Art captures memories of San Quentin inmates.

Spaces from Yesterday is a collaborative exhibition at the SDSU Downtown Gallery featuring the art projects of three San Quentin inmates.
Spaces from Yesterday is a collaborative exhibition at the SDSU Downtown Gallery featuring the art projects of three San Quentin inmates. (Click image to enlarge for easier reading.)

There’s a fascinating exhibition right now at the SDSU Downtown Gallery. It’s titled Spaces from Yesterday and features the artwork of three San Quentin inmates.

The artwork was created in collaboration with San Quentin State Prison art teacher Amy M. Ho, who also has a few related pieces in the exhibition. But the work that I found most interesting came directly from the hands of the inmates.

All three of the artists summon happy memories from their childhood. These images are warm, but also hard-edged and unpeopled. One work, The Hallway by Dennis Crookes, almost looks like a long, harsh, narrow prison hallway that finally leads to a home’s light-filled kitchen.

I could find no explanation why these three were incarcerated in the San Quentin correctional complex, which contains California’s only death row for male inmates. That would seem to be an essential part of the story, and might explain certain qualities of the art. But the anecdotes that are written do reveal a common yearning for a past life that is fondly remembered.

The following photos show a description of each piece, followed by the actual artwork.

Spaces from Yesterday will be on display through January 28, 2018. Those interested in art, creativity, and often hidden aspects of human life should check it out. Admission to the SDSU Downtown Gallery is free.

Prison art teacher Amy M. Ho and Dennis Crookes began planning The Hallway collaboration while Crookes was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
Prison art teacher Amy M. Ho and Dennis Crookes began planning The Hallway collaboration while Crookes was incarcerated at San Quentin State Prison.
The Hallway, Dennis Crookes, acrylic on canvas, 2016.
The Hallway, Dennis Crookes, acrylic on canvas, 2016.
The Garage, a collaboration with inmate Bobby Dean Evans, Jr., contains warm memories from a playful childhood.
The Garage, a collaboration with inmate Bobby Dean Evans, Jr., contains warm memories from a playful childhood.
The Garage, Bobby Dean Evans, Jr., mixed media on cardboard, 2016.
The Garage, Bobby Dean Evans, Jr., mixed media on cardboard, 2016.
Chanthon Bun painted memories from a childhood that included a play fort in an abandoned lot, comic books, baseball cards and a fish pond he created with his siblings and young relatives.
Chanthon Bun painted memories from a childhood that included a play fort in an abandoned lot, comic books, baseball cards and a fish pond he created with his siblings and young relatives.
The Last Summer, Chanthon Bun, acrylic on canvas, 2017.
The Last Summer, Chanthon Bun, acrylic on canvas, 2017.

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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!

To read a few stories I’ve written, click Short Stories by Richard.

Magical golden light on San Salvador.

Masts and furled sails of the Spanish galleon replica San Salvador turn golden a few minutes after sunrise.
Masts and furled sails of the Spanish galleon replica San Salvador turn golden shortly after sunrise. Photo taken past the figurehead of Star of India.

I apologize, but I love tall ships so much I’m presenting another small batch of photographs.

I captured these images of San Salvador at the Maritime Museum of San Diego yesterday morning and this evening. Both the early and late sunlight performed magic, transforming the furled sails into gold.

San Salvador in morning light, and its magical reflection in San Diego Bay.
San Salvador in early morning light, and its glowing reflection in San Diego Bay.
Morning magic at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Morning magic at the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Photo of the San Salvador shortly after sunset. The amazing tall ship is a replica of the galleon commanded by explorer Cabrillo in 1542.
Photo of the San Salvador shortly after sunset. The amazing tall ship is a replica of the galleon commanded by explorer Cabrillo in 1542.
Visitors to the Maritime Museum of San Diego pause on the beautiful ship San Salvador as evening slowly turns to night.
Visitors to the Maritime Museum of San Diego pause on the beautiful ship San Salvador as evening slowly turns to night.
The last golden rays of sunlight strike the furled sails of San Salvador, under a nearly full moon.
The last golden rays of sunlight strike the furled sails of San Salvador, under a nearly full moon.

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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!

Man lifts moon! Shark eats ice cream!

Like the mythical Atlas holding up the Earth, an incredibly strong person single-handedly shoulders the moon.
Like the mythical Atlas holding up the Earth, an incredibly strong person single-handedly shoulders the moon.

This morning I was astonished by the strange scene in the parking lot north of the County Administration Building.

I saw an incredible feat of strength, as a man lifted the moon with his shoulders . . .

I saw people engaged in giant pig tipping . . .

And I saw a monstrous shark about to take a bite of a strawberry ice cream cone!

Others might have observed people inflating a bunch of big balloons for the 2017 Holiday Bowl Parade.

Fun balloons were being inflated this morning near the County Administration Building for the 2017 Holiday Bowl Parade.
Fun balloons were being inflated this morning near the County Administration Building for the 2017 Holiday Bowl Parade.
Putting together a festive parade takes a bit of hard work and careful organization, it appears.
Putting together a festive parade takes a bit of hard work and careful organization, it appears.
This sunny San Diego float stood empty early in the morning on Harbor Drive.
This sunny San Diego float stood empty early in the morning on Harbor Drive.
Back where the Holiday Bowl Parade balloons were being inflated, a snow globe containing Frosty was rising like magic into the blue San Diego sky.
Back in the parking lot where the Holiday Bowl Parade balloons were gradually being inflated, a snow globe containing Frosty was rising like magic into the blue San Diego sky.
I've heard of cow tipping, but these people seem to be tipping a gigantic pig.
I’ve heard of cow tipping, but these people seem to be tipping a giant pig.
A gigantic shark prepares to take a bite from an enormous strawberry ice cream cone!
A monstrous shark prepares to take a bite from an enormous strawberry ice cream cone!

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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!

San Diego African American fine art exhibition.

Green Tea. Kadir Nelson, giclée on canvas.
Green Tea. Kadir Nelson, giclée on canvas.

If you love fine art, there’s something you really need to see. Legacy in Black is an exhibition featuring the work of local African American artists who enjoy national and international acclaim. You can enjoy this exhibition for free by visiting the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.

A number of outstanding pieces represent the work of eight artists who’ve made significant contributions to our city’s cultural life. Many of the artists have produced public art around San Diego and California. Faith Ringgold has had works exhibited in places like The Metropolitan Museum of Art, The National Museum of American Art, and The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Ernest Eugene Barnes Jr. was the official artist of the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Kadir Nelson was the lead conceptual artist for Steven Spielberg’s film Amistad, and his work is often featured on the cover of The New Yorker magazine. All eight artists featured in this exhibition are exceptional.

Legacy in Black is a collaboration between the San Diego History Center and the San Diego African American Museum of Fine Art. Head on over to Balboa Park before the exhibition closes on March 28, 2018!

Sandlot Football. Ernie Barnes, acrylic on canvas.
Sandlot Football. Ernie Barnes, acrylic on canvas.
Legacy in Black, an exhibition of work by local African American artists, is now on display at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.
Legacy in Black, an exhibition of work by local African American artists, is now on display at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park.
I'll Fly Away. Manuelita Brown, bronze with painted wood base, 2003.
I’ll Fly Away. Manuelita Brown, bronze with painted wood base, 2003.
Coming to Jones Road Part II #5, Precious, Barn Door and Baby Freedom. Faith Ringgold, acrylic on canvas with fabric border, 2010.
Coming to Jones Road Part II #5, Precious, Barn Door and Baby Freedom. Faith Ringgold, acrylic on canvas with fabric border, 2010.
The Valley. Jean Cornwell Wheat, acrylic on canvas, 2014.
The Valley. Jean Cornwell Wheat, acrylic on canvas, 2014.
Gridiron Hero. Ernie Barnes, acrylic on board.
Gridiron Hero. Ernie Barnes, acrylic on board.

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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!

Rare exhibition of Modern Masters from Latin America.

Third Victoria, oil on canvas, 1959. Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, Mexican, 1908-1980.
Third Victoria, oil on canvas, 1959. Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, Mexican, 1908-1980.

The impressive, first-ever exhibition of Modern Masters from Latin America is now on display at the San Diego Museum of Art in Balboa Park. On Christmas Eve I was given a special tour of this exhibition, and I must admit it’s fantastic! For a limited time, visitors have the rare privilege to experience one of the finest collections of modern art in the world.

Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection contains almost a hundred memorable paintings, by the likes of Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, José Clemente Orozco, Joaquín Torres-García, Fernando Botero, Alfredo Castañeda and Fernando de Szyszlo. Many nations, cultures, themes, moods and styles are represented. You’ll see impressionistic landscapes, lively scenes depicted through the lens of cubism, weirdly rendered surrealism, and mind-bending, eye-teasing abstraction. Many of the works reflect different Latin American national identities. Many contrast modernity with the culture and memory of indigenous people.

I was struck by the deep emotion that radiated from most of these works. I detected human pride and passion, childlike innocence and gnawing guilt, deep love and intense anger, inexpressible suffering and irrepressible joy. These emotions were often presented in confused contrast.

One masterful work by Frida Kahlo titled Girl from Tehuacán, Lucha María or Sun and Moon shows an innocent girl sitting between ancient symbols of night and day–the Pyramid of the Moon and the Pyramid of the Sun at Teotihuacan. She is seemingly lost in a barren desert, a model of a World War II bomber in her hands. Her quiet expression contains resignation and sadness.

My few photos here are a modest representation of the actual exhibition. To see the true colors, the touches of light and seeping darkness, the diverse textures and stunning vibrancy of these many paintings, head down to the museum while you can. You might not have a chance to see this amazing collection again.

Modern Masters from Latin America is on display at the San Diego Museum of Art through March 11. Among the fantastic works are two by Frida Kahlo, but to see those you must visit by January 14.

A visitor to the San Diego Museum of Art explores Modern Masters from Latin America, from the Perez Simon Collection.
A visitor to the San Diego Museum of Art explores Modern Masters from Latin America, from the Perez Simon Collection.
Aqueduct, oil on canvas, 1918. Diego Rivera, Mexican, 1886-1957.
Aqueduct, oil on canvas, 1918. Diego Rivera, Mexican, 1886-1957.
Ship Graveyard, oil on canvas, 1930. Benito Quinquela Martin, Argentinian, 1890-1977.
Ship Graveyard, oil on canvas, 1930. Benito Quinquela Martin, Argentinian, 1890-1977.
Crying Woman, pyroxylin on Masonite, 1944. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Crying Woman, pyroxylin on Masonite, 1944. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Death in Life or Black Christ, acrylic on plywood, 1963. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Death in Life or Black Christ, acrylic on plywood, 1963. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Young Girls with Shells, Duco on canvas, 1945. Mario Carreno, Cuban, 1913-1999.
Young Girls with Shells, Duco on canvas, 1945. Mario Carreno, Cuban, 1913-1999.
City of Quito, oil on canvas, ca. 1980. Oswaldo Guayasamin, Ecuadorian, 1919-1999.
City of Quito, oil on canvas, ca. 1980. Oswaldo Guayasamin, Ecuadorian, 1919-1999.
The Mexican or Young Woman with Rebozo, oil on canvas, 1935. Agustin Lazo, Mexican, 1896-1971.
The Mexican or Young Woman with Rebozo, oil on canvas, 1935. Agustin Lazo, Mexican, 1896-1971.
House Eight, oil on canvas, 1978. Fernando de Szyszlo, Peruvian, 1925-2017.
House Eight, oil on canvas, 1978. Fernando de Szyszlo, Peruvian, 1925-2017.
The Native, oil on canvas, ca. 1936. Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Mexican, 1871-1946.
The Native, oil on canvas, ca. 1936. Alfredo Ramos Martinez, Mexican, 1871-1946.
Girl from Tehuacán, Lucha María or Sun and Moon, oil on Masonite, 1942. Frida Kahlo, Mexican, 1907-1954.
Girl from Tehuacán, Lucha María or Sun and Moon, oil on Masonite, 1942. Frida Kahlo, Mexican, 1907-1954.
Constructive Composition in Planes and Figures, oil on canvas, 1931. Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Uruguayan, 1874-1949.
Constructive Composition in Planes and Figures, oil on canvas, 1931. Joaquin Torres-Garcia, Uruguayan, 1874-1949.
Concert, oil on canvas, 1941. Emilio Pettoruti, Argentinian, 1892-1971.
Concert, oil on canvas, 1941. Emilio Pettoruti, Argentinian, 1892-1971.
Peasant, Industrial, and Intellectual Work, oil on wood, 1956. Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, Mexican, 1908-1980.
Peasant, Industrial, and Intellectual Work, oil on wood, 1956. Jorge Gonzalez Camarena, Mexican, 1908-1980.
World's Highest Structure, oil on canvas, 1930. Jose Clemente Orozco, Mexican, 1883-1949.
World’s Highest Structure, oil on canvas, 1930. Jose Clemente Orozco, Mexican, 1883-1949.
Green Structures, oil on canvas, 1964. Gunther Gerzso, Mexican, 1915-2000.
Green Structures, oil on canvas, 1964. Gunther Gerzso, Mexican, 1915-2000.
Study for The March of Humanity, oil on recovered plywood, ca. 1968-69. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Study for The March of Humanity, oil on recovered plywood, ca. 1968-69. David Alfaro Siqueiros, Mexican, 1896-1974.
Portrait of Maria Felix, oil on canvas, 1948. Diego Rivera, Mexican, 1886-1957.
Portrait of Maria Felix, oil on canvas, 1948. Diego Rivera, Mexican, 1886-1957.

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I recently published an odd, moving short story about a world made of bones. You can read it here.

A small taste of San Diego–for your eyes!

Gazing down at San Diego Bay from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma.
Gazing down at San Diego Bay from Cabrillo National Monument on Point Loma.

Here is a modest gift for my readers, and for the city I love.

This small taste of San Diego has been assembled from a variety of photos. A few are recent; others are from the past couple years.

Walk around San Diego and you will never go hungry. Every day presents a new feast for the eyes!

A couple rides bicycles along the Mission Beach boardwalk on a perfect day.
A couple rides bicycles along the Mission Beach boardwalk on a perfect day.
Someone reads daily information posted on Mission Beach's lifeguard station.
Someone reads daily information posted on Mission Beach’s lifeguard station.
A big peace sign atop the roof of USA Hostels Ocean Beach.
A big peace sign atop the roof of USA Hostels Ocean Beach.
Walking slowly near the surf along Torrey Pines State Beach.
Walking slowly near the surf along Torrey Pines State Beach.
A bicycle, a fine way to travel through a sunny city.
A bicycle, a fine way to travel through a sunny city.
Diners sit outside the West Coast Tavern in North Park. The building is a former movie theater.
Diners sit outside the West Coast Tavern in North Park. The building is a former movie theater.
Fun street art in North Park, one of many cool neighborhoods in San Diego.
Fun street art in North Park, one of many cool neighborhoods in San Diego.
Visitors on a tour in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park learn about our city's origin and early years.
Visitors on a tour in Old Town San Diego State Historic Park learn about our city’s unique origin and early years.
Colorful, festive Mexican-themed artwork adorns a shop in Old Town.
Colorful, festive Mexican-themed artwork adorns a gift shop in Old Town.
A small memorial among fallen blooms on Presidio Hill above Old Town.
A small memorial among fallen blooms on Presidio Hill above Old Town.
Guns once used to train Navy sailors. Relics from history at Liberty Station, site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego.
Guns once used to train Navy sailors. Relics from military history at Liberty Station, site of the former Naval Training Center San Diego.
Visitors to Balboa Park enjoy a walk along El Prado, near the Casa de Balboa and House of Hospitality.
Visitors to Balboa Park enjoy a walk along El Prado, near the Casa de Balboa and House of Hospitality.
People play Jenga on the grass near Sefton Plaza in Balboa Park.
People play Jenga on the grass near Sefton Plaza in Balboa Park.
The iconic El Cortez rises in the blue San Diego sky. I feel very fortunate to live in this corner of downtown.
The iconic El Cortez rises in the blue San Diego sky. I feel very fortunate to live on Cortez Hill, a beautiful corner of downtown.
A small produce business in East Village.
A small produce business in East Village.
The historic Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy.
The historic Our Lady of the Rosary Church in Little Italy.
A fountain on the east side of the County Administration Building.
A fountain on the east side of the County Administration Building.
Volunteers work on the Star of India, world-famous tall ship of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
Volunteers work on the Star of India, world-famous tall ship of the Maritime Museum of San Diego.
A busker and bicycle near the USS Midway Museum and Greatest Generation Walk.
A busker and bicycle near the USS Midway Museum and Greatest Generation Walk.
Sunset and sailboats on San Diego Bay.
Sunset and sailboats on San Diego Bay.
People have fun boating out on the water.
People have fun boating out on the water.
Feet dangle over the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
Feet dangle over the water at Embarcadero Marina Park North.
The classic Broadway Fountain and nearby downtown buildings. Photo taken one morning in Horton Plaza Park.
The classic Broadway Fountain and nearby downtown buildings. Photo taken one morning in Horton Plaza Park.
The moon in the sky above a historic building in the Gaslamp Quarter.
The moon in the sky above a historic building in the Gaslamp Quarter.
Life and color at Lane Field Park on the Embarcadero.
Life and color at Lane Field Park on San Diego’s Embarcadero.
Riding recreational watercraft past the beautiful downtown San Diego skyline.
Riding recreational watercraft past the beautiful downtown San Diego skyline.

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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!

Taming wild colors in the wind.

I didn’t intend to blog today. But when I walked through Embarcadero Marina Park North and saw colors soaring in the wind, my camera came out.

The kites wanted to break free of their harnesses. A skilled handler had to tame them, muscle them back to the grass.

The colorful kites rocketed, circled, pranced, galloped.

A few smiling passersby tried taking the reins.

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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!

New wonders and discoveries in Balboa Park.

A small dog dressed like Santa attracts as much attention as the musician performing by the Balboa Park reflecting pool.
A tiny dog dressed like Santa Claus attracts a lot of attention. The friendly musician performing by the Balboa Park reflecting pool didn’t seem to mind.

Christmas is coming on Monday. So I was given this afternoon off from work.

Even on the second day of winter, San Diego is pure sunshine.

As I got my legs pumping, Balboa Park seemed like the perfect destination. It’s a magical place that’s always full of new wonders and unexpected discoveries.

Something very cool is coming this weekend. I’ve been invited on a special tour of the Modern Masters from Latin America exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art. I’ll probably blog about the experience on Tuesday, the day after Christmas. Meanwhile, I’m going to take a short break here and perhaps do a bit of writing.

I hope you all have a wonderful and very merry next few days!

Young and old peer into a magical fountain near the Botanical Building.
Young and old peer into a magical fountain near the Botanical Building.
Moving through the wonder-filled Casa del Prado, turning a corner.
People move past light-filled archways, turn a corner…
I was told these guys were filming the comic show Cult of Kevin in the outdoor courtyard of the Casa del Prado.
I was told these guys were filming the pilot of a funny show called “Cult of Kyle” in the outdoor courtyard of the Casa del Prado.
Many faces among leaves. Art discovered on Spanish Village's outdoor Studio 10 work table.
Many faces among fallen leaves. Sketches discovered unexpectedly in Spanish Village, on a worktable outside Studio 10.
Sunlight on trunks and leaves at the edge of Palm Canyon.
Bright sunlight on trunks and leaves at the edge of Balboa Park’s Palm Canyon.
The effort to save the Starlight Bowl has made great progress! They finally have a Special Use Permit from the City of San Diego!
The effort to save the Starlight Bowl has made great progress! They finally have a Special Use Permit from the City of San Diego!
I was told that two new marble benches outside the entrance of the San Diego Air and Space Museum are about one month old. They were donated by North American Aviation, Inc.
I was told that two shiny new marble benches outside the entrance of the San Diego Air and Space Museum are about one month old. They were donated by retirees of North American Aviation.
People are entertained on El Prado one beautiful winter's day in Balboa Park. The facade of the Casa del Prado makes a fantastic backdrop.
People are entertained on El Prado one beautiful winter’s day in Balboa Park. The facade of the Casa del Prado makes a fantastic backdrop.
This cool guy had a long rope that generated zillions of bubbles at once!
This cool guy near the Zoro Garden had a long rope that generated zillions of bubbles at once!
I often see this silent, very funny busker in Seaport Village. He was performing his magic today in Balboa Park.
I often see this silent busker in Seaport Village. He was juggling and performing magic today in Balboa Park.
Filling the air with living music in front of the San Diego Natural History Museum.
A musician breathes life into the park. A small scene in front of the San Diego Natural History Museum.

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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!

Happy Holidays!

Richard

Images of Dick Enberg at final Padres game.

Beloved, legendary sports broadcaster Dick Enberg has passed away in his La Jolla home. Many in San Diego and around the world are heartbroken.

On September 29, 2016, the final home game of that Padres baseball season, I was privileged to see retiring Dick Enberg’s public celebration at Petco Park.

If you’d like to see a few images from that day, here is that blog post.

Grand entrance of downtown Army-Navy YMCA.

Front of the 1924 Army-Navy YMCA building in downtown San Diego, designed by architects Lincoln Rogers and Frank W. Stevenson.
Front of the 1924 Army-Navy YMCA building in downtown San Diego, designed by architects Lincoln Rogers and Frank W. Stevenson.

The grand entrance of the historic Army-Navy YMCA building in downtown San Diego is presently shuttered from view. That’s because the structure, built in 1924 for the recreational activities of San Diego’s many enlisted military men, is being converted into an elegant new hotel on Broadway. The Guild San Diego will open in spring 2018 and promises to offer a variety of unique features, including a ballroom inside what was once the old YMCA basketball court.

Before the present construction began, I took some photos of the columns and artwork around the building’s amazing front entrance. These images have been sitting idle in my computer. Here they are for your enjoyment.

When I took this photo, the 500 West Hotel had closed. Today a new luxury hotel, The Guild Hotel, is under construction. Much of the historic building will be preserved.
When I took this photo, the 500 West Hotel had closed. Today a new luxury destination, The Guild Hotel, is under construction. Much of the historic building will be preserved.
Some beautiful sculptural work around the front entrance.
Some beautiful sculptural work around the elegant front entrance.
I believe this represents Cabrillo's ship San Salvador, which entered San Diego Bay in 1542.
I believe this represents Cabrillo’s ship San Salvador, which entered San Diego Bay in 1542.
Part of the ornate front entrance to the landmark Army-Navy YMCA building in San Diego.
Part of the very ornate front entrance to the Army-Navy YMCA building in San Diego.

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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!