Is that a kelp forest growing in Glorietta Bay Park, in front of City of Coronado Club Room and Boathouse? No! It’s an Urban Tree!
Sea Level, a mostly copper sculpture created by City College student Kim Ogburn for the 2010 Urban Trees exhibition along San Diego’s Embarcadero, depicts a kelp forest and the native marine life it sustains. Colorful fish swim beneath the imagined water; birds thrive on the surface above. Read an article concerning this amazing artwork’s creation here.
Sea Level was installed in front of the Boathouse at 1985 Strand Way in 2012. It is part of the City of Coronado Public Art Collection. I happened upon it during my latest walk in Coronado.
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The gallery is filled with so many different types of silk art, I was truly surprised when I visited today. I saw wall hangings, quilted pieces, wearables, silk collages… All very colorful!
There are over 35 members of the San Diego Silk Guild (a chapter of Silk Painters International), so it isn’t surprising that many forms and styles of silk art are on display. Most pieces can also be purchased.
One of the friendly artists, Natalie Ilarraza, was present this afternoon and provided an explanation of different silk painting techniques. Step inside the gallery and prepare to be wowed!
The free exhibition continues in Gallery 21 through November 30th, 2025. Hours are 11 am to 4 pm.
A few examples:
Cherry Blossom, by Jeanette Amen. Gutta resist and acid dyes on 18 mm habotai silk.Garden Wall, by Karen Malin. Botanical print on silk, quilted, silk covered buttons.Betty Boom, by Karen Anderson. Silk dyes on 8 mm habotai silk.
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If you happen to glimpse two birds soaring in the sky above Coronado, take a closer look. You might have spotted Crossing Paths, a tall, shining kinetic sculpture!
This beautiful public art can be found between the Hotel del Coronado and the Coronado Shores condominium buildings, standing next to the beachside boardwalk.
Crossing Paths was created by artist Amos Robinson and is now part of the City of Coronado Public Art Collection. It was installed in 2022.
The wind freely turns the arms of the sculpture, redirecting the flight of two silvery birds.
To discover more sculptures around San Diego by artist Amos Robinson, click here and here and here and 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 City of San Diego’s annual Agewell Craft Sale was held this weekend in Balboa Park. Local artists came together at the Casa del Prado to sell unique crafts they’d made by hand.
I noticed a good crowd of people perusing the crafts today with only an hour to go in the sale. I enjoyed looking at the amazing crafts–every sort, including very original creations–which filled artist tables inside and outside the Casa del Prado. I saw lots of potential holiday gifts.
In addition, kids were making art in an activity corner and filling a North Pole postal box, there was a raffle, and entertainment by The Ukes of Hazard musical ukulele group was making everyone smile.
Okay, I especially liked some super funny crafts made by artist Leslie Wagoner. You can see a couple of her hilarious creations in my first two photographs, above and below.
Creativity and fun everywhere you turn…
Adult visitors were invited to create art, too!
Lastly, one kindly artist was selling beautiful crafts in order to raise funds in support of Nazareth Orphanage in Tecate, Mexico. The orphanage is home to young boys and girls whose parents are unable to care for them.
For over twenty years, Father Brian Kelly, a Navy Chaplain stationed at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, has led volunteer efforts in support of Nazareth Orphanage.
If you’d like to read about this and perhaps provide a donation, click 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.
A new exhibition has opened at the Timken Museum of Art in Balboa Park. It’s titled Poetic Portraits: Allegory and Identity in 16th Century Europe. Read all about it here.
Visitors to the museum have the opportunity to see the work of notable Renaissance artists, including Sofonisba Anguissola, whose painting Portrait of Giovanni Battista Caselli, on loan from the Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid, is being displayed in the United States for the first time.
Lovers of fine art and art history will certainly enjoy this exhibition. They’ll also treasure the excellent booklet concerning the artists that is freely handed out at the front desk. It explains how both allegory (symbolism) and identity (descriptive details) combine in the painting of these portraits. This results in a poetic blending of abstract ideals and visual reality.
To most of us here in the 21st century, the people in the portraits are complete strangers. (A few aren’t even positively identified by experts.) But one can see how, compared to flatter, blander pre-Renaissance art, these portraits have assumed a more definite personality.
Gazing at each portrait, I found myself wondering: what had the subject’s true personality been like? The eyes and facial expressions might provide a hint.
The world-class Timken Museum of Art is always free to the public. The exhibition continues through March 29, 2026.
Check out the museum’s website for everything you need to know 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.
Today the finishing touches were being put on a new exhibition of outstanding art in Balboa Park. The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild Membership Exhibition is now open in Spanish Village Art Center’s Gallery 21!
Several of the participating artists were in the gallery and were happy to talk about their creations. I learned the public is invited to attend the show’s official reception on Sunday, November 9 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Learn more here.
The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild strengthens the bond between the Museum and the artist community of San Diego County by enhancing the Museum’s awareness and appreciation of local artists.
Their annual exhibition in Balboa Park will continue through November 17, 2025. Diverse works in many styles are on display. All of the pieces are for sale.
The exhibition was juried by Johnny Tran of the Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla. I think you’ll really enjoy it.
Some photos, and friendly guild artists I met today…
Artist Charlene Mosley smiles beside her oil on canvas piece, This Is All That Is Me.Artist Olga Freedman’s very beautiful watercolor Aspen grove near Lake Sabrina.James Bliesner is both artist and President of San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild. His half-abstract/half-realistic piece is Wind and Sea. Materials are plaster, paper, acrylic, pastel and oil.
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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.
My long walk in Oceanside last weekend resulted in many cool photographs. First, enjoy two murals at the corner of Civic Center Drive and Horne Street.
The first mural was painted on the west side of the Northern Pine Brewing Company building. It’s by artists Gloria Muriel and Matthew Perdoni.
On the north side of the building is a long, very colorful mural. Cars parked on the street close to the artwork caused me to take photographs in sections.
The artist is Isabel “Chavela” Figueroa. The mural’s title is The Sacred Offering (La Sagrada Ofrenda).
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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.
In time for Día de los Muertos, visitors to Old Town San Diego State Historic Park can now enjoy an extensive student art exhibit titled Remembrance & Resilience.
Students from schools throughout the San Diego Unified School District have created artworks based on Día de los Muertos imagery. The divided exhibit is located in two different Old Town buildings: the recently vacant Captain Fitch Store and the historic U.S. House.
If you find yourself walking through the State Park, look for the signs. The exhibit will continue through November 2, 2026.
My first few photos come from inside the spacious old Captain Fitch Store. Dozens of displays were created by kids of all ages, from elementary school to high school. They honor memory, identity and tradition.
The next few photos are from the U.S. House. Students from Crawford High School, Logan Memorial, Zamorano Elementary, and Lincoln High School partnered with Sew Loka to create wearable art using reclaimed fabric.
In one room, art glows in the dark when exposed to ultraviolet light!
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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.
I found two new murals in El Cajon’s very cool Arts Alley!
The Arts Alley is located in downtown El Cajon north of Main Street, between Magnolia Avenue and Sulzfeld Way. I visited the colorful alley in 2020 and 2022. See those photographs here and here.
Look what I discovered during yesterday’s walk!
ART HEALS
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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.
Check out this collection of photos! My camera was aimed at amazing chalk art at this weekend’s Galbani Bella Vita Fest in Little Italy!
The festival, produced by the ArtWalk San Diego team, is similar to the old Festa events held in San Diego’s Little Italy neighborhood years ago. In addition to chalk artists decorating several blocks of India Street, there’s plenty of Italian culture, including food, live music and wine tasting.
The public can stroll through the festival for free, which many people were doing this Saturday afternoon!
Dozens of chalk artists have arrived from all over, including from out-of-state. Most are friendly and welcome a few words from admirers.
The event continues Sunday, October 19, 2025 from 11 am to 5 pm. Consequently, many of the artists when I walked by were still at work on their colorful chalk masterpieces!
Here are some of the Italy-themed chalk art creations, most of which are works in progress. I’ve included artist team names in the photo captions…
Artist team Graceful Meadow.Artist team Cecelia Linayao Fine Art.Artist team Madonnara.Artist team The Kim Sisters.Artist team Kimberly Canilang.Artist team Shawdell Smith Art.Artist team Team Arcala.Artist team MDFerrera Fine Art.Artist team Tonie Garza.Artist team Meg Beverly Canilang.Artist team Gutierrez Family.Artist team Steele Canyon High School.Artist team Maddalena & Rogalski.Artist team Kat Brown.
Look who else was present at the festival. Friendly people representing KPBS!
They told me they could use a little extra help now that federal government funding has ended. Check out their website if you’d like to help.
And a few tables down India Street I found ArtReach! They engage youth with art education and paint beautiful murals all over San Diego. You’ve seen many on my blog.
People passing by had created small works of art at their table, too!
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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! 