Great works of art greet shoppers and diners inside Del Mar Plaza. Wander about and you’re bound to stumble upon surprising artwork, in the form of a sculpture, mosaic or mural!
These pieces are part of the Public Art Collection at Del Mar Plaza. I discovered them in no particular order…
I found this mural in a quiet hidden area. I saw no information concerning it.Level Head by artist Tony Cragg, 2006, Bronze. Tony Cragg is a British sculptor. His works are held in many leading museums.A beautiful swirling mosaic extends on the ground from Level Head through a nearby passageway.Beautiful mosaic looks like water.LEVER II by artist Anthony Gormley, 2012, Cast Iron. Anthony Gormley is a British sculptor. This is an example of his “digital-cubism” where the human form is rendered in many different postures.It does appear like a lever!OPUS #1 by artist Maidy Morhous, 2019, Bronze. I’ve photographed other pieces by local artist Maidy Morhous around Del Mar.OPUS #1 from a different angle.A beautiful tree mural grows in Del Mar Plaza. By artist Kelsey Montague.Jackass and Elephant by artist Barry Flanagan, 1995, Bronze. The renowned Welsh sculpture enjoyed creating humorous, anthropomorphic figures.Jackass rides an elephant through Del Mar Plaza!In every direction, Del Mar Plaza is full of fun, unexpected artwork!
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Real Happiness is Helping Others. I saw these wise words on the above plaque during my long North County walk a week ago. I had paused in Del Mar at the corner of 15th Street and Camino del Mar to gaze up at the Rotary Club street clock.
You see these Rotary Club clocks in many cities and towns. After a while, one’s eyes might skip right over them. But I’m glad I took a closer look, because I found the plaque and did some research concerning this particular clock.
This clock was originally dedicated in 2006 to celebrate Rotary Club’s 52-year history. It was renovated ten years ago, in 2014. Here’s an article from back then.
I was curious to see what community service the Rotary Club of Del Mar offers. I learned they do a lot! From beach clean-ups, to food and blood drives, to literacy projects and supporting the arts, to supporting a Canine Companion program . . .
Here is the Rotary Club of Del Mar’s community service webpage.
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For four decades, Don Diego was a fixture at the Del Mar Fair. With a friendly “¡Bienvenidos Amigos!” the dashing goodwill ambassador greeted visitors to the Del Mar Fairgrounds.
Sombrero in hand, typically in dress representing a gentleman Mexican ranchero, Don Diego also introduced Grandstand shows and escorted the Fairest of the Fair beauty queen and her court.
An exhibition at the San Diego History Center in Balboa Park opened several days ago which includes a unique tribute to the fair’s iconic Don Diego, who in reality was actor Domingo Tomás Hernández Bethencourt.
The exhibition is titled Fashion Redux 2024. In its 13th year, the annual event is a collaboration between the San Diego History Center and Mesa College’s Fashion Program.
What immediately caught my eye today were the two ensembles once worn by Don Diego, which belong to the San Diego History Center’s very extensive Historic Textile Collection.
Visitors to the exhibition can also watch old video footage that shows Don Diego at the Del Mar Fair.
A few personal memories were rekindled. As a child my family would visit the fair, and I remember seeing Don Diego on promotional material and on television. He was quite famous. I don’t recall whether I saw him in person. I think I might have. That was a long time ago.
Tommy “Don Diego” Hernandez passed away in 1984.Actor Tommy Hernandez, as Don Diego, with 1958 Fairest of the Fair winner, Raquel Tejada. She became famous as Raquel Welch during her later acting career.Don Diego ensemble, inspired by traditional Mexican charro costumes.Brown felted cardboard sombrero worn by Don Diego.Don Diego ensemble, inspired by traditional Spanish flamenco costumes.
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The Del Mar Historical Society operates a museum inside the 1885 Alvarado House, a small structure that in 1989 was relocated and placed inside the Del Mar Fairgrounds. Every year, visitors to the San Diego County Fair have the opportunity to look inside the old beach cottage and view its exhibits.
The house was originally lived in by Don Diego de Jesus Alvarado, who owned Rancho de los Peñasquitos. According to a handout that a friendly society volunteer offered me, Don Diego de Jesus Alvarado purchased the house in 1885 from Jacob Taylor, Del Mar’s original developer, and moved to Del Mar where he ran a livery stable.
The furnishings inside the Alvarado House represents the period between 1885 and 1910. Visitors can walk through the parlor, the family/dining room, and view a bedroom and the kitchen.
Exhibits covering many walls document the rich history of the Del Mar Fair. A special display recalls Don Diego, the fair’s official greeter that was played by actor Tommy Hernandez.
In addition, dozens of celebrity photographs document how the Del Mar Racetrack, founded by Bing Crosby, attracted numerous big stars from Hollywood.
According to their website: A major goal of the Del Mar Historical Society is to bring the Alvarado House back into Del Mar. We are searching for the ideal location, and the recently-acquired Del Mar Shores School property may be that place. The goal includes a museum for the display of Del Mar artifacts, an atmospheric-controlled storage room, and a meeting room.
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Have you seen the Old Adobe Wall inside the Del Mar Fairgrounds?
Wander through the outdoor Garden Show during the San Diego County Fair and you’re likely to stumble upon this bit of history:
In January of 1936, final approval from all department officials in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. was received for a new fairgrounds facility to be built in Del Mar… It was estimated that 500,000 hours of labor would be required for completion of the project… Each building was designed to represent one of the missions of California…
All of the buildings were made of native adobe, which was mixed and dried on the grounds. The eight-foot-high wall stretched along Jimmy Durante Boulevard, bordering the fairgrounds from the San Dieguito River on the south to Via de la Valle on the north. It was constructed of thousands of adobe bricks…A very small portion of the original wall still stands near the Exhibits offices…
This adobe brick is one of the original bricks made here on the Del Mar Fairgrounds in 1936 using local clay and straw…
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I must confess that my favorite part of the San Diego County Fair every year is the Design In Wood exhibition of fine woodworking. The amazing creations of woodworkers around the San Diego region always blow my mind!
Check out some of the creations you will see. You’ll find beautifully crafted furniture such as chairs, tables and cabinets. There are extraordinary carved sculptures. There are imaginative works of art made of wood that you can hang on the wall. There are surfboards. There are clocks. There are fantastic guitars. There are elaborate, very detailed model ships. There are wooden toys. There’s even an Addams Family pinball machine made almost entirely of wood!
What’s really cool is that several woodworking organizations from around San Diego County provide expert demonstrations, too. Small items that you can buy for a donation such as spinning tops and writing pens are fashioned while you watch.
Design In Wood is presented in association with the San Diego Fine Woodworkers Association. You can find this awesome exhibition at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in the Mission Tower next to the Gems and Minerals exhibit.
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This year the theme at the San Diego County Fair is Get Out There! Throughout the Del Mar Fairgrounds visitors encounter displays that celebrate recreation in the Great Outdoors.
This theme works perfectly with one of the most popular attractions at the San Diego County Fair: the outdoor Paul Ecke Jr. Garden Show!
Gardening clubs, local students and civic organizations have created their own themed landscape displays. In the spirit of Get Out There, many of the small gardens that I saw during my visit include camping tents and lawn chairs, nestled among native Southern California plants. There is also a fun potted garden competition.
I also found a gigantic animatronic snail. And model trains running through a representation of Yellowstone National Park. And a display that pays tribute to Route 66. And there are old wagons filled with flowers. And a plant sale. And art, too!
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Should you wander into Grandstand East at the San Diego County Fair, you’ll find yourself surrounded by great paintings and other works of art. There are literally hundreds of pieces in the fair’s Fine Art Exhibit.
Because artists are competing for ribbons, the exhibition has been divided into various categories. One category which really caught my attention is titled Be Bold!
Comic-Con is less than a month away, so an awesome painting of Wonder Woman caught my eye. A nearby representation of the iconic Euclid Tower in City Heights then convinced me to blog a few photos of these Be Bold creations!
Creation, by artist Lydia Twigg.Celtic Horse, by artist Michael Markopoulos.Tower Bar, by artist Sarah Conley.Banje Beach, by artist Rick Lepire.
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I’ll be covering Comic-Con again this year. It’s almost here! To see all my current and past blog posts concerning Comic-Con, click here and scroll down!
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!
Is there anything edible not deep fried at the San Diego County Fair? Walk past the endless food stands and it might seem that way!
Of course, there are many non-deep fried offerings everywhere you turn at the fair, like burritos, hot dogs, hamburgers, barbeque, turkey legs, cinnamon rolls or ice cream. But who hasn’t made a joke about the numerous, sometimes bizarre deep fried treats that might tempt curious fairgoers?
Deep fried pizza.Deep fried decadence: Mexican funnel cakes.Totally fried Oreo.Fried s’mores on a stick.Fried shrimp with French fries.Totally fried avocados.Totally fried Twinkies.Fried chicken, of course.Fried veggies. (Is that more healthy?)Bacon wrapped pickle totally fried!Deep fried pork sandwich.
Yum!
Lip smacking good!
Where’s my bottle of antacid?
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Every year the San Diego County Fair attracts a good crowd to its Flower Show. This year was no exception.
Today I meandered past tables of beautiful floral displays at the Paul Ecke Jr. Flower Show inside the fairground’s spacious O’Brien Hall. Don’t ask me how ribbons are awarded in a competitive show such as this. The flowers all appeared perfectly amazing to me.
I saw different types of flowers and some carefully assembled floral arrangements. I took these photos as I walked along.
I spent several hours at the 2023 San Diego County Fair today and now have a boatload of fun and interesting photos coming up! Stay tuned in the next few days!
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Thanks for visiting Cool San Diego Sights!
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 Twitter!
