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Walk This Way
NO OTHER LOCAL FESTIVAL combines art, entertainment and an afternoon in the city quite the way ArtWalk has for 25 years. Established in 1984 to bring art lovers outside and away from the confines of a typical gallery, today ArtWalk attracts more than 100,000 people each year. On April 25 and 26, from noon to 6 p.m., Little Italy’s India Street and side streets once again close to cars and open to foot traffic, vendors and entertainers for San Diego’s biggest outdoor art gallery.
“We bring together more than 300 visual artists from all over the world, all on display, selling their art,” says managing director Sandi Cottrell.
This year’s spotlight is on Mexico, as 2009’s featured artists are distinguished members of a collective known as Artes de Mexico. All the fun distractions return, such as the ArtReach silent auction, an assortment of art projects for children (known as KidsWalk) and 31 musical groups on seven stages.
The only major change is nomenclatural. It’s now known as Mission Federal ArtWalk——a nod to the event’s new sugar daddy. But the free festival remains an afternoon of fun, music, food and the unique opportunity to purchase original art from the artists themselves.
More information: 619-615-1090; missionfederalartwalk.com. —ADAM ELDER
Yes We Can
COMING OFF A SEASON that saw 99 losses with only 63 wins, the Padres have a lot to prove when the season opens on April 5. Will new ownership and switchups to the player roster be the changes San Diego needs?
Who’s Your Padre?
In early February, papers were signed to begin the transfer of team ownership from John and Becky Moores to a group of California businessmen led by former player agent and Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Jeff Moorad, a transaction that could take up to five years to complete.
Feeling the Pinch
In 2008, the Padres paid out $73,677,617 to their players. Moores hoped to lower that figure to $40 million for 2009 but could only get as close as $45 million.
The Eck Factor
The Padres raised some eyebrows in January when they signed 34-year-old veteran infielder David Eckstein, who makes the move from shortstop to second base with the Padres. A member of the 2002 world champion Anaheim Angels, Eckstein inked a one-year deal worth approximately $4.5 million——1/10th the 2009 payroll.
Hey, Hey, Hey . . . Goodbye
The Padres said goodbye to record-setting closer Trevor Hoffman in January, when he signed a one-year deal with the Milwaukee Brewers. Taking his place is fan favorite Heath Bell, who’s been with the Padres since 2006 and has recorded 278 career strikeouts with a 3.57 career ERA. The Padres also parted ways with Khalil Greene, Josh Bard, Michael Barrett, Kevin Cameron, Charlie Haeger, Dirk Hayhurst, Clay Hensley and Sean Kazmar. ——RYAN PLOURDE
Seventy-Six Trombones
WHEN THE SAN DIEGO SYMPHONY was looking to replace principal trombonist Toby Oft——after he accepted a higher-paying gig with the prestigious Boston Symphony Orchestra last year——SDS executive director Edward B. Gill hosted an audition. “We had seventy-six trombone auditioners,” he says. “No joke.”
In addition to Oft, the symphony has lost four other principal musicians since 2005——oboist Frank Rosenwein to the Cleveland Orchestra, percussionist Cynthia Yeh to the Chicago Symphony, cellist Daniel Lee to the St. Louis Symphony and oboist Dwight Parry to the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. It’s a tribute to the talents of our own orchestra, and they’ve all been replaced, but the symphony remains dogged by a competitive disadvantage when it comes to retaining top talent.
“Toby was a great trombone player, but we couldn’t match the compensation he was offered by Boston,” says Gill. “Our principal trombonist will make approximately $75,000 a year. In Boston, Toby will make nearly $200,000.” Gill says SDS musicians generally earn less than half of what their counterparts at top orchestras——Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland and Chicago——bring in annually. A musician starting out here can expect an annual salary of $55,000, plus healthcare and pension benefits.
Despite a compensation differential that can make retaining top talent difficult, the symphony has, in the past five years, made tremendous strides toward making its ensemble (which has grown to 80 musicians) one of the country’s top orchestras. Gill says music director Jahja Ling has been at the core of those improvements. “Musicians love coming here to work under Jahja,” he says. Another draw: SDS musicians have the opportunity to further hone their skills while performing with the San Diego Opera and local chamber groups. And the shorter 42-week season (Boston’s is 10 weeks longer) frees up time to teach and be active in the community.
A $120 million gift to the symphony by Joan and Irwin Jacobs, awarded over a number of years, is a step toward keeping the best talent in San Diego. “That is a huge commitment to make to a symphony, and musicians look at us as an orchestra of great stability,” says Gill. “They know we will keep growing and developing and that the artistic quality is going to be top-notch.”
SDS is preparing to launch an ambitious fund-raising campaign and hopes to achieve its “wish list” goal of $90-$100 million by its centennial anniversary in December 2010. In the meantime, it’s holding more auditions in May for principal oboe, principal horn and third-stand French horn/English horn. Gill says interested musicians had better bring their “A” game: “It will be competitive——I can tell you that right now.” ——JULIA BEESON POLLORENO
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