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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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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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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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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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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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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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 that Halloween is nearing have popped up all around San Diego!
What have I spotted during my recent walks?
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One cool thing about the San Diego Model Railroad Museum in Balboa Park is how several train layouts loosely recreate parts of San Diego, from downtown’s Santa Fe Depot and surrounding buildings to the scenic backcountry.
The museum’s San Diego and Arizona Eastern HO scale layout depicts parts of downtown San Diego in 1949, including the harbor, airport, and the old police headquarters. The model of the Old Police Headquarters is quite detailed and realistic!
Today, the historical building with its large courtyard is The Headquarters at Seaport, a dining and shopping destination. The Headquarters retains a very cool exhibit concerning its days as San Diego’s main police station.
I walked through The Headquarters yesterday and noticed an additional police exhibit is being created! I’ll visit again later to see what’s happening!
Meanwhile, check out the cool model of the historical building at the San Diego Model Railroad Museum…
The historic ships of the Maritime Museum of San Diego seem to have enlisted a crew of spooky skeletons! Some of those skeletons appear to be the grisly remains of pirates!
How can it be?
Are the ships Star of India, HMS Surprise and the Berkeley in truth Spectre-ships, arrived in San Diego from that famous poem Rime of the Ancient Mariner?
Or could it be that Halloween is creeping ever closer?
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