It’s the first morning of Spring. As the sun rose over the mountains east of San Diego, the Inez Grant Parker Memorial Rose Garden in Balboa Park awakened.
The few rose blooms that have already opened caught the early light and became even more beautiful.
I was there to take capture a bit of the transformation.
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The first solo exhibition in the United States by Dutch artist Afra Eisma opened recently in San Diego. The Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego in Balboa Park is overflowing with her imaginative works that promote healing. The title of the exhibition is Hush.
As a sign at the gallery’s entrance explains: Dutch artist afra eisma transforms ICA San Diego into an immersive environment were healing becomes a collective experience. Through vibrantly colored tapestries, soft sculpture, and interactive installation, eisma creates dreamlike sanctuaries for mythological beings, animals, and otherworldly creatures to support and nurture each other…
Afra Eisma has created artwork to help process her own personal trauma. Hush not only encourages pause and thoughtfulness, but focuses specifically on the healing properties of breathing.
Much life, color and creativity permeates the exhibition. When I visited, I felt as if I were wandering through a strange, living fantasy world where all are welcome.
If you enjoy contemporary art, certainly head down to Balboa Park and step into the free Institute of Contemporary Art San Diego. Hush will be on display through June 1, 2025.
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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.
Members of the House of Pakistan in San Diego’s Balboa Park were showcasing their Pakistani heritage, culture and history today. Displays of traditional clothing, baskets, jewelry and crafts could be viewed in the Hall of Nations.
I was amazed by the high level of workmanship required to make these beautiful objects.
I spoke to one of the gracious members. She showed me the very colorful, handcrafted works of art that you see in these photographs. She told me a bit about them, but I failed to write anything down. I did learn the House of Pakistan is hoping to have their own cottage in Balboa Park one day.
If you ever happen to walk through Balboa Park’s International Cottages on a weekend, make sure to peek inside the Hall of Nations. Nation members that don’t have their own cottage yet showcase their culture in this building on a rotating basis.
If you’re interested, the Pakistan American Association Of San Diego website can be visited by clicking here.
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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.
Daylight Savings began last night, causing everyone in San Diego to spring forward one hour. Can you believe it? In less than two weeks Spring will have sprung!
It’s beginning to look a lot like Spring in Balboa Park!
Today was a warm sunny Sunday, with thousands of visitors enjoying the park’s museums, gardens, the weekly organ concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion, and picnics on the grass.
I wandered about…
Cherry blossoms have added color to the Lower Garden at the Japanese Friendship Garden. Their big Cherry Blossom Festival is next weekend!The sun has been rising higher and higher, so rented umbrellas are a welcome thing during another free Sunday afternoon concert at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.You can always find lots of bright color in the House of Mexico cottage.I noticed more and more flowers. These were blooming near the Balboa Park Club building.Kid runs down a bright green hill at Inspiration Point.What’s all this activity in front of Balboa Park’s Activity Center?It’s the epic annual Thursday Club Rummage Sale! That means it must be almost spring!Across Park Boulevard, a banner promotes the 33rd Annual Multi-Cultural Earth Day, coming Sunday, April 20th, at the WorldBeat Cultural Center.A perfect sunny day for car enthusiasts to show off their wheels in the park!It’s even greener than usual between the House of Hospitality and the Casa de Balboa.A fine Spring-like day in San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park.Nature’s beauty in the Zoro Garden.Flowers are growing in the large beds in the Alcazar Garden!Enjoying life on the warm grass on Balboa Park’s West Mesa.
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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.
People who enter Balboa Park through its grand west entrance pass a “hidden” balcony that few observe or know about!
The second floor balcony at the Museum of Us is accessible to museum visitors through the Living with Animals exhibit. The patio-like balcony, with its welcoming chairs and tables, offers views from the southwest corner of the California Quadrangle.
Visitors enjoy views over the Rube Powell Archery Range toward downtown San Diego, and of the Cabrillo Bridge to the west. There’s a fantastic view of the historic Balboa Park Administration Building across El Prado.
The next two photographs show the exterior of the Saint Francis Chapel at the southwest corner of the California Quadrangle.
Looking over the Rube Powell Archery Range toward State Route 163 and hazy downtown San Diego…
Now we’re looking west along El Prado toward the Cabrillo Bridge. Few people entering Balboa Park will notice the little known balcony as they approach the park’s grand west entrance…
The Administration Building, seen fully in the next photo, was the first building constructed (1911-1912) in Balboa Park for the Panama-California Exposition.
Final architectural plans for the Administration Building were developed by Carlton Winslow under the direction of lead exposition architect Bertram Goodhue.
(If it appears the building was designed by Irving Gill, here’s an article that casts doubt on this and discusses the issue.)
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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.
San Diego is going to be made even more beautiful!
A shady pergola that once stood near Balboa Park’s Botanical Building during the 1915 Panama-California Exposition is to be rebuilt!
The construction of the pergola is part of a larger Botanical Building and Gardens revitalization project. The Botanical Building’s amazing restoration has been completed, so it’s on to Phase 2, which includes bringing back into existence this historic pergola.
I noticed a sign on a patch of grass during my most recent visit to Balboa Park. It indicates the future site of the Botanical Building Historical Pergola.
You can learn more about the project by visiting Forever Balboa Park’s website here.
The pergola site is beside the west fountain in the front of the Botanical Building. The next photo provides an idea. (Behind it you can see the San Diego Museum of Art.)
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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.
Today, inside Balboa Park’s Museum of Us (formerly called the Museum of Man), visitors can view reproductions of four murals.
The Museum of Us is housed in the historic California Building. In 1915 the building was home to the San Diego Museum. “The Story of Man Through the Ages” was the San Diego Museum’s exhibit during the Panama-California Exposition, and featured the six original Vierra murals.
Should you step into the Museum of Us, you can find two of the reproduced murals on the ground floor, in the large central atrium, hung on the wall on either side of the main entrance. Two additional murals can be viewed in a gallery on the second floor directly above.
The two ground floor murals depict the ruins of prehistoric Chichén Itzá in Yucatán, Mexico.
My first pair of photographs (above) show one mural on the ground floor. As a sign explains: Central to this painting is the round building, known as the Caracol, which functioned as an observatory. Behind it lies the ballcourt, the largest such ritual playing field in Mesoamerica. To the right is the sacred cenote, the well of sacrifice.
The second pair of photographs (below) show the mural to the right of it. These murals depict the Maya architectural style known as Puuc, that prevailed from about 600 AD to 900 AD.
Decorating a gallery wall on the second floor, the two additional Vierra murals illustrate the ancient cities of Palenque and Tikal…
UPDATE!
I’ve since learned two more Vierra murals can be viewed in the museum. I’ll go in search of them next time I visit the Museum of Us, and post those photos in an update!
ANOTHER UPDATE!
Here they are…
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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.
The absolutely fantastic 2001 Team Vesco “Turbinator” is now on display at the San Diego Automotive Museum in Balboa Park!
This amazing 30-foot-long streamliner set the wheel-driven land speed record of 458.440 miles per hour at the Bonneville Salt Flats on October 18, 2001.
Anyone interested in cars, racing, engineering or technology would love to look at this one-of-a-kind speedster. It has a unique four-wheel drive system powered by a 3,750 horsepower engine from a helicopter! Can you imagine sitting in this slender vehicle flying in a blur across the salt flats? It seems a driver would need nerves of steel!
Check out the exhibit at the San Diego Automotive Museum and you can also see owner/driver Don Vesco’s NHRA Lifetime Achievement Award (presented in 2002) and a great video showing his incredible Turbinator in action!
Visit the Team Vesco Racing website by clicking here!
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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.
The work of award-winning digital artist Clay Harris will be on exhibit for the next two weeks in San Diego.
Clay’s stunning artwork can be viewed beginning tomorrow (Tuesday, February 25, 2025) in Gallery 21, at the Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. The exhibition is titled Images from the mind of a Mind Voyager! It will run through March 10.
I stumbled upon Clay today as he was setting up the exhibition. He’s the coolest guy you could ever hope to meet.
After checking out his fantastic images of birds, turtles and other marine life, I paused to learn about his art. The high quality digital art is printed on aluminum, and the process creates an uncanny sense of depth. The pieces I observed shine as if light is being reflected from water.
Clay Harris over the years has had his art displayed at many festivals and in many galleries. So many people have asked that he create large pieces for their homes.
I encourage everyone to head down to Balboa Park and check out this special exhibition. And meet an award-winning artist who will make you smile!
Some examples:
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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.
Two new banners have recently appeared in San Diego’s Balboa Park, announcing two super cool events.
The above Da Vinci’s First Flight banner was just hung above the front entrance of the San Diego Air and Space Museum.
I spoke to the Air and Space Museum’s social media photographer today as she captured images of the new banner. She told me the Da Vinci exhibit is awesome. One of her favorite things about it is the mind-blowing 36-foot replica of Da Vinci’s hang glider! Okay, that does sound really incredible!
You can learn all about the special exhibition by clicking here.
I was excited to see the above Cherry Blossom Festival banner today near the entrance of the Japanese Friendship Garden.
The very popular annual festival takes place March 13 – 16, 2025. Read details at the Japanese Friendship Garden event webpage here.
To get an idea of how amazing the Cherry Blossom Festival is, check out photographs I took of it in 2017 and 2018.
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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! 