By Paula Kiley
Celebrate 70 years with the Long Beach Museum of Art
Friday
This Friday, the Long Beach Museum of Art will celebrate 70 years of art programs in Long Beach with the opening night of two exhibitions— “Decade by Decade: Women Artists of California” and “California Designed.”
“Decade by Decade: Women Artists of California” celebrates the museum’s history by exploring seven decades of artwork created by women artists from Long Beach and beyond.
“Twenty percent of our permanent collection here at the museum are women artists,” said associate curator Paul Loya. “We have always included women in our exhibitions since the beginning, since the museum’s conception.”
Originally presented at the Long Beach Museum of Art in 1955, “California Designed” returns 70 years later featuring a selection of 325 furnishings that highlight mid-century modern design.
Admission is free and doors open to the public at 7 p.m. “Decade by Decade: Women Artists of California” and “California Designed” will be at the Long Beach Museum of Art on 2300 East Ocean Blvd. until April 26.
Sip on some cider at the Ficklewood Ciderworks grand opening
Saturday
Co-owners Stefano Enjem and Joe Farrier will offer a wide selection of natural ciders Saturday, Jan. 25 at the grand opening of Ficklewood Ciderworks, Long Beach’s first cidery.
“We’re excited because we believe that all of our products are different than anything anyone had before,” Enjem said.
The Long Beach duo will release a wide selection of ciders infused with natural ingredients such as hops, hibiscus, oak and fresh blackberries. Fermented dry with no added sugars, Enjem and Farrier lovingly crafted their selection of ciders with their health conditions in mind.
“I’m diabetic so I’m always looking for low to no sugar beverage alternatives,” Enjem said. “Joe has celiac so he’s looking for a gluten-free beverage. So […] we made our own cider that we can both enjoy together.”
The cidery is set to open on 720 E. Broadway. Doors open to the public at 11 a.m. where guests will have the opportunity to enjoy their cider from a 9-foot-high ceiling tap. An official ribbon-cutting ceremony will follow at 3 p.m. with Mayor Robert Garcia.
Watch “Many May Not Return” at the Long Beach Playhouse
Friday, Saturday and Sunday
The Long Beach Playhouse will take audiences to the Central Valley in the 1960s to tell a story about a working-class family during the Vietnam War in their production of “Many May Not Return.”
The anti-war play explores how political actions in times of war generationally affect families from thousands of miles away.
“We wrote this play about two years ago […] and at that time we thought it was relevant,” said producer David Trujillo. “Now we’re putting it up again. Every single time we put it up, it’s always relevant and that’s kind of the point of the play. It’s unfortunately always relevant. There’s always a conflict that we go march off to…”
The anti-war play will have performances on January 24, 25 and 26 at the Long Beach Playhouse at 5021 Anaheim St. Tickets start at $20.
Feel empowered at the Festival of Human Abilities
Saturday and Sunday
The Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific will host the Festival of Human Abilities from January 25 to 26. The event will feature several artists with disabilities from a sign language choir to an ensemble of hip-hop dancers.
“The focus of the festival is to improve the quality of life for individuals with disabilities and their families by bringing about a transforming experience and empowering participants through interaction,” said Peter Martineau, marketing events manager for the Aquarium of the Pacific.
Guests will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of demonstrations and performances from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Adaptive scuba diving demonstrations and a classical guitar performance by blind guitarist Dat Nguyen are a few of the programs lined up for the festival.
“Through interactive programs […], the aquarium builds knowledge and understanding, bridges the gap between able-bodied people and those with disabilities and encourages people with disabilities to experience the wonders of the aquarium,” Martineau said.
The festival will take place at 100 Aquarium Way. Tickets start at $24.95.
