Theater/arts: Quilters transform everyday fabric into visual art

May 18, 2023

In "A Fine Balance," the second novel by Rohinton Mistry, Ishvar the tailor proclaims that "the whole quilt is much more important than any single square."

The Long Beach Modern Quilt Guild would make Ishvar proud. That's because the guild is offering a special presentation of "Perspectives 2023 – A Fiber Art Exhibition" during May.

Head over to the Zena and Pauline Gatov Gallery, at the Alpert Jewish Community Center, 3801 E Willow St., to view handmade crafts that are also works of art that employ design, pattern, color, texture, hundreds of squares, thousands of stitches — and many hours of loving labor.

Each of these modern quilts tells a story through myriad techniques, images, symbols and styles. Everyday fabric is transformed into visual art.

​​In this particular exhibition, which runs until Tuesday, May 30, you will find quilts that LBMQG members have displayed at both national and international quilt shows. And you’ll also get a sneak preview of a curated collection of miniature abstract geometric quilts that will be featured at the 2023 International Quilt Festival, slated to begin in July.

The Long Beach Modern Quilt Guild was founded in 2015 with the idea that the art and craft of modern quilting can be a bridge to inspiration, education and friendship.

The organization is dedicated to providing programming and education centered around modern quilting to the greater Long Beach community.

The Alpert JCC, where the art will be displayed, is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fridays, and from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

Don't miss this neat opportunity to view a collection of modern quilts and textile art by Southern California creators.

Information: longbeachmodernquiltguild.com.

Sometimes, you simply need to rock the night away.

Next Saturday, join fellow music-lovers to hear some of the best classical rock of the 1970s and ’80s performed by a seven-piece band alongside the Long Beach Symphony.

Enjoy the music and legacy of Journey, Led Zeppelin, U2, Starship, Pat Benatar, Scorpions, Lynyrd Skynyrd and more in "Night of Symphonic Rock: Dance Party" at the Pacific Ballroom in the Long Beach Arena.

This show marks the completion of the Long Beach Symphony's 2022-23 Pops Series. Other events in the series included an Elton John tribute, the music of ABBA and Bravo Broadway.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. for indoor picnicking and the show starts at 8 p.m.

When Flatline Gallery permanently closed its doors in 2022, owner Elizabeth Munzón still believed in her dream of a collaborative and creative art space.

Her new, eponymous art space, which opened up a few months later and is dubbed the Munzón Gallery, has lived up to that promise.

And this Saturday, visit Cambodia Town and stop by the Munzón Gallery for the second iteration of Sueños, a group exhibition featuring 12-square-inch works inspired by dreams — and nightmares.

​​Munzón Gallery, 6023 Atlantic Ave., teamed up with artist and curator Mister Toledo to put on the exhibition. He selected nearly 40 artists to represent a diverse sample of the Los Angeles contemporary art community.

You’ll be treated to a variety of pieces in this exhibition, including visual echoes of street art, bold dreamscapes, a skeleton dancing the hula and many more evocative works.

The closing reception for this event, which also includes food and music, is from 4 to 6 p.m. Saturday, May 27. Information: munzongallery.com.

It's the summer of 1930 in Harlem, New York.

As the creativity of the Harlem Renaissance gives way to the harsh reality of the Great Depression, a group of five complex characters face a challenging world.

That's the crux of "Blues for an Alabama Sky," the next Mainstage Theatre production by the Long Beach Playhouse. The play, by Pearl Cleage, will debut on May 20.

In the play, Guy Jacobs and Angel Allen are aspiring artists who see the very real possibility of their dreams slipping away. When Leland Cunningham joins them from Alabama, he's haunted as well. For him, it's the wide skies and lost love he left behind.

You may have seen this show directed by Phylicia Rashad at the Mark Taper Forum, in Los Angeles, last summer.

Now you can witness this powerful and dynamic — yet charming — piece of theater by Cleage, an Atlanta writer and activist, starting next weekend at Long Beach Playhouse, 5021 E. Anaheim St.

The production runs until June 17. Information: lbplayhouse.org.

Have you ever been to a concert, looked at an individual member of the ensemble and wondered, "What does that person sound like, just on their own?"

Well, on Saturday afternoon, you can get an answer.

The Long Beach Camerata Singers will present their annual "Evening of Song," a showcase of engaging and familiar tunes performed by the entire ensemble — which will also feature solos and small groups performed by individual singers — at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

This upbeat event promises to be full of surprises and delights, both vocally and emotionally.

Enjoy "Masquerade" from Phantom of the Opera, "Do You Hear The People Sing?" from Les Misérables, and other classics as you celebrate the culmination of Long Beach Camerata Singers 2022-23 season.

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