Tag: art

Beautiful historical mosaic at Chula Vista bank.

Perhaps you’ve seen this beautiful mosaic while driving through downtown Chula Vista. It decorates the California Bank and Trust building at 444 Third Avenue.

The mosaic mural was the creation of internationally renowned artist and architectural designer Millard Owen Sheets. He with the help of other Sheets Studio artists produced many such mosaics for Home Savings Bank branches around Southern California. Perhaps you’ve seen his work in Pacific Beach and Coronado.

This particular mosaic in Chula Vista was created in 1987. It depicts ocean waves and seagulls. According to this website, it was worked on by Denis O’Connor, Monika Scharff; Studio MosaicArt Colledani Milan/NOVA Designs; Kathryn Yelsa.

The mosaic mural stretches horizontally just below the bank’s rooftop. Situated high up, partially obscured by nearby trees, it can be easy to miss. Pause on the sidewalk below to enjoy this very beautiful, historical public art!

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Mural celebrates Manny Machado’s 2000th hit!

This mural was painted in National City last year after Manny Machado of the San Diego Padres recorded his 2000th Major League Baseball hit!

It reads: El Ministro 2000! Manny got the name “El Ministro de la Defensa” (Minister of Defense) for his defensive prowess when he played for the Dominican Republic in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

His absolutely amazing plays at third base are so smooth and routine they appear almost effortless. If you’re an opposing hitter running to first base, you’d better hurry, because Manny’s laser throw will probably arrive before you do!

The artwork was spray painted in 2025 by the Padres-loving artists of Ground Floor Murals (@groundfloormurals).

If you’d like to see this cool mural firsthand, head over the intersection of 8th Street and B Avenue in downtown National City. It decorates the east side of the Andrade’s Thrift Store building.

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Art classes in Balboa Park during 2026.

A variety of art classes in Balboa Park will be available during 2026. Hands-on workshops, guided by professional artists, will welcome creative people at Spanish Village Art Center.

For a fee anyone can learn to create Art Journals, Collage, Chinese Brush Paintings, Paper Art, Silk Paintings, and more!

I saw that making Silver Metal Clay Jewelry would be taught today. Workspaces and materials were being prepared on tables in Gallery 21 when I happened by. (Students would mold material that combines fine powered metal with a pliable binding material. Each piece is then fired in a kiln, and the sculpted metal remains. How awesome is that?)

Would you like to learn a new craft or style of art, or perhaps improve a skill? Check out the Village Arts Center classes on their website by clicking here.

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Fencing trees and space at UC San Diego.

UC San Diego’s outdoor public art can be surprising. That is certainly the case with Two Running Violet V Forms. The 1983 installation by artist Robert Irwin is part of UCSD’s Stuart Collection.

Located near the center of the La Jolla campus in a eucalyptus grove, stretches of blue-violet chain-link fencing form two elevated v’s that students can walk beneath. These linear geometric forms pierce the complexity of living eucalyptus trees.

I walked into the grove yesterday and paused for a few minutes to take in the effect.

The sky at the moment was cloudy gray. Had the sky been bright blue, the Two Running Violet V Forms might have been more intriguing–even spiritual–showing different qualities of light, seeming to blend with the upper air, providing a more subtle contrast with the organic grayish eucalyptus trunks and high green leaves.

Under a colorless gray sky, however, and among grayish trees, the fencing’s stark color was too garish, too harshly artificial. At least for me. Sorry to criticize. Keep in mind I’m no art expert.

When I finished reading an essay concerning of this unusual art, I completely understood the intention. I’ll have to return on a sunny blue sky day.

The sculpture and artist are explored in depth on this Stuart Collection webpage.

Robert Irwin‘s work is held in high esteem. His unique creations focus on human perception, engaging different environments and effects of light. His work includes the Central Gardens at The J. Paul Getty Center in Los Angeles.

His cut glass windows overlooking the ocean at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego produce interesting contrasts of light. See those photos here.

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Donal Hord special exhibit in San Diego.

A special exhibit at the San Diego Central Library was recently installed in a large display case at the Special Collections Center. It concerns the work of San Diego’s world-renowned sculptor Donal Hord.

Historical photos concentrate on Hord’s creation of the Literature East and West bas-relief panels, which still exist on the library’s previous, now-vacant building. Photos (such as the one above) show the preparing, casting and hanging of the sculptural panels back in 1953. I blogged about these panels and other art at that old downtown library many years ago. See that past blog post here.

This special exhibition also showcases a few small but very beautiful works, and covers Donal Hord’s public art that can be found all around San Diego. I’ve covered most of these iconic sculptures. Click here and here and here and here and here and here and here!

Would you like to go see this fascinating exhibit yourself? Head up to the 9th floor of the Central Library and look for the door to Special Collections. You can also enjoy amazing rooftop views of San Diego!

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The art of Mike McCarley at the Central Library.

I really like this fun artwork. It’s now on public display at San Diego’s downtown Central Library. The five original paintings and the digital illustration prints were created by Mike McCarley (aka Mike Mike), who resides in Ocean Beach and imbues his work with a playful, laid-back beach vibe.

As a sign explains, his work has roots in skateboard art, cartoons, and an enduring love for the color blue. To see these in person, head up to the Central Library’s second floor near the escalators and look for the glass display cases. I believe the exhibit continues through December, so there isn’t much time left.

If you dig Mike Mike’s stuff, check out his Instagram page here. He works professionally in architecture, but his creative heart belongs to painting and illustration.

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Art and nature at Paradise Creek Educational Park!

If you’re ever in National City and in the neighborhood of Paradise Creek Educational Park, you might pay a visit. I enjoyed a ramble through the park a couple weeks ago and found the beauty of nature and surprising public art!

I began at the north end of the park at West 18th Street and Hoover Avenue. That’s where I spied two gorgeous mosaic benches depicting birds and other wildlife. Near the path rose a silvery wing-like sculpture.

I then proceeded over a long curving bridge above the wetland. Arriving at the amphitheater with its shade structure (in the shape of the moon), I discovered colorful art tiles. Students from Kimball Elementary School, which is directly adjacent to the park, have outdoor classes here.

From the amphitheater I walked past the community garden and playground and on, until I reached the south end of the half mile, 6-acre linear park at West 22nd Street, just east of Wilson Avenue. I turned around, headed back, and discovered a flower-like windmill sculpture between the playground and community garden!

Paradise Creek Educational Park was an Urban Greening Project of National City. It was designed by Schmidt Design Group. The park has won multiple awards, including an Orchid from the San Diego Architectural Foundation.

You might enjoy a similar walk on a sunny day. You’ll spot some birds, too!

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Giant butterfly visits Balboa Park garden!

A giant butterfly now makes its home in a special Balboa Park garden. The butterfly can be seen among the native plants of the San Diego Natural History Museum‘s Nature Trail!

Today I spotted this butterfly sculpture on the north side of the museum building. It can be observed from the Wildlife Walkway portion of the Nature Trail. I was told it appeared in the past week or two.

It’s appropriate the butterfly now makes this garden home. Many of the native plants along the Nature Trail attract nectar loving pollinators.

I tried to ascertain who made this beautiful sculpture, but no luck yet. If you know anything about it, please leave a comment!

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Three past SDSU murals remembered near Montezuma Hall.

On the second floor of the Conrad Prebys Aztec Student Union at San Diego State University, memories are preserved just outside Montezuma Hall. Three historical murals that were painted on plaster at the old Aztec Center, which was demolished in 2011, live on today as tiled photographs.

Here’s an article that describes the origin of the original three murals, which were painted by students in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

On either side of the tiled photographs are identical plaques that show the complete murals and provide further explanation.

Tiled photographs of Life, Birth-Death, Rebirth. Painted by San Diego-based artist Mario Torero and SDSU students in 1980, “Life, Birth-Death and Rebirth” was located in the lower courtyard of Aztec Center. Torero and students chose the theme because they wanted to focus on the more positive aspects of Chicano culture instead of dwelling on the past…
Tiled photographs of Mexico, The Periods. Painted in fall 1980 and spring 1981, “Mexico, The Periods,” was produced as part of an SDSU Chicano mural class. Art instructor Juan Laguna and his students divided the mural into four sections, each celebrating the four periods of Mexican history. The 10-foot by 20-foot mural was located in an inside hallway in the lower level of Aztec Center…
Tiled photographs of The Backdoor Mural. Formerly located in a hallway near the backstage entrance to the Backdoor in Aztec Center, the 9-foot by 14-foot mural was completed on Jan. 27, 1976. It was designed and painted by principal artist Arturo Anselmo Roman and students in his Chicano mural art class. Dedicated to the god of music, the design featured various Meso-American gods as musicians…

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Nature slowly reclaims San Diego River Garden.

Five years ago I explored the San Diego River Garden in Mission Valley. Read about my visit here.

The community park, full of native vegetation and art, was developed by the San Diego River Park Foundation. It’s no longer listed on the foundation’s website. For all intents and purposes, it appears to have been abandoned.

I noticed, about a week ago, that people can still enter the old River Garden and walk about on its trails. So that’s what I did.

As you can see, the human-made parts of the park are fading away. Signs, planters and art are weathered and are slowly disintegrating.

While works of the human hand gradually pass away, the forces of nature persist. Plants, trees and natural life grow, renew, overtake.

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