Olé! St. James hosts
‘Art of Latin America’
St. James Gift Shop will host “The Art of Latin America,” its 10th annual three-day outdoor festival, Aug. 8 through 10 in the public courtyard of St. James by the Sea, 743 Prospect St.
The festival intends to attract all those interested in Latin American folk art and culture, as the Dance of the Old Men, Peruvian flute music, mariachis, Ballet Folklorico and native foods will add to the merriment. Latin American artists from Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama and Peru will demonstrate rug weaving, gourd carving, jewelry making and more, with all crafted products available for purchase.
A “meet the artists” reception and silent auction event will be held Friday, Aug. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the St. James Gift Shop. Appetizers and beverages will be provided as attendees converse with artists. Tickets are available for $40 at the gift shop, located to the left of the church entrance.
Proceeds from the Friday evening event will go to “Responsibility,” a Tijuana elementary school built at the old Tijuana dump site, and “Dorcas House,” an orphanage in Tijuana for children with incarcerated parents. Artwork from the children at Dorcas House and guest artists from Mexico and South America will be sold at the silent auction.
The festival will be open Friday and Saturday, Aug. 8 and 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. For additional information call (858) 456-1105.

Quakes don’t command local audience
If tradition is any barometer, last Tuesday’s earthquake “” a 5.4 temblor centered in San Bernardino County but felt keenly in the San Diego area “” won’t shake area residents into the response mode.
A 2006 study by the county’s Office of Emergency Services showed that only 60 percent of area residents had a survival plan in place although virtually all said such a plan was vital.