An exhibition by Filipino artists who reside in the South Bay is now on display in Chula Vista. Their works can be viewed inside Chula Vista’s two libraries and the City Hall lobby.
Yesterday I enjoyed looking at some of these pieces while visiting the Chula Vista Public Library Civic Center Branch.
I found the artwork on several library walls. Many of the beautiful creations seemed like glimpses of larger stories, emerging from an artist’s memory and heart.
Filipino Artists of South Bay continues through January 2023.
These photos provide an example of what you might see…
Family Dinner, Primo Gallanosa.the luckiest cat, Nadine Tan Saldaña.The Kiddos, Vince Alvendia.Pag-uwi (Returning Home), Clarissa Tong.
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The current exhibition at the Chula Vista Heritage Museum celebrates the life and history of Filipinos in the South Bay.
Display cases are positively overflowing with photographs and ephemera. Moments large and small are collectively remembered. You see the hopes, struggles, victories, family life. There are memories of community gatherings and festivals.
Words and images tell what it was like as a Filipino to go to school or church, run a business, serve in the military, or work to improve the life of the community. Perhaps you share these experiences.
I peered into the display cases and found so much life.
You can see that life, too, throughout 2023. Visit the Chula Vista Heritage Museum, which is located inside the Chula Vista Public Library Civic Center Branch.
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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!
Summertime? A sunny Sunday? San Diego’s always amazing Balboa Park?
Combine these three to discover lots of fun, festive stuff!
Come with me. Let’s walk around Balboa Park this afternoon, taking in various cool sights…
Performers on and off stage in Balboa Park at the 35th Philippine Cultural Arts Festival.A big outdoor audience enjoys Filipino culture in Balboa Park.Kids dance on outdoor stage at the SAMAHAN Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center’s annual festival in Balboa Park.Filipino food was plentiful at the 35th Philippine Cultural Arts Festival, in San Diego’s Balboa Park.Walking around Balboa Park at the Plaza de Panama.Super cool guys promote the San Diego Loyal soccer team. They’ve got a home game coming up on August 24th versus Oakland. The team is currently in second place!An amazing film about Balboa Park plays in the auditorium at the San Diego History Center.A beautiful summer day near the Japanese Tea Pavilion.Visitors walk toward the Exhibit Hall at the Japanese Friendship Garden. There’s a new exhibition concerning Japanese dolls that I will blog about soon.People sit in the shade of the Spreckels Organ Pavilion colonnade during the Sunday two o’clock concert.Colorful rented umbrellas provide more shade for the pavilion benches.Organist Amanda Mole plays a musical piece on the Spreckels Organ. It’s a preview of her Monday night performance for the 34th San Diego International Organ Festival.A variety of lowriders were parked between the Spreckels Organ Pavilion and the Plaza de Panama.Taking photos near flowers at one end of the Balboa Park Lily Pond.A Spanish speaking church group sings joyfully along El Prado, hoping to attract passersby.Dancers in folk costume perform for the House of Panama lawn program at the International Cottages.Cultural lawn programs can be enjoyed almost every weekend in Balboa Park during summer months!
If you’d like to see more colorful photographs from today’s House of Panama lawn program, click here!
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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!
Last year, an incredible mural debuted outside the House of Boxing Training Center in Paradise Hills. Ground Floor Murals painted legendary boxers Canelo Álvarez and Manny Pacquiao on the building’s north wall, by a small parking lot.
I took these photos a couple weekends ago when I walked through the neighborhood.
Parked cars and bright sun shining down directly above the roofline made photography difficult, so I captured the spray painted artwork up close. I’ve added contrast with my graphics editor.
Check it out!
Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez art by Ground Floor Murals at the House of Boxing in Paradise Hills, San Diego.Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao art by Ground Floor Murals at the House of Boxing in Paradise Hills, 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!
A huge, very colorful event was held today on San Diego’s Embarcadero at Waterfront Park. Taste of the Philippines, presented by the House of the Philippines, offered food, culture, entertainment and fun galore!
After walking through Balboa Park (incidentally passing the new House of the Philippines cottage), I headed down toward San Diego Bay to check out this event.
I was amazed by the huge crowd! I guess it shouldn’t have been surprising, given how San Diego is home to the second largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines.
I recognized various organizations that I’ve seen at past House of the Philippines lawn programs at the International Cottages. But at this epic event there was much, much more, including a big stage, beer garden, endless choices of food, and a kids play zone!
Enjoy some photos…
I learned that the PASACAT Philippine Performing Arts Company will be hosting a Parol Lantern Festival on December 13, 2021 at the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park. It’s now on my calendar!A parol is a Christmas lantern in the Philippines. These star-shaped lanterns are hung along streets and outside homes. They are an expression of shared faith and hope.All these poster displays concerning culture and history in the Philippines were created by students at Southwestern College.A fascinating collection of old photos. Image of the Pilipino: 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair.A San Diego Paré fan!Photos of folk dance at the Samahan Philippine Dance Company table.Traditional entertainment at the big stage during Taste of the Philippines.Live mural painting at the festival.Cecelia Linayao, local chalk artist, created this portrait of San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria, who is part Filipino! You’ve seen her art many times on my blog.Dane’s a super cool guy who paints custom longboards! His page on Instagram is @Kinjo_arts.
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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!
The 20th Annual Filipino Cultural Celebration was held today at Oceanside’s Civic Center Plaza. I arrived at the popular festival as it opened and stayed for a bit to enjoy all sorts of colorful entertainment!
After National Anthems were sung and presentations were made by community leaders, costumed dancing and singing commenced. The audience was wowed by an incredible fire dance by Dane Kaneshiro. You might’ve enjoyed his energetic performances at SeaWorld. As you’ll see in the upcoming photographs, he also custom paints longboards with great Polynesian inspired art. See his Kinjo Arts Instagram page here.
I also enjoyed chatting with a representative of the House of the Philippines about their new cottage in Balboa Park and watching kids perform tricks with tiny fingerboards on a model miniature skatepark. Of course, there was lots of food, vendors and educational opportunities, too!
The family-friendly festival was presented by the Filipino-American Cultural Organization and the Oceanside Public Library.
I was surprised to learn the second largest population of Filipinos outside of the Philippines resides right here in San Diego!
Another big Filipino festival is coming up next weekend in downtown San Diego at Waterfront Park. I plan to be there!
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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!
I passed through the sunny park about noontime today and noticed even more changes to San Diego’s crown jewel!
First, the Museum of Man has changed its name. It’s now the Museum of Us. Which not only sounds more inclusive, but it strikes me as less stodgy and more personally relatable. Various banners hung about the California Quadrangle reflect the anthropology museum’s recent name change.
Next, I noticed that scaffolding is now up around the House of Charm’s tower and in front of the historic building’s facade. The Mingei International Museum’s huge renovation and expansion continues!
On the west side of the Plaza de Panama a new bronze plaque honors winners of the Patrons of the Prado ICON Award for Arts and Culture. Winners have greatly benefited many of San Diego’s leading cultural institutions.
Then, as I headed through the park, I noticed a fifth new structure is finally rising at the International Cottages. This cottage, when finished, will be home to the House of the Philippines. I took a photo of an informative banner on the construction fence.
Lastly, I took photos of a small but beautiful change that occurred a couple of months ago. But until today I haven’t blogged about it.
At the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way, at the southwest corner of the Veterans Museum parking lot, a small flower-filled succulent garden has been created!
There are so many changes happening in Balboa Park, it’s hard to keep track of them all!
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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!
Painted underwater scenes on the grass at the Balboa Park Centennial 2015 Philippine American Celebration.
Astonished eyes were staring down at the ground at the Balboa Park Centennial 2015 Philippine American Celebration. That’s because a very colorful, very long painted canvas had been unrolled on a patch of grass for festival visitors to admire.
What you see in these photos is a segment of the seven kilometer long “Fishes of the Ocean” painting. The amazing artwork, depicting marine life, was created by thousands of mostly young people in the Philippines from 2006 to 2009. The project was an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for longest painting on a single canvas!
I did some research on the internet, but I’m still not sure whether a record was officially set. If you can provide more info, leave a comment below!
Small segment of the amazing seven kilometer long Fishes of the Ocean painting.
Talented young artists, mostly unknown, contributed to this colorful environmental art.
Abstract fish forms swim in a school on a very large canvas.
All sorts of exotic tropical fish are swimming at the ocean’s bottom.
Sea life painted in many vivid colors.
Fishes of the Ocean was created in the Philippines in an attempt to break a Guinness World Record.
Visitors to Balboa Park in San Diego walk past an unexpected cool sight!
A land shark waits motionless in the grass!
The long strip of fun art zigzagged across the grass near the International Cottages.
Creativity is one of the attractions at the annual Filipino cultural festival.
Just a wonderful product of human imagination.
This appears to be a scene from a coral reef.
A scuba diver among bubbles and rays of colored light.
I see a turtle, whale, starfish and octopus.
Cartoon ocean creatures prompt smiles in Balboa Park!
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Mural being painted for the Balboa Park Centennial 2015 Philippine American Celebration.
I saw a variety of cool sights during my morning walk today. While soaking up some San Diego sunshine, I checked out this weekend’s Balboa Park Centennial 2015 Philippine American Celebration. The annual Filipino cultural event is bigger and better than ever!
The Spreckels Organ Pavilion is the setting for many top notch performances, including a concert tonight by American Idol runner-up Jessica Sanchez! The festival also enlivens the House of Pacific Relations International Cottages, with lots of art, history, food and fun.
I learned that the House of the Philippines has received the green light to build their own cottage in Balboa Park. I’ll be sure to follow that project’s progress on my blog!
House of the Philippines participated in the event. They will soon have a home among the nearby House of Pacific Relations International Cottages.
A crowd is gathering on Saturday morning to watch Filipino entertainment at the Spreckels Organ Pavilion.
Tents around the perimeter of the pavilion contained interesting cultural information.
Poster shows many important Filipinos throughout San Diego’s rich, diverse history.
Marie Zhivago wrote a cool children’s book titled The Sakura. I learned sakura in Japanese means cherry blossom.
Marie Zhivago is a super nice person who is also an author and cartoonist. I enjoyed talking with her and learning new stuff! Please check out her website!
Numerous interesting displays were on the lawn in the International Cottages area.
This poster documents Heroes and Presidents of the Philippines.
Another poster shows how hip hop culture has been influenced by Filipino artists.
Beautiful costumes and dresses were being worn by many at the festival.
Kids check out fun exhibits at the Balboa Park Centennial 2015 Philippine American Celebration.
Philippine American organizations contributed to Balboa Park’s historic centennial with this great event.
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Folk dancers prepare to go on stage at today’s cultural exhibition.
I went for a typical weekend walk today. I just headed up to Balboa Park to see what I would see.
And I saw a lot!
My most interesting and enjoyable experience came as I strolled through the 30th Philippine Cultural Arts Festival put on by the Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center. The big event was taking place on some grass at the south end of Balboa Park, near Park Boulevard.
Lots of folks were enjoying authentic Filipino food, browsing through many booths, and watching a variety of unique demonstrations and entertainment. Workshops were even available to the public, teaching anyone interested to speak Tagalog, play the Bandurria, Angklung and Kulintang, practice self-defense in the style of Arnis or Eskrima, and dance Tinikling, which is the very colorful national dance of the Philippines.
Here are some pics!
Scott Lost showcases his 2nd Shift comic books and other artwork!
Local artist Scott Lost was showing and selling his work. He has self-published a cool independent comic book series called 2nd Shift. Check it out!
Funny t-shirts celebrate Filipino life at special event in Balboa Park.
Guys with swords teach Philippine martial arts!
I wouldn’t mess with these dudes!
Samahan Filipino American Performing Arts and Education Center.
San Diegans from many different communities enjoyed the festival.
Folk dances from the Philippines were part of the cultural exhibition.
The audience enjoyed some colorful and joyful sights!
The festival is also going on Sunday (tomorrow) from 11-5. You’ll find it by the corner of Park Boulevard and Presidents Way. If you’re in San Diego, check it out!
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