Fun mural in Barrio Logan shows flag, kids, fruit, a train and birds.
Barrio Logan, just south of downtown San Diego, is bursting with huge, colorful street murals. Several great examples can be found around the intersection of Harbor Drive and Cesar Chavez Parkway. The one shown in these pics is immediately north of the intersection.
This mural is fairly large, so I’ve broken it up into several photos, moving from left to right. The first part depicts kids and playful, animated fruit. This gives way to a scene of a train moving through what appears to be an estuary full of birds. A narrow panel along the side of the train is made of a shiny, reflective material.
I believe this mural was painted by Salvador Roberto Torres, who was one of the founders of nearby Chicano Park.
Happy faces of kids on San Diego street.A big friendly dog painted on building side.These animated fruit are goofing around in this fun Barrio Logan street mural.A train with silvery windows passes through scene of lagoon with water birds.Herons and an estuary in mural on Harbor Drive north of Cesar Chavez Parkway
Just some photos taken in Balboa Park of people enjoying life.
Glassblower at work in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village.Folks walk past fountain near Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.Girl tries to grab brass ring on Balboa Park carousel.Man plays guitar in Spanish Village gazebo.People ride the Balboa Park Miniature Railroad.Street performer plays an Australian didgeridoo.Two artists on El Prado paint colorful canvases.Two young men enjoy slacklining in Balboa Park.Boy plays with ball while man reads Balboa Park plaque.Man sails small boat near Balboa Park fountain.Handmade boat near Balboa Park fountain.
Painted tree trunks and picnic benches at Chicano Park.
As I mentioned in my last blog post, I took a whole lot of photos during my walk through Chicano Park. Here are some images from the east side of the public park, right next to Interstate 5. A few picnic benches and unusual features can be found in this area.
Some of these photographs might cause a strong reaction. As I’ve mentioned before, this blog aims to be nonpolitical. I just aim my old camera at interesting things around San Diego…and you decide what to make of it all!
Primitive frame made of bent branches.Flower sculpture and cacti beside freeway.Colored stones ring a painted cactus in Chicano Park.Sculpture stands among the surrounding murals.Small mural near pedestrian walkway that crosses freeway.An eyeful of bright colors everywhere you turn!A monument to the sacrifices of Hispanic veterans.
This polished memorial stands apart from the murals, by a small patch of green grass.
A nearby mural depicts a moment in history.Controversial mural on the east side of Chicano Park.Looking west at freeway ramp rising toward Coronado Bridge.Chicano Park sign and Mexican flags beside Interstate 5.
Artists paint image of Mexico on pillar in Chicano Park.
Chicano Park is located in Barrio Logan, a mostly Mexican American and immigrant community just south of downtown San Diego. The eight acre park features almost a hundred murals painted on concrete pillars that support the intersection of the Coronado Bay Bridge and Interstate 5. This colorful park, quickly glimpsed by motorists speeding down the freeway, contains the largest collection of outdoor murals in the United States. It’s listed on the National Register of Historic Places due to its unique history with the Chicano civil rights movement.
I recently took a leisurely walk through the park and captured hundreds of photographs. I’ve got so many pics, I’ve grouped them depending upon their location in the park. This blog post includes photos of murals I enjoyed while walking under the freeway ramps that connect the Coronado Bay Bridge to southbound I-5.
You’ll see a strange mixture of images in these murals: ancient Aztecs, indigenous peoples, workers, revolutionaries, school children, pop culture icons, scientists, politicians…and almost anything else you might imagine. The diverse and often weird combinations seem to include one overarching theme: Mexican American empowerment.
The first photograph shows what I saw as I entered the park, walking up National Avenue from the south. These artists were painting a pillar with an image of Mexico.
Colorful folk depicted in art on a freeway pillar.View of painted murals under ramps to southbound I-5.Chicano Power represented in art.Figures in diverse costumes beneath a concrete jungle.Elongated Aztec figure adds character to Chicano Park.Hispanic culture comes alive on one side of a freeway pillar.Latina with flag and raised fist in field of flowers.Vivid colors on concrete pillars supporting a San Diego freeway.Weird faces and arms high above in the shadows.Primitive and abstract forms are plentiful in Chicano Park.Folk throughout history like leaves on a tree of life.One of dozens of painted murals in San Diego’s Chicano Park.La Tierra Mia is Spanish for My Land.More art that shows people close to the land.Wild-haired figure holds up freeway with huge hands!A painted mosaic of symbols in Chicano Park.Chicano art includes children and revolutionary with gun.Painted pillar supports ramp from Coronado Bridge to I-5 freeway.The largest collection of outdoor murals in the country.Latino pride, identity and empowerment made public in art.Mixture of images includes people demanding justice.Native people frolic on a peaceful blue river.
I’ve got a ton more pics, so stayed tuned in the days ahead!
I recently walked around Barrio Logan to take photos of street art, including the famous murals in Chicano Park. During my fun adventure I passed this building.
I looked at Google Maps and believe this is or was the location of Kippy’s, a fashion design business that has a store in Coronado.
Corner of cool Barrio Logan Kippy’s building.Faces depicted on Kippy’s building in Barrio Logan.Cool Kippy’s mural in Barrio Logan depicts Mariachis.
An opening in a fence near Balboa Park’s theatre complex leads back south into the San Diego Museum of Art’s grassy Sculpture Garden. Step through with me!
After slowly crossing the outdoor space, gazing at interesting, often organic abstract artwork, we pause in the shade of the Sculpture Court and turn back for a photo. Here it is!
In the background, you can see the Museum of Man’s colorful dome and the California Tower. Behind us is an open air cafe.
UPDATE! Here are more photos that I took during various future visits!
California Tower high in the blue sky behind unusual, thought-provoking art.Aim I, Alexander Liberman, 1980. Biased sliced aluminum tubes.Cubi XV, David Smith, 1964-64. Stainless steel.Two Lines Oblique: San Diego, George Rickey, 1993. Stainless steel.These interesting abstract sculptures are free to view in Balboa Park.Figure for Landscape, Barbara Hepworth, 1960. Bronze.Reclining Figure: Arch Leg, Henry Moore, 1969. Bronze.Peeking through one sculpture back across the lawn.Another view of the Sculpture Garden on a day with lots of people about. In this shallow pool is Accelerated Point, made of copper, by artist Claire Falkenstein.Turning to the north, we see more artwork in the Sculpture Court.Sonata Primitive, Saul L. Baizerman, 1940-48. Copper.The May S. Marcy Sculpture Court was dedicated in 1968.Man cleans small pool containing fascinating art.This sculpture is titled Night Presence II, 1976, by artist Louise Nevelson.The cafe in San Diego Museum of Art’s unique Sculpture Court.
Here come two bonus pics taken in early 2015! A cool new eatery, Panama 66, has been operating now for many months in the Sculpture Court…
Sign directs people to Panama 66 in Balboa Park.Diners enjoy Panama 66 food and refreshment in the Sculpture Court of the San Diego Museum of Art.
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Join me as we walk east through Balboa Park. Having passed the Museum of Man, we now turn north to peer through an archway that leads to three of San Diego’s most prominent theatres. They are the Sheryl and Harvey White Theatre, the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival Theatre, and the world-famous, much celebrated Old Globe Theatre. The latter is modeled after the original Globe Theatre in London, where William Shakespeare saw many of his own plays performed. Just a sliver is visible in this photo, on the left.
In the next blog post we will proceed through the archway…
Another pic taken from an archway on the opposite side of El Prado.
Check out these two banners! They’re hanging in the courtyard in front of the Museum of Man, at the west end of El Prado in Balboa Park.
The first advertises an exhibition about the history of beer. Beerology seems to include the study of imbibing pharaohs and thirsty headhunters. Drink up!
The second depicts a chair covered with sharp spikes. Presumably one of those can be found on display in the museum, along with other delightful instruments of torture. A quite memorable cultural experience!
People walk through plaza in front of the Museum of Man.
This enormous steel sculpture, created by renowned artist Melvin Edwards, is called Breaking the Chains. It stands near the middle of the Martin Luther King Jr. Promenade, right next to the Convention Center trolley station.
The MLK Promenade is a pedestrian and bike path that stretches along Harbor Drive, from a point near Seaport Village down to the Gaslamp. It’s an excellent place to enjoy the sunshine and take in various sights, including the fun Children’s Museum, fountains, public art, and showy waterfront hotels. Along the walk are tributes to the famous civil rights leader and his cause of human equality. Many of his most inspirational quotes are engraved within and beside the walkway.
Every year, during Martin Luther King Day weekend, the promenade comes alive with the annual Multicultural Festival!
Huge chain links emerges from ground on the MLK Promenade in San Diego.Someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate.Breaking the Chains sculpture in San Diego.
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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!
Okay, here come some pics from my stroll through Festa today. This popular festival featured food, entertainment and lots of art. It took place in Little Italy, a neighborhood in the north part of downtown San Diego, once populated largely by Italian fisherman who worked in the local tuna fleet. But that was decades ago. The streets today are lined mostly with condos, restaurants and shops.
Thousands of San Diegans turned out for the celebration. There were plenty of tents filled with crafts, clothing, toys, jewelry–just about anything you could imagine. Almost all of it was Italian-themed.
Musical performers could be heard everywhere, entertaining the crowd from several stages. There was much romantic Italian music–and I even heard a bit of opera!
This lady is setting up some paintings behind a Little Italy fountain.
I saw this really cool sculpture (and a number of others) beside the same fountain. All sorts of interesting elements are in this photograph!
Italian food could be found (and smelled) wherever one turned! I enjoyed a slice of pizza!
Smilin’ Jack performed with his accordion! That’s just a small taste of Festa!
Cool San Diego Sights! 