North Park Resident Chosen as San Diego’s New Poet Laureate
Image of Paola Capó-García, San Diego’s newest Poet-Laureate. Courtesy City of San DiegoThe city of San Diego has a new cultural ambassador.North Park resident Paola Capó-García, an educator and teaching mentor originally from Puerto Rico, has been selected by the city as its third Poet Laureate from 2025 through 2027.The City’s Poet Laureate is an ambassador for poetry, spoken word and literary arts, the City of San Diego said in a release. Capó-García succeeds Jason Magabo Perez, who served from 2022 to 2024. “I’ve dedicated my life to poetry and poetry education, so serving San Diego, the city I love so much, as Poet Laureate is a dream come true,” said Capó-García. “As a high school educator, I’ve seen firsthand how poetry helps young people embrace their identities and draw this big world in a little closer. “When we read and write poetry, we cultivate empathy, ambition, critical thinking, and collaboration. I look forward to building on the work of past Poet Laureates and celebrating the transformative power of language.”During her term, Capó-García says she hopes to create original and inclusive works intended to engage San Diegans through poetry, inspire critical thinking, and foster deeper community connections. She will also lead poetry projects. Capó-García is the author of “Clap for Me That’s Not Me,” which won the Rescue Press 2017 Black Box Poetry Prize. Her work has been featured in The Volta, The Texas Review, Puerto Rico en mi corazón, Latino Book Review, jubilat, Poetry Society of America, poets.org, and more. She lives in North Park with her partner and their dogs. “Paola Capó-García’s talent and vision exemplifies the vibrant, diverse culture that makes San Diego so special,” said Department of Cultural Affairs Director Jonathon Glus in a statement.“Her work as Poet Laureate will bring people together through the power of spoken word, inspiring a deeper appreciation for the communities, cultures and stories that make San Diego our home.”Capó-García was selected through a process that began in October 2024. Applicants were evaluated on artistic excellence, literary achievements, educational contributions and community engagement in past poetry projects. More information about the process and San Diego’s Department of Cultural Affairs can be found here.
Arts District Liberty Station to Debut New Exhibit Featuring Works from Emerging Artists
Liberty Station. Courtesy photoCalling all art enthusiasts – Arts District Liberty Station will unveil a new exhibition in Gallery 201, spotlighting two artists from its Emerging Artist Visual Arts Residency program. Sean Sarmiento and Gracie Moon will wrap up their 6-month residencies with a gallery exhibit, All the Places We Belong, from Feb. 28 through June 13.Through the exhibit, both artists navigate the psychological and cultural resonance of home, shaping it as a space where identity is formed, questioned and reclaimed.“Arts District Liberty Station is a hub for the creative economy, and we are thrilled to be a part of the journey for these artists, providing them with the tools and space to grow their careers,” said Lisa Johnson, president and CEO of the NTC Foundation. Sarmiento’s collages romanticize the intimacy of home, blending typography, domestic architecture and warm amber tones to transform everyday household objects like stove lights and night lamps into emotional landscapes. His work reimagines home as a stage for vulnerability and connection, highlighting how memory and care are deeply embedded in the spaces we occupy.In contrast, Moon’s work critically explores how heritage and identity are shaped and commodified within the domestic sphere, drawing from her multiracial experience and childhood memories of blending Japanese and American cultures. Using materials like Jello molds and food wrappers, she questions the reduction of culture to consumable objects in Western narratives. Her art also revisits the unspoken stories of her grandparents’ assimilation.Gallery 201 is a canvas to showcase the work of early-career artists in the San Diego-Baja region. Through the Emerging Artist Visual Arts Residency program, artists gain access to studio space and support resources, have the opportunity to showcase their work and gain recognition within the wider regional arts and culture community.Gallery 201 will host the opening reception of All the Places We Belong at 4 p.m. March 7, when visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, explore their work, and engage in conversation about the creative process.
Movie Review: ‘Nosferatu’ Is a Moody, Atmospheric Remake in the Classic ‘Dracula’ Tradition
While Mufasa: The Lion King and Sonic 3 continue to battle it out at the box office, some sophisticated counterprogramming is available in Robert Eggers’ latest gothic horror feast — an updated adaptation of Nosferatu. A production nearly a decade into making, this new period thriller is proof movies about adults and aimed at adults can indeed succeed in the modern era. Though the holiday season sounds like an unusual time to release scary movies to the average viewer, history has proven it can work in an “if you build it, they will come” kind of way.Set in winter of 1838 Germany, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult) is promised a hefty promotion at the housing agency he works for if he can get the reclusive and mysterious Count Orlok (Bill Skarsgård) to buy a rundown property. While on his weary journey to Orlok’s castle, Thomas’ wife, Ellen (Lily-Rose Depp) is suffering from nightmares and convulsions induced by a past disturbance involving Orlok.Willem Dafoe co-stars as a professor who is convinced Orlok has evil, supernatural powers, Aaron Johnson and Emma Corrin play a couple who are longtime friends of the Hutters and aid them during Ellen’s episodes, and Simon McBurney appears as Orlok’s biggest supporter who betrays Thomas. Nosferatu is a remake of F. W. Murnau’s iconic 1922 silent film of the same name, which famously plagiarized Bram Stoker’s 1897 novel Dracula and led to Stoker’s estate successfully suing the film’s producers over the blatant similarities in the plot. But Nosferatu ended up becoming beloved by horror fans and influential for future filmmakers. The first Nosferatu remake by Werner Herzog in 1979 and Eggers’ current effort are considered a part of the long list of Dracula screen adaptations. Besides being the most familiar vampire story in fiction, the main draw to the latest Nosferatu is naturally Eggers’ direction. The man shows once again how his films are a masterclass in mood and atmosphere, especially in the first hour leading up to Olok’s big introduction. There is an effectively bleak and grim vibe to both the tone and aesthetic, while also being appropriately shot for the time period, as well as featuring traditional in-camera effects instead of computer graphics.Of course, it’s a bit silly the German characters are speaking in English, but one could argue this is actually fitting to the Dracula affiliation. The acclaimed male actors in the cast unsurprisingly deliver, and Depp successfully proves she’s not just a pretty face with famous parents with a performance that rivals both Isabelle Adjani in Herzog’s 1979 film and Winona Ryder in Francis Ford Coppola’s Dracula (1992).What didn’t work for me were the script, make-up, and Corrin’s casting. While Skargård continues his streak of spooky movie villains here, the make-up and costuming for the title character weren’t very frightening to me and actually a bit underwhelming, especially compared to previous Orloks and Draculas. And since this is Dracula, I didn’t feel much shock or tension from the movie since I knew how it would end. Corrin is a talented actor but feels either miscast or wasted here, with not much to do because most of the character’s actions from the original version are given to Ellen. Since there isn’t much added to the premise or theme, this new Nosferatu really does feel like Eggers paying homage to an old favorite of his and not really much else. So with that in mind, if you’re a fan of both Nosferatu/Dracula and Eggers, you’re probably the perfect audience for this recent release
Categories
Recent Posts
