Today I finally got around to photographing this great public art in Hillcrest.
Back in January, I posted photos of a fun “champagne bubbles” mural on the east side of the Bubbles Market & Spirits building. It was painted in 2023. See those pics here.
In 2024, the same creator, San Diego artist Jeremy “Jermz” (@jm47art), painted a continuation of that mural, but on the north side of the building near the store’s front entrance. A beautiful woman appears to be blowing more bubbles! That’s what you’re looking at now!
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Look what I spied the other day! A bright, super fun mural was painted a couple months ago at Liberty Station in Point Loma!
The mural can be found along the arched walkway between THE LOT movie theater and Building 176, where a number of music and arts studios are located.
The very colorful artwork was painted by Paola Villaseñor, who goes by the artist name PANCA. Here’s her Instagram page.
The title of the mural is Yo No Soy Marinero, Soy Capitan. That means, in English: I’m not a sailor, I’m the captain.
As a nearby sign explains, this mural showcases the beauty of life and culture in San Diego, with a particular emphasis on the ocean... The artist states: “…the mural…reflects the history of Liberty Station and my role as captain and artist. My hope is that visitors will find joy…”
How could anyone walk through all this found joy without smiling?
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Enjoy this collection of photographs. I took them late this afternoon in Little Italy at the inaugural Bella Vita Fest event, along India Street.
The Italian-themed event is produced by ArtWalk San Diego. Appropriately, it’s taking place during a sunny weekend in October, which is Italian American Heritage Month.
In addition to the work of some 30 chalk artists, visitors to the festival can enjoy live entertainment, wine tastings, great Italian food and lots of unique vendor booths. Bella Vita Fest continues tomorrow, Sunday, from 11 am to 5 pm. Learn more here!
These photographs include many of the chalk art works. Ones that were just begun or badly disrupted by shadows I might have skipped. Most chalk artists will continue their work during Bella Vita Fest on Sunday!
Chalk art by Tonya Neilson.Chalk art by Cecelia Linayao.Chalk art by Pappricci.Chalk art by Dawn Wagner.Chalk art by Meg Beverly Canilang.Chalk art by NIKIMEG.Chalk art by Joyce Hatzidakis.Chalk art by Gutierrez Family.Chalk art by Team Zamora.Chalk art by Isaiah Hernandez.Chalk art by Raziah Roushan.Kids create fun chalk art at Bella Vita Fest in San Diego’s Little Italy.Chalk art by Steele Canyon High School.Chalk art by Shawndell Smith Art.Chalk art by Kim sisters.Chalk art by Maddalena and Rogalski.Chalk art by Michelle Lubin.Chalk art by Jen Swain.Chalk art by Monika Petroczy.Chalk art by Canyon Crest Academy.Chalk art by Jose Noe Hernandez.Chalk art by Fia Soisson.Chalk art by Gloria Ing.Chalk art by Sarah Conley.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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On Saturday, the Bonita Museum and Cultural Center brought part of their Border Blasters exhibition to the World Design Capital’s temporary Exchange Pavilion in Balboa Park!
Border Blasters is an exhibition by artists from Mexico and the United States that explores the impact of Tijuana and San Diego radio, television and music in the region. As experienced by those who live on either side of the border, the diverse media coming via the airwaves is seen and heard by many eyes and ears.
The art of Border Blasters celebrates this unique, shared culture.
As I walked through Balboa Park yesterday, the first thing that attracted me to the Exchange Pavilion (the orange structure that stands at the center of the Plaza de Panama) was a gigantic skull! The skull has a name: Francisco!
The colorful sculpture, made of paper mache and other materials, was created by artist Maricruz Alvarado. That’s her above, standing by Francisco!
Francisco is hollow and very light. He can be wheeled around! I stepped inside the big skull and this is what I saw. Images of the band La Cruz!
Next, I noticed what appeared to be rows of seashells arranged inside the Exchange Pavilion. They were created by Endangered Concepts. I learned they are actually composed of compressed unrecyclable plastic!
One of the sculptures I was shown was made to appear like a Pacific Triton Conch. Blowing through it produced a trumpeting sound!
Next, I spied a strange musical invention. It’s called QUADRA. The conceptual art piece is by multi-disciplinary artist and San Diego native Jason Soares. You turn the square dials and different electronic sounds are generated!
Jason was still setting everything up when I took these photos.
As one sign explained, QUADRAs FRONTERAs configures the QUADRA for the first phase of a multi-location quadraphonic autonomous zone that seeks to connect multiple geographic locations together. All I know is the generated sound coming from the speakers was very cool!
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A fascinating exhibit on the 9th Floor of San Diego’s Central Library concerns the history of the old El Hispano Americano newspaper, founded in San Diego by Hernando Limón Hernández, who had been a general in the Mexican Army.
Display cases in the library’s Marilyn & Gene Marx Special Collections Center contain photographs, printed art, old newspapers and documents, detailing the life of General Hernando Limón Hernández and his groundbreaking newspaper in San Diego.
While living in Mexico, the General had been tasked with designing and building lighthouses across Mexico’s main ports. He and his family would settle in San Diego by 1916, where the retired General became a Spanish teacher at the military compound in Coronado.
He soon purchased the new El Hispano Americano newspaper, and began to operate its print shop in downtown San Diego.
El Hispano Americano was the first modern Spanish language newspaper published in California. It would become the first binational newspaper that circulated simultaneously in Southern California and Northern Baja California. At its peak, in 1932, El Hispano American averaged 25,000 daily readers.
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A special exhibition is wrapping up tomorrow in Gallery 21, at Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center. I caught it just in time!
The Friends of the Chinese Brush Annual Art Exhibition features paintings by artist Lucy Wang and a group of her students. Lucy Wang works out of Spanish Village’s Studio 4.
I admired the work of Lucy’s students on the gallery walls. Two students at a table were busy creating beautiful sunflowers!
If you’d like to take Chinese brush painting classes in San Diego, check out this web page. Classes are held on Sundays.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
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A very cool exhibit opened recently at the Comic-Con Museum in San Diego’s Balboa Park. The Myth of Superheroes celebrates the history of comic book heroes, and examines how many were inspired by the deities and heroes of ancient mythology.
It’s no coincidence. Flash is extremely fast like Roman god Mercury. Superman is super strong like Hercules. Aquaman is ruler of the oceans like Neptune. Some superheroes even take the names and characteristics of mythological characters: Thor, Odin and Loki from Norse mythology . . .Greek Zeus, Aries, Apollo, the Amazons…
Many of the writers and artists who created comic book superheroes have stated mythology was a direct inspiration.
Inspiration has also come from unique cultures and religious traditions around the world. The legend of King Arthur, Mesoamerican gods, the Great Spirit of Native Americans, the mysticism of Hinduism, the mysteries of ancient Egypt . . . and more. Superheroes (and supervillains) whose amazing powers are innate or magical can likely trace their origin to supernaturally gifted characters imagined long ago.
The Myth of Superheroes compares ancient myth with modern superheroes by displaying hundreds of objects including original comics, hand drawings, modern statues, action figures, and more. The images and information in the exhibition will excite anyone who loves comic books and their huge influence in the popular culture.
After viewing so many superheroes, and recalling my own youth (collecting Legion of Super-Heroes comic books), it occurred to me that what is common between ancient gods and superheroes is the idea of superhuman power. Supernatural power in ancient times explained the workings of a mysterious world; in our modern world, great power is a dream of youth and those who fantasize about exceeding an ordinary existence.
What do you think?
The Myth of Superheroes is definitely fun! Bring the kids! You can view it all at San Diego’s awesome Comic-Con Museum until February 15, 2025.
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The San Diego Museum of Art held a fun community workshop today in Balboa Park. Those who participated would create a Jasper Johns-inspired work of art!
The event took place in the shade of the World Design Capital’s temporary Exchange Pavilion, in the Plaza de Panama, directly in front of the museum. SDMA educators showed me how, by tracing various pre-cut silhouettes on paper and adding different colors, an original abstract work of art might emerge!
Families sat at tables with their creative juices flowing.
Which colors to choose? How to design the finished piece so that it’s visually interesting? How does one create a balanced composition?
(If you look at the upper left corner of the next photo, you’ll see local artist Paul Strahm at work! One of his works is in the permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Lately, he frequently paints along the boardwalk in Pacific Beach.)
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
In 2011, a large mural was installed on the top level of Horton Plaza mall’s parking garage in downtown San Diego. Today that mural can still be seen, although it is badly damaged from its long exposure to sun and weather.
The Circle (on 7 Lemon) is named after the mural’s circular design and its location: the seventh level of the large parking garage in a section that is designated “lemon.”
As you can see from these photographs taken yesterday, the top of the garage was completely empty. Horton Plaza mall and its shoppers have vanished–the property is being redeveloped. The mural is all but forgotten.
A plaque still can be found by the old mural. It explains that the art was created by Chor Boogie and Writerzblok. Mural commissioned by the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and Horton Plaza in conjunction with the exhibition Viva la Revolución: A Dialogue with the Urban Landscape…
Here’s on old web page that describes that exhibition, which featured works both in the Museum’s galleries as well as at public sites throughout downtown San Diego.
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
A new park is coming to downtown San Diego! It’s called Progress Park, and it’s located at the corner of Broadway and Harbor Drive, at one end of the new Research and Development District complex (RaDD).
Check out that new public art near the center of Progress Park! It’s titled Shhh Pavilion: The Hopekeeper.
According to a plaque that I photographed from a distance through a construction fence: Shhh Pavilion: The Hopekeeper is a sculptural landmark pavilion that symbolically and functionally integrates with RaDD Life, fusing art and science. Inspired by childhood memories, the natural world, and its relationship with mathematics, the creators have fashioned a geometric structure utilizing Voronoi tessellation. The piece resembles a shell covered with barnacles and recalls memories of childhood games at the beach, where hope seemed infinite.
What is Voronoi tessellation? Learn all about it here.
The creator of the pavilion is gt2P (Great things to People), a Santiago de Chile based collaborative studio collective.
I can’t wait for the fence to come down. Progress Park is full of greenery and outdoor space–a fine addition, it would appear, to San Diego’s world-class waterfront!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
I post new blogs pretty often. If you like discovering new things, bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!
I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or X.
Cool San Diego Sights! 