Tag: events

The Drawing Show exhibits work of local artists!

An exhibition in the Judith Harris Art Gallery on the 9th floor of San Diego’s Central Library deserves citywide attention.

The Drawing Show, which includes work by notable local artists, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. The recurring exhibition has included the work of 82 artists over the years!

For 2025, the artists are Celeste Byers, Hugo Crosthwaite, Steve Gibson, Amanda Kazemi, Neil Kendricks, Joshua Moreno, Annalise Neil, David Peña, Melanie Taylor and Eden de la Vara. Followers of Cool San Diego Sights might recognize the names of certain artists who’ve painted murals around town.

The dozens of works on display in the library’s art gallery are very fine. Many of the drawings are meticulously detailed. One can see how they flow from each artist’s personal experiences in life. Emotions stirred by the art can be strong, and every piece made me look closely.

If you’ve never been to an art exhibition at San Diego’s Central Library, this would be a great one to check out. You won’t be disappointed.

The Drawing Show has been extended, and will now close on June 15, 2025, so you still have a few weeks.

For the gallery’s hours, click here.

A handful of examples…

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Lucha Fest kicks off Comic-Con Museum exhibit!

The Comic-Con Museum will be opening an exhibit celebrating Mexican lucha libre wrestling on May 22, 2025. The exhibition is titled Sangre, Sudor y Mito and will feature masks and costumes worn by legendary luchadores, collectibles, original art, video and much more.

To kick things off, Lucha Fest is being held in San Diego at the Soap Factory this afternoon.

The free, family-friendly event features food, music, art, lowriders and live lucha libre wrestling! Lucha Fest is supported by the Comic-Con Museum, Museo de Lucha Libre Tijuana Mexicana, and the Office of the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego.

I arrived as it opened, which turned out to be much too early. The wrestling, I learned wouldn’t begin for a couple hours, so I walked around checking things out for a short while.

A highlight of Lucha Fest is the official unveiling of a huge mural across the street, which features legendary luchadores, including Chula Vista’s own Rey Mysterio. It was created by prolific local artist Dentlok. I had photographed the mural in early April, not knowing anything about it. See those photographs here.

The Soap Factory is a mostly outdoor venue east of downtown San Diego. It has many cool murals. I’ve focused my few photos today on the fun event as it barely got started. (Yes, I neglected to photograph the ring–there was nothing going on at the time.)

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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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Paintings celebrate food at La Jolla library!

There’s a tasty, mouth-watering exhibition ready to be devoured at the La Jolla Riford Library. Step into the Community Room and bring your appetite for art!

The Culinary Arts offers a buffet of paintings by 15 local artists that celebrates food!

As the library’s exhibition website states, you’ll find captivating oil paintings of everything from Cheeseburgers to Triple Decker Ice Cream Cones to delectable Beignets!

The visual feast comes to an end on May 18, 2025.

Fortunately, if you’re still hungry, all of these delectable pieces are for sale. By purchasing a painting or two, these treats can become takeout and brought home for your future enjoyment!

Yummy samples…

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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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Two of the coolest artists you’ll ever meet!

Meet two super cool San Diego artists! That’s Susie Zol on the left and Denise Cerro on the right. Both were having a blast today creating art, laughing, enjoying life and talking to visitors in Gallery 21 in Balboa Park’s Spanish Village Art Center!

Susie Zol is an abstract artist whose website is here. Denise Cerro likes to make mixed media art and her website is here.

They were having so much fun when I walked into the gallery and radiating such energy that I couldn’t help smiling myself! And then it got even better as they demonstrated what they were up to!

Here’s Susie at work…

That’s Denise in the next photo…

She showed me how to make art using a gelli plate (gel printing plate). It’s sort of works like a slightly squishy printing press.

Okay, I hope I understood this all correctly.

Ink is applied to the gelli plate…

Now she’s putting an inked leafy branch onto the inked gelli plate…

Pressing down on heavy stock paper to make a gelli print…

There it is!

And by using thin material and making a second impression on the residual ink, a ghost print is created!

The ghost prints can be layered, creating a composite image with complexity and depth. In Denise’s mixed media pieces, she’ll often glue on works of ceramic or collage material. The entire effect is amazing.

All I can say is, head over to Gallery 21 by May 18th and see loads of incredible art for yourself.

I almost forgot! The artists are doing daily demonstrations at 1 pm, too!

May 12=Art Journals; May 13=Accordion Books; May 14=Small Series Paintings; May 15=Abstract Faces; May 16=Non-Dominate Hand Art; and May 17=Painting on Loose Paper.

Look at some of their work!

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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!

Aztec Dancers at San Diego Balboa Park Powwow.

This afternoon, Danza Azteca Calpulli performed at the Annual San Diego Balboa Park Powwow, which is typically held on Mother’s Day weekend.

The colorful Aztec Dancers might delight the eyes, but those watching were reminded that their dance is spiritual–it’s a prayer.

The smoke of white sage blesses participants, purifying minds and hearts.

In a circle the dancers step to rhythmic drums and at intervals spin. The dance feels like a collective heartbeat, and the turning seems like the circle of life.

Perhaps I don’t know any better, but that’s the feeling I get. I like to quietly watch and listen.

You need to experience it yourself to develop your own feeling.

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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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A special Mother’s Day concert in Balboa Park!

It was a very special Mother’s Day at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park. Not only did an audience hear San Diego Civic Organist Raúl Prieto Ramírez playing beautiful music for the Sunday afternoon concert, but he was joined by an extraordinary vocalist.

Soprano Caroline Nelms graced our ears with her soaring notes as she sang half a dozen pieces created by female composers. Composers of her selections included Amy Beach, Fanny Mendelssohn and Lucy Simon.

Caroline Nelms has added her crystalline voice to musical theater, opera, classical performances and jazz. Perhaps you heard her when she accompanied the Spreckels Organ during a spooky Halloween concert!

In addition to her singing, and Raul playing Mother’s Day favorites (including Ave Maria and a Glenn Miller Medley), the concert concluded with Raul and Caroline together handing out red roses to mothers who were in attendance.

It was a special day, indeed.

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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!

San Diego Epiphyllum Society show on Mother’s Day!

A very busy Mother’s Day in Balboa Park included the San Diego Epiphyllum Society’s annual flower show and sale. I strolled through the Casa del Prado’s Room 101 and was wowed by hundreds of incredibly beautiful, very colorful blooms.

The web page describing the show claims SDES’s annual Mother’s Day Show is the ultimate Epi Flower Show in the country. I can see why!

The San Diego Epiphyllum Society is celebrating their 55th anniversary, and there were floral displays that proudly announced it! There were Mother’s Day displays, too, and many others that were artistic, or that provided useful information.

The flowers themselves were the star of the show!

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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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Stimulating your senses at Park Opera!

Park Opera was enjoyed by visitors to San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park this evening. People on foot, following a map and at times using their smartphones, partook of unique outdoor performances that stimulated the senses in often unusual ways.

Park Opera was composed by Wojtek Blecharz, and produced in San Diego by arts organization PROJECT [BLANK]. As the event website explains: PARK OPERA was commissioned in 2016 by Theater Powszechny in Warsaw, Poland. In 2020, it was reimagined in a forest near Basel, Switzerland as part of the Rümlingen Festival, and was performed again in Austria in 2024 on a tiny island in the middle of a turquoise alpine lake at Carinthischer Sommer Festival.

How does one describe each quiet “Act” encountered while walking through Balboa Park? Subdued. Subtle. Somehow elemental. Stimulating–if you wish it.

Those who follow the map from one Act to the next are considered the protagonists of a personal story. It’s a story that involves concentrated listening and being in the moment. The park’s ambient noise combines with soft instruments and voices, and we become more sensitive and aware of the amazing world that is all around us.

I photographed some of the eleven Acts.

ACT 2: Overture for 4 instruments

ACT 4: Ballet

This was a ballet of sound. Dancing performers whirled small speakers around those passing by. The changing tones seemed natural, perhaps like strange sounds in a wilderness, or dream . . . and weirdly cosmic. One must hear to understand.

ACT 6: Duet

ACT 7: Binoculars for Sound

Different hollow objects act like seashells when held to the ear…

ACT 8: Recitativo

ACT 11: The Gong

Most visitors struck the gong very softly to hear its subtle, resonating sound.

One person struck it with all of their might. Now that was stimulating!

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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!

Historic downtown street clock to be repaired!

The unusual Seiko street clock on B Street in downtown San Diego hasn’t been working for years. I learned today an effort is now underway to repair it!

The 20 feet tall clock is very unique. The “Solar Post Clock” is said to be the first solar powered clock to be installed in San Diego. It was a gift in 1983 from Seiko to Jacobs & Sons Jewelers, a family business that once was located on the corner of B Street and 7th Avenue. You can read more about the historic clock here.

Today I walked past a fun “Dogs of Downtown” event on my way home from another event, so I had to see what that was all about. I was greeted by Joel Hermosillo from the Downtown San Diego Partnership who recognized Cool San Diego Sights, and informed me they are working to repair the Seiko street clock!

How cool would that be!

I’ll try to stay informed on its progress.

Meanwhile, here are several photos of the “Dogs of Downtown” community event. (Thank you for the free Coke!)

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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!

Monument to William Heath Davis, Jr. unveiled!

A very special event was held today in San Diego’s Pantoja Park. A monument to downtown’s original founder, William Heath Davis, Jr. (aka Kanaka Davis) was unveiled during a beautiful ceremony!

The monument is in the form of a bronze bust. During the ceremony many leis were hung around its neck by organizations instrumental in creating the historical monument. Representatives were from Ahahui Kiwila of San Diego, Kaha I ka Panoa (Hawaiian Civic Clubs), Hui o Hawaii of San Diego, Pacific Islander Festival Association and The Samoan Association San Diego. Other organizations at the event who helped to make this monument a reality included the Gaslamp Historical Foundation and the Asian Pacific American Coalition.

William Heath Davis was born in Hawaii and eventually made his way to early San Diego. With a vision of the future, great courage and much energy, he strategically created the initial version of “New Town” on San Diego Bay, where downtown is today. Read his history here.

Traditional Hawaiian dance was performed during the ceremony, and numerous speakers expressed pride in having a monument to Davis placed in Pantoja Park–the city’s first park, not far from where he himself lived. Two of the speakers were descendants of Davis.

The event brought many members of the local Asian and Pacific Islander community together. As caretakers of their culture and creators of the monument, they now have this visible tribute to San Diego’s past for younger generations to see. As one speaker said, We Are Here. The Spirit of Kanaka Davis Lives On.

Toward the end of the ceremony an impersonator of William Heath Davis spoke. He recalled the life of one of San Diego’s most important historical figures.

I took photos of more history being made…

UPDATE!

During a later walk in the park, I took a good photo of the historical plaque…

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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!