If you dare, walk with me up the Snake Path at UCSD. We will proceed from innocence to knowledge.
We’ll begin at a spot near the Jacobs School of Engineering, then head west up a hill toward the amazing Geisel Library. Our path is the winding 560-foot length of a scaly snake.
Snake Path, part of the UC San Diego Stuart Collection, was created by Alexis Smith in 1992. The scales of the snake are hexagonal pieces of colored slate.
We’ll pass a monumental granite book, none other than Milton’s Paradise Lost. On the cover is engraved: “And wilt thou not be loathe to leave this Paradise, but shalt possess a Paradise within thee, happier far.”
We’ll linger at a bench in a small Garden of Eden. Written on the bench are Thomas Gray’s words: “Yet ah why should they know their fate/When sorrow never comes too late/And happiness too swiftly flies/Thought would destroy their Paradise/No more, where ignorance is bliss, tis folly to be wise.”
Toward innocence or knowledge. Which direction is best?
UPDATE!
I took more pics of the Snake Path with a different camera during a UCSD walk a few years later…
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Today I enjoyed walking through the San Diego Pin and Patch Con! This relatively new annual event–billed as the world’s first wearable art convention–was held in Montezuma Hall at San Diego State University.
I love visual art and its infinite potential. As I strolled about the convention floor, my eyes were intrigued by all sorts of cool designs–and I was pleased to find far more than pins and patches! I saw shirts and hats and stickers and greeting cards and bookmarks and colorful prints and much more . . . even crocheted voodoo dolls!
The theme of the 2019 San Diego Pin and Patch Con was cartoon classic Popeye. Much of the inspiration for these unique collectibles, created by entrepreneurial artists, is drawn from the popular culture.
As I walked about, I saw that convention attendees had the opportunity to trade pins with other collectors. I also enjoyed watching a group of Platt College digital media design students as they created their own original artwork.
If you love to collect pins or patches, or would like to join a legion of people who are passionate about creativity, make sure to attend the San Diego Pin and Patch Con next year!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
I was heading down El Cajon Boulevard through North Park today when I noticed a colorful new mural was being painted on The Red Crow tattoo studio. Turns out this cool bird-themed artwork is the creation of muralist Hill Young.
Pretty awesome, huh?
UPDATE!
Here are two more pics of the completed mural that I took in early 2021…
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Today I enjoyed looking at lots of art created by students who attend Canyon Crest Academy in Carmel Valley. The “Red” EVA (Envision Visual Arts) Conservatory Senior Show was held this afternoon on the patio of the Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park!
I was stunned by the high artistic talent on display. It’s clear these young people will enjoy great success as they move forward into the future!
Please enjoy some photos!
(You might recall I blogged about how students at Canyon Crest Academy also created a graphic novel called Spirit Skies as part of their Hummingbird Project. That was four years ago. Check that out here!)
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Photo from 4th Avenue beside the Chula Vista Public Library Civic Center Branch.
Yesterday I walked around the Chula Vista Library’s big Civic Center Branch. I took a look at a beautiful sculpture outside, saw an El Camino Real bell and bronze bust in nearby Friendship Park, then entered the building’s front entrance to check out more art and local history. I particularly enjoyed looking about the library’s unique Chula Vista Heritage Museum.
Come along with me and please read these photo captions…
Pleasant Tree, 2003, by artist Jorge Blanco. An abstract sculpture stands near the Chula Vista Library.Art should always be available to us, to surround us and uplift us.Pleasant Tree from another angle, with eucalyptus and palm trees behind.North of the library, at the west edge of Friendship Park stands an El Camino Real bell, donated by the City of Chula Vista, County of San Diego, and California Federation of Women’s Clubs.Green grass and shady trees fill the Will T. Hyde Friendship Park, north of the Chula Vista Library.A bronze bust near the center of Chula Vista Friendship Park.The bronze likeness of Will T. Hyde, who helped create Friendship Park. By sculptors T.J. Dixon and James Nelson.Plaque shows that Will T. Hyde was Mayor of Chula Vista from 1977 to 1981.Will T. Hyde seems to gaze across the beautiful park.The front of the Chula Vista Public Library, seen from the parking lot entrance.A large wall inside the front entrance of the Chula Vista Library contains many historical photos of the community.A photo mosaic on the library’s entrance wall shows Chula Vista Heritage.In one corner of the quiet library the public can freely visit the Chula Vista Heritage Museum.A photographic timeline wall around the perimeter of the museum’s space shows notable events from Chula Vista history.Chula Vista history in the 2000s includes Park View Little League becoming World Champions in 2009.Historical artifacts fill display cases. This plastic replica was cast from a Chula Vista walrus – Valenictus chulavistensis. The fossil was found in 1989 at Otay Ranch Village.The San Diego Bay National Wildlife Refuge includes 1068 acres of diked salt evaporation ponds. Migratory birds are carefully protected.Historical 1919 letter from Hercules Powder Company, which produced potash and acetone from harvested ocean kelp at Gunpowder Point. They helped to supply the British with munitions during World War I.Photos of an osprey and feeding white pelicans in the museum’s current exhibition: Natural History and the Indigenous People of the South Bay.Large sculpted medallion in a wall near the entrance to the Chula Vista Public Library. Scenes depicted include the original Rohr Aircraft Company, and the San Diego Country Club, home of golf legend Billy Casper.
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I noticed a few days ago that some electrical boxes in East Village, near the intersection of F Street and Tenth Avenue, are sporting three cool new faces!
About a year and a half ago I posted photos of street art painted on those same boxes. You might recall the silly image of Jar Jar Binks. You can see that here.
These three colorful new faces are all painted by San Diego artist Lynne Bolton.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
Belly Warmer, 1973, sterling silver, leather, wood. Arline M. Fisch.
While the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park undergoes it’s monumental renovation and expansion (read about that here), select pieces from their permanent collection are on display at the San Diego Central Library’s Art Gallery.
The title of this exhibition is Crafting Opportunity: Mid-Century Work from the Collection of Mingei International Museum. Head up to the Central Library’s 9th floor gallery and you’ll discover unique and experimental pieces by noted artists and craftsmen, many of whom are from the San Diego region. You’ll see beautiful ceramics, fashion, metalwork, furniture and a surprising variety of other objects. Some of these pieces, representing the post World War II designer-craftsman movement, are on public display for the very first time!
I walked to East Village early this afternoon to see for myself!
Make sure you check this exhibition out before it ends on July 28, 2019.
A look at the current exhibition in the San Diego Central Library’s art gallery. Crafting Opportunity: Mid-Century Work from the Collection of Mingei International Museum.Vase, c. 1959, glazed stoneware. Harrison McIntosh.Owl, c. 1960, glazed stoneware. Marg Loring.Untitled, c. 1965, mosaic and enameling. Ellamarie Woolley.Plate, 1979, stoneware, porcelain. Peter Voulkos, who was drawn to the Zen notion of looseness of form and unpredictability.Bowl, 1954, glazed earthenware. Laura Andreson.The Superior Masculine Mind, date unknown, glazed stoneware. Beatrice Wood, whose work often contains a playful feminist angle.Weed Pots, c. 1965, glazed stoneware. Wayne Chapman.“Happiness” Yardage, 1967, machine-woven, hand-screen printed linen and wool. Jack Lenor Larsen, whose signature pattern remained in production for decades.LCW (Lounge Chair Wood), c. 1946, molded plywood. Charles and Ray Eames, who famously revolutionized industrial design by introducing molded plywood.Untitled, 1969, enamel on steel. Kay Whitcomb.House of Cards, c. 1960, printed paper. Charles and Ray Eames.Helmet, 1970-71, silver, leather, rosewood, moonstones, rabbit fur. Marcia Lewis.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Jeryn Young, Pop Art Portraits, 2019. Tempera paint on paper. Grade 11, Mission Bay High School.
Something new and very cool has recently opened in Seaport Village.
In partnership with the San Diego Unified School District, Seaport Village is now home to the Student Art Gallery!
I visited the gallery today and was blown away by some truly amazing student artwork. The pieces are selected by classroom teachers all around San Diego. Artists attend grades from Kindergarten through High School.
I learned the exhibition will rotate every few weeks, continuously introducing new artwork produced by San Diego’s talented youth. I also learned the gallery will move to a different, larger location inside Seaport Village in a couple of weeks.
If you want to check it out for yourself, visit the Seaport Village website here.
Please enjoy photos representing some of the art currently on display…
The Student Art Gallery at Seaport Village was created in partnership with the San Diego Unified School District’s Visual and Performing Arts Department.Trinity Covarrubias-Burns, Bees and Bloom, 2019. Construction paper, marker and tempera on paper. Kindergarten, Vista Grande Elementary School.Valeria Romero Padilla, Mas Que Una Voz, 2019. Graphite pencil on paper. Grade 9, Crawford High School.Amalia Martinez-Oviedo, Anime, 2019. Colored crayon and marker on paper. Grade 4, Toler Elementary School.Isaac Benitez, Tree Frog, 2019. Tempera on paper. Grade 10, Lincoln High School.Jessie Hsu, Abstract Face in Glitter, 2019. Pastel and glitter glue on paper. Grade 2, E. B. Scripps Elementary School.Jaime Barrozo, The Steeple, 2019. Black ink Pointillism on paper. Grade 8, Correia Middle School.Leigh Archibald, Orange, 2019. Multiple mediums on paper. Grade 12, La Jolla High School.Jade Someda, The Fruits in Four, 2019. Wax crayon and watercolor on paper. Grade 9, Mission Bay High School.Daniel Perez, Blind Contour Self-Portrait, 2019. Black marker on paper. Grade 5, Edison Elementary School.Lillian Robinson, Silence of the Lilies, 2019. Colored pencil on textured paper. Grade 11, Mission Bay High School.Tiernan Nauton, Cezanne Apples, 2019. Tempera on paper. Grade 3, Kumeyaay Elementary School.Kelsey Amann, Censored, 2019. Graphite pencil on paper. Grade 11, Mission Bay High School.Riley Fritzenkotter, Love Thyself, 2019. Oil pastel and black marker on paper. Grade 4, Alcott Elementary School.
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
As I arrived at the Festival of the Sea, the 27th Annual San Diego Sea Chantey Festival was already underway.
There’s a great festival going on this Memorial Day weekend at the Maritime Museum of San Diego. The new, family-friendly waterfront event, sponsored by the Port of San Diego, is called Festival of the Sea!
I headed to the Maritime Museum late this morning to see what was going on!
On the deck of the Star of India, I listened to the 27th Annual San Diego Sea Chantey Festival sponsored by San Diego Folk Heritage. Inside the steam ferry Berkeley, I got to see lots of art by local artists, then peruse books, prints and other used items that are being sold in a kind of nautical rummage sale. From the museum’s barge behind the Berkeley, I viewed a cannon battle out on San Diego Bay, then enjoyed free samples of Tillamook Ice Cream!
The Festival of the Sea also includes kids’ educational activities, costumes galore, and the opportunity to enjoy adult beverages while taking in amazing views of San Diego Bay.
Here come a few photos!
A smiling guy with a wooden leg welcomes me aboard Star of India for the new waterfront event, Festival of the Sea!Gazing out at San Diego Bay from the back of the Maritime Museum of San Diego’s barge.You just knew there would be a pirate!The free samples of Tillamook Ice Cream were super yummy. (Yes, that tray you get holds four different flavors!)Lots of artists had their work on display inside the elegant passenger deck of the Berkeley.Friendly author Joseph O’Loughlin has written an action-packed historical novel that takes place in the Age of Sail. Gallagher’s Prize is the first book of a series!Photographer David J. Shuler has spent many years capturing beautiful images. You can check out his fine work at NauticalVisions.comA large selection of art was being displayed aboard the Berkeley. I was surprised to see so much variety!Norm Daniels was getting started on a new piece. He does a lot of plein air painting. His website is NormHere.comExamples of Norm Daniel’s surf and island themed work.The Maritime Museum of San Diego’s unique Model Shop is also active during the festival.All sorts of used museum items are for sale during the Festival of the Sea. Not shown are numerous unique books about maritime history.Beyond the museum’s Soviet submarine, tall ships sail on San Diego Bay.Californian and Bill of Rights exchange a broadside!The Maritime Museum’s beautiful Californian is the official tall ship of California.A picturesque scene out on the nearby water.Looking beyond HMS Surprise, which starred with Russell Crowe in the great movie Master and Commander.Back on the Star of India, more people are gathering to enjoy live entertainment.A kid explores the workings of the world’s oldest active sailing ship!The Jackstraws sing lively, often humorous nautical tunes during the Festival of the Sea!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!
San Diego’s drive-through art gallery in City Heights continues to grow and grow!
Another great mural is taking form on the wall of University Pawn Broker, at the intersection of University Avenue and Cherokee Avenue. I spotted the artwork this morning as I passed through the neighborhood.
I learned this colorful image of a charging bull is by San Diego artist Hugo Fernando Fierro. While the mural isn’t quite finished, you can’t deny it’s going to be awesome!
San Diego’s unique outdoor drive-through art gallery can be enjoyed along University Avenue between I-805 and I-15.
Many recent works of art have added spice and soul to City Heights, with more murals certain to appear in the future!
UPDATE!
I got a photo of the mural after it was completed.
Yes, it turned out awesome!
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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
Cool San Diego Sights! 