JDS Creative Academy to receive California Arts Council Creative Youth Development Grant

TEMECULA – State arts agency, California Arts Council, awarded nonprofit JDS Creative Academy a $38,000 grant in support of their mission to provide an Arts Across California c urriculum to other nonprofit organizations and educational programs. The California Arts Council grants totaled over $41 million and were awarded to arts/ cultural education organizations and artists, to strengthen arts, culture and creative expression throughout California.

Arts Across California is JDS Creative Academy’s solution to bringing the arts to communities that may not have the funds, the materials or instructors with the right qualifications. The grant will assist JDS Creative Academy in developing its hands-on curriculum so that other nonprofits a nd educational programs can deliver JDS Creative Academystyle arts classes to thousands of youth across California. JDS Creative Academy will create eight curriculums: Title-17 program- ming, nonprofit setup, acting, script writing, “Being Seen in Business,” backstage production, art and musical theater classes. With this grant, JDS Creative Academy will also expand its in-person hands-on creative art classes and serve more underserved youth in the community at their studio in Temecula.

Creating an accessible place is already underway at JDS Creative Academy, with scholarships being offered for visual, performing, and digital arts classes. JDS

Creative Academy welcomes those in the community who are interested in scholarships to apply.

JDS Creative Academy is a staple in the Temecula Valley and has provided award-winning performing arts classes and digital-media career pathway opportunities for over 10 years. For more information about JDS Creative Academy and its endeavors, visit https://jdscreativeacademy org/giving/ or call JDS Creative Academy at 951-296-6715.

JDS Creative Academy is a nonprofit visual, performing and digital-arts education creative academy located at JDS Studios, off Diaz Road, in Temecula. The nonprofit organization was founded with passion by Diane and Scott Strand and continues to provide accessible arts education and video production services to Riverside County.

Submitted by JDS Creative Academy.

San Diego Zoo Safari Park to host older adults free this February

SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Zoo Safari Park invited guests ages 65 and older to visit for free throughout February. During “Seniors Free” month, older adults may present their valid photo ID upon arrival and enjoy free admission to the Safari Park, where they can explore expansive habitats and connect with wildlife. The Safari Park’s 1,800 acres are home to conservation efforts with more than 3,000 animals representing over 300 species, and a botanical collection of more than 1.75 million plants, offering remarkable educational opportuni- ties and fun for the whole family. By visiting the Safari Park, guests help support San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance in its mission to save wildlife worldwide and help create a world where all life thrives. The “Seniors Free” offer is valid only at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park and only for February; parking is not included. San Diego Zoo Safari Park is located at 15500 San Pasqual Valley Road in Escondido. For more information, visit https://sdzsafaripark.org/seniors-free.

Submitted by San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

Guests ages 65 and older can have free admission to the Safari Park in February. Valley News/San Diego Zoo photo

Movie Review: ‘Missing’

Bob Garver

Special to Valley News

It never found enough of an audience to warrant a review from me, but I really liked “Searching” back in 2018. I would have given it a grade of B, maybe an A- if I was willing to look past some outstanding questions. The taut mystery-thriller followed a father’s search for his missing daughter, with footage consisting entirely of whatever was showing on the father’s computer screen –everything from photos and simple web pages to complex chats and video calls. The performances were heartfelt, the story took some interesting twists and turns, the eventual villain was smart and believable, and the ending made sense. Now comes sequel-of-sorts “Missing,” another disappearance mystery featuring the same screenbased style. The performances are once again heartfelt and the story takes some interesting twists and turns, and… that’s about the extent of my compliments.

June (Storm Reid) is a teenager whose mother Grace (Nia Long) goes on vacation for a week. She’s not thrilled that her mother is going on an extended trip to Columbia with her lame new boyfriend Kevin (Ken Leung), but whatever, party time! But once the party’s over and June goes to pick her mother up at the airport, things go awry. Neither Grace nor Kevin steps off the flight. Unable to reach either of them by any means, June soon files a missing persons report, but is frustrated by the FBI’s slow progress. She decides to track down her mother herself from her home in Los Angeles.

June has the advantages of being smart and computer-savvy, but she’s at a disadvantage because she doesn’t speak Spanish and can’t be physically present in Columbia. She hires local errand-runner Javi (Joaqium de Almeida) to do some investigating. He can’t get security footage from the hotel, but he does find out that Kevin bought a padlock from a local hardware store. What was Kevin doing buying a padlock? Is this relative stranger in any way trustworthy? Will June ever see her mother alive again? There are many, many steps between answering the first question and the last.

For a while, “Missing” is just as compelling as “Searching.” The performances from Reid and de Almeida are just as urgent and desperate as the ones from John Cho and Debra Messing in the first film. The story takes a similarly twisty path, though it rarely swerves into the unbelievable until the final act. And then, in a single dramatic reveal around the 90% mark, the movie falls apart. Obviously, I want to avoid spoilers, but I will say that there is a villain in play, and this villain is just awful. It’s a terrible performance that doesn’t match the tone of the rest of the movie, and at no point did I be- lieve that this character was smart enough to mastermind the plan that they had apparently been pulling off perfectly until that point.

“Missing” is yet another promising recent thriller that can’t quite stick the landing. I also wasn’t crazy about M3GAN turning into a bland killing machine or “The Menu” not taking more time to play with its “food” (by which I mean victims). I don’t want to take away from what this movie does right, which is a lot, but the viewing experience just plummets in the span of one clumsy shot. I still recommend the movie overall, as I’ve recommended plenty of mystery movies with great characters and setups that don’t always pay off with pleasing logic. Heck, I’ve counted 1985’s “Clue” among my all-time favorite movies, and that one has three disheartening endings. As for this movie, try to catch it soon, or you’ll be “Missing” out on a pretty good time.

Grade: B-

Valley News/Courtesy photo

“Missing” is rated PG-13 for some strong violence, language, teen drinking, and thematic material. Its running time is 111 minutes. Contact Bob Garver at rrg251@ nyu.edu.

Temecula’s annual celebration of American Black History features classical music royalty and more

The City of Temecula, Temecula Valley Museum and the Old Town Temecula Community Theater join the nation to recognize and commemorate Black Americans’ many achievements and contributions to our great country through focused programming in celebration of American Black History Month.

Old Town Temecula Community Theater

The community is invited to engage in the authentic, soulful and orchestral sound of The String Queens on Saturday, Feb. 25, at 7:30 pm at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main Street.

This dynamic trio creates stimulating musical experiences that inspire diverse audiences to love, hope, feel and imagine. With an array of repertoire spanning from the Baroque era to the Jazz Age to today’s Billboard Hot 100 Chart, TSQ will delight Temecula’s audience with a versatile program that will take listeners on an exhilarating musical journey through time through a multitude of musical genres.

Contributions from Black composers, conductors and musicians are not given much attention in classical music, past or present. Historically, classical music performances focused on a small circle of white male celebrities, ignoring female and non-white composers who had fewer opportunities to establish professional careers. Black American classical musicians existed outside of the limelight despite the focus on European composers. Generations later, African American composers’ work began appearing on orchestral programs. Black opera singers gradually made headway during the same period, culminating in a breakthrough appearance by Black performers. To this day, less than 2% of musicians in American orchestras are Black, and 4% of conductors are Black, according to the League of American Orchestras, but they are a vital part of our American History. The celebration of Black History will also include the vocal sensation and Temecula resident, Sherry Williams: Then and Now on Friday, Feb. 24, at 7:30 p.m. Sherry and her quintet of jazz legends share a glimpse of the 50-year musical journey that got her where she is today. Her signature smooth sound draws fans from near and far to share in the jazz experience that is Sherry Williams.

Tickets are on sale now for The String Queens and Sherry Williams: Then and Now. Tickets are available at the Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main Street, and online at TemeculaTheater.org.

For more information, please

The String Queens will perform at Old Town Temecula Community Theater on Saturday, Feb. 25. Valley News/Courtesy photos contact the Ticket Office at 866-OLD-TOWN (866-6538696). The city thanks residents and visitors for their continued support of live performing arts in Temecula.

Temecula Valley Museum

The celebration of American Black History Month continues at the Temecula Valley Museum with the display of another Emerging Artists Mural honoring internationally renowned social reformer, abolitionist, orator, writer and statesman Frederick Douglass. This temporary public art piece celebrating Douglass and his connection to the found- ing of Black History Month was created by 15-year-old artist Mya Hill, a Mission Vista Academy and Bigfoot Graphics art student. This original mural is exhibited at Sam Hicks Monument Park, 28300 Mercedes Street, through the month of February.

The Temecula Valley Museum also invites residents to view original early 1960s voting rights posters, including two featuring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., on display in the Museum Rotunda. The museum will also celebrate Frederick Douglass and Black see CELEBRATION, page B-5