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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South Cedros Avenue in Solana Beach is a place where creativity thrives. Walk down the sidewalk through the Cedros Avenue Design District and your eyes will discover surprising art wherever they turn.
I walked this way three years ago and found a bunch of cool stuff. See it here. I also stepped into the fun Art Alley on Cedros. See that here.
Yesterday I took a similar walk and found new sights that I hadn’t previously seen! In addition to a very colorful tile mosaic bench south of the Belly Up Tavern, I photographed the following…
The planet I live on is the planet you live on.You turn graves into gardens – You turn bones into armies – You turn seas into highways – You’re the only one who canOut of the Blue
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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 X.
Beloved artist James Hubbell has passed away. When I heard the very sad news today, I immediately thought of all the beautiful art he has left as a legacy around San Diego.
If you live in or near San Diego, there’s a good chance you’ve seen his public artwork. His sculptures and mosaics can be found from El Cajon to La Mesa to Del Mar to Oceanside to Mission Valley to Coronado to Shelter Island. His Hubbell Studios/Ilan-Lael Foundation compound in Santa Ysabel (which I’ve not visited, but have seen in photos) is an inspired, absolutely unique architectural marvel.
James Hubbell designed and created so many beautifully organic forms–often with the help of his wife, son, artists in residence or volunteers–that I’ll often encounter his work during a walk. To me, each work possesses a spiritual quality.
This world we live in has been greatly enriched because of James Hubbell’s genius and vision.
Here are some photos I’ve taken over the years…
Pearl of the Pacific on Shelter Island.Pearl of the Pacific.Pacific Spirit on Shelter Island.Pacific Portal on Shelter Island.Pegasus at Olaf Wieghorst Museum in El Cajon.San Gabriel Arcángel sculpture at Mission San Diego de Alcalá.Opus in front of Oceanside Museum of Art.Marker on walkway at SDSU Mission Valley. Coffeeberry (Frangula californica).Sea Passage in Coronado.Mosaic on restroom at Briercrest Park in La Mesa.Fountain at Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library in La Mesa.A River of Time at the Del Mar Library.Art displayed at exhibition James Hubbell: Architecture of Jubilation, now on view at the Central Library Art Gallery.
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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 X.
All sorts of creative fun can be experienced during the annual San Diego International Fringe Festival. I found some of that fun today on a patch of grass in Balboa Park!
When I happened to walk by, a puppet show was being enjoyed on this particular patch of grass near the Marie Hitchcock Puppet Theater. Artists who aren’t officially part of the festival are encouraged to “bring your own venue” and that’s what I had stumbled upon!
Steve Sanders with his The Wandering Umbrella’s puppet was reciting powerful poetry. Steve would later break out two additional dancing puppets, delighting surprised kids.
When I arrived, his audience was composed of other Fringe Festival performers: those folks with the furry, colorful hats. They are the theatre group GUMBO. They’ve come all the way to San Diego from Japan! Later this week they’ll be performing Forest of Truth at the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park.
The extensive student art exhibit opened recently in the large makerspace room on the museum’s second floor. Excellent works on display include paintings, drawings, photography, graphic design, mixed media, multimedia and more. Dozens of unique creations reflect a diversity of viewpoints, and absolutely boundless human imagination.
I could see how these students, as the future unfolds, will be using their unique talents to add life to our dynamic, ever evolving culture!
All of these works were worthy of a photograph, but I’ll share just a few from my visit…
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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!
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A new binational art exhibit opened last week at San Diego’s Comic-Con Museum. Three notable Mexican artists–Charles Glaubitz, Alejandra Yépiz Portillo, and Urbano Mata–have contributed large walls full of comic art in a collaboration between the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego and the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park. The exhibition is titled Border Blitz: Artistas del Cómic de Tijuana.
San Diego and Tijuana share unique qualities, including dynamic cultural cross-pollination between two nations. Border Blitz: Artistas del Cómic de Tijuana celebrates the selection of San Diego/Tijuana as World Design Capital 2024!
During my visit to the museum last weekend, I really enjoyed all the great, super creative artwork on display. I took the following photos as I explored the extensive upstairs gallery. To experience everything, make sure to visit the museum yourself!
The first group of photos represents the artwork of Charles Glaubitz. The artist’s work includes zines, graphic novels and animation, and transcends traditional visual arts. He intersects vibrant psychedelic imagery with ancient myths, quantum physics and spirituality! Pretty wild, right? Check it out…
The second artist is Alejandra Yépiz Portillo, who was born in Ensenada, Mexico. The pieces chosen for this exhibition represent the beginning of her work in professional comics. Her fun art is ever-evolving. She focuses on coming of age, comedy and drama with digitally drawn comics and panels imitating manga…
Finally, the third artist who lives in Tijuana is Urbano Mata. He asks: what is it like to live and love in a city divided by a border? He is noted for his comedic, cynical and carefree cartoon style. His characters are usually based on real people–affectionate portraits of people he knows closely…
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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 (formerly known as Twitter)!
Are you a fan of science fiction, horror, comic books or graphic novels? You don’t want to miss Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings, a fantastic new exhibit that opened last week at the Comic-Con Museum in Balboa Park!
John Jennings is an Eisner Award–winning and New York Times best-selling artist, designer and author who has worked in comics for over twenty years. He’s also a professor of media and cultural studies at the University of California, Riverside and the director of the Abrams ComicArts imprint Megascope, which publishes graphic novels focused on the experiences of people of color.
Jennings was introduced to comics by his mother at a young age, and fell in love with the medium, whose possibilities are limited only by human imagination. Since then he has made many notable contributions to the popular culture.
Perhaps you’re familiar with the new Marvel character, Ghost Light. Jennings was the creator! He is the author of the 2023 comic series Silver Surfer: Ghost Light.
The African American character Ghost Light actually began his life as Al Harper, a physicist and friend to Silver Surfer, who sacrificed his life to save the world in a 1969 story titled And Who Shall Mourn for Him? That was back in Marvel’s comic book Silver Surfer #5.
Jennings brought the character back in a way that represents the modern African American experience. Ghost Light also reflects John Jennings’ artistic collaboration with co-creators and his love of Afrofuturism, which can be observed throughout this new museum exhibit. He has helped to create thousands of images that have been enjoyed in art shows and diverse publications.
As my few photos demonstrate, you’ll be dazzled by the bold, very colorful comic artwork produced by this prolific artist. You’ll see familiar Marvel superheroes, monsters and dark horror, images filled with symbolism and mythological and historical references, and futuristic wonders that might blow your mind!
Visitors to the exhibit can also “collaborate” with the artist by writing a story or coloring a sketch, and then share it on a wall in a Comic-Con Museum gallery. Very cool!
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Should you walk down the alley that runs just south of Grand Avenue in Escondido, you might notice many of the murals that once graced the blocks between Maple and Broadway have vanished. These works of local artists, from the inaugural 2021 season of Esco Alley Art, had to be removed.
I explored Escondido’s cultural center last weekend and discovered familiar works of art mounted to several outdoor walls…
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Colorful flower sculptures greet visitors to A Reason To Survive (ARTS) in National City. They’ve sprouted near the front entrance.
I happened to notice these very creative flowers last weekend. I don’t recall seeing them before–but it had been a long time since I walked this way.
A Reason To Survive is a nationally known program for youth that encourages self-confidence, growth and leadership through art. Their Mission Statement is: ARTS lifts young people in the South County region of San Diego to become confident, compassionate, and courageous community builders through the transformative power of creativity.
Over the years I’ve photographed several community projects undertaken by young people participating in ARTS. They’ve greatly beautified National City.
Do you know more about these flower sculptures? If so, please leave a comment!
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
In Balboa Park last weekend, a large group of families and children gathered around Jim Coffee and his extraordinary street organ. I joined them.
As Jim turned a crank to produce cheerful organ music, we all watched as automata brought small magical scenes to life in front of the organ. The street organ and its lively automata were all hand made!
I first met Jim in Balboa Park seven years ago. See those photos on my dormant Beautiful Balboa Park blog by clicking here. Back then he entertained passersby simply with the music of his 20 pipe “Misty” street organ. Today eight motors activate incredible small scenes mounted to the same organ–a carnival with turning Ferris wheel and merry-go-round, a flying helicopter with waving people, musicians playing instruments, and more!
With the addition of this fun automata, everyone who gathers around to listen and watch is even more enchanted!
If you want to learn more about Jim and his wonderful creations, visit his website here!
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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 X (formerly known as Twitter)!
Cool San Diego Sights! 