Lux Art Institute Comes To Life
The Lux Art Institute in Encinitas says it all with its motto: "See art differently. See art happen." Having spent the past eight years in temporary lodgings, Lux will now offer a fresh and accessible alternative to the traditional museum experience. "Our mission," says director Reesey Shaw, "is to invite artists nationally and internationally to come and do commissioned work with us. We will then host visitors to see the work in progress." Located on four acres of land and surrounded by a wildlife preserve, the $2.7 million institute includes a pavilion, where artists-in-residence will do their work, as well as a visitors’ center. Lux will continue with its countywide education program, but now students can come to the studio to see professional artists in action. "And," adds Shaw, "after that, they’ll be able to do their own related projects." A open house celebration will take place on November 11, where guests can welcome the first artist-in-residence, Chilean artist Tomás Rivas, and view his two- and three-dimensional sculpture and drawing work, as well as enjoy hands-on art activities for the whole family, studio tours, entertainment, and refreshments. (760/436-6611, www.luxartinstitute.org) — AnnaMaria Stephens

Must-See Musicals
Not one, but two shows loaded with great popular music are playing in San Diego this month. Audiences will be singing "Oh What a Night" as they leave Jersey Boys at the Civic Theatre. That and other familiar songs like "Sherry," "Big Girls Don’t Cry," "Rag Doll," and "Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You" are also delivered in the smash hit. The Tony Award-winning musical was originally and triumphantly staged at the La Jolla Playhouse, subsequently traveling to Broadway, where it received critical acclaim and enjoyed a long run. The story of four blue-collar boys who became enormous successes as The Four Seasons is engaging and we all know the group’s tunes made pop music history. Jersey Boys runs through November 11. Broadway San Diego then presents The Rat Pack — Live at the Sands from November 19-25. For this production, a legendary evening at the Sands Hotel in Las Vegas is recreated, featuring hip impersonators of Vegas performers Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis, Jr., and Dean Martin. All the ingredients of a magical time are included, with big band sounds, wise-cracking attitude, and unforgettable music. From "I’ve Got You Under My Skin" to "Mr. Bojangles" and "The Lady Is A Tramp," every composition reminds us of a long ago, but never-to-be-forgotten era. (619/570-1100, www.broadwaysd.com)
— Darlene G. Davies, photo by Judy Totten

Sub 1K
Distinction Gallery and Artist Studios presents Sub 1K, its first-ever exhibit featuring more than 20 artists and more than 50 artworks, all priced under $1,000. Artists across the U.S. have come together to create special, new works specifically for the exhibit. A free opening reception will take place on Saturday, December 8, from 6-11pm that will feature wine tastings from Orfila Vineyards and entertainment by Los Angeles-based Right Hand Band. A second reception with many new works will be held Saturday, January 12 from 6-11 pm. During both evenings all 14 artist studios will be filled with additional works from artists from around the county, and hall and lounge spaces will be filled with additional represented artists’ works. Sub 1K will be on view through February 2, 2008. (760/781-5779, www.distinctionart.com)
— Jane Shiomi

Sea Monsters Discovered
The Reuben H. Fleet Science Center’s newest IMAX offering brings viewers into the up close and personal world of marine reptiles that ruled the seas during the dinosaur age some 80 million years ago. Produced by National Geographic, Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure is narrated by Tony Award-winning actor Liev Schreiber and features original music by Peter Gabriel. The film follows a family of Dolichorhynchops (or Dollies) as they navigate ancient waters populated with saber-toothed fish, prehistoric sharks, giant squid, lizard-like reptiles called Platecarpus that swallowed their prey whole like snakes; Styxosaurus with necks nearly 20 feet long and paddle-like fins; and the monstrous Tylosaurus, a predator with no enemies. From fossil digs to visions of predatory chases, the film meshes ultra high-resolution computer graphics with National Geographic’s trademark authenticity, imagery, and powerful storytelling. Sea Monsters: A Prehistoric Adventure will be on view until at least the end of February 2008. (619/238-1233, www.rhfleet.org) — Mia Stefanko

San Diego Arts Festival
The 5th Annual San Diego Arts Festival returns to the San Diego Convention Center November 23-25, where 200 of the country’s best contemporary craftspeople and fine artists will offer 15,000 original works. Festival attendees have the exciting opportunity to meet and talk with these talented artists and craftspeople and shop from a vast array of handmade wearables and accessories, as well as functional and decorative glass. In addition, the festival features continuous live entertainment including jazz, blues, and world-music groups. (www.americanartfestivals.com) — Jane Shiomi

Culture Calendar

November

Thru 11/11: Jersey Boys
Broadway San Diego presents the story of Frankie Valli and The Four Seasons, and how a group of blue-collar boys from the wrong side of the tracks became one of the biggest American pop music sensations of all time. San Diego Civic Theatre. (888/937-8995, www.broadwaysd.com)

Thru 11/18: Dracula
By Steven Dietz, adapted from the Bram Stoker novel, and playing at North Coast Repertory Theatre. (858/481-2155, www.northcoastrep.org)

Thru 11/18: An Ideal Husband
Lambs Players Theatre closes its season with Oscar Wilde’s classic, An Ideal Husband. Robert Chiltern is the ideal husband. Or so his wife believes. But a dinner guest arrives with information about his past that could lead to either blackmail or scandal. (www.lambsplayers.org)

Thru 12/1: Chasing The Light
Art Expressions Gallery introduces new works by plein air painter Robin Hall and fine art photographer Robert Hansen. (858/270-7577, www.artexpressionsgallery.com)

Thru 12/2: Alaska: The Light And Heartbeat Of The Landscape:
Images Of The Forests And Waters Of Our Treasured Land
The Ordover Gallery presents a show of fine art photography by Peter Fay and Donna Cosentino at the gallery’s Solana Beach location. (858/720-1121, www.ordoverproject.com)

Thru 12/3: Trasimeno
The Susan Street Fine Art Gallery presents Stephen Pentak in his fifth solo show. The paintings are based on drawings, paintings on paper, and observations made about Lake Trasimeno near Cortona, Italy during the spring of 2007. (858/793-4442, www.susanstreetfineart.com)

Thru 12/29: Lillian Bassman Exhibition
Joseph Bellows Gallery presents an exhibition of fashion photographs by legendary photographer Lillian Bassman. Blurred silhouettes, exaggerated gestures, and unusual compositions infuse Bassman’s photographs with romance, femininity, mystery, and glamour. (858/456-5620, www.josephbellows.com)

Thru 12/30: American Viewing Stones And Chinese Woodblock Prints
Two complementary exhibits are featured at Mingei International Museum. American Viewing Stones features natural, non-precious stones collected for their spiritual and aesthetic qualities. Chinese Woodblock Prints is a testament to the precision and skill of Chinese woodcutters and painters.
(619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

Thru 12/30: Cerca Series: Iana Quesnell
On view at MCASD’s La Jolla location, artist Iana Quesnell investigates nomadism and temporary living situations, engaging drawing as a mediating tool between her own body and her immediate surroundings. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 12/30: Soundwaves: The Art Of Sampling
The exhibit features artists who appropriate the musical process of samplingin their work. Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 1/1/08: Contemporary Israeli Photography
The Ordover Gallery at the San Diego Natural History Museum presents an exhibit complements Dead Sea Scrolls. (619/232-3821, www.sdnhm.org)

Thru 1/6/08: Public Privacy: Wendy Richmond’s Surreptitious Cellphone
Artist Wendy Richmond explores how 20th century Americans occupy personal spaces while going about their daily lives in the public eye. Museum of Photographic Arts. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org)

Thru 1/13/08: Picturing Eden
Organized by the George Eastman House, Picturing Eden examines the many facets of paradise, from a place of contemplation and restoration to a site of loneliness and despair. Museum of Photographic Arts. (619/238-7559, www.mopa.org)

Thru 1/13/08: Drawn to Rome: French Neoclassical Sketchbooks and Prints
Timken Museum of Art presents an exhibition of sketchbooks, albums, and prints that played a key role in the education of young French artists and architects in the second half of the 18th century.
(619/239-5548, ext. 105, www.timkenmuseum.org)

Thru 4/13/08: Robert Irwin: Primaries And Secondaries
MCASD presents an exhibition featuring five new installation pieces by Robert Irwin, four of which premiere in San Diego. Primaries and Secondaries runs through February 22 at the Jacobs Building, and then moves to 1001 Kettner through April 13. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

Thru 5/08: The Beauty Of Use — Mingei International Museum At 30
In commemoration of the museum’s 30th anniversary year, this exhibition features significant objects from many cultures shown in relationships that highlight similarities and differences among them. Mingei International Museum has formed a collection of art that now comprises 17,000 objects from 141 countries. (619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

11/1: Person To Person Tour: Polyphonic Spree And With The Redwalls
Belly Up Tavern. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

11/3: Lavay Smith And Her Red Hot Skillet Lickers
With hilarious and provocative lyrics and her big bluesy voice, this sexy, sultry queen of classic jazz and blues will steam-up the night. A San Francisco landmark, the band has won awards and accolades for over two decades. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

11/3-4: American Premiere Of Philip Glass’s Cello Concerto
La Jolla Symphony and Chorus’ season opens with the American premiere of Philip Glass’s Cello Concerto, featuring cellist Wendy Sutter. The Academy Award-nominated composer will attend the premiere as part of his 70th birthday year of celebration. Mandeville Auditorium at UCSD.
(858/534-4637, www.lajollasymphony.com)

11/3-1/27/08: Everett Gee Jackson/San Diego Modern, 1920-1955
The San Diego Museum of Art presents a major retrospective of the work of Everett Gee Jackson, one of the region’s most important Modernist artists. (619/232-7931, www.sdmart.org)

11/4: Yo La Tengo
The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego presents an evening with Yo La Tengo at MCASD La Jolla’s Sherwood Auditorium. Known for never playing the same show twice, The Freewheeling Yo La Tengo Tour is a rare opportunity to see this ever-surprising band in a setting more intimate and interactive than any tour in their 23-year career. (858/454-3541, www.mcasd.org)

11/4: Craft: Content & Context
Mingei International Museum presents a lively panel discussion moderated by exhibition curator Jo Lauria. The panel will explore how craft objects provide a deep understanding of contemporary culture. (619/239-0003, www.mingei.org)

11/5-17: Valentine Viannay Exhibition
The La Jolla Village Gallery presents oil paint canvases by French contemporary artist Valentine Viannay. (858/459-1196)

11/6: Joe Lovano Quartet
The New York Times called Lovano simply, "one of the greatest musicians in jazz history." His latest quartet is considered to be one of his best. The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library. (858/454-5872, www.ljathenaeum.org)

11/6-12/23: Cry-Baby
Wade "Cry-Baby" Walker is a rebel with a cause: truth, justice and rock and roll. The John Waters cult film gets a theatrical polish in this hilarious new musical. La Jolla Playhouse’s Mandell Weiss Theatre. (858/550-1010, www.lajollaplayhouse.org)

11/8: The Billy Joel & Elton John Tribute Show Benefit
StayClassy.org presents a night of hit songs, energetic performances to raise funds for the Danny Turner Cancer Foundation, which provides financial and family support to young adults dealing with cancer in the San Diego area. Belly Up Tavern. (858/481-8140, www.bellyup.com)

11/9-10: Tierney Sutton Band
Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

11/10: Harmony Harvest Benefit Concert & Auction With Tim Flannery & Friends
At Seaside Center Auditorium in Encinitas, this entertaining evening featurescritically acclaimed recording artist Tim Flannery of San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants fame. Proceeds benefit the Moonlight Cancer Foundation. (760/635-7820)

11/10-12/6: Susan E. Roden Exhibition
Sharp Gallery features a solo exhibition featuring the work of Southwest Art Magazine’s "Artist To Collect" Susan E. Roden. (619/546-9546, www.sharpgallery.net)

11/14-15: Average White Band
Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

11/16: Kelly Clarkson
Civic Theatre. (619/220-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com)

11/17: The Al McKay Allstars Present The Music Of Earth, Wine & Fire
At Poway Center for the Performing Arts. (858/748-0505, www.powayarts.org)

11/17: Clint Black
California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

11/18: Ninth Annual Art And Craft Fair
The Friends of the San Dieguito River Valley will hold their ninth annual Art and Craft Fair from 10am-4pm. Powerhouse Community Center in Del Mar. (www.fsdrv.org)

11/18: Brian Bromberg’s Down Right Upright With Randy Brecker,
Gary Meek, Mitchell Foreman, And Dave Weckl
Anthology supper club in Little Italy. (619/595-0300, www.anthologysd.com)

11/18: Les Ballet Jazz De Montréal
The renowned Les Ballets Jazz de Montréal has exploded the dance medium by exalting the body and its mechanism, strength, and sensuality. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

11/18: Music In Motion
The Classics Philharmonic and guest dancers from City Ballet of San Diego perform exciting classical favorites by Vivaldi, Bernstein, and Tchaikovsky in this family concert presented by Classics for Kids at the Ray & Joan Kroc Performing Arts Center. (619/291-3111, www.classics4kids.com)

11/19: Queen Latifah
Hollywood leading lady Queen Latifah brings her powerful voice and melodic jazz sounds to the center exploring the songbooks of Peggy Lee, Etta James, Roberta Flack, Sarah Vaughn, and more. California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

11/23: The Producers
California Center for the Arts, Escondido. (800/988-4253, www.artcenter.org)

11/25: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
A holiday show at House of Blues San Diego. (619/220-TIXS, www.ticketmaster.com)

11/29-5/31/08: Dressing A City: Selected Styles From Marston’s Department Store, 1878-1961
San Diego Historical Society’s Museum of San Diego History will honor Marston’s by showcasing numerous costume pieces from its costume and textile collection. (619/232-6203, www.sandiegohistory.org)