Christmas Flowers Argentina And Other Countries In Simple Way

When people send flowers to Argentina, many of them know that over 10% of varieties of flowers in the world can be found here.Unique climate and terrain of the country is the ideal place togrow christmas flowers argentina blogs such as roses beautiful colorful gerberas, lilies, iris,and alstromerias. No wonder the family are happy to receiveflowers native to this country. However, maintaining the freshness of the flowers during transport remains a problem for someflorists.

In general, Web-based florists have different methods to maintainthe freshness of their flowers, especially for deliveries madeoutside the country of origin. Some florists have a consolidated basis for the freezing of their products and send them to the client wanted. On the other hand, some florists web-based affiliationshave concluded agreements with local florists to ensure thedelivery of flowers and gifts.

In addition to maintaining the freshness of the flowers, the services of a web florist send gifts to their relatives in South America has other significant benefits. Even if a big country, you can send christmas flowers argentina and its cities such as BuenosAires, Cordoba, Mendoza, Rosario and Corrientes. The processis easy and can be done with a simple mouse click. And because customers do not have to send a packet, literally, on a plane, christmas flowers argentina is also more environmentally friendly.

Choose the most appropriate industry is also making effortsthrough assistance by expert florists bilingual (English and Spanish) customer service staff. In addition, payments are madeeasier because orders can be made through a variety of methods such as credit card, PayPal and other electronic payment methods.

2012 Sundance Film Festival: First Wave of Programming Announced, 26 Films In Competition | Film School Rejects - Christmas Flowers Argentina

This is my christmas flowers argentina . Over the next couple of months, we’re going to real cozy with some of the titles listed here – the twenty-six films that make up the upcoming Sundance Film Festival‘s in-competition programming. There are some expected titles here – like Mark Webber‘s The End of Love, Ry Russo-Young‘s Nobody Walks, Colin Trevorrow‘s Safety Not Guaranteed, and James Ponsoldt‘s Smashed, to name a very slim few – and there are already a couple of surprises, most of which consist of films that I’ve just yet to hear of (like Ben Lewin‘s The Surrogate, which sounds fantastic). But the full list of these in competition titles is worth poring over, so I’ll set you to it in just a moment, after a couple of necessary bits of ‘dance info.

This is, of course, just the tip of the iceberg, as a total of 110 feature-length films were picked for the festival, coming from 31 countries and 44 first-time filmmakers. No less than 88 films at the festival will be world premieres. More programming announcements will be arriving soon, with picks for the Spotlight, Park City at Midnight, NEXT <=> and New Frontier sections due to be announced tomorrow, December 1, with films in the Premieres and Documentary Premieres sections getting announced on Monday, December 5.

This year’s festival runs from January 19 through 29 in Park City, Utah. Should the press-credential-givers be so kind (hi, press-credential-givers, we love you), your own Allison Loring and I will be there to cover that town and that festival like a fresh snowfall, for our second and third Sundances, respectively. After the break, check out the full list of films showing in competition at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival, and happy holidays, cinephiles.

U.S. DRAMATIC COMPETITION

The world premieres of 16 American narrative feature films.

Beasts of the Southern Wild / U.S.A. (Director: Benh Zeitlin, Screenwriters: Benh Zeitlin, Lucy Alibar) — Waters gonna rise up, wild animals gonna rerun from the grave, and everything south of the levee is goin’ under, in this tale of a six year old named Hushpuppy, who lives with her daddy at the edge of the world. Cast: Quvenzhané Wallis, Dwight Henry.

The Comedy / U.S.A. (Director: Rick Alverson, Screenwriters: Rick Alverson, Robert Donne, Colm O’Leary) — Indifferent even to the prospects of inheriting his father’s estate, Swanson whiles away his days with a group of aging Brooklyn hipsters, engaging in small acts of recreational cruelty and pacified boredom. Cast: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Kate Lyn Sheil, Alexia Rassmusen, Gregg Turkington.

The End of Love / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Mark Webber) — A young father unravels following the loss of the mother of his child. Cast: Mark Webber, Shannyn Sossamon, Michael Cera, Jason Ritter, Amanda Seyfried, Frankie Shaw.

Filly Brown / U.S.A. (Directors: Youssef Delara, Michael D. Olmos, Screenwriter: Youssef Delara) — A Hip Hop-driven drama about a Mexican girl who rises to fame and consciousness as she copes with the incarceration of her mother through music. Cast: Lou Diamond Phillips, Gina Rodriguez, Jenni Rivera, Edward James Olmos.

The First Time / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Jonathan Kasdan) — Two high schoolers meet at a party. Over the course of a weekend, things turn magical, romantic, complicated and funny, as they discover what it’s like to fall in love for the first time. Cast: Brittany Robertson, Dylan O’Brien, Craig Roberts, James Frecheville, Victoria Justice.

For Ellen / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: So Yong Kim) — A struggling musician takes an overnight long-distance drive in order to fight his estranged wife for custody of their young daughter. Cast: Paul Dano, Jon Heder, Jena Malone, Margarita Levieva, Shay Mandigo.

Hello I Must Be Going / U.S.A. (Director: Todd Louiso, Screenwriter: Sarah Koskoff) — Divorced, childless, demoralized and condemned to move back in with her parents at the age of 35, Amy Minsky’s prospects look bleak – until the unexpected attention of a teenage boy changes everything. Cast: Melanie Lynskey, Blythe Danner, Christopher Abbott, John Rubinstein, Julie White. DAY ONE FILM

Keep the Lights On / U.S.A. (Director: Ira Sachs, Screenwriters: Ira Sachs, Mauricio Zacharias) —An autobiographically inspired story of a passionate long-term relationship between two men driven by addiction and secrets but bound by love and hopefulness. Cast: Thure Lindhardt, Zachary Booth, Julianne Nicholson, Souleymane Sy Savane, Paprika Steen.

LUV / U.S.A. (Director: Sheldon Candis, Screenwriters: Sheldon Candis, Justin Wilson) — An orphaned 11-year-old boy is forced to face the unpleasant truth about his beloved uncle during one harrowing day in the streets of Baltimore. Cast: Common, Michael Rainey Jr., Dennis Haysbert, Danny Glover, Charles S. Dutton.

Middle Of Nowhere / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ava DuVernay) — When her husband is incarcerated, an African-American woman struggles to maintain her marriage and her identity. Cast: Emayatzy Corinealdi, David Oyelowo, Omari Hardwick, Lorraine Touissant, Edwina Findley.

Nobody Walks / U.S.A. (Director: Ry Russo-Young, Screenwriters: Lena Dunham, Ry Russo-Young) — Martine, a young artist from New York, is invited into the home of a hip, liberal LA family for a week. Her presence unravels the family’s carefully maintained status quo, and a mess of sexual and emotional entanglements ensues. Cast: John Krasinski, Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, India Ennenga, Justin Kirk.

Safety Not Guaranteed / U.S.A. (Director: Colin Trevorrow, Screenwriter: Derek Connolly) — A trio of magazine employees investigate a classified ad seeking a partner for time travel. One employee develops feelings for the paranoid but compelling loner and seeks to discover what he’s really up to. Cast: Aubrey Plaza, Mark Duplass, Jake Johnson, Karen Soni.

Save the Date / U.S.A. (Director: Michael Mohan, Screenwriters: Jeffrey Brown, Egan Reich, Michael Mohan) — As her sister Beth prepares to get married, Sarah finds herself caught up in an intense post-breakup rebound. The two fumble through the redefined emotional landscape of modern day relationships, forced to relearn how to love and be loved. Cast: Lizzy Caplan, Alison Brie, Martin Starr, Geoffrey Arend, Mark Webber.

Simon Killer / France, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Antonio Campos) — A recent college graduate goes to Paris after breaking up with his girlfriend of 5 years. Once there, he falls in love with a young prostitute and their fateful journey begins. Cast: Brady Corbet, Mati Diop, Constance Rousseau, Michael Abiteboul, Solo.

Smashed / U.S.A. (Director: James Ponsoldt, Screenwriters: Susan Burke, James Ponsoldt) — Kate and Charlie are a young married couple whose bond is built on a mutual love of music, laughter and… drinking. When Kate decides to get sober, her new lifestyle brings troubling issues to the surface and calls into question her relationship with Charlie. Cast: Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Aaron Paul, Octavia Spencer, Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally.

The Surrogate / U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Ben Lewin) — Mark O’Brien, a 36-year-old poet and journalist with an iron lung, decides he no longer wishes to be a virgin. With the help of his therapist and the guidance of his priest, he contacts a professional sex surrogate to take him on a journey to manhood. Cast: John Hawkes, Helen Hunt, William H. Macy.

U.S. DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

The world premieres of 16 American documentary films.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry / U.S.A., China (Director: Alison Klayman) — Renowned Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has garnered international attention as much for his ambitious artwork as his political provocations and increasingly public clashes with the Chinese government.

The Atomic States of America / U.S.A. (Directors: Don Argott, Sheena M. Joyce) — In 2010, the United States announced construction of the first new nuclear power plant in more than 32 years. A year later, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the Fukushima Power Plant in Japan sparking a fierce debate in the U.S. over the safety and viability of nuclear power.

Chasing Ice / U.S.A. (Director: Jeff Orlowski) — Science, spectacle and human passion mix in this stunningly cinematic portrait as National Geographic photographer James Balog captures time-lapse photography of glaciers over several years providing tangible visual evidence of climate change.

DETROPIA /U.S.A. (Directors: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady) — The woes of Detroit are emblematic of the collapse of the U.S. manufacturing base. This is the dramatic story of a city and its people who refuse to leave the building, even as the flames are rising.

ESCAPE FIRE: christmas flowers argentina blogs The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare / U.S.A. (Directors: Matthew Heineman, Susan Froemke) — What can be done to save our broken medical system? Powerful forces are trying to maintain the status quo in a profit-driven medical industry, but a movement to bring innovative methods of prevention and healing is finally gaining ground – potentially saving the health of a nation.

Finding North /U.S.A. (Directors: Lori Silverbush, Kristi Jacobson) — A crisis of hunger looms in America and is not limited to the poverty stricken and uneducated. Can a return to policies of the 1970s save our future?

The House I Live In / U.S.A. (Director: Eugene Jarecki) — For over 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world’s largest jailer and damaged poor communities at home and abroad. Yet, drugs are cheaper, purer and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong and what is the path toward healing?

How to Survive a Plague / U.S.A. (Director: David France) — The untold story of the intensive efforts that turned AIDS into a manageable condition – and the improbable group of (mostly HIV-positive) young men and women whose amazing resilience broke through a time of rampant death and political indifference.

The Invisible War / U.S.A. (Director: Kirby Dick) — An investigative and powerfully emotional examination of the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the U.S. military, the institutions that cover up its existence and the profound personal and social consequences that arise from it.

Marina Abramović The Artist is Present / U.S.A. (Director: Matthew Akers) — Marina Abramović prepares for a major retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York hoping to finally silence four decades of skeptics who proclaim: ‘But why is this art?’

ME at the ZOO / U.S.A. (Directors: Chris Moukarbel, Valerie Veatch) — With 270 million hits to date, Chris Crocker, an uncanny young video blogger from small town Tennessee, is considered the Internet’s first rebel folk hero and at the same time one of its most controversial personalities.

The Other Dream Team / Lithuania, U.S.A. (Director: Marius Markevicius) — The 1992 Lithuanian National Basketball Team went from the clutches of Communism to the Summer Olympics in Barcelona – a testament to the powerful role of sports as a catalyst for cultural identity.

The Queen of Versailles / U.S.A. (Director: Lauren Greenfield) — Jackie and David were triumphantly constructing the biggest house in America – a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot palace inspired by Versailles – when their timeshare empire collapses and their house is foreclosed. Their rags-to-riches-to-rags story reveals the innate virtues and flaws of the American Dream. DAY ONE FILM

Slavery By Another Name / U.S.A. (Director: Sam Pollard) — As slavery came to an end with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation, a new system of involuntary servitude took its place with shocking force, brutalizing, terrorizing and ultimately circumscribing the lives of hundreds of thousands of African Americans well into the 20th century.

Love Free or Die: How the Bishop of New Hampshire is Changing the World / U.S.A. (Director: Macky Alston) — One man whose two defining passions are in conflict: An openly gay bishop refuses to leave the Church or the man he loves.

We’re Not Broke / U.S.A. (Directors: Karin Hayes, Victoria Bruce) — As American lawmakers slash budgets and lay off employees, leaving many people scrambling to survive, multibillion-dollar corporations are concealing colossal profits overseas to avoid paying U.S. income tax. Fed-up Americans are taking their frustration to the streets.

WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION

Fourteen films from emerging filmmaking talents offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

4 Suns / Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Bohdan Sláma) — Immature Fogi attempts to straighten up and accept his responsibilities as a new husband and father, as well as role model to his troubled son from a previous relationship, but finds himself unable to change his nature, leaving him to watch haplessly as his family begins to crumble. Cast: Jaroslav Plesl, Aňa Geislerová, Karel Roden, Jiří Mádl, Klára Melíšková. World Premiere

About the Pink Sky / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Keiichi Kobayashi) — A high school girl finds a wallet full of money and tracks down its owner, leading to unexpected consequences for the girl and her friends. Cast: Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara, Tsubasa Takayama, Hakusyu Togetsuan. International Premiere

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Ucer, Serdar Orcin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci. World Premiere

Father’s Chair (A Cadeira do Pai) / Brazil (Director: Luciano Moura, Screenwriters: Elena Soarez, Luciano Moura) — Following the trail of his runaway teen son, Theo confronts his own identity as a son, a father and a man along the way. Cast: Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima. World Premiere

L / Greece (Director: Babis Makridis, Screenwriters: Efthymis Filippou, Babis Makridis) — A man who lives in his car gets caught up in the undeclared war between motorcycle riders and car drivers. Cast: Aris Servetalis, Makis Papadimitriou, Lefteris Mathaios, Nota Tserniafski, Stavros Raptis. World Premiere

The Last Elvis (El Ultimo Elvis) / Argentina (Director: Armando Bo, Screenwriters: Nicolás Giacobone and Armando Bo) — A Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who believes that he is the reincarnation of the King struggles to shake free from reality and live his musical dream. Cast: John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez. World Premiere

Madrid, 1987 / Spain (Director and screenwriter: David Trueba) — The balance of power and desire constantly shifts during the meeting of an older journalist and a young student, of two generations completely foreign to one another. Cast: José Sacristán, María Valverde, Ramon Fontserè. International Premiere

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed. World Premiere

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen. World Premiere

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid. World Premiere

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías. International Premiere

Wish You Were Here / Australia (Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith, Screenwriters: Felicity Price, Kieran Darcy-Smith) — Four friends embark on a carefree holiday, but only three return home. Who knows what happened on that fateful night? Cast: Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price, Antony Starr. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

WRONG / France (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux) — Dolph searches for his lost dog, but through encounters with a nympho pizza-delivery girl, a jogging neighbor seeking the absolute, and a mysterious righter of wrongs, he may eventually lose his mind… and his identity. Cast: Jack Plotnick, Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena, Steve Little, William Fichtner. World Premiere

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION

Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmakers working today.

½ REVOLUTION / Denmark (Directors: Omar Shargawi, Karim El Hakim) — In January 2011, two filmmakers captured the reality of the Egyptian revolution as it occurred out of view from the world’s media in the alleyways and streets away from the square – and in the process were arrested by the secret police. North American Premiere

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world. International Premiere

THE AMBASSADOR / Denmark (Director: Mads Brügger) — What happens when a very white European man buys his way into being a diplomat in one of Central Africa’s most failed nations? Welcome to the bizarre and hidden world of African diplomacy, where gin and tonics flow and diamond hustlers and corrupt politicians run free. North American Premiere

BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* / Sweden (Director: Fredrik Gertten) — The behind-the-scenes story of a full-scale attack on freedom of speech. When Dole set its sights on the WG Film production Bananas!* in May 2009, confusion was the method, aggression was the tactic and media control was the story. North American Premiere

China Heavyweight / Canada, China (Director: Yung Chang) — In central China, where a coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions, the top students face dramatic choices as they graduate – should they fight for the collective good or for themselves? A metaphor for the choices everyone in the New China faces now. World Premiere

Gypsy Davy / Israel, U.S.A., Spain (Director: Rachel Leah Jones) — How does a white boy with Alabama roots become a Flamenco guitarist in Andalusian boots? A tale of self-invention and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of the cost to others. International Premiere

The Imposter / United Kingdom (Director: Bart Layton) — In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in Spain with a shocking story of kidnap and torture. But all is not what it seems in this tale that is truly stranger than fiction. World Premiere

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. World Premiere

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population. International Premiere

Payback / Canada (Director: Jennifer Baichwal) — Based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling book, Payback explores how debt is a central organizing principle in our lives – influencing relationships, societies, governing structures and the very fate of this planet. World Premiere

Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. North American Premiere

Searching for Sugar Man / Denmark, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM [Sundance]

or: r� ! 5 , P� � � ); ">WORLD CINEMA DRAMATIC COMPETITION
Fourteen films from emerging filmmaking talents offer fresh perspectives and inventive styles.

4 Suns / Czech Republic (Director and screenwriter: Bohdan Sláma) — Immature Fogi attempts to straighten up and accept his responsibilities as a new husband and father, as well as role model to his troubled son from a previous relationship, but finds himself unable to change his nature, leaving him to watch haplessly as his family begins to crumble. Cast: Jaroslav Plesl, Aňa Geislerová, Karel Roden, Jiří Mádl, Klára Melíšková. World Premiere

About the Pink Sky / Japan (Director and screenwriter: Keiichi Kobayashi) — A high school girl finds a wallet full of money and tracks down its owner, leading to unexpected consequences for the girl and her friends. Cast: Ai Ikeda, Ena Koshino, Reiko Fujiwara, Tsubasa Takayama, Hakusyu Togetsuan. International Premiere

Can / Turkey (Director and screenwriter: Rasit Celikezer) — A young married couple live happily in Istanbul, but their decision to illegally procure a child threatens their future together. Cast: Selen Ucer, Serdar Orcin, Berkan Demirbag, Erkan Avci. World Premiere

Father’s Chair (A Cadeira do Pai) / Brazil (Director: Luciano Moura, Screenwriters: Elena Soarez, Luciano Moura) — Following the trail of his runaway teen son, Theo confronts his own identity as a son, a father and a man along the way. Cast: Wagner Moura, Lima Duarte, Mariana Lima. World Premiere

L / Greece (Director: Babis Makridis, Screenwriters: Efthymis Filippou, Babis Makridis) — A man who lives in his car gets caught up in the undeclared war between motorcycle riders and car drivers. Cast: Aris Servetalis, Makis Papadimitriou, Lefteris Mathaios, Nota Tserniafski, Stavros Raptis. World Premiere

The Last Elvis (El Ultimo Elvis) / Argentina (Director: Armando Bo, Screenwriters: Nicolás Giacobone and Armando Bo) — A Buenos Aires Elvis impersonator who believes that he is the reincarnation of the King struggles to shake free from reality and live his musical dream. Cast: John McInerny, Griselda Siciliani, Margarita Lopez. World Premiere

Madrid, 1987 / Spain (Director and screenwriter: David Trueba) — The balance of power and desire constantly shifts during the meeting of an older journalist and a young student, of two generations completely foreign to one another. Cast: José Sacristán, María Valverde, Ramon Fontserè. International Premiere

My Brother the Devil / United Kingdom (Director and screenwriter: Sally El Hosaini) — A pair of British Arab brothers trying to get by in gangland London learn the extraordinary courage it takes to be yourself. Cast: James Floyd, Saïd Taghmaoui, Fady Elsayed. World Premiere

Teddy Bear / Denmark (Director: Mads Matthiesen, Screenwriters: Mads Matthiesen, Martin Pieter Zandvliet) — Dennis, a painfully shy 38-year-old bodybuilder who lives with his mother, sets off to Thailand in search of love. Cast: Kim Kold, Elsebeth Steentoft, Lamaiporn Sangmanee Hougaard, David Winters, Allan Mogensen. World Premiere

Valley of Saints / India, U.S.A. (Director and screenwriter: Musa Syeed) — Gulzar plans to run away from the war and poverty surrounding his village in Kashmir with his best friend, but a beautiful young woman researching the dying lake leads him to contemplate a different future Cast: Gulzar Ahmad Bhat, Mohammed Afzal Sofi, Neelofar Hamid. World Premiere

Violeta Went to Heaven (Violeta se Fue a Los Cielos) / Chile, Argentina, Brazil, Spain (Director: Andrés Wood, Screenwriters: Eliseo Altunaga, Rodrigo Bazaes, Guillermo Calderón, Andrés Wood) — A portrait of famed Chilean singer and folklorist Violeta Parra filled with her musical work, her memories, her loves and her hopes. Cast: Francisca Gavilán, Thomas Durand, Luis Machín, Gabriela Aguilera, Roberto Farías. International Premiere

Wish You Were Here / Australia (Director: Kieran Darcy-Smith, Screenwriters: Felicity Price, Kieran Darcy-Smith) — Four friends embark on a carefree holiday, but only three return home. Who knows what happened on that fateful night? Cast: Joel Edgerton, Teresa Palmer, Felicity Price, Antony Starr. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM

WRONG / France (Director and screenwriter: Quentin Dupieux) — Dolph searches for his lost dog, but through encounters with a nympho pizza-delivery girl, a jogging neighbor seeking the absolute, and a mysterious righter of wrongs, he may eventually lose his mind… and his identity. Cast: Jack Plotnick, Eric Judor, Alexis Dziena, Steve Little, William Fichtner. World Premiere

Young & Wild / Chile (Director: Marialy Rivas, Screenwriters: Marialy Rivas, Camila Gutiérrez, Pedro Peirano) — 17-year-old Daniela, raised in the bosom of a strict Evangelical family and recently unmasked as a fornicator by her shocked parents, struggles to find her own path to spiritual harmony. Cast: Alicia Rodríguez, Aline Kuppenheim, María Gracia Omegna, Felipe Pinto. World Premiere

WORLD CINEMA DOCUMENTARY COMPETITION
Twelve documentaries by some of the most courageous and extraordinary filmmakers working today.

½ REVOLUTION / Denmark (Directors: Omar Shargawi, Karim El Hakim) — In January 2011, two filmmakers captured the reality of the Egyptian revolution as it occurred out of view from the world’s media in the alleyways and streets away from the square – and in the process were arrested by the secret police. North American Premiere

5 Broken Cameras / Palestine, Israel, France (Directors: Emad Burnat, Guy Davidi) — A Palestinian journalist chronicles his village’s resistance to a separation barrier being erected on their land and in the process captures his young son’s lens on the world. International Premiere

THE AMBASSADOR / Denmark (Director: Mads Brügger) — What happens when a very white European man buys his way into being a diplomat in one of Central Africa’s most failed nations? Welcome to the bizarre and hidden world of African diplomacy, where gin and tonics flow and diamond hustlers and corrupt politicians run free. North American Premiere

BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!* / Sweden (Director: Fredrik Gertten) — The behind-the-scenes story of a full-scale attack on freedom of speech. When Dole set its sights on the WG Film productionBananas!* in May 2009, confusion was the method, aggression was the tactic and media control was the story. North American Premiere

China Heavyweight / Canada, China (Director: Yung Chang) — In central China, where a coach recruits poor rural teenagers and turns them into Western-style boxing champions, the top students face dramatic choices as they graduate – should they fight for the collective good or for themselves? A metaphor for the choices everyone in the New China faces now. World Premiere

Gypsy Davy / Israel, U.S.A., Spain (Director: Rachel Leah Jones) — How does a white boy with Alabama roots become a Flamenco guitarist in Andalusian boots? A tale of self-invention and the pursuit of happiness, regardless of the cost to others. International Premiere

The Imposter / United Kingdom (Director: Bart Layton) — In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappears from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three and a half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in Spain with a shocking story of kidnap and torture. But all is not what it seems in this tale that is truly stranger than fiction. World Premiere

Indie Game: The Movie / Canada (Directors: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky) — Follow the dramatic journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. World Premiere

The Law in These Parts / Israel (Director: Ra’anan Alexandrowicz) — Israel’s 43-year military legal system in the Occupied Palestinian Territories unfolds through provocative interviews with the system’s architects and historical footage showing the enactment of these laws upon the Palestinian population. International Premiere

Payback / Canada (Director: Jennifer Baichwal) — Based on Margaret Atwood’s best-selling book,Payback explores how debt is a central organizing principle in our lives – influencing relationships, societies, governing structures and the very fate of this planet. World Premiere

Putin’s Kiss / Denmark (Director: Lise Birk Pedersen) — 19-year-old Marsha is a model spokesperson in a strongly nationalistic Russian youth movement that aims to protect the country from its enemies. When she starts recognizing the organization’s flaws, she must take a stand for or against it. North American Premiere

Searching for Sugar Man / Denmark, United Kingdom (Director: Malik Bendjelloul) — Rodriguez was the greatest ‘70s US rock icon who never was. Hailed as the greatest recording artist of his generation he disappeared into oblivion – rising again from the ashes in a completely different context many miles away. World Premiere. DAY ONE FILM [Sundance]

Christmas chill hits manufacturing hub - Christmas Flowers argentina

Factories reliant on holiday buying seek to cope with declining demand

SHENZHEN, Guangdong - Peng Hua watches two factory workers as they string up a bunch of plastic pine needles on a wire before twirling them into a branch in a largely empty warehouse.

It is the beginning of December in the outskirts of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen and the air is a comfortable 20 C. But Peng, the 41-year-old general manager of King Tree Handicrafts Company, a leading christmas flowers argentina tree maker in the manufacturing hub, is starting to feel the chill of winter in the West.

"We are already experiencing the effects of the economic crisis. Things are probably going to worsen for our industry," he said.

King Tree is one of about 200 businesses in the area that help the country churn out 90 percent of the plastic Christmas trees used in the world, Peng said. His company started making the trees in the late 1980s and rakes in about $20 million a year. The US market accounts for about 70 percent of the demand for the trees, and European buyers take up most of the rest, he said.

The busiest times for christmas flowers argentina blogs tree manufacturers in the area start between March and September every year, when orders for products ranging from desktop ornaments to enormous displays more than five-stories high are filled and factories move into full gear to churn out the goods before shipping them out. In the few months before Christmas, King Tree actually enters a lull period when less than one-quarter of its 400-strong workforce remains in its 50,000-square-meter factory, mostly to produce trees to meet domestic demand, which accounts for less than 5 percent of its business.

Peng said amid this year's bleak global economy, demand is expected to decrease and quite a few smaller businesses have already folded. Still, orders have not plunged as many expected, even though customers in the West already seem to be "downsizing" to simpler and cheaper products.

"A family that bought a tree with all the trimmings might now look for one without those for half the price," Peng said. "Many are also going for cheaper do-it-yourself products."

The full brunt of the slow US economy and Europe's debt crisis can only be felt when orders for next year's trees are received in the coming months, he said. But King Tree is bracing itself for lower profit margins.

"We were slowly recovering from the 2008 global financial crisis when business fell by up to 30 percent. But now, with the latest economic woes, we might see less growth, of about 15 percent. That space is getting smaller and smaller," he said.

"Like many other industries here in Shenzhen, we also have to deal with other economic challenges like the rising cost of labor and raw materials."

Shenzhen has become one of China's richest cities since it became a special economic zone in 1980 following the country's reform and opening-up. The city is in Guangdong province's Pearl River Delta (PRD) region, a main engine of China's economic development fueled by low-cost manufacturing and export-oriented industries, including textiles and electronics, mostly with initial investment from Hong Kong, that help make the province churn out a quarter of the country's exports.

Growing challenges

Chinese exports continue to increase every year, but they are doing so at the slowest pace since December 2009, figures from the General Administration of Customs show. Exports increased almost 16 percent year-on-year to more than $157 billion in October but that was the slowest growth in eight months. The total figure actually dropped from September's $169.7 billion, amid economic troubles in the US and Europe.

Similarly, currency appreciation and rising costs are squeezing the profits of many Chinese exporters. The yuan has gained about 10 percent against the US dollar since China ended a two-year peg to the dollar in June last year.

Labor, one of the main factors behind economic success in the PRD, is also threatening development in an area known for its inexpensive workforce. Many areas in the PRD are raising minimum wages along with rising inflation and labor shortages, as workers are less drawn to work in the region compared to their home provinces, where the cost of living is lower.

By the end of September, 21 local governments had raised the minimum wage by an average of 21.7 percent, the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security reported.

Earlier this year, Shenzhen authorities said they would raise the minimum wage by 20 percent to 1,320 yuan ($208) a month - the highest in the country. There are now plans to increase that to 1,500 yuan a month next year. Wages in many areas in the PRD have risen more than 30 percent and pay for ordinary workers averages nearly 3,000 yuan a month. Peng said he expects his wages to continue rising.

"For the West, Christmas trees are a necessity during this time of the year. So mid-sized businesses like us will always be able to survive in one way or another. But the smaller players and the ones that make the ornaments and the decorations, already hit by rising costs, might feel any cutback in Christmas buying more severely," he said.

Chen Guanghan, an economics professor and director of the center for studies of Hong Kong, Macao and the Pearl River Delta at Sun Yat-sen University, said the smaller manufacturers in the PRD will most definitely suffer from decreasing orders for Christmas goods in the West.

"The small players will have no room to maneuver or upgrade and many of these will probably be the casualties of the economic downturn. The bigger players might be able to cope and many low-cost producers are already moving to even cheaper places overseas, such as Vietnam, even as they try to develop new markets away from the US and Europe," Chen said.

Zhang Yuge, director of the center for public policy at the Shenzhen-based China Development Institute, said that while the authorities have been making a pronounced push for PRD enterprises to upgrade and move away from the low-cost manufacturing model, it will not be easy to do so in the short term.

"Such manufacturing is certainly not sustainable for the long term. But for the moment, our export-oriented businesses still provide jobs for a large number of workers who would otherwise make much less in the countryside," Zhang said.

"The slow Christmas market has also reiterated how precarious it can be for businesses here to depend too much on exports."

"The rising wages are a very big challenge for us," Peng said.

"Our industry usually requires our workers to work overtime, otherwise we will not be able to fill the orders during the peak season. Our wages can be higher than those at other industries here, such as electronics."

No fun for toymakers

The Christmas chill from the economic woes of the West is also being felt among many related businesses in Guangdong's Shantou city, a major toy-producing area in China.

Lin Wei, the head of the toymaker Big Tree Toys, says the toy industry is in the midst of a downturn, and smaller businesses are being more severely affected.

"The whole industry has experienced a 30-percent drop in business, and the crisis in Europe and slow US economy are having a marked effect," Lin said.

The 40-year-old started Big Tree almost a decade ago and his toy company is now considered one of the largest of its kind in Shantou, involving sectors such as original equipment manufacturing (OEM), trading, supply chain management, sales, designing and branding. It handles about 400,000 types of plastic toys through more than 10,000 toy-related businesses - half of the number operating in the area. The licensed toys it has helped produce include the US brand Barbie and the Japanese brand Hello Kitty.

The company boasts the largest toy showroom in Shantou. It works with more than 8,000 toy manufacturers and represents more than 300,000 toys and entertainment-related products.

Lin, who is also deputy head of the Shantou chamber of commerce, said Chinese factories churn out about 80 percent of the toys made in the world. His company, which has more than 90 percent of its business in exports, itself reaped 200 million yuan last year and is expected to take in 300 million yuan this year, Lin said.

"Christmas orders traditionally account for 60 percent to 70 percent of our business, and those from large markets in the United States and Europe have dropped significantly. But our new markets in South America, India and Russia have helped to make up for the shortfall," Lin said.

Similar to Guangdong's Christmas tree makers which are scaling back on frills to make their products more affordable for tightened Western purses, Chinese toy companies like Big Tree, which have the means to adapt to market realities, are also producing less sophisticated and cheaper toys.

"When an industry faces the crunch, the weaker and smaller players, as well as those which cannot meet quality or service standards, will leave the field. Those that are able to survive might actually do better as they seek out new markets with enormous potential," Lin said.

"We are now in such markets as Brazil, Mexico, Argentina and Cuba. We do almost all the toys there now."

Looking to home

But Shantou's toymakers are no longer relying much on exports and are not staying beholden to the uncertainties of the global economy.

"We are also investing more in the domestic market," Lin said.

"Toy chain stores, for example, are still a relatively new idea for Chinese consumers and we want to build on that through our own brands."

"Again, in quality, Chinese toy products have benefited from the stringent standards of the West in the past few decades and we are now capitalizing on that to expand our reach and market at home," he said.

"Chinese buyers still consider June 1 (Children's Day) and the summer holidays, as well as Spring Festival, as the significant periods for giving toys, not Christmas as it is celebrated in the West. Celebrating Christmas might be more common in large Chinese cities but it is comparatively absent in the smaller ones."

Peng is also working to expand the domestic market for Christmas trees and his company is using its production lull to move into the furniture industry and other industries to diversify its business interests. But he admits his industry will obviously continue to depend heavily on Western markets.

"Most of the trees we sell at home go to hotels and shopping malls that 'celebrate' Christmas. So we bulk up on the designs, lights and decorations for these clients," Peng said.

"Christmas is still very much a Western thing and our trees will depend on foreign consumers for a long time to come."

Chen Hong in Shenzhen contributed to this story.

China Daily

Preview calendar: Dance, galleries and museums for Dec. 15-21 - Christmas Flowers Argentina

City Ballet: "The Nutcracker" ---- The company presents Elizabeth Wistritch's annual production of the classic holiday ballet featuring music by Tchaikovsky; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 16, Dec. 17 and Dec. 20 and 21; 2 p.m. Dec. 17, Dec. 18 and Dec. 21; Spreckels Theatre, 121 Broadway, San Diego; $29-$590; cityballet.org or  or 858-272-8663.

San Diego Civic Youth Ballet: "The Nutcracker" ---- San Diego's oldest ballet school presents its annual holiday ballet, directed by artistic chief Danika Pramik-Holdaway and featuring nearly 200 young dancers; 7 p.m. Dec. 16 and Dec. 17; 2 p.m. Dec. 18; Casa del Prado Theatre, Balboa Park, San Diego; $10-$15; sdcyb.org or 619-233-3060.

San Diego Ballet: "The Nutcracker" ---- San Diego Ballet's Robn Sherertz-Morgan and Javier Velasco present the company's 22nd annual holiday ballet featuring more than 100 dancers; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17; 2 p.m. Dec. 18; Mandeville Auditorium, UCSD, La Jolla; $20-$50; sandiegoballet.org or 619-294-7311.

California Ballet: "The Nutcracker" ---- The company presents Maxine Mahon's annual production of the classic holiday ballet featuring music by Tchaikovsky; 2:30 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17 and Dec. 21 and Dec. 22, 23; 1 and 5:30 p.m. Dec. 18; San Diego Civic Theatre, Third Avenue at B Street, San Diego; $25-$80; californiaballet.org or 858-560-6741.

West Coast Ballet Theatre: "The Nutcracker" ---- The company presents a family-friendly, grand-scale adaptation of this holiday ballet featuring guest artists, pyrotechnics, special effects, flying fairies and snow; 1 and 7 p.m. Dec. 17; 1 p.m. Dec. 18; California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 340 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido; $18.50-$39; artcenter.org or 800-988-4253.

Dunamix Dance Company: "Truth About the Nutcracker" ---- The Christian dance studio presents a nontraditional version of the holiday ballet, recast as a story about a young girl's salvation journey; 2 and 6 p.m. Dec. 17; Murrieta High School, 24801 Monroe Ave., Murrieta; dunamixdanceclasses.com .

The Ballet Studio & Fine Arts Network: "The Nutcracker" ---- The two Temecula arts groups co-present the holiday ballet featuring students and community members; 7:30 p.m. Dec. 17, Dec. 19, Dec. 20, Dec. 21 and Dec. 22; 6 p.m. Dec. 18; 2 p.m. Dec. 18 and Dec. 23; Old Town Temecula Community Theater, 42051 Main St., Temecula; $22-$29; temeculatheater.org or 888-653-8696.

Moscow Ballet's "Great Russian Nutcracker" ---- A corps of 30 Russian dancers, larger-than-life puppets, nine painted backdrops, 3-D special effects and more than 200 costumes make up this touring international production; 7:30 p.m. Monday; Copley Symphony Hall, 750 B St., San Diego; $27 and up; ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Free Day of Dance ---- Dance Place San Diego hosts its annual program of free dance classes (modern, jazz, tango, tap, ballet and kids dance) taught by the studio's three resident dance companies, San Diego Dance Theater, Malashock Dance and San Diego Ballet; 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec. 26; 2650 Truxtun Road, Liberty Station, San Diego; free; 619-225-1803.

"Ruby Red Cabaret Dances: Mixed Nuts" ---- Jean Isaacs San Diego Dance Theatre presents an evening of modern dance, live music, food, wine and song with choreography by Jean Isaacs, Joe Good and Gabe Masson; 8 p.m. Jan. 7; 6:30 p.m. Jan. 8; Neurosciences Institute, 10640 John Jay Hopkins Drive, La Jolla; $45, includes pre-show buffet and post-show dessert bar; regular tickets, $25, general; $20, seniors and military; $15, students; 619-225-1803.

Malashock/Raw2: Stripped" ---- Malashock Dance presents an intimate evening of gritty, provocative modern dance choreographed by John Malashock, Michael Mizerany, Henry Torres and Angel Arambula; 8 p.m. Jan. 21; 7  p.m. Dec. 22; Malashock Dance Studio #200, Dance Place San Diego, 2650 Truxtun Road, San Diego; malashockdance.org .

Cloud Gate 2 ---- The second company of this Taiwanese dance company blends traditional Asian gesture, martial arts-inspired leaps and modern dance vocabulary; 8 p.m. Feb. 22; Mandeville Auditorium, Mandeville Lane, UC San Diego, La Jolla; $25-$40; artpower.ucsd.edu or 858-534-8497.

GALLERIES

Editor's note: Because gallery exhibits and locations change regularly, listings will be removed if a gallery does not send in a new exhibit listing at least every two months.

Aaron Chang Ocean Art Gallery ---World-renowned photographer Aaron Chang and internationally acclaimed artist Wade Koniakowsky co-own this gallery in the Cedros Design District; hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; 415 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; 858-345-1880.

The Art Foundry at New Village Arts Theatre ---- A holiday art sale and exhibition, featuring construction and paintings by Beatriz Baena and 18 foundry artists, runs from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday; call for hours; 2787 State St., Carlsbad; free; 760-434-4501 or newvillagearts.org.

ArtHatch Gallery ---- "Urbana," photographs by Major Morris, runs through Jan. 7; hours, noon to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays or by appointment; 317 E. Grand Ave., Escondido; 760-781-5779.

Art in the Heart of Rancho Bernardo ---- The gallery presented by Sharon Ford and Virginia Kuwahara of UBS Financial Service Inc. hosts an exhibit by Alicia Sotherland, Janet Perkin and Christine R. Stenstrom; 17140 Bernardo Center Drive, Suite 350, Rancho Bernardo; 858-521-7008.

Artists Gallery ---- "Holiday Spirit" runs through Dec. 30; hours, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 121 W. Grand Ave., Escondido; 760-489-0338, 760-741-3117 or escondidoartists.org.

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library ---- "Kathleen Marshall: Still in Paris" runs through Dec. 31; hours, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays, and until 8:30 p.m. Wednesdays; 1008 Wall St., La Jolla; 858-454-5872.

Belmont Village Cardiff Gallery ---- This senior-living complex presents an exhibit of images and stories by Thomas Sanders that celebrates the long marriages of couples residing at Belmont Village; 3535 Manchester Ave., Cardiff; 760-436-8900.

Boehm Gallery ---- Gallery at Palomar College showcases work by faculty, students and local artists; hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; Palomar College, 1140 W. Mission Road, San Diego; 760-744-1150, ext. 2304.

Brandon Gallery ---- The annual Small Works Exhibition is now on display; The cooperative gallery features the work of 225 to 300 member artists; hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. weekdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; 105 N. Main Ave., Fallbrook; 760-723-1330.

California Watercolor Gallery ---- This new gallery showcases the work of American Scene art by early American masters and contemporary painters, including Millard Sheets, Emil Kosa Jr., Dong Kingman, Hardie Gramatky, Phil Dike, Ken Potter and more; hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 560C Industrial Way, Fallbrook; 760-723-9270.

Cannon Art Gallery ---- "The World on a String," an exhibit of puppets from around the world, runs through Dec. 30; hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; Carlsbad City Library, 1775 Dove Lane, Carlsbad; 760-602-2021.

Carlsbad-Oceanside Art League ---- An exhibit of painting, photography, digital art and sculpture runs through Dec. 31; the gallery will also host Art of the Green outdoor art showcases (weather permitting) at Carlsbad Inn Beach Resort Dec. 17 and 18; hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Sundays; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Suite 101, Carlsbad; coalartgallery.com or 760-434-8497.

Carlsbad Sculpture Garden ---- "The Shape of Music," an exhibit of eight sculptures by Vista artist Elon Ebanks that play with the concept of rhythm and proportion, runs through 2012; hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays; 2955 Elmwood Ave., Carlsbad; 760-602-2021.

Cosmopolitan Fine Arts Gallery ---  "European Street Scenes" runs through Dec. 31; gallery hours, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays-Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 7932 Girard Ave., La Jolla; 858-456-9506.

Dance Place Gallery ---- Photographer Raymond Elstad is exhibiting "Seduced by Dance," his photographs of dancers with Jean Isaacs; San Diego Dance Theater, Malashock Dance and San Diego Ballet through February; 2650 Truxtun Road, Liberty Station, Point Loma; 619-573-9260.

Double Break Gallery ---- This new gallery and multimedia arts store owned by recent UC San Diego MFA art graduates Matt Coors and Louis M. Schmidt is open; Double Break hosts revolving art exhibitions, film screenings, author events and more; 1821 Fifth Ave., San Diego; doublebreakstore.com or 619-238-2325.

Encinitas Civic Center Art Gallery ---- "Retrospective" by Betty Sturdevan and "The Art of Raku" by Alex Long run through Jan. 10; hours, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays and every other Friday; 505 S. Vulcan St., Encinitas; 760-633-2600.

Encinitas Library Gallery ---- "Painting Like Surfing" by Jerm Wright and "Transformation" by Rasim Konyar run through Jan. 9; "Lost Heritage: The Dorymen of Cardiff" photo essay by Robert Wald runs through 2013; hours, 9:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays-Thursdays; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays; 540 Cornish Drive, Encinitas; 760-753-7376.

Escondido Municipal Gallery ---- "Summation 2011" runs through Dec. 31; "Art in Craft Media: Locally Made" is on display in Gallery 262; hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays (extended hours to 8 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month); Escondido Municipal Gallery, 262 E. Grand Ave., Escondido; 760-480-4101.

Fallbrook Art Center ---- Customer Appreciation Night, 4 to 7 p.m. today; "Art of the Holiday" runs through Dec. 23; hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon to 3 p.m. Sundays; 103 S. Main St., Fallbrook; free; 760-728-1414 or fallbrookartcenter.org.

Fallbrook Library ---- "Artful Stitching ... Contemporary Quilts 4 the Wall," an exhibit of art quilts curated by Karen Cunigan, is on display; museum opens at 9:30 a.m. Mondays-Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; 124 S. Mission Road, Fallbrook; fallbrooklibraryfriends.org .

Gallery 204 ---- "Coming Home," an exhibit of artwork by Heather Fuqua, is on display; local artists exhibit and sell hand-painted silk scarves, clothing, glass works, jewelry, photography, mixed-media works and more in this gallery operated by the Vista Art Association; gallery hours, noon-6 p.m. Wednesdays-Sundays; 204 Main St., Vista; 760-305-8278.

HomeLife Village Realtors & Art Gallery ---- Seven artists exhibit their work at this business/gallery in Carlsbad, including Carol Korfin, the "Glass Giraffe"; 500 Grand Ave., Carlsbad; 858-793-5482.

jdc Fine Art ---- Jennifer DeCarlo has opened this gallery specializing in contemporary photography; on display: "The Good Colony: Framing a Concept," an exhibit exploring the concept of colony from microscopic to romantic, idealistic and tragic; hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays; 2400 Kettner Blvd., #208, San Diego; jdcfineart.com or 619-985-2322.

Kruglak Gallery ---- This gallery at MiraCosta College showcases art by faculty, students and local artists; hours, 2:30-7:30 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays and Thursdays; Student Center, Building 3400, 1 Barnard Drive, Oceanside; 760-795-6657.

La Jolla Art Association Gallery ---- "Free the Girls," an art exhibit to benefit the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition (to end the child sex trade), runs through Dec. 18; gallery hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 8100 Paseo del Ocaso, La Jolla; 858-459-1196.

Martha Pace Swift Gallery ---- The Creative Arts Consortium and National Alliance on Mental Illness presents "Recovering the Artist," a juried art exhibit featuring visual artists recovering from mental illness, through Jan. 7; 2820 Roosevelt Drive, San Diego; 619-543-1434 or 900-523-5933.

Meyer Fine Art ---- "West Coast Walker: Catalyst to Modernism" runs through Dec. 24; call for hours; 2400 Kettner Blvd., Suite 104, San Diego; 619-358-9512.

98 Bottles ---- An exhibit of work by David Tyrone Villa is on display through Jan. 12 at this new Italian restaurant; hours, 4 p.m. to midnight Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2400 Kettner Blvd., Suite 110, San Diego; 541-908-0139.

North Coast Repertory Theatre Cafe & Gallery ----An exhibit of art by the theater's resident scenic artist, John Finkbiner, is on display in the cafe; 987D  Lomas Santa Fe Drive, Solana Beach; call for hours; 858-481-2155.

Oceanside Art Gallery ---- The gallery hosts a holiday artists reception from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 22; the gallery showcases paintings by Joe Villela and B.A. Stuber, ceramics by Mary Villela and San Francyk and sculpture by Paul Weber; hours, noon to 5 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; Carlsbad Village Faire, Suite 103, 300 Carlsbad Village Drive, Carlsbad; 760-845-9017.

Offtrack Gallery ---- San Dieguito Art Guild hosts an exhibit by artists Yannian Cambareri, Ellablanche Kezar-Salmi, Yvette Koome and Dolores Renner through Dec. 31; call for hours; Lumberyard Center, Suite C103, 937 S. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas; offtrackgallery.com .

OMA Artist Alliance Members Exhibit ---- The Oceanside Museum of Art's artists collective is exhibiting at the El Corazon Senior Center; hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays; 3302 Senior Center Drive, Oceanside; 760-435-5302.

Poway Center for the Performing Arts ---- The Ramona Art Guild Open Juried Show 2011 runs through Dec. 23; hours, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays;  15498 Espola Road, Poway; 858-456-9549.

Queen Califia's Magical Circle ---- Outdoor sculpture garden created by artist Niki de St. Phalle; open 8:30 a.m. to dusk Tuesdays-Sundays; Kit Carson Park, 3333 Bear Valley Parkway, Escondido; free; for docent tours, call 760-839-4331.

Rancho Bernardo Art Association Exhibitions ----- Association members Kathy Mehaffey, Irina Bender, Marlene Tague and Richie Stewart are exhibiting through Dec. 31 at Stoneridge Country Club, 17166 Stoneridge Country Club Lane, Poway; member Phyllis Hensperger is exhibiting in December at the Rancho Bernardo Winery tasting room, 13330 Paseo del Verano, Rancho Bernardo; 858-675-2262.

Rancho Buena Vista Adobe Gallery ---- A new exhibit of oils, stained glass, sculpture, graphic art, crochet, lithography and basket art by members of the Friends of the Rancho Buena Vista Adobe and the RBV chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution is on display;  hours, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 640 Alta Vista Drive, Vista; free; 760-639-6164.

Re-Gallery ---- The gallery hosts the first Southern California exhibition by Minnesota artist Uve Hamilton, "Compositions in Rock," through Dec. 15; an exhibit of assemblages and shadow boxes by Karla Leopold runs Jan. 6 through March 11; reception, 6 to 9 p.m. Jan. 6; 348 S. Cedros Ave., Suite H, Solana Beach; regallery.org or 858-259-2001.

Rhino Art ---- The gallery hosts an exhibit of Dia de los Muertos-related art curated by Ricard Islas and featuring work by Berenice Badillo, Eric Serra, Randall McPhail, David Darela, Max Bojorquez, Jess Rodriguez, Lupita Shahbazi, Jaded Edge, Cristol, Mario Chacon, Miguel Angel Godog, Franky Agostino, Ricardo Islas, Selina Calvo, Sonia Lopez Chavez, Robert Espinoza, Chad Whitson, Jaime Garcia and Chug Espinoza; call for hours; 97 N. Coast Highway 101, Encinitas; rhinoartco.com .

Santa Ysabel Gallery ---- "The Smallest Bird Sings the Sweetest Song," a solo exhibit by artist Joe Garcia, runs through Jan. 15; hours, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays; 30352 Highway 78, Santa Ysabel; 760-765-1676.

Scott White Contemporary Art ---- "Stranger Than Paradise," a retrospective of photographs by Stefanie Schneider, opens Jan. 14; call for hours; 7655 Girard Ave., Suite A, La Jolla; 619-501-5689.

Second Saturday ---- Downtown Escondido art galleries and museums host special receptions and extended hours on the second Saturday of each month; Grand Avenue, Escondido; free; 760-745-8877.

Southwestern Artists' Association ---- Work by Carol Mathios and Sinja Scheidnes are featured through Dec. 21; artwork by Rudy Villasenor, Betsy Brown and Maurjo Reser will be shown Jan. 2-15; and  hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; Gallery 23, Spanish Village Art Center, Balboa Park, 1770 Village Place, San Diego; 619-232-3522 or swartists.com.

Susan Street Fine Art ---- An exhibit of new abstract works by Jay McCafferty and Miguel Osuna runs Jan. 7-March 22; artists' reception, 6 to 8 p.m. Jan. 12; "Canvas and Cocktails" is on display; 200 N. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach; 858-793-4442.

TEMARE Exhibition ---- Artists Terry Anderson and Marlene Levitt, who exhibit collectively as TEMARE, are showing abstract work at Cafe Lily, 4045 Midland Road, Poway; 858-673-7791.

Twin Oaks Gallery ----  "Symphony of Color," paintings by Romanian post-impressionist artist Pavy Beloiu, is on display; "The QRt Show," an art exhibit featuring hundreds of portfolios by artists around the world whose work can be viewed via smartphone by scanning the QR codes on the walls, is on display; 757 Twin Oaks Valley Road, #3, San Marcos; 760-703-3889.

Two Spoons Coffee Shop ---- The shop celebrates the reopening of its gallery with an exhibit by nine local artists: Maura Dormer, Jaime Dreyfus, Michael Duke, Virginia Mathews, Eileen Sprague, Mary Ann Stabile, Emiko Ullom, Norman Wright and Helen Zahnle; an exhibit of artwork by Jaime Dreyfus runs through Monday; 3829 Plaza Drive, Suite 605, Oceanside; 760-724-1220.

University Art Gallery ---- "Arrhythmias of Counter-Production: Engaged Art in Argentina, 1995-2011," an exhibit of Argentinean political art, runs through Jan. 20; UC San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla; 858-822-7755.

Z Cafe ---- An exhibit of new work by Bob Abbot, Neill Ketchum and H. Esades-Lacy is on display; River Village center, 5256 S. Mission Road, Bonsall; 760-940-1751.

MUSEUMS

Agua Hedionda Lagoon Discovery Center ---- Includes information on the Indian peoples who lived here before European settlers arrived, and on the native wildlife and plants around the center; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 1580 Cannon Road, Carlsbad; free; 760-804-1969 or aguahedionda.org.

Air Group One, Commemorative Air Force, San Diego Wing ---- Dedicated to preserving World War II aircraft and educating the public about them. On display is an SNJ two-seat Navy trainer, and an L-5 Sentinel is being restored; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays; Hangar No. 6, Gillespie Field, 1905 N. Marshall, El Cajon; 619-259-5541 or cafairgroup1.org.

Antique Gas & Steam Engine Museum ---- More than 50 acres displaying exhibits on early California life and equipment, including a farmhouse, barns, engines, tractors and trucks; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; 2040 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista; $5, general; $4, seniors; $3, children; 760-941-1791 or agsem.com.

Bancroft Ranch House Museum ---- Historical 1863 home includes exhibits on American settlers to San Diego County, and the Indians who were here before; 1 to 4 p.m. Fridays-Sundays; 9050 Memory Lane, Spring Valley; free; 619-469-1480.

Barona Cultural Center & Museum ---- Dedicated to preserving the history, artifacts and language of the Kumeyaay/Diegueno people, and the Barona Band of Mission Indians in particular; noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 1095 Barona Road, Lakeside; free; 619-443-7003, ext. 2, or baronamuseum.org.

Birch Aquarium at Scripps ---- Scripps Institution of Oceanography operates this educational venue with exhibits that illustrate more than 60 marine environments; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 2300 Expedition Way, La Jolla; $14, general; $12, military with ID; $10, seniors (60+) and students with ID; $9.50, children 3 to 17; free, children 2 and under; free three-hour parking; 858-534-3474 or aquarium.ucsd.edu.

Bonita Museum & Cultural Center ---- The museum collects and displays artifacts related to the history of southern San Diego County; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays-Saturdays; 4355 Bonita Road, Bonita; 619-267-5141 or bonitamuseum.org.

Cabrillo National Monument ---- U.S. national park includes historical lighthouse, visitors center, whale-watching outlooks, tide pools, military history exhibit, bookstore and cliffside trail; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; $5 per carload; $3 for walk-ins/cyclists; western foot of Catalina Boulevard, Point Loma; www.nps.gov/cabr.

California Flight Museum ---- A half-dozen historical aircraft, from a World War II trainer through Cold War military aircraft up through of Dick Rutan's experimental Long Eze, are on display; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. Sundays ---- but call ahead just in case; 1424 Continental St., Hangar #8 (at Brown Field in South San Diego); 619-661-2516 or californiaflightmuseum.org.

California Surf Museum ---- "Hansen Surfboards ---- A 50-Year Retrospective," tracing the company and its founders' history through vintage boards, photos, advertisements and more, is on display; "Clay to Urethane: Skateboard Transitions 1965-1975" is open; permanent exhibits illustrate the history of surfing and the culture that grew up around the sport; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays-Wednesdays, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Thursdays; 312 Pier View Way, Oceanside; $3, general; $1, seniors and students; free, children 12 and under; Tuesdays free for all visitors; 760-721-6876 or surfmuseum.org.

Carlsbad Historical Society Museum ---- Interpretive historical displays, artifacts and self-guided tours of Shipley-Magee House and Barn; private tours with tea by reservation only; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays; Magee Park, 258 Beech St., Carlsbad; $2 donation; 760-434-9189 or carlsbadhistoricalsociety.com.

Chula Vista Nature Center ---- Plants and animals native to San Diego Bay and the Otay River are on display, with exhibits offering information on them; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 1000 Gunpowder Point Drive, Chula Vista; $11, general; $8, seniors, students with ID and youths 12-17; $6, children ages 4-11; free, children under 4; 619-409-5900 or chulavistanaturecenter.org.

Classic Rotors: The Rare & Vintage Rotorcraft Museum ---- More than 35 historical helicopters and rotorcraft; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; Ramona Airport, 2898 Montecito Road, Hangar "G" (please dial 760-650-9257 at the gate for access); 760-650-9257 or rotors.org.

Coronado Museum of Art and History ---- Museum exhibits photographs and artifacts detailing the history of the peninsula community; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays-Fridays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 1100 Orange Ave., Coronado; $4, general; $3, seniors and active military; $2, children; free, children 9 and under; 619-437-8788 or coronadohistory.org.

Encinitas Historical Society ---- City's original 1883 schoolhouse, the oldest building in Encinitas, houses exhibits, pictorial displays and archives describing the city's past, people and events; noon to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 390 W. F St., Encinitas; free; 760-942-9066 or encinitashistoricalsociety.com.

Escondido History Center ---- Historical exhibits, archives and buildings, including a vintage railroad car and a blacksmith shop; 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; Grape Day Park, 321 N. Broadway, Escondido; $3, adults; $1, children; 760-743-8207 or escondidohistory.org.

Fallbrook Gem and Mineral Society Museum ---- Collection of gems, fossils, minerals and fluorescent minerals; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays; 123 W. Alvarado St., Suite B, Fallbrook; free; 760-728-1130 or fgms.org.

Fallbrook Historical Museum ---- Museum documents and preserves Fallbrook history, including the century-old Pittenger House, home of William Pittenger, Civil War hero and Medal of Honor winner; historical displays and research materials; 1 to 4 p.m. Thursdays and Sundays; South Hill Street at Rocky Crest Road, Fallbrook; free; 760-723-4125 or fallbrookhistoricalsociety.com.

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum ---- The nation's only museum dedicated to Marine Corps aviation history features more than two dozen vintage and historically important planes, jet fighters and helicopters used by Marine pilots in combat from World Wars I and II through the ongoing war on terror, along with artifacts, photos and displays; 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays, except major holidays; Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, Miramar Road, 1.3 miles west of I-15, San Diego; free; 858-693-1723 or flyingleathernecks.org.

Gemological Institute of America Museum ---- Admission to GIA's museum and gemological exhibits is through reserved tours only (24 hours' notice required); contact GIA for available dates; photo identification required for entrance; 5345 Armada Drive, Carlsbad; free; 760-603-4000, ext. 4116, or guestservices@gia.edu.

Heritage of the Americas Museum ---- The museum traces the prehistoric and historical art, culture and natural history of the Americas, with wings devoted to natural history, archaeology, anthropology, art and education; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, noon to 4 p.m. Saturdays; Cuyamaca College, 12110 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon; $3, general; $2, seniors; free, 17 and under; 619-670-5194 or cuyamaca.edu/museum.

Japanese Friendship Garden ---- The garden features a plaza, viewing deck, koi pond and tea pavilion; winter hours: 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; Balboa Park, 2215 Pan American Road, San Diego; $4, general; $2.50, seniors, students and military with ID; free, children under 6; 619-232-2721 or niwa.org.

Julian Pioneer Museum ---- The museum offers displays of artifacts from the Kumeyaay Indian, pioneer and Julian gold-rush eras; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; $2, adults; $1, children 8-18; 2811 Washington St., Julian; 760-765-0227.

The Knox House Museum ---- Historical structure has exhibits tracing life in San Diego County from the end of the Civil War through the early 20th century, with a focus on settlers in El Cajon; 12:15 to 3:15 p.m. the first Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. the third Saturday; 280 N. Magnolia Avenue, El Cajon; free; 619-444-3800 or elcajonhistory.org.

Kumeyaay-Ipai Interpretive Center at Pauwai ---- This 5-acre archaeological site operated by Poway, Friends of the Kumeyaay and San Pasqual Band of Indians includes an Indian interpretive center with exhibits, a re-creation of a Kumeyaay hut ("ewaa"), native gardens and archaeological ruins; tours are offered during park hours, 9 to 11:30 a.m. Saturdays; 13104 Ipai Waaypuk Trail (formerly Silverlake Drive), Poway; free; 858-668-1292 or poway.org/kiic.

The La Jolla Map and Atlas Museum ---- Comprehensive collection of maps from the 1400s to the mid-20th century; call for hours; 7825 Fay Ave., Suite LL-A, La Jolla; free; mamlj.org.

The La Mesa Depot ---- The only surviving depot from the San Diego and Cuyamaca Railway, the 1894 building is operated as a museum by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum; exhibits include a 1923 steam switcher; 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 4695 Nebo Drive, La Mesa; free; 619-478-9937 or sdrm.org/la-mesa.

Leo Carrillo Ranch ---- Authentic Western-style rancho, barn and gardens filled with film memorabilia, antiques and Old West/Americana items once owned by Carrillo, who starred in a series of Western serials and films before his death in 1961; the ranch is registered as a California Historic Landmark; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays; tours offered 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturdays; noon and 2 p.m. Sundays; 6200 Flying LC Lane, Carlsbad; free; 760-476-1042 or carrillo-ranch.org.

Lux Art Institute ---- Showcases the work of artists in residence, arts education and site-specific installations; Brooklyn painter Emilio Perez, who creates textured canvases with latex and acrylic paints and a knife, is in residence through Dec. 10; his work will remain on view until Dec. 31; 1 to 5 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays; 1550 S. El Camino Real, Encinitas; $5 adults over 21, good for two visits during same residency; free to 20 and under; 760-436-6611 or luxartinstitute.org.

The Marine Corps Mechanized Command Museum ---- Devoted to preserving and exhibiting combat and support vehicles used by the Marines from World War II to the present; tours available by reservation only ---- send requests to Commanding Officer, history museums, HQ SPT BN, Box 555031, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, CA 92055-5031 or fax to 760-725-5727, Attn: History & Museums.

Maritime Museum of San Diego ---- Permanent exhibits include the historical 19th-century tall ship the Star of India; the turn-of-the-century ferry Berkeley; a Cold War-era Soviet Foxtrot-class attack submarine; and the 1968 U.S. research submarine the USS Dolphin, which holds the record for the deepest submarine dive; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily; 1492 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego; $12, general; $10, juniors (13-17), seniors and active military; $7, children (6-12); free, children 5 and under; 619-234-9153 or sdmaritime.org.

The Marston House Museum & Gardens ---- This classic 1906 Arts and Crafts house was designed by renowned local architects William Hebbard and Irving Gill. It sits on 5 acres with a formal English Romantic-style garden, period furnishings, pottery and an American Indian basketry collection; museum also hosts a gift shop hosted by Save Our Heritage Organization; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays-Mondays; Balboa Park, 3525 Seventh Ave., San Diego; $10, general; $7, seniors (55 and over); $4, children ages 6 to 12, free, children 5 and under; guided tours available at additional cost; 619-297-9327 or marstonhouse.org.

McKinney House and Museum ---- Illustrates early 20th-century life in San Diego County, with exhibits housed in a 1908 home; 1 to 4 p.m. first and third Saturdays of each month; 8369 University Ave., La Mesa; free; 619-466-0197 or lamesahistoricalsociety.com.

MCRD Command Museum ---- Exhibits trace the history of the U.S. Marine Corps Recruit Depot and the Marines in the San Diego region; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays-Wednesdays, and Fridays and Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Thursdays; 1600 Henderson Ave., Marine Corps Recruit Depot (enter Gate 5), San Diego; free; photo ID and proof of insurance are required to enter the base and vehicles are subject to search; 619-524-8431 or mcrdmuseumhistoricalsociety.org.

Mingei International Museum ---- "San Diego's Craft Revolution: From Post-War Modern to California Design" is open; "Maneki Neko: Japan's Beckoning Cats" runs through Jan. 15; "Bold Expressions: African American Quilts From the Collection of Corrine Riley" is open; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; Balboa Park, 1439 El Prado, San Diego; $7, general; $5, seniors; $4 military, college students with ID and children 6 to 17; free, children 5 and under; 619-239-0003 or mingei.org.

Miniature Engineering Craftsmanship Museum ---- The museum honors the work of some of the world's finest craftsmen in miniature. Over 300 displays include running model steam, gas, Stirling and other types of engines, miniature tools and guns, model aircraft, trains, cars and construction equipment, clocks and collections of vintage model airplane engines and tabletop machine tools. A working machine shop offers demonstrations on how metal is cut to make precision projects; huors, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; closed holidays; 3190 Lionshead Ave., Carlsbad; free; 760-727-9492 or craftsmanshipmuseum.com.

Mission San Diego de Alcala ---- The first of the California missions features self-guided tours and historical exhibits; docent-led tours by reservation only; 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. daily; 10818 San Diego Mission Road, San Diego; $3, general; $2, seniors and students; $1, children 12 and under; 619-281-8449 or missionsandiego.com.

Mission San Luis Rey ---- The largest of the California missions features self-guided tours, displays and educational programs; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; 4050 Mission Ave., Oceanside; $6, adults; $5, active duty military and seniors (65 and older); $4, students, $25, family rate; free, children 5 and under; 760-757-3651, ext. 115, or sanluisrey.org.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Downtown ---- "Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface," an in-depth look at 13 artists working in L.A. in the 1960s and '70s, runs  through Jan. 22; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. third Thursday of each month; 1001 and 1100 Kettner Blvd., San Diego; $10, adults 26 and over; $5, seniors; free, active-duty military and immediate families, and 25 and under; free admission after 5 p.m. on the third Thursday; 858-454-3541 or mcasd.org.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, La Jolla ---- "Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface," an in-depth look at 13 artists working in L.A. in the 1960s and '70s, runs through Jan. 22; 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Tuesdays; closed Wednesdays; extended hours until 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month; 700 Prospect St., La Jolla; $10 adults 26 and over; $5, seniors; free, active-duty military and immediate families, and 25 and under; free admission after 5 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month; 858-454-3541 or mcasd.org.

Museum of Making Music ---- The museum celebrates the innovations that changed the face of American popular music and music-making from the 1890s to the present and features 500 vintage instruments, hundreds of audio and video examples and an interactive stage; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad; $8, general; $5, students, seniors and active military; free, children 5 and under; 760-438-5996 or museumofmakingmusic.org.

Museum of Photographic Arts ---- "Imagine That! Photographing an Invisible World" runs through Jan. 29; permanent collection takes in all forms of photography; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; Casa de Balboa Building, Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego; $6, general; $4, seniors, students and military; free, children under 12 with an adult; 619-238-7559 or mopa.org.

National City Depot ---- Historical depot built in 1882 for the California Southern Railway has been restored and houses exhibits on early rail in San Diego County; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays; 922 West 23rd St., National City; free; 619-474-4400 or sdera.org/depot.shtml.

The New Children's Museum ---- The children's holiday craft workshop "Pocket Presents" takes place daily through Dec. 24; "Trash," an educational exhibit featuring recycled artworks by 12 international artists, is open; the museum provides dynamic, playful and hands-on exhibits and studios, along with art classes and other fun activities for children and families; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays; 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; $10, adults and children; $5, seniors and active-duty military with ID; free, children under 1; free admission for all second Sunday of each month, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; 200 W. Island Ave., San Diego; 619-233-8792 and thinkplaycreate.org.

Oceanside Heritage Village Park and Museum ---- Historical Oceanside buildings and grounds on display, including the original Blade newspaper office; free; 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays; 220 Peyri Drive, Oceanside; 760-433-8297.

Oceanside Historical Society ---- Historical exhibits and archives; 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 305 N. Nevada St., Oceanside; free; 760-722-4786 or oceansidehistoricalsociety.org.

Oceanside Museum of Art ---- "The Point of View: William Glen Crooks" runs through April 22; "We Can Work It Out: Becky Guttin," through Jan. 5; "It's Not My Fault: The Art of Everett Peck," through Jan. 29; "A Matter of Space: Cathy Breslaw," through Feb. 12; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays; 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside; $8, general; $5, seniors; free, students with ID and military with ID, and their dependents; 760-435-3720 or oma-online.org.

Olaf Wieghorst Museum and Western Heritage Center ---- Celebrates the works of Western artist Olaf Wieghorst; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays; 131 Rea Ave., El Cajon; free; 619-590-3431 or wieghorstmuseum.org.

Old Poway Park ---- Exhibits include the Heritage Museum, the early 20th-century Nelson House, and a still-operating 1907 Baldwin steam engine; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sundays (closed second Sunday of every month); 14134 Midland Road, Poway; free entrance, small fee for riding rail exhibits; poway.org/Index.aspx?page=110 or 858-668-4577.

Old Town San Diego State Historic Park ---- San Diego's original downtown square from the late 1800s; exhibits include La Casa de Estudillo (a mansion built around a garden courtyard), La Casa de Machado y Stewart, the Mason Street School (California's first public schoolhouse), La Casa de Machado y Silvas, the San Diego Union Printing Office, the Seeley Stables Museum, a working blacksmith shop (limited hours) and the first brick courthouse; 4002 Wallace St., San Diego; free; 619-220-5422 or parks.ca.gov/?page_id=663.

Pacific Southwest Railway Museum ---- Dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of railroads in the Pacific Southwest; rides on antique trains offered select weekends ---- check schedule on the website; State Highway 94 and Forrest Gate Road, Campo; 619-478-9937 or sdrm.org.

The Parsonage Museum ---- 1897 home preserves artifacts from American settlers of the Lemon Grove area; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays; 3200 Main St., Lemon Grove; $2, adults; $1, children; 619-460-4353 or lemongrovehistoricalsociety.com.

Rancho Bernardo Historical Society Museum ---- Housed in the Bernardo Winery, the museum preserves artifacts and other items detailing the community's history; 9 a.m. to noon Tuesdays; 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fridays; noon to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; Bernardo Winery, 13330 Paseo Del Verano Norte, Rancho Bernardo; 858-775-5788 or rbhistoricalsociety.org.

Rancho Buena Vista Adobe ---- This 11-room 19th-century adobe ranch house features turn-of-the-century antiques, landscaped gardens, art gallery and gift store; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; docent-led tours 10 a.m.-2:15 p.m. Thursdays and Fridays, and 10 a.m. Saturdays; 640 Alta Vista Drive, Vista; $4, adults; $1, students; 50 cents, children; 760-639-6164.

Rancho Guajome Adobe ---- Restored historical 22-room adobe ranch house and its gardens; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; docent-led tours 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays unless raining; 2210 N. Santa Fe Ave., Vista; $3; 760-724-4082.

Reuben H. Fleet Science Center ---- The IMAX Space Theater is showing "Santa vs. the Snowman," "Born to be Wild," "Tornado Alley," "Africa: The Serengeti" and "Grand Canyon Adventure"; new exhibits are "Geometry Playground," an interactive exhibit that makes math fun; family-friendly activities at the Exploration Bar from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays; opens at 10 a.m. daily; closing hours vary; Balboa Park, 1875 El Prado, San Diego; $10, general; $8.75, seniors and children 3-12; admission plus one IMAX film: $14.50, adults; $11.75, seniors and children 3 to 12; admission plus two IMAX films: $19.50, adults; $16.75, seniors and children 3 to 12; rhfleet.org or 619-238-1233.

San Diego Air & Space Museum ---- Exhibits include many historical aircraft and reproductions, from the Wright Brothers through the manned lunar missions to the present; admission includes admission to the 3-D/4-D Zable Theater; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; Balboa Park, 2001 Pan American Plaza, San Diego; $16.50, general; $13.50, seniors, students and retired military with ID; $6, children 3-11; free, children 2 and under and active military with ID; simulator rides are extra; behind-the-scenes restoration tours are available for additional fee; 619-234-8291 or sandiegoairandspace.org.

San Diego Archaeological Center ---- Exhibits detail the last 10,000 years of the region's past through use of local artifacts; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays; 16666 San Pasqual Valley Road, San Pasqual Valley; free; 760-291-0370 or sandiegoarchaeology.org.

San Diego Automotive Museum ---- Museum traces the history of the automobile; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; Balboa Park, 2080 Pan American Plaza, San Diego; $8, general; $6, seniors and military; $5, students with ID; $4, children 6 to 15; free, children under 6; 619-231-2886 or sdautomuseum.org.

San Diego Botanic Garden ---- The garden contains plants from around the world, including the largest bamboo collection in the United States; 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; 230 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas; $12, general; $8, seniors, students and active-duty military; $6, children 3-12; free, children 2 and under; 760-436-3036 or sdbgarden.org.

San Diego Children's Discovery Museum ---- The former Escondido Children's Museum features numerous hands-on exhibits to help children learn about science, local history and the arts; "Second Saturday" family days every month; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; Studio 1, California Center for the Arts, Escondido, 380 N. Escondido Blvd., Escondido; $5, adults and children; free, infants 1 and under; 760-233-7755 or sdcdm.org.

San Diego Chinese Historical Museum ---- "Speak of Good Things: Nianhua and Chinese Folk Tradition," a traveling exhibit of Asian folk art, opens Jan. 22; reception, 2 to 4 p.m. Jan. 22; The museum collects, preserves and shares the Chinese-American experience and Chinese history, culture and art; 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays; group tours available upon request; 404 Third Ave., San Diego; $2, adults; free, children 12 and under; 619-338-9888 or sdchm.org.

San Diego Hall of Champions ---- The museum documents the teams and individuals who have shaped San Diego's sports landscape, from prep stars to the numerous professional clubs that have called the area home; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; Balboa Park, 2131 Pan American Plaza, San Diego; $8, general; $6, seniors, military and students; $4, children 7-17; free, children 6 and under; 619-234-2544 or sdhoc.com.

San Diego History Center ---- The museum exhibits artifacts from the region's past; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; Casa de Balboa Building, Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego; $5, general; $4, seniors and military; $2, students; free, children under 6; 619-232-6203 or sandiegohistory.org.

San Diego Model Railroad Museum ---- The museum's 27,000-square-foot layout is the largest indoor model railroad display in North America; permanent exhibits include five working model railroads, including HO-scale, N-scale, and Lionel and O-gauge trains; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Fridays, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; Balboa Park, 1649 El Prado, San Diego; $7, general; $6, seniors; $3, students with ID; $2.50, active-duty military with ID; free, children under 15 with paid adult; 619-696-0199 or sdmodelrailroadm.com.

San Diego Museum of Art ---- The museum's permanent holdings include a collection of Italian Renaissance, Dutch and Spanish Old Masters; Asian art, South Asian paintings, as well as comprehensive examples of American art, 19th-century European paintings and 20th-century paintings and sculpture; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; noon to 5 p.m. Sundays; Balboa Park, 1450 El Prado, San Diego; $12, general; $9, seniors and active-duty military; $8, students with ID; $4.50, children 6 to 17; free, children 5 and under; 619-232-7931 or sdmart.org.

San Diego Museum of Man ---- "Modern Day Mummy: The Art & Science of Mummification" runs through March 4; anthropology and archaeology museum, with an emphasis on San Diego County and Southern California, plus ancient Egypt; the Children's Discovery Center includes a 1,350-square-foot interactive gallery that depicts life in ancient Egypt; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily; California Building, Balboa Park, 1350 El Prado, San Diego; $12.50, general; $10, seniors and active-duty military with ID; $8, youth (ages 13-17) and students with ID; $5, children ages 3 to 12; free, children 2 and under; 619-239-2001 or museumofman.org.

San Diego Natural History Museum ---- "Best of Nature" photography show runs Jan. 10-May 31; opening reception, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 21; "Skulls," a new permanent exhibition of more than 200 animals skulls from tiny snakes to a giraffe and rhinoceros, is open; "Ends of the Earth: From Polar Bears to Penguins," an exhibit about the fragile balance of life on the polar ice caps, "Working on Thin Ice: 25 Years of Research in Antarctica" and "All that Glitters: The Splendor and Science of Gems and Minerals" run through April 2012; playing on large-format screen: "Dinosaurs 3D: Giants of Patagonia," "Ocean Oasis" and "Inner Earth 3D"; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (open until 8 p.m. Thursdays, except holidays); hours vary weekly, call to confirm; 1788 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego; $17, general; $15, seniors; $12, military, youth (13-17) and students with ID; $11, children ages 3 to 12; free, children 2 and under; sdnat.org or 619-232-3821.

San Dieguito Heritage Museum ---- A new exhibit that re-creates a 1920s-1940s-style barber shop is open; permanent exhibits on local history, from American Indians through early settlers to modern surfing culture; the new "Families Make History" program offers free hands-on activities from 1 to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; hours, noon to 4 p.m. Thursdays-Sundays; 450 Quail Gardens Drive, Encinitas; $4, general; $2 seniors and students, free for young children, active military and members, 760-632-9711 or sdheritage.org.

San Marcos Historical Society Museum ---- Hours, noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays (closed on christmas flowers argentina and New Year's Day) and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 9; San Marcos Historical Society Museum, Walnut Grove Park, 1952 Sycamore Drive, San Marcos; 760-744-9025.

San Pasqual Battlefield State Historic Park ---- Commemorates the soldiers on both sides of the 1846 battle during the Mexican-American War; exhibits include uniforms, weapons and equipment; 15808 San Pasqual Valley Road, Escondido; 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; 760-737-2201 or www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=655.

Santa Margarita y Las Flores Ranch House Complex ---- Located on Camp Pendleton, this complex includes the Ranch House (1827), the home of Pio Pico, last Mexican governor of Alta California, as well as the Ranch House Chapel (1810) and the Bunkhouse Museum; tours available by reservation only, from September through May ---- call 760-725-3146.

Serra Museum ---- The Serra Museum sits on the site of the original San Diego mission set up by the Spanish priests before they moved to the current Mission Valley location, and documents the early history of European settlement in San Diego County; operated by the San Diego Historical Society; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays; Presidio Park, 2727 Presidio Drive, Old Town San Diego; $5, general; $4, seniors and active-duty military and students with ID; $2, children 6 to 17; free, children under 6; 619-297-3258 or sandiegohistory.org.

Sikes Adobe Historic Farmstead ---- Preserves artifacts of the lives of those who settled in the county shortly after statehood; summer hours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; winter hours (after Labor Day); 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sundays; 12655 Sunset Drive, Escondido; $3; 760-432-8318 or www.sdrp.org/projects/sikes.htm.

Timken Museum of Art ---- The permanent collection is primarily Dutch, Flemish, French and Italian painters, including Rembrandt, Rubens, Petrus Christus, Fragonard, Jacques-Louis David and Veronese, as well as American artists such as John Singleton Copley and Eastman Johnson; and Russian icons; 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. Sundays; Balboa Park, 1500 El Prado, San Diego; free; 619-239-5548 or timkenmuseum.org.

USS Midway Museum ---- Floating aircraft carrier museum educates the public on the history of these "floating cities," with tours of the flight, hangar and mess decks; pilot house; navigation bridge; and much more; Navy jet simulator rides available for additional charge; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; aboard the USS Midway, 910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego; $18, general; $15, seniors 62 and up, college students with ID; $10, retired military with ID and children 6 to 17; free, active-duty military and reservists with ID and children under 6; 619-544-9600 or midway.org.

Valley Center History Museum ---- Town history, American Indian artifacts, historical documents, tributes to the original American settlers, visiting celebrities and more are on exhibit; the museum's centerpiece is a stuffed 8-foot, 1,200-pound California grizzly bear, recalling the days when the village was known as Bear Valley; 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 29200 Cole Grade Road, Valley Center; free; 760-749-2993 or valleycenterhistory.org.

Veterans Museum & Memorial ---- The museum honors the service and sacrifice of San Diego County military veterans with exhibits, service programs and outreach; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Sundays; 2115 Park Blvd., Balboa Park, San Diego; $5, general; $4, veterans and seniors; $2, students with ID; free, children under 12 and active-duty military and dependents with ID; 619-239-2300 or veteranmuseum.org.

Vista Historical Society Museum ----- The museum, housed in the 1934 two-story Rancho Minerva, exhibits early Vista memorabilia, artworks and photographs of the historical home; 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesdays-Fridays, and the first two Saturdays of each month; 2317 Old Foothill Drive, Vista; 760-630-0444 or vhsm.org.

The Water Conservation Garden ---- Botanical park illustrates how native and other plants are able to thrive on only small amounts of water; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily; Cuyamaca College, 12122 Cuyamaca College Drive West, El Cajon; free; 619-660-0614 or thegarden.org.

Whaley House Museum ---- The Whaley House was built by San Diego pioneer Thomas Whaley in 1857 for his family and general store, and is operated by the Save Our Heritage Organization; the museum is widely rumored to be haunted, and is open several evenings a week; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays-Tuesdays, 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursdays-Saturdays; 2476 San Diego Ave., Old Town San Diego; before 5 p.m. admission: $6, general; $5, seniors; $4, children 3-12, free, children 2 and under; after 5 p.m.: $10, adults; $5, children 3-12; free, children 2 and under; 619-297-7511 or whaleyhouse.org.

Women's Museum of California ---- An exhibit of photographs by American Indian women artists is on display through Dec. 15; The museum features archives and exhibits on important women in world history; noon to 4 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; 2323 Broadway, Suite 107, San Diego; $5, general; $3, seniors and students; 619-233-7963 or whmec.org.

Guy B. Woodward Museum ---- The museum focuses on early Western history, specifically that of the Ramona area ---- exhibits include turn-of-the-century furniture, a collection of women's clothing and accessories, a cowboy bunkhouse and the Casey Tibbs Memorial exhibit; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday-Sundays; 645 Main St., Ramona; $3, adults; 50 cents, children; 760-789-7644 or woodwardmuseum.org.

The World War II and Korea LVT Exhibit ---- Vintage amphibious tracked vehicles, related artifacts and informational displays on landing craft used by the Marines in those two wars; located on Camp Pendleton ---- tours available by reservation only; call 760-725-2195 christmas flowers argentina blogs
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