Setting up Pilgrim Altars in Balboa Park!

The San Diego Museum of Art is setting up an installation in Balboa Park’s Plaza de Panama for Día de los Muertos. The installation is called Altares Peregrinos, which means Pilgrim Altars.

Artist Betsabeé Romero is leading the project. You might recall she created that artistic soccer goal in the same spot back during the World Cup.

Día de los Muertos will be celebrated at these Pilgrim Altars on Sunday, November 1, 2026, from 11 am to 4 pm. The altars will remain on display through November 8th.

Learn more about the free, family friendly event by clicking here!

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Old Globe’s holiday “Grinch Tree” goes up!

Christmas and the Holiday Season must be nearing! In Balboa Park, the Old Globe’s outdoor “Grinch Tree” is going up today!

The ceremonial lighting of the Grinch Tree is a San Diego tradition that I’ve managed to miss over many years. Perhaps this year I’ll make it…

Today’s photographs:

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Completed murals on Imperial Avenue under Interstate 15!

A month and a half ago I headed down Imperial Avenue to the Interstate 15 underpass to observe the painting of many large murals. I returned today. They’re all completed!

To see the painting in progress, and to learn more about this project, visit my previous blog post by clicking here.

Here are today’s photographs. As you can see, the common theme is music…

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Janal Pixán Altar at House of Mexico!

I learned something yesterday during my visit to the House of Mexico cottage in Balboa Park. There were two very different Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) altars (ofrendas) erected inside the cottage. One was called the Janal Pixán Altar. It’s what you see in these photographs.

Janal Pixán in the Maya language means “food for the souls.” Janal Pixán is the Mayan version of Day of the Dead.

Janal Pixán altars are popular this time of year in the Yucatán, where the Maya civilization flourished. These distinctive altars blend pre‑Hispanic Maya beliefs with Spanish‑influenced Catholic customs. Food, as you can see, is a major component. They are distinct from the altars in other Mexican regions.

Here’s a great article if you’d like to learn more.

I learned this type of altar often contains fruits and sweets like chocolate, mucbipollo o pib (a large corn tamal filled with chicken and pork, with achiote spice, tomato and espelón beans, cooked underground), and traditional kidney-shaped Campeche bread, which is called pan de riñón.

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Drawings of abbeys, barns and churches at Timken Museum of Art.

I really like this new exhibition at the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park. It’s titled Abbeys, Barns, and Churches: Drawings of Medieval Architecture by Ernest Born.

Ernest Born was a notable California architect who did much of his work in San Francisco. He spent his later years living in San Diego.

In ink, chalk, pastel, and pencil, Ernest Born sketched impressive Romanesque and Gothic style Medieval buildings that he observed in Europe during several trips abroad in the 1920s. Over twenty pieces are on display. They’re on loan from the University of San Diego.

Visitors to the Timken can clearly see Born’s passion for this architecture and his artistry in producing these sketches. Some of this very detailed work was done in collaboration with architectural historian Walter Horn.

Gazing at these fine works, I felt ready to step into unusually grand structures built in places far from San Diego long ago.

The Timken Museum of Art is always free to the public. I encourage lovers of history, art or architecture to pay a visit before this exhibition ends on February 28, 2027.

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Art Glass Association’s amazing 45th Annual Exhibition!

The Art Glass Association of Southern California has their 45th Annual Members’ Exhibition now on display in Gallery 21 of Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center!

These different creations of beautiful art glass are a treat for the eyes. I took some photographs today to demonstrate the variety.

These amazing pieces are all for sale. The exhibition continues through November 2, 2026.

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Air plants on a burnt branch in the Botanical Building.

I learned today that this living “installation” debuted in Balboa Park’s Botanical Building during the summer.

A fire blackened tree branch was donated, then converted into a beautiful home for assorted bromeliads and air plants.

Air plants, or Tillandsia, survive by obtaining nutrients and water from the air, not soil.

Quite a visual contrast. Thriving green life, clinging to a charred thing that once lived.

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Dia de los Muertos at County Administration Building!

A big Dia de los Muertos event is being held this evening at the San Diego County Administration Building!

After dark a large crowd had already gathered on the east side of the colorfully lit building. Everyone was enjoying live music, dance, great Mexican food…

Several large altars had been created on the outdoor steps, including one dedicated to beloved pets.

Vendors were present, too, selling marigolds and gifts related to Dia de los Muertos.

I was pleased to find a friendly vendor out of Chula Vista selling bilingual children’s books. Her website is La Buqueria.

One section of the festive event was dedicated to artists and their beautiful art…

The San Diego Ballet was present, too. Nutcracker season is fast approaching!

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Becoming Heirlooms exhibit at San Diego Library.

The Art Gallery at San Diego’s downtown Central Library is presently the home of an exhibition titled Becoming Heirlooms.

I visited today.

The exhibit makes one wonder: What counts as a family heirloom? Is it an object of material value, or is it something prompting memories that from generation to generation remain meaningful?

I’m sure you know the answer.

These unique “heirlooms” created by artists transmit various themes in life we might collectively understand. They speak to the wider community. The objects transcend authorship and utility to become sites of empathy, reflection, and recognition.

I took photos of several pieces on display. All are thought-provoking.

Featured artists are Diana Benavidez, Matt Hebert, Michael Hernandez, Soyeon Kim, Christine Lee, Anna Mayer, Kaiya Rainbolt, Phil Rowland, India Thompson, and Georgina Treviño.

Becoming Heirlooms can be found on the Central Library’s 9th floor Art Gallery through November 7, 2026.

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Signs around San Diego that Halloween is nearing!

Signs that Halloween is nearing have popped up all around San Diego!

What have I spotted during my recent walks?

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