Tag: creativity

Free live glassblowing event in Escondido!

Tomorrow, Saturday, April 19, 2025, a free, live glassblowing extravaganza continues at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido! The special event is being held outdoors in the Cal Club Courtyard between noon and 6 pm. Look for the signs! You can check out the event webpage by clicking here.

The two day event began today. I swung by as everything got underway. In addition to a very cool glassblowing demonstration, various San Diego County glass artists have tables with some of their fantastic creations for sale.

The artists have also created a bunch of beautiful glasses (see my final photograph) which are for sale for $25 each. Funds raised through the sale of these stunning glasses (and the sale of beer, too) benefit the California Center for the Arts, Escondido.

I sat and watched as expert glassblower James Stone created an elegant wine glass. He has years and years of practice, and you can see the excellence of his work. He’s a friendly guy who likes to explain what he’s doing.

James Stone demonstrates glassblowing work in progress. The glass changes color when it is heated.
An amazing iridescent bowl created by James Stone.
These extraordinary glass cubes were created by Tom Marosz.
These fantastic glass sea shells were created by Mariah Armstrong Conner.

Amazing blacksmithing work was displayed as well! A representative from Vista Forge showed me some cool creations.

Blacksmithing and Glass Art classes can be found here. They’re held on the grounds of the Antique Gas and Steam Engine Museum in Vista.

Purchase one of these colorful glasses, blown by a local artist, and you benefit the California Center for the Arts, Escondido!

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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.

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Amazing art fills The Water Conservation Garden!

The Water Conservation Garden in Rancho San Diego is a special place. Not only is it a very fine botanical garden, but its nearly 6 acres is filled with amazing works of art!

Among the different educational garden displays, bits of art can be spied. Most notable are the garden’s beautiful mosaics. A few days back I posted a blog about work being performed on the mosaic Tool Wall. See those photographs here.

Now enjoy more of the art that I happened to discover during my recent visit!

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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.

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Beautiful mural at La Mesa’s Collier Park!

This beautiful mural decorates the trash enclosure at Collier Park in La Mesa. I was told by a friendly gentleman at the La Mesa Community Center that the art was painted not too long ago.

I found an article about the mural’s creation. It was a project of ArtReach, completed last year in partnership with the City of La Mesa. More than forty community members helped to paint it!

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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.

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Virgin of Guadalupe miracles fills the Mingei!

In 1531 the Blessed Virgin Mary was said to have appeared miraculously in Mexico. You can read that history here.

Today, images of the Virgin of Guadalupe (a Catholic title of the Virgin Mary) can be seen throughout Mexico, and San Diego, too.

A standard image of the Virgin of Guadalupe, filled with symbolism, hangs in homes and churches. It is painted on murals, on cars and appears in tattoos. The Virgin of Guadalupe seems everywhere.

Not surprisingly, the iconic image also appears on textiles. An important part of the Virgin of Guadalupe story includes her likeness appearing miraculously on the inside of a cloak.

The Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park recently opened a sensational exhibition titled Fashioning an Icon: Virgin of Guadalupe Imagery in Textile Design.

The exhibition features outfits worn by women and men, traditional huipiles (handwoven tunics largely worn by indigenous peoples in Mexico), jackets, shoes and more. Many of the crafted pieces are very colorful, as you can see from my photographs.

Signs throughout the exhibit explain why the Virgin of Guadalupe became a religious and cultural phenomenon–how, in Mexico, invading Catholicism eventually melded with indigenous sensibilities, producing the divine but grounded symbolism one sees in the now beloved image.

The Mingei International Museum has presented many outstanding exhibitions, and this one is right up there. I was surprised to see so many different objects, and such variety. I was excited to see so much life.

Each work seems a miracle of human faith and creativity.

Fashioning an Icon: Virgin of Guadalupe Imagery in Textile Design is on view through September 7, 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.

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Working on mosaics at Water Conservation Garden!

Very beautiful mosaics decorate the Tool Wall at the Water Conservation Garden in Rancho San Diego!

As I walked through the garden today, I noticed someone working on this incredible wall. Rosalie, a friendly garden volunteer and artist, took a moment to show me what she was up to. She explained that her Tool Wall is nearing completion!

Some grouting, painting and a bit of other work, and the artistic wall will be finally completed. She been working on it for months.

The wall stands by a path in an area of the educational Water Conservation Garden that is devoted to the use of garden tools. Appropriately, decorated garden tools project from the top of the wall!

Rosalie explained the words on the wall: A garden is a grand teacher. It’s a quote by a very famous British horticulturist and garden designer, Gertrude Jekyll. Yes, tending a garden teaches patience, nurturing, a love for nature and the outdoors…

I’ll soon be blogging more about the amazing Water Conservation Garden, a hidden gem in San Diego’s East County, so stay tuned!

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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.

Feel free to share!

The amazing Doctor Who exhibit in San Diego!

How do I convey how awesome the Doctor Who exhibition is at the Comic-Con Museum?

If you’re a Doctor Who fan or anyone in San Diego who loves science fiction, it’s an absolute, positive must see!

I haven’t been a regular watcher of the long-running BBC show, but when I visited the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park today, I was blown away. The museum has hosted epic exhibitions in the past, but this one, Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction, might have the most wow moments.

The exhibition celebrates all fifteen Doctors and displays their distinctive costumes. A variety of props can be viewed up close. Best of all, visitors come face to face with dozens of life-size robots and creatures that have been used in the making of Doctor Who!

Most of the alien creatures are utterly bizarre. Some appear to have been hatched in a nightmare. (See my previous blog post about the exhibition’s awesome Monster Vault by clicking here.)

As fans know, scary-looking creatures in the show can actually be allies of the Doctor. When you travel by TARDIS across time and space, you never know who or what you’ll meet!

The exhibition, like the show, is mostly about wonder. Displays explain how Doctor Who story ideas are often based on actual scientific and technological advancements. Concepts like artificial intelligence, evolution and multidimensional reality are utilized in fantastic ways. Indeed, the show began in 1963 as an educational program. Curiosity is an essential element of Doctor Who.

I took a few sample photos. There’s so much to see, you could spend a good hour exploring Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction.

Visitors begin by stepping through a TARDIS…

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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.

Feel free to share!

Free art contest for San Diego seniors!

A free art contest and exhibit for seniors in San Diego will be accepting submissions in a few days!

The City of San Diego’s AgeWell Services Art Contest & Exhibit will welcome artwork in these six categories: Acrylic, Mixed Media, Oil, Pastel, Watercolor and Drawing. Participants in the free contest must be age 60 or better.

You still have plenty of time! One entry per person will be accepted between April 11 and April 28, 2025.

Drop your creation off at the Cathy Hopper Friendship Center, PDLC Community Center, Balboa Park Senior Lounge, Bay Terraces Senior Center, or the San Ysidro Teen Center. For the days and times each location is open, see the above photograph of the contest flyer.

For even more information, you can phone AgeWell Services at 619-525-8247.

Feeling inspired?

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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.

Feel free to share!

Fashion Redux 2025 at San Diego History Center.

Fashion Redux 2025 will soon be opening at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park!

The extraordinary exhibition will include opulent garments created by renowned designers (including Hollywood’s legendary Irene Sharaff) worn between 1940 and 1988 during iconic San Diego events. They will be displayed along with unique creations by San Diego Mesa College students, who were inspired by the past styles and elegance.

I was wandering through the History Center yesterday when I noticed the exhibition is being set up in one gallery. I snapped the above photo.

Fashion Redux 2025 will be ready to go on April 10th–that’s this coming Thursday!

If you’ve never been to the San Diego History Center, located near the center of beautiful Balboa Park, why not go check it out? It’s a museum full of history, culture and amazing, important works 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.

Feel free to share!

Inspiration at the San Diego Writers Festival!

The San Diego Writers Festival was held today in Coronado. Hundreds of writers, podcasters, publishers, aspiring authors and eager readers came together to enjoy inspirational talks, panels and workshops, not to mention book signings, entertainment, tasty food, and a chance to engage with San Diego’s extensive creative community!

The event was held at both the Coronado Public Library and Coronado High School across the street.

I had a great time and learned a whole lot, plus met a variety of interesting people!

A highlight for me was a performance by the Voices of Our City Choir, which is comprised of homeless and formerly homeless singers. Countless unhoused San Diegans have had their lives uplifted by connecting with this group. Their joyful music was possibly the most inspirational part of the whole event!

Here are some of my photographs. Check out the captions and click some of the links and perhaps you’ll be inspired, too!

In the Coronado Library’s Winn Room, an audience listened to a panel of authors and podcasters. They talked about Building a Following: How to Create Meaningful Connections. Some ideas when it comes to social media and marketing: engage with your readers by answering comments, be yourself, be human. Build trust, be persistent, have fun. Participate in book clubs, build email lists, encourage online reviews.
Marni Freeman talks about How to Unblock and Become a Creative Force of Nature. She explained that unleashing your creative genius requires mindfulness, being in the moment, quieting a distracted mind. That’s when inspiration mysteriously arrives. Shut down the daily stress, be quiet, be aware of the world around you, be introspective, be self-confident, don’t fear failure or compare yourself to others. Take slow, rhythmic, deep breaths. Find your flow!
The Voices Of Our City Choir perform at the 2025 San Diego Writers Festival. They just completed their first ever recording session! Perhaps you’ve seen their incredible, inspirational performance on America’s Got Talent. To view it on YouTube, click here!
Lots of tables outside at Coronado High School during the 2025 San Diego Writers Festival!
Two of many authors doing book signings.
Organizations helpful to writers were present at the festival, including the San Diego Writers and Editors Guild.
One of the Lost Boys of Sudan, Mathew Riek, after many difficulties, made his way to San Diego. He has co-written the children’s book At Least I Wasn’t Eaten By A Lion! His book inspires young readers to believe in the power of perseverance and kindness. He was at the Shaping Bright Futures table. They are a charitable organization dedicated to raising awareness of educational disparities found throughout the world. Check out their website here.
Jacob Hubbard wrote Sounds of Yesterday, a novel. It concerns love, loss and empathy in a neurodivergent world. Neurodivergent means having a brain that forms or works differently, which Jacob personally understands. He’s a writing teacher who is not afraid to explore challenging, emotionally driven ideas about the human condition.
Two big smiles! On the left is Esther Avant, author of To Your Health. To the right is Bookish Flights podcaster Kara Infante, who reviews and recommends books. To your continued success!
I listened to this cool guy reading powerful poetry in Balboa Park almost 7 years ago! Chris Vannoy is the US National Beat Poet Laureate! Check out my old blog post concerning that past encounter here.
San Diego Poetry Annual is one of the longest running poetry anthologies in the San Diego region. It features renowned poets and artists alongside emerging local voices. Learn more about it here!
That’s Heather James Pond, yoga teacher, painter and author, smiling on the right! Her debut novel, MOXY, is about unspeakable pain, fortitude and healing. It’s an incredible true story of resilience and transformation! Thank you for sharing your bright smile and making the world a better place!

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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.

Feel free to share!

Stories that connect us in Oceanside.

Currently running at the Oceanside Museum of Art is an exhibition titled The Stories that Connect Us: Selections from the OMA Collection.

Each work by 35 Southern California artists is like a unique story that invites you to think, interpret, dream–and thereby become part of the same story. Your inclusion in each artwork’s story might be untold, but it is real.

The museum’s collection contains diverse pieces in different styles, some by highly renowned artists such as John Baldessari and James Hubbell.

I was surprised to learn the Baldessari piece in the exhibit was painted circa 1959, before the artist burned “all” of his work. His Wikipedia page explains: In 1970, Baldessari and five friends[8] burnt all of the paintings he had created between 1953 and 1966 as part of a new piece, titled The Cremation Project. The ashes from these paintings were baked into cookies… This painting survived.

Here are a few photos. If you’d like to become an integral part of these stories, visit the Oceanside Museum of Art by August 31, 2025.

(Forest), John Baldessari, circa 1959. Oil and mixed media on canvas.
Star Stalker, Walter Wojtyla, 1996. Acrylic on canvas.
Influx, Toni Williams, 2023. Oil on canvas.
Untitled (Two Figures with Purple/Pink/Orange Skies), Janet Cooling, 1980s. Oil on canvas.

The following James Hubbell watercolor includes a poem that he wrote in 2004. To read it, visit the museum!

The exhibition also includes two small, typically beautiful Hubbell sculptures.

In the Beginning, James Hubbell, circa 2007. Watercolor.

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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.

Feel free to share!