A cool work of art pieced together in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village. Anyone can do this!
My weekend walk in Balboa Park took me through Spanish Village Art Center. For a few pleasant minutes I paused to watch artist Kathi Vargo piecing together collages and unique assemblage at a table in the middle of the patio. Anyone passing by was invited to join in!
I learned that Kathi offers Paint and Paper Play classes where absolutely anybody can learn to create mixed media collages. If you’re interested, visit her website!
Kathi Vargo was having a fun Paint and Paper Play Collage Workshop in the middle of the Spanish Village Art Center’s colorful patio.All sorts of objects can be used to assemble this unique artwork.Applying some paint to a strip of material.Creating art expands the mind, enriches the spirit, and is just plain fun!You can make this!
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Cool urban art by Exist1981, created for PangeaSeed’s Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans festival. The public artwork, located at the Quartyard in East Village, warns that melting sea ice due to climate change will affect polar bear populations.
Whenever I walk past Quartyard in San Diego’s East Village, I look around to see what cool urban art I might discover. I took out my camera yesterday and snapped a few photos of the colorful artwork!
Quartyard, at the corner of Market Street and 11th Avenue in San Diego’s East Village, is a place where people can gather to eat, drink, talk, and enjoy entertainment.Mail delivery person heads into Quartyard, a community gathering place made from repurposed shipping containers. Coffee, beer, concerts and food trucks are found here.A cheerfully painted parking meter stands strangely by a mail box.The Meshuggah Shack occupies one shipping container. The funky place is known for their great coffee and friendly vibe.The colorful Meshuggah Shack offers coffee, tea, oddities, smoothies, noshes, and other fun stuff.Words on one shipping container at the Quartyard proclaim this is Your City Block.Sun, water, hungry sharks and a tropical island. I’m not exactly sure what is going on in this crazy street art created by Nick McPherson and MR DVICE.
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Gallery 21 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village features a special environmental exhibit called Sustainability Studio!
I discovered a fascinating environmental exhibit in Balboa Park this weekend. The Sustainability Studio is located in Gallery 21 near the center of the Spanish Village Art Center.
This small but information-packed exhibit discusses how various museums and buildings in Balboa Park are engaging in conservation efforts, by using solar panels, low-flow water fixtures, LED lighting, and the intelligent use of resources. The exhibit also encourages kids to think about the environment and pledge to protect it. Fun activities include making leaves for the Tree of Change and a Balboa Park scavenger hunt!
To read the signs, click the images and they will enlarge.
The Sustainability Studio will remain open to the public through December. Bring the kids! They can learn something new, create some fun art, and engage in the easy scavenger hunt and win a cool prize!
Rubi welcomes visitors into the Sustainability Studio, where one can learn about the conservation efforts of various organizations in Balboa Park.Signs and posters in the special exhibit raise awareness about various important environmental issues. Kids are provided with fun activities that promote activism and conservation.Sustainability refers to the conservation and efficient use of essential resources. Balboa Park’s efforts include solar panels, low-flow water fixtures and LED lighting.Kids visiting the exhibit are encouraged to make a leaf with a hand tracing, then inscribe it with an environmental pledge.Leaves on the Tree of Change. Kids pledge to ride bikes, turn off lights, recycle, use less water . . .A scavenger hunt is described on this flyer. Upload 5 selfies to Facebook that include a Balboa Park sustainability feature and claim a great prize!Various museums and buildings in Balboa Park are working to become more environmentally friendly.The San Diego Natural History Museum became the first Balboa Park LEED Certified building in 2009.The San Diego Air and Space Museum has increased energy efficiency and achieved significant water savings.Fun works of art produced by creative kids hang from the ceiling. I like the ocean!I love turtles!
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A walk through Liberty Station in Point Loma is always pleasurable. A photographer can find scenes of art, fun and life!
My walk yesterday took me to one of my favorite places in San Diego . . . Liberty Station! The historic old Naval Training Center San Diego in Point Loma has been converted into beautiful courtyards, shops, museums, art studios and more. It’s a lively but leisurely place where one can simply sit on a bench in a park and enjoy people, fountains, flowers and sunshine. It’s also a perfect place to walk randomly about to make new discoveries.
Here are a few fun photos my camera captured!
Two people on the North Promenade in the middle of the Arts District at Liberty Station learn how to take great photos from a personal instructor.These Star Wars stormtroopers were caught near a parking lot without their helmets. They appear to be quite human and friendly! I believe they were getting ready to provide entertainment for a special event in the big grassy NTC Park.Colorful banner outside the San Diego Watercolor Society Gallery. Their amazing International Exhibition is underway and will be open to the public through October 31.A small collection of paintings can be enjoyed inside the entrance to the old Naval Training Center San Diego’s command building.Art displayed in the NTC Command Center was created by artists who have studios inside several old barracks at Liberty Station.Window into one artist’s studio. Artists, museums and cultural attractions now occupy many of the historic Navy barracks at Liberty Station.A fun sculpture graces the North Promenade at Liberty Station. Flowers, by John Dupree.Families and kids love the small USS Brave boat bench at Liberty Station. Wood art by Jonathan Allen.Photo of entrance to the Dorothea Laub Dance Place building in Liberty Station.Lavendar Ballerina by Jori Owens, one of many paintings on display in the main hallway of the Dance Place San Diego at Liberty Station.Blue Ballerina, a painting by Jori Owens.Red Ballerina, a painting by Jori Owens.A busy Saturday at the new and very popular indoor Liberty Public Market.Flowers add color and life to Liberty Public Market, one of many places to visit at Liberty Station.
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Lawrence Godfrey. Sunflowers and a peaceful country scene interpreted with chalk.
Check out these photos of amazing chalk art!
This morning dozens of chalk artists were busy working to complete their masterpieces as 2016 Festa in Little Italy officially opened. There was no special theme this year, so the artwork along Beech Street included anything and everything Italian. The photos I took yesterday (for my previous blog post) provided only a hint of what would materialize. Today’s photos show hours of hard work by the artists, who have brought their unique visions to life.
I’ve included what I believe to be the team names in the photo captions. Congratulations to all the great artists!
Artists work to complete their chalk art masterpieces at 2016 Festa in Little Italy.Santa Fe Christian High School. Colorful trees and hills. Perhaps it’s an orchard or vineyard in Italy.Elisabeth Eckert. Flowing artwork on the streets of Little Italy during Festa.Canyon Crest Academy. A chalk depiction of classic painting The Incredulity of Saint Thomas by Caravaggio.Liberty Charter High School. A scene from Venice, Italy produced with chalk.Pearson Family. A colorful face sure to please thousands of visitors at 2016 Festa in Little Italy.Lidia F. Vasquez. Another sensational work of art by a very accomplished young chalk artist.Lydia Puentes Phillips. The face of Christ before the Crucifixion.Stan Tang. A strong masculine face drawn with chalk.Chalkolate. A red Alfa Romeo made entirely of chalk. The Gesso Italiano at 2016 Festa celebrates everything Italian, including cars!Mount Miguel High School. Someone is trying to reach out of the asphalt on Beech Street!Alex Dejecacion. Some fine chalk artistry has produced a lovely woman.Weenie Kingdom. Another amazing chalk female portrait.Liliana Mai. It seems a Venetian gondolier is waving from some water beneath a San Diego street!Valerie Michelle. Unusual chalk art depicts an elegantly dressed dog!Megnificent. A chalk art portrait of Leonardo DiCaprio is being created.Team Pinoy. Sylvester Stallone, a movie icon whose father was Italian.Judith Arnaud Gary. The head of David, a famous sculpture by Michelangelo.Francois Lariviere. A chalk figure in exotic armor created for 2016 Festa in Little Italy.Team Parada. Colored chalk has produced a stunning face.Shuji Nishimura. The face of famous Italian actor and comedian Roberto Remigio Benigni.Holly Lynn Schineller. In Praise of Imperfection, a tribute to Italian twin sisters.Carlos Alberto Cortez Gomez. Colorful classical figures created with Gesso Italiano.Cecelia Linayao. A mother and child take form on the street at Festa.Grasiela Rodriguez. This Roman Colosseum is an Italian chalk art work in progress.Brenda Mora. In loving memory of Josephine Pecoraro, resident of Little Italy.Angela Checco. Two lovers enjoy romance in Rome.Tonie Garza. Madonna in Glory by Italian painter Carlo Dolci. One of many Catholic chalk art images created for Festa in San Diego’s Little Italy.Tiffany Garza. A face from Italian popular culture appears on a San Diego street.Renee Keady. Grapes crown a beautiful female face.Brianna Cunha. The Italian theme at 2016 Festa most certainly included grapes!Kira Lewis-Martinez. A graceful religious figure softly composed of chalk.Shawnet Sweets. A classic Italian painting translated into chalk art.Team Zamora. The colors of Italy. Looking upward with pride.Lisa Pierre-Davis. A life-filled chalk character at 2016 Festa in Little Italy!
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A beautiful face comes alive on a Little Italy street. Amazing chalk art will be a central attraction at the annual Festa celebration in San Diego.
Tomorrow Festa will be enjoyed by thousands of people in Little Italy. One of the annual festival’s biggest attraction is the amazing chalk art, which is also known as Gesso Italiano. Today the chalk artists began creating their masterpieces. Their unusual canvas is two blocks of asphalt along Beech Street.
I walked this afternoon from Cortez Hill down to Little Italy, to see how far the artwork has progressed. Most of the artists had already made a good start.
I looked with wonder at many colorful chalk art faces that have gradually come to life. The artists, when drawing a human form, often begin with the face. So many beautiful faces were gazing up from the asphalt.
Festa begins tomorrow, Sunday, at 10 o’clock. Thousands will enjoy the finished chalk masterpieces. I will definitely be there!
Chalk artists line two blocks of Beech Street. It’s a very special October weekend in downtown San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood.This chalk artist uses a grid to form his emerging creation.Another face mysteriously materializes on the street. Many different colors of chalk can be used to create subtle effects.Elaborate chalk artwork, also known as Gesso Italiano, is being created the day before 2016 Festa begins in Little Italy.Chalk can be used to produce truly sensational images.Another chalk artist at work creating a bold face in the middle of the street.Many classical images borrowed from Italy’s rich history and culture will appear tomorrow on Beech Street for 2016 Festa.Chalk and asphalt. Passion and skill. A human face is born.Eyes peer up from the street, patiently regarding a skilled chalk artist.A colorful chalk angel almost ready to take flight in Little Italy.A beautiful face beneath a halo.Flying purple hair, and a glowing face in the sunlight.These eyes have been infused with life. Chalk artists have converged to create beautiful art in Little Italy for 2016 Festa!
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
This morning I walked through Chicano Park. It had been a while since I last wandered among the park’s many famous murals. My camera was searching for no one thing in particular. But I couldn’t stop admiring the many expressive faces that have been artfully painted: faces from our Hispanic community that contain a whole range of emotions, including pride, hope and resolve. The expressive faces reflect humanity and inner beauty.
I’ve blogged about this amazing collection of outdoor murals (the largest in the country) on several occasions, providing a little more information. Today, I simply present a few photos of painted human expression.
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
An imaginative performance at Fault Line Park in San Diego’s East Village during the 2016 Trolley Dances!
Check out these fun photos! They show the energy audiences will experience when they venture downtown to watch the Trolley Dances this year!
The Trolley Dances is all about contemporary dance in surprising public places. This year the Trolley Dances, a collaboration between the San Diego Dance Theater and our Metropolitan Transit System, begins with a performance in Barrio Logan. Mobile audiences, following guides, then make their way by trolley and foot to a variety of unusual downtown locations, where dancers appear like magic and perform. The unique experience lasts about two and a half hours and comes to a conclusion at the relatively new Fault Line Park in East Village. That’s where I snapped a few pics of the final two dances.
I’ll try not to give away too much. Let your imagination go to town–or better yet, buy a ticket. The 2016 Trolley Dances takes places this weekend and next!
A mobile audience arrives at San Diego’s Fault Line Park. The park will be the setting of two energetic dances.The audience takes a seat. Is something behind that wall?Yes, indeed! These suddenly rising dancers seem to have paddled in to shore!Perhaps it’s an invasion!Dancing on boulders at Fault Line Park! Flight of the Valkyries plays!A unique work of modern dance at the 2016 Trolley Dances in San Diego.The dancers approach the audience as if rowing a Viking longship . . .They have conquered!Meanwhile, out on the nearby grass, not far from some people practicing football skills, I spot a circle of baseball players . . .These baseball players also happen to be dancers!Just like professional baseball players, each performer is introduced by name to the Trolley Dances audience.And a joyful dance commences . . .Just a lot of fun.Dancers rest for a few minutes. They await the next mobile audience that will arrive at Fault Line Park during the 2016 Trolley Dances.
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Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to conquer it.
Walk up Fifth Avenue in Bankers Hill and you’re likely to see some inspiring chalk art. Words of wisdom prompt those passing by to think about courage, wishes and hope. Here are some photos.
Two of the life affirming messages adorn a community library box located next to the front entrance of a safe haven for the homeless. A brave lion roars nearby. Uptown Safe Haven features transitional housing, supportive services, and hope. It is the project of Episcopal Community Services. The chalk art speaks of their mission.
If you’d like to learn more, or if you’d like to consider volunteering through this program to serve those in need, please click here.
Never stop making wishes. Life affirming chalk art in San Diego’s Bankers Hill neighborhood.The only thing stronger than fear is hope.
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The end of San Diego’s B Street Pier is lined with amazing sand sculptures created by world masters for the 2016 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge.
At this moment, the most amazing sand sculptures in the entire world are on display in San Diego on the B Street Pier. They were created by genuine world sand masters–many have won world championships–for the 2016 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge’s World Masters Solo Competition. The artists have come in for this big competition from countries all around the planet!
You doubt these are the most fantastic sand sculptures in the world at this very moment? Take a look at some photos! All of these sculptures will be destroyed right after the special event ends. The day after Labor Day, these truly amazing works of art become history!
Rockin’ Bobbin, by Kirk Rademaker, world sand master from Stinson Beach, California.The Rockin’ Bobbin, which resembles a machine with many parts, is a wonderful example of complex sand art.I Want To Fly, by world sand master Katsuhiko Chaen from Japan.A large winged foot carved of sand appears ready to take flight.Armadillo Lizard, by world sand master Susanne Ruseler of the Netherlands.The friendly world-class sand sculptor Susanne Ruseler poses for photos by her fantastic artwork.Alpha Waves, by world sand master Fergus Mulvany of Dublin, Ireland. This sculpture won second place at the 2016 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge.Alpha Waves photographed from a different angle. The layered sand art is truly amazing.And another photo from behind.Yell, by world sand master Benjamin Probanza of Mexico City.An angry, melting face yells at a graceful woman made of sand.Another photo of the astonishing sand sculpture Yell.My Inner Self Revealed, by world sand master Melineige Beauregard of Montreal, Canada.Peering through the amazing layered sand sculpture reveals a human form.The tender, small inner self is revealed.The Man Who Wasn’t There, by world sand master Rusty Croft of Carmel, California.This abstract work of sand art makes the viewer think about its potential meaning.A photo of the rear of this surreal sand sculpture reveals an open door.Yesterday upon the stair I met a man who wasn’t there he wasn’t there again today Oh how I wish he’d go away…What Is The Real Face, by world sand master Agnese Rudzite-Kirillova of Latvia.Is this the real face, or a mask worn in public?What is the real face? Where is it?Nostalgia, by world sand master Ilya Filimontsev of Moscow, Russia. This incredible sculpture won first place at the 2016 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge!Proof that sand sculptures can sometimes be classified as fine art.Side view of the stunning, award-winning sand sculpture on San Diego’s B Street Pier.Surrender To Diversity, by world sand master Michela Ciappini of Italy.An unusual sand sculpture features a rabbit perched upon an upside-down alligator!Out Of Reach, by world sand master Thomas Koet of Melbourne, Florida.Many hands reach for a very beautiful woman, but she is out of reach.The most amazing sand sculptures in the world can be found in sunny San Diego. That is–until this Labor Day weekend ends!
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