.  The series offers a variety of some of San Diego’s very best singer/songwriters, folk music performers and story tellers.  The concerts are all free to the community.