Expecting to Fly (for the Zeros), Fred Tomaselli, 2013.
You might remember I posted photos of street art and many of the Murals of La Jolla a couple years ago. You can see all of that fun artwork by clicking here. Sadly, a couple of those murals no longer exist.
My adventure today included passing by even more public art murals, plus some beautiful and inspirational stuff that I found while journeying down sidewalks.
I snapped a great map and legend of the Murals of La Jolla in front of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego on Prospect Street, which is undergoing a renovation. To see the location of all the current murals, which include some that I photographed in that earlier blog post, click the map below and it will enlarge.
Map and legend that you can use to locate the many amazing Murals of La Jolla.Playing La Jolla (for all it’s worth), Terry Allen, 2015.Suns, Victoria Fu and Byron Kim, 2016.Man, Myth and Magic, Steven Hull, 2017.Art near entrance of Le Chauvinist depicts three kids at the Lincoln Memorial.A fish etched in the concrete sidewalk near El Pescador Fish Market!Angel wings on a gate.One of the most stunning gates I’ve ever seen. Shining golden leaves and blooms seem to grow through it.By the sidewalk… Joan Goldstein Graf and Alan Goldstein. Their bench.Painted flowers near the roof of Salvage Salon.Come into my garden so my flowers can meet you.A very cool mural in the alley next to the Grater grilled cheese shop in La Jolla.It appears Mona Lisa has a taste for grilled cheese sandwiches!
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a phone or small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
How time flies! Cool San Diego Sights is almost five years old!
You might not realize it, but Cool San Diego Sights now has hundreds of unique blog posts, and thousands upon thousands of fun photos that you can explore!
One easy way to revisit old blog posts that share a particular theme or subject is to click a tag. You might be surprised by all the diverse, unexpected things you’ll discover!
As you explore my blog, you might notice there’s a whole universe of tags. You can find a handful of pertinent ones located at the bottom of each post. If you’re interested in a particular San Diego neighborhood, those tags exist, too!
There’s also a handy search box that you can use. Look for it in the sidebar.
Make exciting discoveries and have fun with me as I explore San Diego! I’m going somewhere fascinating this Saturday that very few people know about!
If you’d like, you can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!
View of the House of Charm in Balboa Park, home of the Mingei International Museum.
I made a very cool discovery today during the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s 2018 OPEN HOUSE event!
After an amazing tour of the Timken Museum in Balboa Park, which I will be blogging about shortly, I crossed the Plaza de Panama to catch the final part of a special talk at the Mingei International Museum. I was astonished to learn the museum is about to undergo a complete transformation!
What I learned about the upcoming changes is really exciting! In order to make the museum more dynamic and accessible to the San Diego community, the first floor Plaza Level will become a free space where ordinary people can mingle and openly enjoy culture and expression with friends and other visitors. New additions will include a cool sculpture garden, a small sit-down restaurant, and a new theater space. A balcony overlooking the Plaza de Panama will provide amazing views of Balboa Park, and stairs to the second floor art gallery will ascend through the House of Charm’s iconic tower, with views of the beautiful Alcazar Garden below, where there will be a new west entrance!
I didn’t catch all the details, so I hope that what I’ve just told you is correct. You can see some of the plans on the Mingei’s website here. I did learn that this amazing transformation will begin later this year–I believe I was told around September–and the museum will close during construction. During the House of Charm’s renovation the museum will have surprise pop-up exhibitions around San Diego and other fun events to fill in the void.
I also learned the total cost of the project is $40 million, and more money needs to be raised. Can you help? If you’d like to help shape Balboa Park’s brilliant future, check out this page!
Visitor to the Mingei learns about the museum’s upcoming transformation during the San Diego Architectural Foundation’s 2018 OPEN HOUSE event.Images were displayed after a talk by celebrated architect Jennifer Luce. This one shows a theater space to be added to the building’s expanded southeast corner.Rendering of the theater that will add even more life to the Mingei International Museum.Stairs to the second floor Gallery Level will ascend through the House of Charm’s iconic tower. A new entrance to the museum will be added at the east end of the Alcazar Garden.Rendering of daytime activity on a new second floor balcony overlooking the Plaza de Panama.Rendering shows diners at night on the balcony. Illumination along the balcony will add a signature touch to the museum’s appearance.People freely enjoy a new pocket park-like sculpture courtyard at the Mingei.Photo taken today of the House of Charm and its iconic tower from the Alcazar Garden. Big changes are coming!
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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!
Visitors to the gallery on the 9th floor of the downtown San Diego Central Library look at some fascinating artwork.
A fantastic exhibition is now open free to the public in the 9th floor gallery at San Diego’s Central Library. You Are Here features work from art students and professors at 13 different institutions of higher education around San Diego County.
Not only is this exhibition an opportunity for talented artists to show their creative work in public, but visitors to the Central Library can learn a little about each school’s unique art program.
I took photos of some of the artwork. Please swing on by–you’ll be impressed by the quality of these imaginative, evocative pieces. You Are Here runs through May 6, 2018.
You Are Here, a special exhibition in the Central Library’s gallery, collects the work of 26 artists from 13 different higher education art departments across San Diego.Diverse examples of thought-inducing visual art attract curious eyes.Space Ships, Wendell M. Kling, Professor of Art, San Diego Mesa College, 2013-present.Hubcap Milagro for Chunky, David Avalos, Professor of Visual Arts, California State University San Marcos, 2011.Untitled, Monique Van Genderen, Associate Professor of Art, UC San Diego, 2017.Pink Cactus Moon Rock, Corina Bilandzija, Student, Palomar College, 2017.Warm Lights, Niki Ito, International Student, San Diego City College, 2017.Hair, Larissa Lopez, Past Student, Cuyamaca Community College, 2017.Ophelia, Hanna Hunter, Student, San Diego Miramar College, 2016.
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Do you enjoy discovering new things? I do! My camera is always ready during my long walks around San Diego!
Fashion evolves from decade to decade. This is often due to economic factors, social movements, the popular culture and changes in materials, manufacturing and commerce.
A new exhibition at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park concerns the fascinating evolution of fashion over the past nine decades. Titled Fashion Redux: 90 Year of Fashion, this exhibition includes a “timeline of garments” from the museum’s collection, plus a number of pieces that were created by fashion students who are studying at Mesa College. The dresses these talented students created are a unique fusion of the past and present.
I confess that I have no fashion sense. I’m content to wear blue jeans every day of the year. When they become a bit too scruffy, I buy a cheap new pair. I really have no right to proclaim anything about fashion.
But I’ve always been deeply fascinated by human creativity. And the origin, formulation and application of an aesthetic sense. And the twists and turns of history, of course.
Anyone who is curious about fashion and its evolution should head over to The San Diego History Center. The museum will be having a Grand Reveal Fashion Show on April 26, where you can meet some of the Mesa College fashion students and instructors. They’re also having a series of different demonstrations. You can find out more here.
Fashion during the past 90 years is presented in a special exhibit at the San Diego History Center. Included is the work of students from Mesa College, who created new designs based on old trends.Photographs on the wall are from the collection of the San Diego History Center. They were taken by Charles Schneider, who during his long career contracted with United Press International, photographing film stars and entertainers.This 1940’s style dress was created by student designer Anna Acosta. In that decade garments were often designed to soften a woman’s shape, and achieve a sense of elegance.An activity station at the exhibition encourages kids to try their own hand and eye at fashion design. A nearby nook is the setting for fashion demonstrations by students and instructors from the San Diego Mesa College Fashion Program.This garment reflects the mid-2000’s, when the boho style reached its pinnacle. This dress was designed by student Zari Wabab.The San Diego History Center should be the destination of anyone interested in the past, including fashion trends.This draped nylon and taffeta gown reflects the Golden Age of Hollywood during the 1930’s and the Great Depression. It seemed like a dream in that difficult era. Created by student designer Stephanie Castro.This garment in the museum’s collection represents the 1990’s, a time when fashion evolved as the internet gained traction, and working from home and globalism began their rise.Dresses from the past nine decades are arranged as a timeline, each representing the evolving culture and various impacts of technology.
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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!
People descend along a path into the beautiful Lower Garden during the Japanese Friendship Garden’s 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival.
I took many photos today at the Cherry Blossom Festival in Balboa Park. After the morning drizzle subsided, I headed up to the Japanese Friendship Garden where I knew there would be lots of fun, food and breathtaking natural beauty.
Not quite as many blooms as last year–this winter has been drier than average–but still an absolutely wonderful event. Thank you JFG!
Come along with me as we visit the festival…
The 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival at the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park is just as wonderful as ever.Outside the garden, a short distance from the entrance is a plaque. It’s a replica of another plaque in Yokohoma, sister city of San Diego. The left half contains the theme song of the Yokohama-San Diego Friendship Committee.Sheet music and lyrics for San Diego, The Beautiful.
If you’d like to hear San Diego, The Beautiful, click here!
The festival had many exhibitors in the courtyard near the JFG office.Smiling young ladies were showing visitors how to fold bits of pink paper into cherry blossoms!A poster explains Cherry Trees at the JFG. Most in the garden are Pink Cloud cherry trees. They have recently acquired three more types–Taiwan Flowering, Okame and First Lady.Cherry blossoms in Japanese culture represent the transience and beauty of life.
The transience of cherry blossoms inspired a very short story, which I titled A Short Bloom. To read it, click here!
This part of the poster explains the six stages of bloom for cherry blossoms, from green bud to full, glorious bloom.Vendors showcasing crafts and gifts at the festival included Tum Tum Arts.Some cool Japanese artwork by Jed Henry on display at one table.I learned a bit about making Washi Dolls from one nice lady at the festival. Her mother makes these.Japanese crafts include the making of beautiful dolls with washi paper.The game of go is played near the Japanese Friendship Garden’s koi pond. Funny–by sheer coincidence I watched A Beautiful Mind last night. This mental game–more complicated than chess–begins and ends that inspiring film.More art by the koi pond–some colorful handmade cards.People head through the Charles C. Dail Memorial Gate to enter the Lower Garden, where many flowering cherry trees await.A master gardener hard at work by the path. He’s pruning some greenery on the Sunday of the Cherry Blossom Festival.Now we are in the Lower Garden. In mid-March, the beautiful stream runs past many delicate clouds of pink.A bit like heaven, perhaps.People stand on the waterfall bridge gazing toward the Inamori Pavilion.Walking past an ornamental Japanese lantern to the pavilion, where I knew there would be a lot of food!Checking out a big selection of Japanese food, including fried squid leg and shrimp tempura.Getting ready to flip some healthy Japanese savory pancakes, or okonomiyaki.These friendly guys pushing the huge drum would perform later in the day.These cool ladies held up a sweet fish-shaped taiyaki. Yum! I had one last year, too!Every year, the Cherry Blossom Festival promises lots of fun, good food and exquisite natural beauty!
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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego! Are you curious? There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!
Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts. If you’re using a phone or small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!
To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.
Riding bicycles over the Cabrillo Bridge into the heart of Balboa Park.
Here are some photographs from my Sunday walk through Balboa Park. I enjoyed plenty of culture, sunshine and life. That’s why I go there so often.
Visitors enjoy the quiet, sunlit beauty of the Alcazar Garden.Rise Up For the Arts and Culture. Preserve Penny For the Arts. A sign in Spanish Village, where the Balboa Park Cultural Partnership and San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition recently held an event.Lots of fun balloons on El Prado on another perfect Sunday afternoon.A green banner near the entrance to the Balboa Park Visitors Center anticipates St. Patrick’s Day. A banner with bright flowers and a hummingbird anticipates the arrival of spring.People relax at a table under a red umbrella in the Plaza de Panama. The House of Charm, home of the Mingei Museum, rises in the background.Trombonist Eric Starr joins Robert Plimpton on the stage of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion. They are practicing before the Sunday afternoon concert.The free concert begins. Sweet music fills the park.The House of Chamorros hosted this Sunday’s International Cottages lawn program.Many wonderful Chamorro arts and crafts were displayed at the event.People converge in Balboa Park to celebrate culture, sunshine and life.
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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!
Close up of a colorful mural now on display in front of the San Diego Museum of Art.
Many extraordinary artists make San Diego their home. They help our city sparkle with culture and energy.
Amazing works by distinguished local muralists are now on display in Balboa Park, directly in front of the San Diego Museum of Art.
The six colorful murals, painted live a couple weeks ago, are inspired by a world-class exhibition now running inside the museum. Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection is an exhibition of modern Latin masterpieces that no art lover should miss. I blogged about it here. Go soon. It will be closing in two weeks.
I don’t know how long these murals will be on display outdoors in front of the museum, so swing by Balboa Park soon to enjoy them in person!
To see the murals of Chicano Park, you can click here.
Visitors to Balboa Park check out a couple of the murals temporarily on display in the Plaza de Panama.Sign in front of the San Diego Museum of Art explains the outdoor Local Latin American Masters exhibition. Six murals were painted live in front of the museum.Art by Victor Ochoa. His work has been widely published. He was one of the original muralists to work in Chicano Park.Art by Carmen Kalo. She is a San Diego native who actively leads Chicano Park tours, builds social awareness, and works with at-risk youth and the homeless.Art by Hector Villegas. He is a teacher who has painted three murals at Chicano Park.Art by Cesar Castañeda. He owns the Chicano Art Gallery in Barrio Logan.Art by Stephanie Cecilia Cervantes. A painter first inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, she was a muralist during Chicano Park’s 2011 restoration project.Protecting Our Water and Earth by Mario Torero. He is an artivist and founding member of the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park.Amazing artwork that the public can see close up and in natural sunlight, just like the many fantastic murals of Chicano Park!
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Today I published a new short story. It’s titled One Magic Bubble. I suppose the short piece is about life.
An early 1900’s Italian fishing boat looking for tuna off the coast of San Diego.
Some new murals have appeared in Little Italy on a construction site fence along Kettner Boulevard, between Beech Street and Cedar Street. The artwork, created by Elisabeth Sullivan, depicts the history of tuna fishing in San Diego.
The series of images tell the story of an industry that once prospered in our city, and that shaped the colorful downtown neighborhood of Little Italy.
Italian and Portuguese fishermen bamboo pole fishing at the peak of the industry in the late 1920’s.After a lengthy fishing expedition these tuna clippers head home with their catch.Fishing boats docked for the night in San Diego Harbor after unloading their catch.Women of Little Italy fishing families work to remove hooks, stretch dry and mend the nets.The tuna is unloaded at the wharf and delivered to San Diego fish markets and canneries.During World War II many tuna clippers were converted to Yacht Patrols by the U.S. Navy.In the late 1950’s the efficient modern purse seiner began replacing most of the bait boats.The history of tuna fishing in San Diego can now be observed on a series of beautiful murals in Little Italy!
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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 might have noticed I personally love the Japanese Friendship Garden in Balboa Park. It’s so peaceful and beautiful. The garden always refreshes my mind and sparks my creativity. It’s one of my favorite spots to write short stories. (I hope to have a new one finished soon!)
When I learned a new cultural exhibition would open today in the garden’s handsome Inamori Pavilion, I knew at once that I had to check it out. The exhibition is called Art in Bloom – Floral Art of Japan.
The diverse pieces of artwork on display feature exquisite flower designs. By reading several signs in the exhibit, I learned about the symbolism of certain flowers in Japan. For example, I learned the camelia represents spring.
After feasting my eyes on the Art in Bloom exhibit, I walked up a winding path through the Lower Garden and carefully searched the grove of Japanese cherry trees for spring blossoms. None yet! One of the knowledgeable master gardeners informed me we have several weeks to go!
(Don’t forget to attend the certain-to-be-amazing 2018 Cherry Blossom Festival. This year it will be held on March 9 through March 11.)
Here’s a pic taken outside the Inamori Pavilion, followed by photos of a few works of the floral art inside…
Flowers at the Japanese Friendship Garden near the Inamori Pavilion, where the Art in Bloom exhibition is located.
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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! 