KNSJ is excited to be partnered with the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center for their Border Blasters exhibit and reception Saturday, July 13th. Several of your favorite KNSJ personalities will DJ all day in conjunction with the opening of the exhibit.
Exhibit dates:
- Bonita Museum and Cultural Center (BMCC): July 12 – August 17, 2024
Reception: Saturday, July 13th, Art Car Painting 12pm – 4pm, Public Reception and DJs 5pm – 8pm
- IMAC | Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura (el Museo de Historia de Tijuana (MuHTi)
August 22 – September 14, 2024
Reception: Thursday, August 22nd
Border Blasters is an exhibition exploring the impact of TJ/SD radio/television/music on artists in the region. The exhibition curated by Diana Benavídez, Bill Perrine and Itza Vilaboy embraces the history, art and culture of our border region. Contemporary artwork, performance, and oral histories echo the interconnectedness of border society. Local creatives will utilize sound and visuals to transcend the physical border. A catalog will accompany the exhibit.
Artists in the Exhibition:
Armando de la Torre, Elijah Rubbotom, Diana Benavidez & India Thompson,
Grisel Marquez, Esther Gamez Rubio, Maricruz Alvarado, Sarah Attwood
Gerardo Yepiz. Electronic Disturbance Theater, Jason Soares, Hans Fjellestad
The exhibition will feature the history of bands and musicians including The Zeros, Nortec and Trummerflora Collectives, Tijuana No! and the Venegas Family, The Penetrators, La Cruz, Erv Wilson, Borracho y Loco and Diamanda Galás.
Cross border music history explores the border blasters 91X and Iguanas (venue), Wolfman Jack, XETRA and XETV 6 programming. Experiencing the border region through sounds and visuals presents an opportunity to explore the vibrant history of our unique broadcast region. Specific eras of time as well as “scenes” will be documented through performance-based events by TJ/SD artists. Creatives living along the border naturally communicate a unique language that includes the iconography, musical instrumentation, materials and culture to a world audience.
Summer sonic happenings, including music, DJ and history lectures, will take place in the community on both sides of the border. This exhibition and related events will document how our region has defined and continues to define its unique culture. Creatives participating in events will answer the prompt: How did growing up listening to and watching border radio and TV impact you as an artist/creative? How did this influence your artistic practice and help make you who you are today?
Through the catalog of oral histories, visitors will find an in-depth look into the history of how TJ/SD radio and television has impacted our local culture. Communication systems that transcend and disintegrate the border between Tijuana and San Diego, have always allowed for open communication and visual-based learning for residents of the region. Exhibition artwork and programming will express the impact of visuals, subject matter, and materials as related to music and television programming from both sides of the border.
The Bonita Museum & Cultural Center located in South Bay San Diego, exhibits art, history and cultural programming year-round showcasing artists from the border region. Border Blaster’s curators Diana Benavídez and Itza Vilaboy have both worked in creative fields on both sides of the border for their entire lives. Curator Perrine is known for his film and books documenting the history of our local music scene.
The museum’s mission is dedicated to recording diverse voices in the community especially focusing on underserved populations of South Bay and East San Diego County. As a free and inclusive museum, we are dedicated to removing barriers! We function as a community space where everyone can have a safe space to discover art, history and culture and explore what that means to them. Programming goals include opening up public dialogue and building community. Exhibitions invite the public to talk about what defines “our culture” including a convergence of rituals, superstitions, language and craft. The museum is a training museum for local high school and college students studying history, exhibition design and museum fabrication. Website: www.bonitahistoricalsociety.org
About the Curators:
Diana Benavídez is a binational artist from the San Diego/Tijuana border region. Benavídez’s artistic journey started in Tijuana’s punk-music scene, where she found a sense of community.
Bill Perrine is the San Diego author of Alien Territory, Radical, Experimental & Irrelevant Music in 1970’s San Diego and a documentary filmmaker. His work highlights San Diego culture and music through films such as It’s Gonna Blow!!!: San Diego’s Music Underground 1986-1996.
Itza Vilaboy is a binational DJ, author and historian working at San Diego City College. Vilaboy is an active member of Libros, San Diego chapter of REFORMA National and has a radio show on KNSJ.org on Friday nights.
BMCC and IMAC are proud to be part of the Official Calendar of WORLD DESIGN CAPITAL SAN DIEGO TIJUANA 2024! Being recognized as an Initiative within the #WDC2024CommunityProgram of #WDC2024 is a prestigious recognition and serves as a symbol of acknowledgment of the value our initiative brings to our community.
We’re eager to contribute to WDC 2024’s mission to reimagine, celebrate, transform, and enhance our region through the lens of design. The year to design a better future starts NOW! #WDC2024Calendar