Author: Richard Schulte

Downtown San Diego has been my home for many years. My online activities reflect my love for writing, blogging, walking and photography.

Fascination, reflection, and a Recovered Stream.

I was getting ready to board a trolley this evening at America Plaza when activity in a window caught my eye.

A person inside the nearby Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego gallery was working above a small planet amid water-like artwork!

The title of the coming exhibition is Oscar Romo: Recovered Stream. According to the museum website: This fall and winter MCASD will present multiple talks by distinguished scientists who will share their knowledge about climate change in conjunction with the participatory exhibition Oscar Romo: Recovered Stream.

With some searching on the internet, I learned environmentalist Oscar Romo is a professor at UC San Diego. His area of expertise is coastal and marine ecosystem conservation, using a natural systems design perspective. He has a special interest in the San Diego-Tijuana border region.

The upcoming talks should be very interesting!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Morning walk by the San Diego River estuary.

Early this morning, light and life were both rising along the San Diego River estuary.

I didn’t walk far along the water–perhaps a quarter mile west from the Interstate 5 bridge.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

A sidewalk poem expresses gratitude.

Grateful words. A chalk poem on a sidewalk.
Grateful words. A chalk poem on a sidewalk.

I discovered a poem that was written on the sidewalk yesterday. Chalk words express gratitude.

You might enjoy reading this simple, heartfelt poetry:

I fell a far distance –
You caught me many, many
Times – Awoken revived thankful
to be alive – Living is a privilege
Take care – See the life you’ve
been given – Cherish it

Cool new mural at Humphrey Appliance!

A cool new mural has been painted on the east side of Humphrey Appliance in Normal Heights! I noticed it while walking down Adams Avenue yesterday.

The artist is Jonathan Wenner (Unity21). I did my best to get good photos, but various boxes and pieces of furniture in the small parking lot block the lower part of the artwork.

Enjoy!

UPDATE!

I got an unobstructed photo on a later walk…

IMG_7530

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Fun photos of CicloSDias San Diego!

This afternoon I checked out CicloSDias San Diego!

During this popular annual event, several streets are closed to cars in North Park, Normal Heights, Kensington and City Heights so that bicyclists, skaters, scooters and walkers can explore these neighborhoods and enjoy a fun day without dodging automobiles.

The main purpose of CicloSDias, which is supported by a variety of organizations, is to promote bicycling as an urban transportation alternative.

Lots of families were out for a Sunday ride, and some of the participants wore costumes. (Yes, it’s almost Halloween!) There were easily thousands of people participating in or watching the colorful activity.

Bands were playing along the streets, people were proudly showing off their decorated and custom bikes, and hundreds of bicycles were parked in front of sidewalk cafes.

I walked north up 30th Street from El Cajon Boulevard, where some people were playing bike polo, then turned east at Adams Avenue. After passing the Kensington landmark sign, I headed back west.

Here come the photos!

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

Beauty by a street artist who vanished.

It has been nearly three years since I’ve seen the street artist who calls herself Tree. I wonder where she is.

Our lives are all in motion. We tumble along down intersecting sidewalks and Time is our wind.

Like colorful leaves, the small, beautiful works of Tree remain scattered about the world.

Oil paintings of the Embarcadero at night.

These aren’t actual oil paintings. They’re photographs that I took last night along the Embarcadero, made to look like impressionistic oil paintings with GIMP graphic software.

Can you recognize many of these beautiful nighttime sights on San Diego Bay?

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

An early morning walk in late October.

It’s now late October. We’re experiencing Santa Ana winds in Southern California, so downtown San Diego in the morning was clear, dry, and promised to warm up quickly.

I took a long random walk to enjoy the early sunlight. I started from the top of Cortez Hill and meandered through East Village and the Gaslamp Quarter.

Halloween and Dia de los Muertos are fast approaching, and I noticed signs of the coming festivities.

Not all of these photos are pleasant. They represent a few of the many things that I saw.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

Discover public art sculptures around San Diego!

Over the years, I’ve photographed many of the public art sculptures that can be found all around San Diego.

Because Cool San Diego Sights is now over six years old, and most readers have seen only a small fraction of my blog, I thought it would be fun to link to some old posts.

The following links don’t include all of the sculptures I’ve photographed, but they do provide a convenient starting point for a journey of discovery!

Click the following links:

Amazing public art is a hidden San Diego gem.

That big bronze pelican in Pacific Beach!

Photos of Donal Hord’s iconic sculpture Aztec.

Fun photos of Sun God bird sculpture at UCSD.

Photos of Queen Califia’s Magical Circle!

Bronze lifeguard watches the surf in Ocean Beach.

The Spirit of Imperial Beach surfer sculpture.

The Pioneers sculpture at Old Poway Park.

Photos of Tony Gwynn statue at Lake Poway.

A walk through history in The Village of La Mesa.

The arches of National City’s Morgan Square Plaza.

Art and history at Lemon Grove Trolley Depot!

Giant seashell sculpture is a Growing Home!

A shining Flame of Friendship from Mexico.

300 year old Kannon statue in Balboa Park!

Dr. Seuss and Cat in the Hat sculpture at UCSD.

Photos of The Padre sculpture in Presidio Park.

Two cool sculptures at a National City marina!

Sculpture of Bum, San Diego’s famous town dog.

Shedding the Cloak sculpture inspired by MLK.

New public artwork at Bayside Fire Station!

Pacific Soul by Jaume Plensa rises in San Diego!

The cool sculpture at Humphreys on Shelter Island.

Photos of cool sculptures at Liberty Station.

Terracotta female figures at Heritage Plaza.

Sea Passage sculpture and fountain in Coronado.

A crazy handstand at the edge of a rooftop!

Small bubble bath child: a bronze sculpture.

Creative urban trees add smiles to a San Diego walk.

Here are several links to my other website, Beautiful Balboa Park:

Art of the Open Air in beautiful Balboa Park.

Sculpture and mural in Balboa Park Club’s grand foyer.

The faces of the Panama-California Sculpture Court.

Public art at Liberty Station invites interaction.

Facetime is a site-specific public art piece that offers three separate spaces for both interaction and contemplation, while providing temporary shelter.
Facetime is a site-specific public art piece that offers three separate spaces for both interaction and contemplation, while providing temporary shelter.

Very cool new public art was installed at Liberty Station this summer. I saw it for the first time last weekend while I experienced the La Jolla Playhouse’s outdoor WOW festival.

The public art is titled Facetime. It was created by Ocean Beach artist Miki Iwasaki. Three angular sculptures made of corten steel contain seats, inviting face to face human interaction.

I watched a couple enter one shelter, promptly pull out phones and bow their heads.

At least they sat near one another.

Facetime on grass near walkways at Liberty Station.
Facetime on grass near walkways at Liberty Station.
Instead of speaking face to face, two people stare silently down at their phones.
Instead of speaking face to face, two people stare silently down at their phones.
Miki Iwasaki. Facetime. August 2019. Corten steel with seating elements. In partnership with Mingei International Museum.
Miki Iwasaki. Facetime. August 2019. Corten steel with seating elements. In partnership with Mingei International Museum.
Materials will patinate over time, enhancing the visible connection to natural forces and site context.
Materials will patinate over time, enhancing the visible connection to natural forces and site context.
Three can sit near each other in this shady sculpture and share an experience.
Three can sit near each other in this shady sculpture and share an experience.
Facetime is public art located in Liberty Station's ARTS DISTRICT.
Facetime is public art located in Liberty Station’s ARTS DISTRICT.
Cool public art invites human interaction.
Cool public art invites human interaction.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!