Tag: art

San Diego students create art for Dia de los Muertos!

Should you visit Old Town San Diego State Historic Park in the next couple weeks, be sure to watch for signs leading to an incredible exhibition of Dia de los Muertos art created by students from schools all across San Diego!

The exhibit is made possible through the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program of the San Diego Unified School District in partnership with California State Parks.

What will you see? A whole lot of amazing art, created by hundreds of highly creative TK-12 students!

There are Dia de los Muertos drawings, paintings, miniature ofrendas, dioramas, sculptures, Catrinas, ceramics, sugar skulls, and so much more. Every participating school has their own special little spot to showcase student artwork.

This now seems to be an annual exhibition, which is quite exciting! Congratulations to all participating students! Excellent work!

As one sign explains: Through a variety of media and artistic approaches, students explore remembrance, cultural traditions, identity, healing, and connection. Together, their individual works create a collective celebration of the people, stories, and communities we carry with us.

My photos…

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Photos of chalk art at Bella Vita Fest!

Bella Vita Fest is being held this weekend in San Diego’s Little Italy. A big part of the Italy themed festival is the creation of chalk art along India Street.

This morning–Sunday–the chalk artists (many traveled to San Diego from places far away) were busy at work completing their amazing creations. Subject matter included anything and everything from Italian history or culture.

I took these photographs of talented chalk artists at work on the street…

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The new Prayers mural at Pokez in East Village.

Early this morning, walking through East Village in downtown San Diego, I noticed there’s a new mural painted on the side of Pokez Mexican Restaurant.

The beautiful mural appears to be titled Oraciones, which is Spanish for Prayers.

If you’d like to view the previous mural painted here, visit this past blog post.

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Italo Scanga sculptures at Carlsbad’s Elmwood House.

There’s a house in Carlsbad at the corner of Laguna Drive and Elmwood Street, across the street from the Georgina Cole library. This building, the Elmwood House, is where you’ll find the City of Carlsbad Sculpture Garden.

When I visited weeks ago, the Sculpture Garden’s main gate was closed. In the front yard of the Elmwood House, however, I was able to approach these two sculptures.

The first sculpture I photographed is quite unique. It’s blue, appears to have a mysterious function, and seems to belong on a farm.

The public art is Untitled, by notable Italian born artist Italo Scanga, who taught for many years at UC San Diego. The sculpture is from the Art in Public Places Program, Carlsbad Arts Commission, May 2009.

The second, mostly green sculpture is also quite unique. It appears to be a tree (or a cloud?) with a bird flying above. I like how it casts a mysterious shadow on the grass.

I couldn’t find a title for this piece of art. It’s also by Italo Scanga and is dated 1998.

One day I’ll return to the Elmwood House. Hopefully, on that day, the City of Carlsbad Sculpture Garden’s main gate will be open.

I’ll be sure to share any photos I take!

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Dreams Beyond Tomorrow at Chula Vista library.

Eight stunning works of digital art add beauty to the walls of the Chula Vista Public Library Civic Center Branch. They were created by artist Galina Semenova and are titled Dreams Beyond Tomorrow. Take a look at them.

The Dreamscape portraits “visualize the inner worlds of eight women navigating metastatic breast cancer…”They encourage us to slow down and live in the moment. As the artist states: “I invite you to stop running. Let these stories remind you than in an uncertain world, our most powerful act is to truly see one another in this very moment.”

Slowing down in a hectic, demanding world can be hard. But in our uncertain lives, what is truly important?

It’s a question we all should ask ourselves

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Holocaust survivor creates sculptures from memory.

RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust, an exhibit previously shown at the Chula Vista and La Jolla libraries, recently moved into a space on the second floor of San Diego’s downtown Central Library. I visited it yesterday.

The exhibit seeks to teach about the horrors of the Holocaust, how its survivors have persevered, and how we must not forget or allow such unspeakable evil to happen ever again.

RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust has the goal of establishing a permanent museum in San Diego, possibly at Liberty Station. I support this goal whole-heartedly. Visit their website by clicking here.

I noticed during my visit to the Central Library that one display case, near the center of the exhibit, contains emotionally powerful works of ceramic sculpture. I took photos and learned about them.

The artist, Maria Jutasi Coleman, is a San Diegan who survived the Holocaust. For decades she kept painful memories of the genocide she witnessed private. She finally came to a time in her life when she could allow the silenced memories to surface through her art.

That’s her in the next photo.

RUTH: Remember Us The Holocaust tells the stories of many Holocaust survivors who’ve lived in San Diego.

Here are some of the ceramic sculptures created by Maria. She states that they are made of dust of the earth, as my beloveds, along with six million other Jews, have since become.

When people, young and old, look at what has emerged from my unconscious, I hope a flag of warning arises that says, “Don’t let this happen again anywhere.”

Sandy Scheller, caretaker of the exhibit, showed me one haunting sculpture with streaks of red in its base. She explained the color comes from a crushed brick taken from Auschwitz.

I urge anyone with a beating heart to visit the exhibit and spread the word about it. Perhaps consider sharing this post, which is much more important than most.

Thank you.

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Cetacean Celebration whale sculpture at Oceanside Harbor.

Have you seen this beautiful sculpture at Oceanside Harbor? It’s titled Cetacean Celebration or “All Life Comes From the Sea.” It was created by artist Max Turner.

I was pleasantly surprised to encounter the public art while walking near the Oceanside SEA Center sportfishing dock at the southeast corner of the harbor.

The bronze sculpture depicts a pair of whales in the ocean. Around the base of the sculpture are a variety of sea-themed objects, like a small anchor, ship’s wheel and starfish!

I took these photographs for everyone to enjoy…

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Carlsbad mural at Village Faire near Twin Inns.

I love this super colorful mural in Carlsbad. It was painted by several artists on a wall near the west entrance of the Village Faire mall, adjacent to the Twin Inns.

The artwork shows coastal scenery and sea life, plus Carlsbad’s iconic, historical Twin Inns building.

Artist signatures I found on the wall are Cheryl Ehlers, Bobbi Harrington, and Ira Cosmos.

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Sea lion makes its home in Balboa Park!

Why is there a sea lion now at the center of the Spanish Village patio in Balboa Park?

I encountered the sea lion today during an afternoon walk!

If you’re curious about the appearance of this life-size sculpture, you can read a previous blog post that explains its creation and its purpose by clicking here!

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Sunset mural: sea, land, plants and stained glass!

This mural at Liberty Station in Point Loma is suggestive of many things. Variously shaped and colored cells combine into what appears to me like an organism seen through a microscope, or perhaps a color-coded map, or perhaps a sunset or stained glass seen through an odd lens. What does it look like to you?

The public art is titled Vitral Sunset: A Marine Perspective Across The Border. It was created last year with acrylic paints by Tijuana artist Mischka Ippólita (@mischkaippolita). You can find it at Barracks 19.

A nearby plaque describes the art:

The visual references that inspired this mural are seascapes, landscapes, local plants, and microscopic life.

Components of the mural are a combination of ships at sea aerial views and cross-sections of native plants from California and Baja California. A significant factor that unifies all the elements in the piece references the North Chapel, an aesthetic emulating the stained-glass windows.

Yes, the mural does evoke all of those things. Very cool!

A couple weeks ago I took these photos…

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