The Art Gallery at San Diego’s downtown Central Library is presently the home of an exhibition titled Becoming Heirlooms.
I visited today.
The exhibit makes one wonder: What counts as a family heirloom? Is it an object of material value, or is it something prompting memories that from generation to generation remain meaningful?
I’m sure you know the answer.
These unique “heirlooms” created by artists transmit various themes in life we might collectively understand. They speak to the wider community. The objects transcend authorship and utility to become sites of empathy, reflection, and recognition.
I took photos of several pieces on display. All are thought-provoking.
Featured artists are Diana Benavidez, Matt Hebert, Michael Hernandez, Soyeon Kim, Christine Lee, Anna Mayer, Kaiya Rainbolt, Phil Rowland, India Thompson, and Georgina Treviño.
Becoming Heirlooms can be found on the Central Library’s 9th floor Art Gallery through November 7, 2026.
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Should you visit Old Town San Diego State Historic Park in the next couple weeks, be sure to watch for signs leading to an incredible exhibition of Dia de los Muertos art created by students from schools all across San Diego!
The exhibit is made possible through the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA) program of the San Diego Unified School District in partnership with California State Parks.
What will you see? A whole lot of amazing art, created by hundreds of highly creative TK-12 students!
There are Dia de los Muertos drawings, paintings, miniature ofrendas, dioramas, sculptures, Catrinas, ceramics, sugar skulls, and so much more. Every participating school has their own special little spot to showcase student artwork.
This now seems to be an annual exhibition, which is quite exciting! Congratulations to all participating students! Excellent work!
As one sign explains: Through a variety of media and artistic approaches, students explore remembrance, cultural traditions, identity, healing, and connection. Together, their individual works create a collective celebration of the people, stories, and communities we carry with us.
My photos…
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Have you seen this beautiful sculpture at Oceanside Harbor? It’s titled Cetacean Celebration or “All Life Comes From the Sea.” It was created by artist Max Turner.
I was pleasantly surprised to encounter the public art while walking near the Oceanside SEA Center sportfishing dock at the southeast corner of the harbor.
The bronze sculpture depicts a pair of whales in the ocean. Around the base of the sculpture are a variety of sea-themed objects, like a small anchor, ship’s wheel and starfish!
I took these photographs for everyone to enjoy…
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It’s painted on a wall outside the North Coastal Art Gallery in Carlsbad. Find it tucked away inside the Village Faire mall. The mural is called The Colors of Carlsbad.
Was the super colorful artwork painted by an octopus? No! This mural that celebrates Carlsbad was created by North Coastal Art Gallery artists.
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Two local artists were setting up a new exhibition called Shadows and Petals today. I saw them at work hanging selected pieces in Gallery 21 of Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center.
Both Katarina Keane (@collagebykat) and Kimberly Brunetto (@brunettokim) were very nice, answering a few questions and allowing me to take photographs. They work in collage and mixed media. All of their pieces on display are for sale.
Kimberly describes her mixed media work as abstract expressionism. To me, her pieces convey subtle emotion. Shifts in form and color on certain canvases are like movement through time, through life. Contrasts on canvases can tug at curious eyes and suggest deeper things–an inner life.
She has written: “For me, a shadow is an unrealized part of ourselves that calls to us with longing . . . The petals represent what happens when we finally listen…”
Katarina told me her colorful works have a narrative quality. I noticed many of her collages include written words, almost like poetry. The images and words seem to tell a visual story about a life or a life experience.
Many of her pieces show flowers and vessels. They suggest an inner beauty, or potential beauty, that we all possess.
That’s the way I saw it.
Why don’t you swing by Spanish Village in Balboa Park and experience all this beautiful, subtle art for yourself?
Shadows and Petals will be exhibited in Gallery 21 through October 5, 2026.
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I visited the amazing Buena Vista Audubon Nature Center today in Oceanside and learned they’ll have an art auction on Saturday, October 17 that will raise funds for the local Audubon Society.
Artistic birdhouses and other works of nature-themed art will be auctioned or for sale at the annual fundraiser.
There will be live music, food and drinks at this special event, too.
Very cool! Get some beautiful art while helping efforts to protect the environment!
To learn more, visit the Buena Vista Audubon Society website by clicking here!
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These two shipping containers in Encinitas were painted years ago. For a long time, visitors to Charlie’s Electric Bikes could observe them in the parking lot, behind a bunch of bicycles. That eBike business no longer exists–the building is now home to Charlie’s Electric Studio. The two old containers remain.
The artwork was painted by Encinitas artist Kevin Anderson. Yes, you’ve possibly seen his work all around coastal San Diego North County. Find many of his very beautiful murals by clicking here.
During my recent walk in downtown Encinitas, I crossed the Charlie’s Electric Studio parking lot from South Coast Highway 101 to take these photographs.
You can see how the art has faded over the years, especially on the second shipping container I photographed, which was the first to be painted.
This next shipping container was the first to be painted. It’s the most faded:
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Artists were invited to submit their interpretation of Japanese yokai for this exhibition. These original works can be viewed in both the Upper Garden Gallery and the Lower Garden’s Inamori Pavilion.
Yōkai include shapeshifters, ghosts, demons, and tricksters. They can be mischievous, helpful, or malevolent, often appearing as animal-like figures, possessed objects, or humanoids. They embody the mysterious and uncanny aspects of nature and human emotions.
Check out a few examples that I photographed.
I’ve always enjoyed this type of artwork. It can be wild, weird, fierce and unsettling. Mysterious forces in our world are often portrayed in human or animal form–familiar figures that we emotionally understand.
It would be interesting to compare yokai to deities and characters from the mythologies of other cultures.
The Spider’s Thread, by artist Joshua Benz.Oiwa, by artist Tomi Tate.Hōnengame, by artist Hunter/Moon Hunter Tattoo.You Can’t Escape Gashadokuro, by artist Chris Rogers.
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You might enjoy the artwork now on display in the Dick Laub Command Center Gallery at Liberty Station. The current exhibition is titled Inspired.
Works by seven Liberty Station based artists hang in the lobby of the NTC Dick Laub Command Center. If you are interested in a particular piece, all are for sale. Swing by the studios of more than 40 artists in the nearby barracks buildings, and you can find even more!
It seems every time I walk in Point Loma through Liberty Station, I discover new art! More blog posts from my most recent visit are upcoming!
The Inspiredexhibition is open Monday through Saturday, 10 am – 4 pm, through October 3, 2026.
