UKIAH, Calif. — The Mendocino College Art Gallery is honored to present “Urban Introversions: Master Works by Yu Ji,” an exhibition of large-scale drawings, paintings, and prints by internationally recognized academic realist Yu Ji. 

The exhibition runs through Oct. 26, with an opening reception on Thursday, Sept. 4, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The public is warmly invited to attend.

Yu Ji’s meticulous multi-figure compositions emerge from decades of drawing from life. Working in charcoal and oil, his works translate spontaneous urban sketchbook studies into introspective, layered studio paintings. 

Each piece presents an inner world of solitary figures, often set in shared public spaces yet emotionally distant — meditations on individuality, cultural identity, and urban experience.

Born in China, Yu Ji earned his BFA from the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing before immigrating to the United States during the Open Door Policy era. He went on to complete dual MFA degrees in Painting (1986) and Printmaking (1989) at SUNY New Paltz. 

His early practice in New York was shaped by constant observational drawing in public spaces such as Washington Square Park, where he captured the human landscape of American life through fresh eyes. 

In 1999, he relocated to Los Angeles, where the color and character of Southern California’s urban life reshaped his palette and compositional language.

“Many of Yu Ji’s paintings have a pensive interiority, with languid figures who, though placed together, often appear absorbed in their own thoughts … These invented compositions utilize complex spatial overlapping, including exquisitely subtle scale shifts,” said Jonathan Puls, professor of art and chair, Department of Art, Biola University.

The exhibition is curated by Jazzminh Moore, gallery director at Mendocino College, who first met Yu Ji as a student in 2001 during a workshop at the Academy of Realist Art (now Gage Academy) in Seattle. Her personal journey — from student to mentee to colleague — adds a deeply resonant context to the show.

“Yu Ji is a true master. That week working with him in Seattle changed my life. I uprooted and moved to Long Beach just to study with him. His teaching clarified everything for me—from the structure of shadow edges to the precision of color mixing. I’m beyond honored to now be presenting his work to our students and community,” said Moore.

Also featured in the exhibition is “Lost in Transection,” a collaborative video installation by Joe Ren, assistant professor of Digital Media at California State University, Bakersfield. 

Ren’s work merges Yu Ji’s figurative imagery with contemporary symbols of American urban culture, creating a hybrid visual dialogue between drawing, print, and video.

Urban Introversions offers a rare opportunity to experience the work of a modern master whose commitment to observation, formal discipline and quiet intensity sets him apart in the contemporary art landscape.

The Mendocino College Art Gallery is located at 1000 Hensley Creek Road, Ukiah. Gallery hours are 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Tuesdays, 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Wednesdays, and by appointment.

Admission is free and open to the public.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The historic Soper Reese Theatre is pleased to announce the return of a cherished tradition: Spanish-language films will once again grace the screen on the first Sunday of each month. 

These events are presented in coordination with Latinos United of Lake County.

Starting Sunday, Sept. 7, the Soper Reese Theatre will showcase a carefully curated selection of Spanish language films, celebrating the rich and diverse cinematic heritage of the Spanish-speaking world. 

The screenings will take place at 3 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month.

From children’s classics to contemporary gems, each screening will offer a unique experience for film enthusiasts of all ages.

“We are delighted to revive this tradition and provide a platform for Spanish-language cinema,” said Lake County Arts Council Executive Director Barbara Clark. “Our goal is to foster a deeper appreciation for the art of filmmaking and to celebrate the vibrant cultures represented in these films.”

The first feature of the series will be “Condorito: The Movie.”

With help from his nephew, a condor embarks on an epic adventure to save his future mother-in-law and Earth from an alien king.

Admission is free, but donations are accepted.

For more information, please contact the Soper Reese Main Office at 707-263-0577 or visit https://soperreesetheatre.com/. 

Getting ready for the 2025-2026 television season, the FOX network, just like its competitors, touts whatever demographic category gives them a boost. 

For the current season, FOX boasts of ranking as number one among the coveted Adults 18-19 class.
   
The network is adding six new series to its schedule, including a new one-hour comedy, a new dramatic thriller, an epic new scripted event series, and new unscripted competition series, as well as the return of an “Animation Domination” favorite.
   
Inspired by an award-winning Belgian film “La Memoire Du Tueur,” the dramatic thriller “Memory of a Killer” is about a hitman who develops early onset dementia. Losing your memory is a blow for anyone but for Angelo Ledda (Patrick Dempsey), where the stakes couldn’t be higher.
   
Angelo’s hit man job would be perilous enough, but there’s added pressure. He lives two totally separate lives – fearsome New York City assassin and sleepy upstate Cooperstown photocopier salesman and father.
   
Having built and maintained a brick wall between two worlds, Angelo has seamlessly juggled for years, but now that’s all about to change. Alzheimer’s disease is a foe he can’t outrun, and with the condition running in his family, he knows too well how this ends.
   
Despite being resourceful, Angelo is tested when he discovers that his wife’s recent death may not have been an accident. When someone comes after his pregnant daughter, it’s clear the wall between his lives has been breached.
   
Angelo must stop whoever is coming for his family by searching his past hits for clues, and the list is very long. He must hunt down a mortal enemy while continuing to carry out hits without giving away his diagnosis.
   
“Memory of a Killer” is a redemptive story about a man who is losing his memory but gaining a conscience. Because Angelo knows he must stop history from repeating itself and save his family.
   
Starring multiple Emmy Award nominee Josh Charles (“The Good Wife”), new series “Best Medicine” is a charmingly complicated one-hour comedy based on the critically acclaimed beloved global hit “Doc Martin,” a long-running British medical comedy-drama which may be found on Prime Video or Acorn TV.
   
The series centers on Martin Best (Charles), a brilliant surgeon who abruptly leaves his illustrious career in Boston to become the general practitioner in a quaint East Coast fishing village where he spent summers as a child.
   
Unfortunately, Martin’s blunt and borderline rude bedside manner rubs the quirky, needy locals the wrong way, and he quickly alienates the town, even though he’s all they’ve got.
   
Martin is really desperate to be left alone, but he keeps getting dragged right smack into the middle of the townsfolk’s chaos, feuds and fantasies. What the locals don’t know is that his terse demeanor masks a debilitating new phobia and deep-seated psychological issues.
   
During Easter and Passover season next year, six-episode limited series “The Faithful” is based on The Old Testament’s Book of Genesis and told through the eyes of the courageous and passionate women whose descendants would shape the faiths of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
   
Dimensional, dramatic, intimate, even shocking, “The Faithful” is about discovering and losing love, the challenges of marriage, the joys and heartbreak of children, confronting temptation, and finding faith.
   
The episodes will be told through the lens of five of The Bible’s most legendary women: Sarah and her former slave Hagar, Sarah’s great-niece Rebekah, and Rebekah’s nieces, sisters Leah and Rachel.
  
“99 to Beat,” an unscripted series hosted by comedian Ken Jeong and sportscaster Erin Andrews, is apparently patterned after similarly-titled competition shows telecast in European nations.
   
One hundred contestants go head-to-head in a range of visually distinctive and hilarious games in an arced competition game show like never seen before. 
   
“99 to Beat” is the game show anyone can win, and there’s only one thing players must do for a chance of walking away with the cast prize – don’t come in last place.
   
As contestants battle it out against each other, each round will see the number of players whittled down until only one person is left standing and they take home the top prize of $100,000.
   
The hit Emmy Award-nominated “Weakest Link,” hosted by Jane Lynch, returns for a new season with an all-celebrity edition, a rapid-fire quiz show in which eight celebrities compete to win up to one million dollars for the charity of their choosing.
   
In “Celebrity Weakest Link,” the celebrities will answer general knowledge questions and bank money as a group across multiple rounds. At the end of each round, the contestants vote out who they perceive to be the weakest link.

The host sends off the person voted out with the phrase, “You are the weakest link. Goodbye.” The two who make it to the final round will battle it out to determine who wins the banked money for their charity.
   
Seth MacFarlane’s classic “American Dad!” returns next year in the “Animation Domination” lineup. The animated series focuses on super patriotic CIA agent Stan Smith and the misadventures of his unconventional family.

Tim Riley writes film and television reviews for Lake County News.

LAKEPORT, Calif. — Acclaimed New York City pianist and accordionist Ben Rosenblum returns to the Soper Reese Theatre for his 10th appearance on Saturday, Sept. 13, at 7 p.m.

This time, Rosenblum introduces his brand-new Brazilian Quartet, featuring seven-string guitarist Cesar Garabini, bassist Eduardo Belo and drummer Ben Zweig.

The quartet will take audiences on a journey through the rich traditions of Brazilian music — samba, bossa nova, choro, forró, MPB, and Afro-Brazilian rhythms—blended with Rosenblum’s award-winning original compositions.

Reserved seating: $28 lower section (tables), $24 center loge (first 4 rows), $21 rear center and side loges. 

Tickets are available at www.soperreesetheatre.com. 

LAKEPORT, Calif. — The Soper Reese Theatre will host the premiere of the director’s cut of “Xabatin: Big Lake, Big Science,” on Friday, Sept. 12.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the film starting at 7 p.m.

Admission is donate-what-you-can with open seating.

This engaging new documentary offers a comprehensive look at Clear Lake, blending expert interviews, scientific findings and community stories with stunning visuals of California’s largest natural lake. 

The film highlights both the ecological significance and cultural heritage of the lake, offering audiences an evening that is both informative and visually inspiring.

For more information and tickets, visit the Soper Reese website.

UKIAH, Calif. — At 2 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at the Mendocino College Center Theatre, the Ukiah Community Concert Series will kick off its 78th season with New York City-based Horszowski Trio, described by the New Yorker as “the most compelling American group to come on the scene.” 

Giving performances that are “lithe, persuasive” (The New York Times), “eloquent and enthralling” (The Boston Globe), the Horszowski Trio has quickly become a vital force in the international chamber music world since their formation in 2011.

In 2019, the Horszowski Trio made its London debut in a sold-out concert presented by Wigmore Hall. 

Their success has led into a 21-concert-tour in Germany in 2022, and they were acclaimed by major critics: "This ensemble can play anything."; "With all the intensity of the expression that the three musicians achieve, they play in a finely tuned manner, span gripping musical arcs, work out surprising details, amaze with their interpretive imagination and stylistically confident sensitivity.”

The Horszowski Trio has appeared at major venues in the U.S., including New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, as well as Mexico, Canada, Japan, and throughout Europe and Asia. 

Their recording of the complete piano trios of Robert Schumann on AVIE Records received tremendous acclaim: “great care and affection” (BBC Radio); “intoxicating” (Gramophone); “exciting and deeply felt” (Strings); “fresh, supple and fantastic” (The Strad).

The Trio takes its inspiration from the musicianship, integrity, and humanity of the pre-eminent pianist Mieczysław Horszowski (1892–1993); the ensemble’s pianist, Rieko Aizawa, was Horszowski’s last pupil at the Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Described as “power players” by the Los Angeles Times, the Horszowski Trio’s repertoire includes works by many of the composers with whom Mr. Horszowski had personal interaction, including Gabriel Fauré, Enrique Granados, Bohuslav Martinů, Maurice Ravel, Camille Saint-Saëns and Heitor Villa-Lobos.

The Horszowski Trio is based in New York City. It is Ensemble-in-Residence at the Longy School of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and of the Leschetizky Association in New York City.

Tickets in advance are $35, available at Mendocino Book Company in Ukiah, Mazahar in Willits, and online at ukiahconcerts.org. They are available at the door for $40. 

Free concert tickets are offered to high school students, younger children when accompanied by an adult, and full-time college students enrolled in 12 or more units. Please call 707-463-2738 to reserve a free ticket.