Tag: imagination

Classic books celebrated at San Diego County Fair!

Once Upon a Fair is this year’s theme at the San Diego County Fair. What exactly does that mean? The fair in 2026 is celebrating reading books–and popular fiction and the classics take center stage!

The fair’s theme exhibit is filled with the wonders that readers find in books. The Wizard of Oz, Winnie the Pooh, Charlotte’s Web, Treasure Island, Harry Potter, Jules Verne, fairy tales we all know, Peter Rabbit, Superman, The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes . . . visitors encounter all the great characters and timeless stories generations have come to love!

There is reading aloud story time for the very young ones. There are opportunities for visitors to contribute their own writing. Everywhere you turn you’ll find tributes to famous authors and illustrators. Renowned authors with a San Diego connection are recognized. Visiting libraries is encouraged. The shelves of your local library are like open vaults where endless treasures await.

It was exciting to observe children running from display to display, breathlessly recognizing the books they had come to know. One large, playful section of the theme exhibit is dedicated to La Jolla’s own Dr. Seuss.

It was awesome!

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Local artists reimagine San Diego Museum of Art.

I absolutely love this exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Art!

Local artists have reimagined the Spanish Colonial Revival façade of the museum, an iconic landmark in the heart of Balboa Park.

The exhibition in Gallery 6 is titled Local Visions: Reimagining the Façade. What a perfect way to help celebrate the SDMA Centennial! The art is on view through July 26, 2026.

The participating artists are Stefanie Bales, John Chang, Hilary Dufour, Annie Holley, Wagner Humphreys, Mary Jhun, Lori Mitchell, Tim Novara, Brandon Palma, and Susan Stone.

Perhaps you recognize some of these names. I personally recall photographing street art created by two of the artists. To see art that Hilary Dufour painted in Pacific Beach, click here. To see the distinctive art of Mary Jhun all around San Diego, click here.

Here are a few examples of the San Diego Museum of Art’s reimagined façade…

Sunday in Balboa Park, by artist Annie Holley.
SDMA 100, by artist Brandon Palma.
Golden Hour at The San Diego Museum of Art, by artist Stefanie Bales.
The Spaces Between, by artist Hilary Dufour.
Genius Loci: The Spirit of a Place, by artist Mary Jhun.
Colors: Reimagining the Façade with Color, by artist Susan Stone.

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Creators unite nerd and lowrider cultures!

Ish Galvan is a cool dude I met during the Vista Strawberry Festival. He and Vince Vargas are the creators behind Triple OG Comics. He was showing everybody the Tamale Guy comic book they’ve published.

As I understood it, Ish is a writer who loves to mash up different concepts in his work, from mythology to metaphysics to science fiction to neo-noir. The story of the multi-issue Tamale Guy is described as: A tamale vendor escapes his violent past to begin a peaceful life. However, an ex-cartel killer with Aztec powers seeks revenge.

Ish explained that he’s bridging both nerd and Chicano lowrider culture. At first glance the two cultures might seem very different, but in fact they have things in common. Consider the graphics painted on many lowrider cars. It’s the sort of art you’d find in a comic, graphic novel, or at Comic-Con for that matter. Some deep in the lowrider culture have confided to Ish they secretly collect comic books, too!

That these two artists are cultural trailblazers is pretty awesome!

Good luck guys!

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Art and creativity at Goldenpalooza!

Art and creativity were busting out everywhere at today’s big, very colorful Goldenpalooza festival at the Golden Hill Recreation Center! Check it out!

The festival offered families creative opportunities at every turn. There were multiple art-making stations and workshops for every age. You could learn how to make a cyanotype, a monster and a zine!

Friendly artists were painting, printmaking, demonstrating their technique and showcasing fantastic creations. There was even a cool, highly original video game created by San Diego locals that kids (or adults) could play!

All this while listening to live music from the stage!

Literacy also had a big presence at the festival. Kids were encouraged to read. Reading is fun and expands your mind!

Okay, can you tell I really loved Goldenpalooza? It was my first ever visit to the festival, and will likely not be my last.

Words Alive San Diego encourages children to read. It’s done with art and adult participation.
A lot of activities for Makers!
Sun Art! Golden Hill is the perfect place for this!
The Joey, Jeremy & Camille Trio wave from the Goldenpalooza stage.
INSIDE:ART (@insideart_sd) supports the fostering of identity for adults with developmental disabilities through dignified access to the creative arts community of San Diego.
The Wall of Questions & Colors by Compagnia Creativa (@compagniacreativa) asks festival goers “What makes you smile?”
Made me smile!
Testing out the cool, locally developed Behemoth video game (find it on STEAM). A bit like the classic arcade game Joust.

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San Diego youth explore Wonder through art.

Voice Out 2026 is a youth media art exhibition that officially opens today inside San Diego’s downtown Central Library.

Young creators from across the San Diego region were invited by Outside The Lens to explore the idea of Wonder through photography, digital illustration and mixed media. Nearly 200 pieces are now on display on the first floor of the Central Library.

I checked the art out yesterday after the displays were set up!

Wonder stretches our curious minds, leading us to places beyond our accustomed horizons. Places that can be fantastic and strange. I saw images full of dreams, discovery and possibility.

The art of Voice Out 2026 will be on display at both the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and the San Diego Central Library throughout June 2026.

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One Piece pirates wanted on Imperial Beach Pier!

Wanted posters picturing One Piece pirates and other scoundrels have been hung inside the IB Kitchen at the end of the Imperial Beach Pier! I looked right and left for pirates inside the restaurant today, hoping to receive a reward. No luck!

Imperial Beach Kitchen has operated at the end of the IB Pier for about 8 months now. They serve Korean food, seafood tacos, and good old American staples like hamburgers. Fish and chips, too! The friendly owner with whom I briefly spoke loves Asian anime and manga, including the very popular One Piece from Japan.

Arranged along the ceiling is a Who’s Who of pirates and other rascally characters in that fantasy world!

I’ll be blogging about San Diego Comic-Con trolley wraps in a couple weeks, most likely, so a post concerning pop culture is timely now. (If you’re interesting in seeing my past Comic-Con related coverage, click here!)

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High school art showcased at Comic-Con Museum!

High school students from around San Diego created art that is now showcased in a special exhibition at the Comic-Con Museum. Visual Storytellers: Honors Show 2026 features diverse work nominated by teachers as examples of artistic excellence and meaningful storytelling.

Participating high schools in the San Diego Unified School District are: Canyons Hills, Crawford, La Jolla, Lincoln, LMEC, Mira Mesa, Morse, Patrick Henry, Point Loma, Scripps Ranch and SDSCPA.

Congratulations to everyone whose great artwork was selected!

The exhibition can be viewed along the walls of what used to be a cafeteria back when the Federal Building housed the Hall of Champions. There’s two dimensional and three dimensional art to experience.

If you need a snack or drink while walking through Balboa Park, you can enter this area next to the museum entrance and make use of the vending machines. Check out some cool Star Wars posters on the opposite wall, too!

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Star Wars Day(s) at the San Diego library!

Star Wars fans will soon be gathering at the San Diego Central Library. Fun, creative activities will be available in the IDEA Maker Lab on May the Fourth (be with you) and (revenge of the) Fifth!

You’ll have the opportunity to paint mini lightsabers, 3D print droids, make Star Wars buttons, participate in a scavenger hunt (and win prizes), and more. All ages welcome.

Registration is encouraged but not required.

To learn more about this cool event, click here and here!

Persian carpet garden in Escondido!

This is one of the most uplifting and creative exhibitions of art you’re likely to experience. It’s a garden of flowers, trees and animals that was created using Persian carpets! You read that correctly!

This unique exhibition at the museum of the California Center for the Arts, Escondido is titled Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise.

I stepped into the “garden” yesterday during my museum visit. With the sound of birds chirping in the background, I wandered through the plush, colorful foliage and wished there was a “park bench” where I could sit and simply be happy and alive.

In this garden paradise life is good. All cares drop away. From my photos you might understand the wonderful feeling this installation produces. It’s like a comfy living room that has come to life all around you!

The exhibition webpage explains: Unrolling Paradise explores the Persian garden as a living design tradition carried through textiles, memory, and everyday objects. Interdisciplinary artist Maryam Bayat reinterprets centuries-old carpet aesthetics through sculptural works that merge traditional Persian rugs with contemporary form and function.

Raised in Tehran in a family of rug producers and now based in North County San Diego, Bayat draws from inherited craft to create installations that reflect on place, belonging, and cultural continuity. Her woven sculptures—appearing as furniture, abstract trees, and domestic interiors—extend the symbolism of the garden into three-dimensional space, linking ideas of sanctuary to personal and collective memory.

If you tend not to visit museums, this might be the time you consider going. There are several other exhibits, as well, including one that concerns graphics used in computer and video games. Swing on by and have a great time!

Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise can be experienced through Sunday, August 16, 2026, at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido’s museum.

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A surreal mural in Ocean Beach!

This cool mural was painted in Ocean Beach back in 2023, but I saw it yesterday for the first time. Check out the surreal imagery!

The large mural can be found on the exterior of the The Template, facing the parking lot.

Signatures by the artists appear to be MURALIS, ART BY SOUP, EATHDUST, HAILYBROUS, JORDINDAVID, and SOURCE!

To me, it seems the theme might be: When trying to determine the essence of life, don’t go crazy. I noticed that “Stay Sane” is included among all the surreal, spray painted images!

This is the same wall where a History of Electricity mural was painted years ago. You can see those photos by clicking here.

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