BJ Robinson: In this edition of "KPBS Arts," we'll hit the high notes with a San Diego opera singer.

Candace Bogan: Opera has a very long history.

I feel like it's the most complicated yet fulfilling way of singing.

BJ: Sculpture and Motown converge in a new art space.

Carl Goines: Our mission is really provide space for artists, to support the arts in a way that they can be shared, educational arts programming, opportunities to exhibit.

BJ: A special place where creativity is front and center.

Kim Rinehart: Everybody has a need and a want, even if they don't realize it, to create and to make art and it enhances, you know, the individuals' lives and I think it's just an outlet to just be who you are.

BJ: And an exploration of masculinity and vulnerability through an artist's drawings.

Abel Alejandre: I draw, I paint, I've done some sculpture, some film work, and some performance work, and that's why I prefer going by "artist," because it gives me the freedom to basically do whatever I want.

BJ: It's all ahead on this edition of "KPBS Arts."

♪♪♪ BJ: Hi, I'm BJ Robinson, and this is "KPBS Arts," the show that explores art of all kinds.

She has a doctorate in musical arts and a soaring soprano voice.

San Diego singer Candace Bogan performs in many genres, but she loves opera the most.

Candace tells us how she took her singing to stunning new heights.

Candace: Opera has a very long history.

I feel like it's the most complicated yet fulfilling way of singing.

So even though I've sung other genres like gospel and R&B and soul and country and rock, something about opera makes me work hard.

♪♪♪ Candace: I was born in Charleston, South Carolina.

I'm from a military family.

I had been singing in many church choirs so I grew up in a singing family.

I wanted to expand my ability to sing but I didn't know how and I met a lady named Eileen Moss, who was a retired Metropolitan Opera singer.

She lives here in San Diego.

She offered to give me singing lessons so that I can learn how to study music even more.

At the time I wasn't ready.

I had to go through a process where my voice was actually taken away from me for some time.

I had TMJ, it's called temporomandibular jaw disorder and, during that time, when I couldn't sing I started to appreciate music even more.

This lasted for about six to eight months and I prayed to God.

I was like, "If you give me my voice back, I'll sing anything.

I'll sing country, I'll be a mariachi, I don't care what kind of music it is," and when I was healed, miraculously I believe by God, I gave Eileen Moss a call and I said, "Can you teach me how to sing opera?"

♪♪♪ Candace: Learning opera meant that I needed to learn how to read music very well, which is something I didn't have training in, coming from a gospel background.

We don't usually need to learn how to read music.

We learn everything by rote, meaning someone sings it to you or you listen to it and you sing it right back.

I also needed to study languages: Italian, French.

German isn't Latin but I needed to learn it anyway, and then there was a time when I needed to perform a Russian opera, so you get really used to singing in other people's languages and you really have to have a heart for learning about other cultures and other people and how they would like to say something.

I have a doctorate of musical arts from Claremont Graduate University, and I love learning.

And when I found that there was a degree in my field of music performance and vocal arts where I could learn even more about my own craft and how to perfect it, that was when I decided I need to go to school and continue this.

The opportunity to sing "Aida" in 2017 with the Marina del Rey Symphony was amazing.

I had no idea when I was that 15-year-old little girl that I would be able to be the lead singer, the title, of "Aida" with an entire orchestra, with the chorus, in costume, and doing the whole entire role.

I had no idea.

And I put everything that I had into that role.

I had so much joy because I was doing what I love and it was one of the most exciting and thrilling and fulfilling experiences of my life.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ BJ: For more information, go to candacebogan.com.

And now, here's a look at some of the arts events happening this week in our community.

BJ: Carl Goines is a skilled craftsman and figurative sculptor who's also the creative director for an organization that is renovating an art space on the East Side of Detroit.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Carl: What I'm hoping people will take away from my work is a sense of beauty and appreciation for the human form.

My father was a carpenter, still is, and you know, I got working in his field, you know, just assisting him and, you know, working with my hands, three-dimensionally.

Went to the University of Michigan School of Art and Design.

I studied figure sculpture there.

I really hadn't dabbled much in sculpting people and working with clay, except for some experimental things, but I started working with Lou Marinaro, a really fantastic figure sculptor, and he just kind of made me fall in love with it.

As far as my figure sculpture goes, I think that I'm kind of in a hyper-realism sort of category, you know, really trying to capture the human form in a way that it's an experience in and of itself.

It's not lifelike, like movie-lifelike where you're seeing every pore and hair in detail, but there's some life that starts to exude from the piece whether it is a portrait or it's a full figure.

And the idea of the body really is something that we can appreciate in all its forms.

My passion is more about capturing form and having this experience with a physical form in your presence.

The other nuances that come with it, whether it's a different type of body that you may never have seen, you know, exhibited as a sculpture in a museum or a fine arts gallery that, you know, it's pushing those boundaries a little bit.

For me, it's in many ways about creating something beautiful.

There are all types of bodies that I think that are beautiful and inspiring.

And I think that it's self-reflection in trying to appreciate myself, having a confidence as a person who's making the figure and working with nude figures, you know, I think that being comfortable with all types is an important thing that needs to be integrated into arts.

There are many stages to creating a piece, and a lot of times it takes knowing how to build an armature that will then hold the clay on top of it in a way that can--will be structurally sound, and then putting the clay on the piece.

At the same time, kind of referring back to your model as far as scale goes, just to make sure that you capture reality in a way that it comes through as a human, that it doesn't have too much of an alien-like form to it.

It's crazy hours spent trying to kind of meticulously capture these little elements.

The little subtle crevices and wrinkles and things of that sort where the forms meet or the skin folds, to me, are very exciting areas to work on and, you know, as an entire piece, it just adds these elements that, you know, your eye travels, your mind travels, you can get a sense of actually how the form feels without touching it.

And that brings the life to it.

That kind of, you know, a person will get up off of the seat before you know it, kind of feeling.

Then making a mold of that, so, a lot of tools and steps involved and, you know, running different equipment and putting it together to the final stage of casting, ideally in bronze or some--or iron.

Carl: Right now, I'm working on a figurative piece.

Basically, a small model for a larger life-size piece that I'd like to do in the near future.

Actually, my kids were taking some classes at the Detroit Flyhouse Circus School in Eastern Market, and seeing their activities working in groups, so I struck up a conversation with one of the models and put something together so that I can work with somebody who can take a really dramatic pose and hold that pose and work with me and make a piece from there.

You know, really, again push the limits of maybe what is being done on a day-to-day basis or you may see in a figurative sculpture piece, and you know, capture something with a lot of movement and it's a beautiful thing to look at as well.

Carl: I work in 2D as well.

I like to draw.

A lot of stuff right now is about architectural buildings around me here in Dearborn in Detroit, some of the factories and highways, you know, Boblo Boat, things like that that are kind of iconic, you know.

I drive around a lot, you know, taking photos and then trying to translate those to a two-dimensional piece within charcoals and chalks and just trying to mix it up a little bit and, you know, not just entirely be a 3D artist, you know, to be able to go back and forth is--it keeps things interesting.

I also run a non-profit arts organization called 555 Arts, and our mission is really provide space for artists, to support the arts in a way that they can be shared, educational arts programming, opportunities to exhibit.

We have a 30,000 square foot building on the-- Detroit's East Side.

It's in the Poletown neighborhood.

We have acquired also a vacant property adjacent to the building that we're setting up an outdoor foundry and art park and we're also renovating a house for artist residents.

It's a big project but we hope to have artist studios, gallery space, classroom space, make a space for artists and creatives, their work space, and an art park that will, you know, be able to host events, community arts, education programming as well as just other community events and private events that we can share the creative space as much as possible.

You know, I love what I do.

Some days are better than others, but I get to make art, I get to live in a place that's full of art.

I have kids that are--appreciate it and, you know, my coworkers in the day job can appreciate it and I get to keep doing it.

♪♪♪ BJ: You can find out more by visiting 555arts.org.

And now, here's a look at some upcoming arts events around San Diego.

BJ: What do you get when you mix art and what's called day habilitation?

You get creativity, happiness, opportunity, and confidence.

You also get the Arc of Monroe program in Rochester, New York, where they're working to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to express themselves.

♪♪♪ Emily Brown: Dance and the human being is one of the very first things that humans ever started to do.

It's so evolutionarily built into us.

It's one of the key elements that connects the right and left side of your brain.

So, naturally, people are dancers.

As a human race, we're creative people and I think everybody has a need and a want, even if they don't realize it, to create and to make art and it enhances, you know, the individuals' lives and I think it's just an outlet to just be who you are.

JP Simpson: I have always looked at my students as music students.

Music education itself hasn't changed in 3000 years and I believe everybody can do music of some kind, regardless of any background, any physical or supposed mental issue.

♪♪♪ Kim: Community Arts Connection is day habilitation program that supports people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

They're served by the Arc of Monroe County.

♪♪♪ Kim: At Community Arts Connection we actually have two programs.

We have a job readiness program and then we have the art space program.

And we utilize visual arts, dance, theater, music, fiber arts, literary arts, to allow the individuals to become either professional artists within the community or for them to take hobbies or interests that they have and learn skills that will either get them employment or they've had employment and now they're ready to just have fun.

Jessica Ophart: I'm in charge of the art studio so I teach ten different classes a week and it ranges from jewelry making, ceramics, painting, and working with recycled objects.

We pretty much have a wide range of classes.

I think art in itself is good for anyone.

Patricia Gurnett: I enjoy working with fiber arts.

I like working things with my hands.

I like drawing pictures and painting.

After I was coming here, I felt like I'm being creative.

It makes me feel more relaxed and really joyful doing things.

♪♪♪ Jessica: As with any individual, they might not be able to have a creative outlet at home.

They might not have the materials at home or have the support to create art or make music or dance, so it kind of gives them the opportunity more here and coming to a program like this.

And it's teaching them the skills that they might not have learned in school.

♪♪♪ Emily: --Beautiful, all right?

Give me your best possible dancing.

Be creative.

You can copy your neighbor.

Emily: A lot of people who are disabled grow up being told a lot that they can't do something or they can't do lots of things.

I try to do the opposite: What more can you do?

Show me.

Sometimes there isn't anything more, but a lot of times there is.

Brenna Glan: My name is Brenna Glan and I'm an artist in a dance troupe.

It makes me feel happy-- Emily: I think by giving them this opportunity, we're tapping into something that a lot of people have either been told they can't do or people might have a curiosity about.

"Can I do this?

Am I a dancer?

What do I look like, dancing?

Will people still like me if I get out there and do my groove thing?"

And then the recognition that comes with the skills you learn when you become a dancer.

"Okay, well, now I know my right from my left.

Now I can identify music skills like tempo and beat and pulse."

And everyone can do the same dance at the same time if they want to.

So does it look like a dance you might pay $55 to go see in a big theater?

No, but it is dance, and that person is dancing.

And that person might be doing a dance they have never done before, so it might not look like much but, to that person, that could be everything.

Rachel Zona: I start doing music for 13 years.

I play trombone.

I like all music.

I like--there's jazz standards, blues, rock, classic rock, and Motown.

♪♪♪ JP: When they're playing and they're to a very professional level now in terms of performance and in terms of playing with each other, so I think socially it's added dimension, intellectually it's added dimension.

And to me, the bottom line is fun.

♪♪♪ Kim: Arts benefit anyone, whether you have a disability or not; everyone has abilities and having a creative outlet in life enriches one's life.

So one may have found an interest, whether it's in art, dance, music, theater.

We're helping them hone those skills so that they can share their love of their hobby with other people, with their families, with themselves, and it just--it gives that creative outlet that I think all human beings want to have the opportunity to partake in.

♪♪♪ BJ: Learn more at arcmonroe.org.

♪♪♪ BJ: Hyperrealist artist Abel Alejandre is best known for his exploration of masculinity and vulnerability through his intricate pencil drawings.

In this segment, Alejandre explains how he learned the importance of creative freedom as he shares his thoughts with young artists attending Fullerton College in California.

Abel: My name is Abel Alejandre and I am an artist.

I do printmaking, I draw, I paint, I've done some sculpture, some film work, and some performance work, and that's why I prefer going by "artist," because it gives me the freedom to basically do whatever I want.

It's always--I feel that it's a privilege and I feel honored to be able to do what I do, and generally people are very supportive and so I feel blessed by that.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Abel: I just kind of go with what I'm feeling about, you know, like what I think would work best so it's like, you know, like, oh, like, I just want this line work to look nervous and so I may do, like, a you know, like not such clean lines, kind of like a little wavy just so it has some nervous energy to it.

But, like, I'm more interested in relaxing and, you know, just having fun with it and just trying to make a better piece and I don't--like, I don't have any rules as to how to do anything and I'm always trying to experiment and just see where things go.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Abel: Well, in this case, that piece is about--it's called-- it's "A Tale of Two Birds" but it's a play on "A Tale of Two Cities."

And it's about the Juárez-El Paso border and just-- and all the death and violence that resides there, most of it orchestrated by men.

The people, which is the central figure represents the people, they're appealing to the heavens to be, you know, to be liberated.

And so that's why, like, the telephone lines that resemble all these crosses, you know, reaching to the heavens.

They're calling God and they want to be rescued.

But they're not being rescued and they're just living in chaos and death.

And the roosters represent the men who they put their faith in, that are not getting them out.

And so, yeah, they're flightless birds and so, you know, sometimes, you know, I use the rooster to just advance, like, other narratives that, you know, that I've been working on throughout the work.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ Abel: I wanted to really just educate them about what I do and what the art world is like and, you know, to the extent that I've experienced it.

And hopefully they do get some sort of idea that they can, you know, then, you know, put into action and, you know, or not get burned or not, you know, not get too hung up on what people think and, you know, and just be mentally healthy and just create the work regardless of what other people say that, you know, your work should be.

So that's what I am hoping that I did here and, if I didn't, I'm still glad that I came here and that I tried.

BJ: To find out more, check out abelalejandre.com.

And that wraps it up for this edition of "KPBS Arts."

For more arts and culture, visit KPBS.org/Arts where you'll find feature videos, blogs, and information on upcoming arts events.

Until next time, I'm BJ Robinson.

Thanks for watching.

♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ ♪♪♪ CC by Aberdeen Captioning www.aberdeen.io 1-800-688-6621 female announcer: Support for this program comes from the KPBS Explore Local Content Fund, supporting new ideas and programs for San Diego.