Tag: art

Cool urban art on Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach.

Cool art on a music store window on Garnet Avenue.
Cool art on a music store window on Garnet Avenue.

Yesterday I went for a very long walk through Pacific Beach and Mission Beach, two extremely popular beach destinations just a few miles north of downtown San Diego.

I began by walking west along Garnet Avenue in Pacific Beach, from around Ingraham Street all the way to the beautiful and historic Crystal Pier. This stretch contains more bars, tattoo parlors, smoke shops and swimwear stores than just about anywhere else in Southern California. It’s a young, hip, beachy sort of place, that’s mostly laid back and unpretentious. You’ll see bikinis and skateboarders and tourists and families and surfboards atop cars and under arms just about everywhere you go.

You’ll also see a lot of very cool urban art: on walls, on windows, on rooftops, in alleys…all over the place! Here are some random pics I took as I walked westward in the sunshine…

Aloha Spirit mural on side of Pacific Beach building.
Aloha Spirit mural on side of Pacific Beach building.
Surfers are a major theme in this popular beach city.
Surfers and the ocean are major themes in this popular beach community.
Mural shows lifeguard climbing a tower among palms.
Mural shows lifeguard climbing a tower among palms.
Street art between two buildings on Garnet Avenue.
Funky street art between two buildings on Garnet Avenue.
Pacific Beach public art features a large seagull.
Pacific Beach public art features a large seagull.
Street art in an alley behind a tattoo parlor.
Street art in an alley behind a tattoo parlor.
Hubcaps and tiles add flavor to a colorful local eatery.
Hubcaps and tiles add flavor to a colorful local eatery.
Another tattoo parlor embellished with urban art.
Another tattoo parlor embellished with bold swirls of urban art.
Photo mural on one wall shows old Crystal Pier and Garnet Avenue.
Photo mural on a wall shows old Crystal Pier at west end of Garnet Avenue.
Sunny Pacific Beach has a sunny utility box.
Sunny Pacific Beach has a sunny utility box.
Images of surfers and beach scenes are everywhere.
Images of surfers and beach scenes are everywhere.

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Joy of Urban Living mural in East Village.

Joy of Urban Living mural by Rafael Lopez.
Joy of Urban Living mural by Rafael Lopez.

Another mural representing the artwork of Rafael Lopez can be spotted on a parking lot wall in East Village. Appropriately called Joy of Urban Living, this mural is also part of the Urban Art Trail project in San Diego. An unknown prankster seems to have added the funny image you see in the third photograph.

Mural by East Village parking lot adds life to neighborhood.
Mural by East Village parking lot adds life to neighborhood.
Frankenstein monster head with tentacles added to mural.
Frankenstein monster head with tentacles added to mural.

Here’s a better photograph that I snapped at a later time…

An unobstructed photo of the Joy of Urban Living mural by Rafael Lopez.
An unobstructed photo of the Joy of Urban Living mural by Rafael Lopez.

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The Strength of the Women mural by Rafael Lopez.

The Strength of Women mural by Rafael Lopez.
The Strength of the Women mural by Rafael Lopez.

Should you ever ride the San Diego Trolley up Park Boulevard between the Market Street and City College stations, you might notice this large, colorful mural on a building wall. It’s called The Strength of the Women and is based on the work of noted local artist Rafael Lopez.

This mural is part of the Urban Art Trail, a project in San Diego whose mission is to beautify areas that have been unfortunately neglected and subject to urban decay. Along this section of Park Boulevard you’ll find many homeless people.

Beautiful mural on Park Boulevard in San Diego.
Beautiful mural on Park Boulevard in San Diego.
A closer look at mural shows past patches of graffiti.
A closer look at mural shows past patches of graffiti.
Public art painted in 2000 by the women of CalWORKs.
Public art painted in 2000 by the women of CalWORKs.

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Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture turns white!

Bronze nudes of Sergio Benvenuti's Fountain of Two Oceans.
Bronze nudes of Sergio Benvenuti’s Fountain of Two Oceans.

This blog post is long overdue. The interesting pics you see here have been sitting idle on my computer’s hard drive, accidentally forgotten.

I was astonished several months ago to see that the Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture in front of downtown’s Wells Fargo building had completely changed. For the last 30 years, the two bronze figures reclining in the fountain’s basin have looked exactly like…bronze. Then–poof–one day I noticed they’d turned white!

I’m not sure if that’s white paint, or what exactly. It seems the intent was to make the figures stand out more, and appear like marble. To my eye, however, the white coating makes them garish, black-eyed, and almost ghostly. At a distance they look bland and formless.

According to an internet search, The Fountain of Two Oceans was placed in downtown San Diego in 1984. The art, now a familiar San Diego landmark, was created by Sergio Benvenuti, a sculptor from Florence, Italy.

Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture is now white.
Fountain of Two Oceans sculpture is now white.
White coating makes bronze sculpture seem ghostly.
White coating makes bronze sculpture seem ghostly.

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Shedding the Cloak sculpture inspired by MLK.

Shedding the Cloak sculpture in San Diego.
Shedding the Cloak sculpture in San Diego.

A meaningful work of art stands in a small park among trees in downtown San Diego. The park includes a hedge maze and a few benches for sitting, and can be found at the west end of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade, a beautiful walkway that runs along Harbor Drive. At the center of the maze, a shining sculpture awaits like a revelation.

Shedding the Cloak is a work of public art that glows bright gold from within, both day and night. Created in 2001 by Jerry Dumlao, Mary Lynn Dominguez and Tama Dumlao, the sculpture represents a turning point in a person’s view of others. MLK hoped that all people would shed the cloak of hatred and suspicion, and don the cloak of compassion.

A plaque explains: This beacon of light honors the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that with perseverance and hope the human spirit can break the web of ignorance, hatred and injustice.

The shady park is a quiet place to read a book, relax, or reflect upon life and human potential in a turbulent, often unthoughtful world. The golden radiance from within the sculpture shifts beneath swaying green branches as the sun arcs through the sky. A touch of gold is felt by any who pass by.

Artwork inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Beautiful artwork inspired by Martin Luther King, Jr.
Rough exterior of fear and malice is peeled aside.
Rough exterior of fear and malice is peeled aside.
Trees through sculpture on Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade.
Trees and sky seen through sculpture on Martin Luther King, Jr. Promenade.
Shining golden interior of cloak represents human compassion.
Shining golden interior of cloak represents human compassion.
Trolley passes behind Shedding the Cloak.
Trolley passes behind Shedding the Cloak.
This park honors an American hero who stood for human dignity.
Park honors an American hero who stood for human dignity.

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Sign language Tribute to Martin Luther King Jr.

Bronze hand signs the letter D.
Bronze hand signs the letter D.

Take a walk or ride a bike down the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade in downtown San Diego and you’ll encounter several sculptures inspired by America’s great civil rights leader. Here are a few photos of DREAM – A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a dramatic work created by Roberto Salas in 2001. Five bronze hands spell out the word DREAM in sign language. This public art can be found very close to The New Children’s Museum.

Along the beautiful promenade, which follows Harbor Drive from near Seaport Village down to the Gaslamp Quarter, many MLK quotes are enshrined in the walkway. The last photo shows one very famous quote, just a few steps from this powerful tribute.

Bronze hand signs the letter R.
Bronze hand signs the letter R.
Bronze hand signs the letter E.
Bronze hand signs the letter E.
Bronze hand signs the letter A.
Bronze hand signs the letter A.
Bronze hand signs the letter M.
Bronze hand signs the letter M.
DREAM - A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by artist Roberto Salas. A word that reaches deep into our humanity and creativity.
DREAM – A tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by artist Roberto Salas. A word that reaches deep into our humanity and creativity.
People approach DREAM on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.
People approach DREAM on Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade.
A very famous and wise quote by Martin Luther King Jr.
A very famous and wise quote by Martin Luther King Jr.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Cool new Pocket Park opens in East Village.

New pocket park in East Village in downtown San Diego.
New pocket park in East Village in downtown San Diego.

Today a very cool new public park opened. It’s called Pocket Park. You’ll find it near the corner of 13th Avenue and J Street in East Village, which is a booming neighborhood in the east part of downtown San Diego. Tucked between buildings on either side, the clever little park will make a great gathering place for the neighborhood.

Large letters on the ground and stacked pallets form a gigantic word find. The puzzle contains words like PADRES and PETCO, which are associated with East Village. The Downtown San Diego Partnership helped to make this new park a reality.

Looks like a great place to relax and read a book!

People enjoy new cozy, creative urban park.
People enjoy new cozy, creative urban park.
Letters on the ground and pallets form a big word find puzzle.
Letters on the ground and pallets form a big word find puzzle.
Finding words about local places requires a bit of looking.
Finding words about local places requires a bit of looking.
Folks enjoy opening day of the new pocket park.
Folks enjoy opening day of the new pocket park.
Sign describes this lively and engaging space.
Sign describes this lively and engaging space.
East Village has a cool new gathering place.
East Village has a cool new gathering place.

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Duality in Coming Together mosaic sculpture.

Coming Together sculpture near Petco Park and convention center.
Coming Together sculpture near convention center and Petco Park.

A very prominent example of public art in San Diego is the large sculpture that stands at the southeast end of the convention center,  just across Harbor Drive from Petco Park. The colorful ceramic and mirror mosaic face, called Coming Together, was created by internationally famous artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Two more of her whimsical artistic works can be seen in front of the Mingei Museum in Balboa Park.

Niki has explained that Coming Together represents the essential duality in human beings. The two sides of the composite face have several notable differences.  One side is black and white, the other has a range of bright colors.  One side is jagged and angular, the other is smooth and curved.  One half of the face has long hair, the other half doesn’t.

The striking image that is created, she has explained, is a Western interpretation of yin and yang.  The duality includes joy and darkness, and the masculine and the feminine.

Created in 2001, Coming Together has definitely become a well known landmark in downtown San Diego!

Public art created by Niki de St. Phalle.
Public art created by Niki de Saint Phalle.
Closer look at light shining from mosaic sculpture.
Closer look at light shining from mosaic sculpture.
Ceramic and mirror artwork reflects nearby Hilton.
Ceramic and mirror artwork reflects nearby Hilton.
Coming Together sculpture stands along Harbor Drive.
Coming Together sculpture stands along Harbor Drive.

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Horrible monsters seen in downtown San Diego.

Funny monster faces on utility box by Pokez.
Funny monster faces on a utility box by Pokez.

Yikes! Horrible monsters are on the loose in downtown San Diego, just outside the Pokez eatery! Stay clear! You’ve been warned!

Creature with four eyeballs and crooked teeth.
Creature with four eyeballs and crooked teeth.
Cool purple monsters often have green drool.
Cool purple monsters often have green drool.
Looks scarier than that Alien creature.
Looks scarier than that Alien creature.
Crazy street art on a downtown utility box.
Crazy street art on a downtown utility box.
Pink monster with messed up green eyes.
Pink monster with messed up green eyes.

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Big mural at St. Vincent de Paul Village.

Big mural at St. Vincent de Paul Village.
Big mural at St. Vincent de Paul Village.

Perhaps you’ve attended a Padres game at Petco Park, gazed eastward along Imperial Avenue and seen a huge, gigantic mural on a building several blocks away. I’ve got the pics!

The amazing work of art, one of the largest glass mosaic murals in the world, adorns the Villa Harvey Mandel affordable housing building, a part of St. Vincent de Paul Village. The mural measures 43 x 72 feet and was created by the artist Italo Botti.

St. Vincent de Paul Village, located in East Village, offers assistance to the homeless population of San Diego. It has been run for decades by the one and only Father Joe Carroll, known and well-loved by many appreciative San Diegans.

Closer look at gigantic mural on Imperial Avenue.
Closer look at gigantic mural on Imperial Avenue.
Beautiful mural is loaded with life and color!
Beautiful mural is loaded with life and color!

Here’s a portion of a nearby plaque…

Volunteers and donors help neighbors.
Volunteers and donors help neighbors.

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