Shelbi Bennett to exhibit at Brokers Gallery.

Perhaps, like me, you’ve wondered about the art gallery located next to San Diego’s downtown Fifth Avenue trolley station. Sometimes I’ll peer curiously at the windows when I walk past.

Today the door was wide open!

Inside, what did I find? Singer/songwriter/artist Shelbi Bennett and some of her beautiful artwork, which is being installed in the gallery for an exhibition that opens on April 1, 2026!

Brokers Building Art Gallery is the name of the place. According to its website, the gallery traces its roots to a grassroots artist collective that has existed in San Diego for over 40 years. Originally housed in the historic Brokers Building at Fourth Avenue and Market Street in the Gaslamp Quarter, the gallery functioned as a rare, artist-run cultural space embedded directly within the city’s commercial core.

I learned the Brokers Gallery as it exists today hosts many events, including the monthly Open Mic Night, culture nights, live music, and rotating art exhibitions. Check out their event page by clicking here.

It was a pleasure to briefly meet Shelbi Bennett, who I recognized from her past performance on KUSI television. Fine works of art she has created were going up on the gallery wall!

If you’d like to visit her Instagram page, here it is!

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San Diego nurses organization cleans Ski Beach!

A big thank you to the several dozen volunteers representing the San Diego Association for Male Nurses! They picked up litter at Ski Beach in Mission Bay today!

I learned that the cleanup is one of many ways the organization improves our city and the people it touches!

The San Diego Association for Male Nurses invites old and new members (and any volunteers) to help with their many efforts, whether it’s coastal cleanups, providing blood pressure awareness to local communities, medically helping children in Mexico, demonstrating CPR in high schools, or handing out Narcan at Chicano Park Day this coming April 25!

Wow, these people are amazing! Super nice too!

According to their website: Our mission is to champion an inclusive professional nursing environment, provide support for current and future male nurses, and advocate to bring awareness to men’s mental and physical health issues.

Awesome! Why not join them?

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Watching the 2026 San Diego Crew Classic!

Late this morning I spent some time watching the final day of the 53rd San Diego Crew Classic on Mission Bay. I was walking near Ski Beach when I saw the rowers, so I crossed over to Crown Point and looked on from afar with other members of the public who hadn’t purchased a ticket.

With my fuzzy zoom photos you can see the extreme effort of the competing rowers. They were really putting their backs and arms into it! The San Diego Crew Classic in 2026 featured over 100 teams from across the country, including premier collegiate, junior and masters rowing programs. The Crew Classic is one of the nation’s most prominent competitions of its kind.

The college teams, including Texas, Washington, Cal, UCLA, and San Diego State, are among the best of the best!

Even though the racing was held at some distance from where we watched, the excitement was very real!

If you want to learn more about the big event and view the results, check out the Crew Classic website here.

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Fun photos at Opening Weekend Block Party!

Enjoy some fun photos taken early this afternoon at the East Village Opening Weekend Block Party! The 2026 MLB baseball season has begun and our San Diego Padres have high hopes.

Lots of fans were wandering up and down several blocks of J Street just north of Petco Park. There was live music, dogs dressed like Padres fans, cool lowriders in a row, food, kids making swag chains, a spray paint artist, and even a wiffleball derby!

Too much fun!

A ship, an airplane, or a unique trolley station?

Motorists heading down Interstate 8 at the east end of Mission Valley can’t help but notice this elevated trolley station. It’s the Grantville Station, of the San Diego Trolley’s Green Line.

The architecture of the Grantville Station is truly eye-catching and unique. Small signs posted in various places explain:

The central courtyard is a river-like gathering spot surrounded by pillars and beneath the station. Free form cast stone veneer walls, water washed flagstone caps, native riparian trees, shrubbery, and river rock mulch become a visual link to the nearby San Diego River.

Leather ferns and bamboo reeds planted near the stairwells grow from the plaza towards the elevated station 40 feet above.

The soaring station is a tribute to the aviation and nautical industries. The Trolley platform bows out in the middle, inspired by ship and plane architecture. The design repeats in the granite benches and bus shelters.

At night, spectacular streams of light beam upwards illuminating the pillars, stairways and octagonal tops of the twin elevator shafts.

On the platform, enjoy the unparalleled views to the north and south before boarding a Trolley to your next destination.

San Diego’s rich history includes important ships, shipyards, major aviation milestones and airplane construction.

The station’s architect was Parsons Brinckerhoff, Inc. and the station first opened in July, 2005.

Last month I disembarked at the Grantville Station and walked around with my camera…

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Nine million women honored on USS Midway.

An exhibit on the hangar deck of the USS Midway Museum honors the approximately 9 million women who stepped forward to meet the nation’s needs during World War II.

Women contributed by serving in the United States military services, and by building the ships, aircraft, ammunition and other equipment necessary to fight the war.

There’s special emphasis on how women helped to build seaplanes and bombers at San Diego’s Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, and how women helped to construct the enormous USS Midway aircraft carrier.

Did you know that by 1945 women made up as much as 40% of the workforce in the nation’s aircraft factories? That was true as well at Consolidated Aircraft.

Did you know that more than 1000 women, working as welders, electricians, machine operators, pipefitters, mechanics and painters helped to construct the USS Midway in just 18 months?

Rosie the Riveter and Wanda the Welder were instrumental in the eventual victory of the Allies!

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Opening Day morning excitement downtown!

It’s the morning of Opening Day for the San Diego Padres, and the excitement has begun!

Reporters are in the Gaslamp Quarter commentating and interviewing fans. The Ben and Woods sports radio show is broadcasting from Baja Rick’s to a crowd of Padres fans!

Let’s go Pads! Beat the Detroit Tigers!

Historical police cars at San Diego Automotive Museum!

The San Diego Automotive Museum is now showcasing a fascinating slice of our city’s history. Visitors can check out vintage San Diego police cars!

Yesterday, while roaming about the museum, I came upon these vehicles owned by the San Diego Police Historical Association–the organization that operates the San Diego Police Museum. (Years ago I blogged about the police museum here.)

A complete range of old vehicles is on display. I enjoyed a close look at a very unique 1968 Ford Country Squire Police Ambulance, a 1953 Ford Mainline police car, a 1948 Ford Traffic Supervisor’s Car, and even a 1926 Buick Police “Paddy Wagon.” There are police cars from the 70s, 80s and 90s, too.

Perhaps you’ve seen some of these vehicles in parades or at special events. The San Diego Police Museum boasts a large collection of restored police vehicles. All are in working order. They can be rented out for special occasions. To learn more, visit this webpage.

A few photos taken at the San Diego Automotive Museum…

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War horse, camel, goat and cat in Balboa Park!

Almost a year ago, I posted a blog about the restoration of Balboa Park’s beautiful carousel animals. I walked by today and found carousel caretaker William “Bill” Brown and a smiling volunteer hard at work!

The carved wooden War Horse, Camel and Goat are at various stages of restoration, as you can see. Compare today’s photographs with those I took in June 2025 by clicking here.

First up, here’s the War Horse. The Balboa Park Carousel was originally built in 1910 by Herschell-Spillman, and, fortunately, there is a factory description that still exists. Bill intends to keep the restored version fairly true to that historical appearance.

Here’s an image of how a Herschell-Spillman War Horse appeared in the early 20th century…

Here’s how the restoration appears so far, with a lot of detailed painting still to go…

Here’s a sketch Bill made of the Camel as it may look when finally restored.

Unfortunately, no record exists of how this carousel animal originally appeared over a century ago. The leaves atop the camel’s humps would obviously be green.

The painting of the Camel is getting underway…

The Goat isn’t quite as far along.

As you can see, a lot of sanding is required when restoring these carved wooden carousel animals, they’re so very detailed. Lots of nooks and crannies.

But when the restoration is complete, the animals are amazing! Look how the Persian Cat turned out!

The Balboa Park Carousel is one of San Diego’s great treasures. Thanks to all who are keeping it alive, vibrant, and the source of joy for many!

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San Diego artists interpret life on Imperial.

Members of the San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild have beautiful works now on display at the TULAROSA gallery.

Before creating their pieces, these Atelier artists spent time walking around Imperial Avenue east of downtown San Diego. Their inspired interpretation of the historic neighborhood can be viewed in the TULAROSA gallery, which is appropriately located at 2602 Imperial Avenue.

The exhibition is titled One Day in the Life on Imperial.

I swung by after 11 am today, shortly after the gallery opened. And whom should I meet as I stepped through the door? Renowned muralist Mario Torero! He was just as friendly and gracious as ever.

I enjoyed looking at all the pieces. Some of the artwork includes buildings and murals one might see on the street nearby. It was fun trying to find them!

The exhibition will continue at TULAROSA through Sunday, March 29, 2026. The gallery is open 11 am to 7 pm.

What special events at the gallery are coming up?

Wednesday, March 25: Community & Artist Leaders Panel. 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM.

Thursday, March 26: San Diego Artists Guild Panel II. Continuation of artist discussions and exhibition programming. 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Friday, March 27: Jazz, Soul & R&B Legacy Night, celebrating the musical history of Imperial Avenue, once one of San Diego’s most important music corridors.

Saturday, March 28: Community Mural Activation. Community painting of the 19th Street Mural Project. Artists participating include Mario Torero. 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Sunday, March 29: Closing Day of the exhibition. Final mural painting session for the 19th Street Mural Project. 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM.

Here are some examples of the artwork on display…

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