Hidden public art on a Liberty Station rooftop!

Very few know of this “hidden” public artwork in Point Loma. It can be found on a building’s rooftop at Liberty Station.

In the next photograph you can see green stairs climbing the side of the New Americans Museum. During all of my visits to Liberty Station, I’ve never seen a single person going up them. I myself had thought these stairs to the building’s roof were out of bounds to the public.

Not so!

Head on up, push open the swinging gate, and take a look!

The unique rooftop artwork is composed of colorfully painted skateboards. Appropriately titled Rolling It Forward, the installation was created in 2018 by local artist Jeremy Nuttall of Poway, California. The sculpture, according to a sign represents a boat and rolling waves made entirely of community-painted skateboard decks. It builds on the concept of “pay it forward,” and it required the support and involvement of the community…

The skateboards that compose Rolling It Forward have become weathered by several seasons of rain and sunshine. They are cracked and faded. They are rolling forward through time.

But the creative, often crazy images endure!

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Completing the new Yu Darvish mural!

This morning I swung through Kearny Mesa again to see how the new Yu Darvish mural in the Convoy District is progressing.

I was excited to find it nearly completed, and I met the muralists, too!

Signe Ditona and Paul Jimenez, the artists of Ground Floor Murals, have painted several awesome Padres baseball murals around San Diego already. And both are super nice!

Check out these photos of their latest Padres mural featuring star pitcher Yu Darvish. It’s on Convoy Street, just south of Engineer Road.

(If you’d like to see an early stage of the mural, you can revisit my blog post from several days ago here.)

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 gigantic sandcastle in Imperial Beach!

An absolutely gigantic sandcastle is now being built at the foot of the Imperial Beach Pier!

The huge two-stories high sand sculpture, which is being referred to as the Monument Castle, is the centerpiece of this year’s week-long Sun and Sea Festival. Imperial Beach has become Sandcastle City!

The I.B. Posse, a team of local sand artists, began to build the castle a couple days ago. The sand carving will continue through this week.

I intend to swing by again next weekend to check out the finished sandcastle! I’ll post those pics in an update here!

UPDATE!

I swung by the following weekend after the huge sandcastle was completed. I see the I.B. Posse was assisted by the Sand Squirrels, Dan Belcher, Bruce Phillips and Sculpting San Diego.

Wow! Check it out!

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 colorful Sunday walk on Imperial Beach Pier.

Today I headed down to Imperial Beach to check out a sandcastle that is under construction at the foot of the IB Pier. This summer’s week-long Imperial Beach Sun and Sea Festival features one gigantic sand sculpture. (I’ll share those photos shortly!)

Because I was at the pier, of course I had to walk out on it.

These colorful photographs were taken during my Sunday stroll over the ocean. I walked out to the pier’s end, gazed at the sky and water for a while, then headed back to the beach.

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!

Scenes from La Jolla Playhouse’s POP-UP WOW!

This evening I watched a stirring performance. I and many others enjoyed the La Jolla Playhouse’s POP-UP WOW event at Liberty Station.

What did I see?

I saw soulful singing and dancing that stems from a shared history of suffering and endurance.

I saw joy that rises from the heart–a triumph of the spirit.

I saw how bubbles are like aspects of life–and like life itself. Mysterious, beautiful, soaring . . . short-lived. A beginning and an ending. Like memories.

I, too, wondered why we have an impulse to chase bubbles.

I saw a fable about a giant who wanted power over everything.

Until he saw the beauty of bubbles and learned wisdom.

I saw individuals repeatedly asking “Can I?”

They make one clumsy attempt after another, slowly gaining ability, gaining confidence, until they venture out into this sometimes scary world.

Meeting others, overcoming their fear, the question becomes “Can WE?”

What I observed was life.

You can watch it tomorrow if you’d like, too. Click here to learn about the Sunday performances. It’s free!

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!

Arts in the Park at Chula Vista’s Lemon Festival!

Chula Vista’s annual Lemon Festival has returned!

This year, the festival is primarily taking place in Memorial Park, where families can enjoy Arts in the Park. A full day of entertainment is scheduled for the big stage, and artist booths abound. The event is produced by the people of OnStage Playhouse, which is a community theatre located in Chula Vista.

I enjoyed the first hour or so of the festival, which included an inspiring dance performance as you’ll see in the upcoming photos!

Lots of family fun can be enjoyed at Arts in the Park during the 2021 Chula Vista Lemon Festival.
Artes en el Parque includes music, dance, and an evening performance by the Fern Street Circus!
A familiar piratical smile. I believe I’ve spotted it during past Comic-Cons!
A smiling mermaid!
Volunteers from Arts in the Park pose for a photo!
Students from Chula Vista Learning Community Charter Middle School were making art! And the community joined them!
Painting our beautiful Earth.
A String of Stories at one of the school’s tables is about Sharing in Community.
Unidos por la paz. United for peace.
I took some photos as I waited in Memorial Park’s amphitheater for the entertainment on stage to begin.
The helpful Honda people came by and offered me a water bottle! Thank you!

Do you know anyone who could use a helping hand? Check out the San Diego Honda Dealers “Random Acts of Helpfulness” web page here. Maybe they’ll provide some assistance! I hope so!

Okay! The program begins with a couple of short speeches…

Ashley Gardner from OnStage Playhouse is introduced. She was instrumental in organizing this great event. Hopefully it becomes a long-lived community summer tradition!

Then the entertainment begins!

An amazing, super positive and energetic hip hop dance group from Steele Canyon High School takes the stage! They’re the Club Groove Dance Team!

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 downtown Silver Line resumes service!

The San Diego Trolley’s Silver Line recently returned to service. After a long period of inactivity during the COVID-19 pandemic, the historic cars that operate on the downtown loop route can now be seen on weekends!

Late this morning I enjoyed the Lemon Festival in Chula Vista. (I’ll blog about that event shortly!) I then returned downtown, hopped onto beautiful vintage PCC streetcar 530 and rode much of the Silver Line loop.

As we headed down the track, curious people on sidewalks watched us and listened to the car ding-dinging with astonished eyes.

Learn more about the Silver Line and its restored trolley cars here!

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!

Street art spotted walking the Convoy District.

Yesterday I walked along many blocks of Convoy Street in Kearny Mesa. I was on a mission to check out the new Yu Darvish mural that is being painted this week. See those photos here!

As I walked through the heart of the Convoy District, I saw a few bits of “street art” that I photographed.

The Convoy District describes itself “as the commercial and cultural heart for San Diego’s 450,000+ member Asian & Pacific Islander communities.” It is one of several areas in San Diego that has attracted a sizable Asian population.

There are numerous eateries in the strip malls that line Convoy Street. Restaurants offer Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese, Chinese, and Thai food, not to mention Hawaiian, Italian and lots of Mexican.

I remember frequenting an all-you-can-eat Chinese buffet back in the 80’s when I was quite a bit younger and could devour multiple platefuls!

It was wonderful to see bits of art along Convoy, but there is definitely room for much more!

Welcome to Convoy
A very colorful rooster with a beer on the side of Cross Street Chicken and Beer. At this restaurant Korean Fried Chicken meets Classic Southern Cooking. Mural by @espanagarcia_art.
A newly painted electrical box on Convoy Street. I believe this might be the result of a recent Utility Box Mural Program that partners the Asian Business Association San Diego, Convoy District, SDG&E, and Cox. It was the only decorated box I happened to see.
I passed these two lions that stand on the grass in front of Jasmine Express. It appears they used to be located elsewhere. If you know anything about them, leave a comment!

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!

Painting a Yu Darvish mural in Kearny Mesa!

A new mural of San Diego Padres’ pitcher Yu Darvish is being painted this week in Kearny Mesa!

After work I headed to the wall just south of Convoy Street and Engineer Road to see what progress has been made.

Paul Jimenez and Signe Ditona of Ground Floor Murals weren’t present at the time, but it was cool to see how they planned the mural’s basic shape using fun little shapes, smileys, squiggles and whatnot. Only Yu’s head is materializing so far!

I’ll try to swing by again in the next few days, and if I do I’ll update this post with more photographs!

UPDATE!

I checked out the mural several day later and found it nearly finished. I posted those cool photographs here!

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!

Ramona’s amazing H.E.A.R.T. murals on Main Street!

Please enjoy these photos of many H.E.A.R.T. murals that can be found in Ramona along the length of Main Street. I happened to see these particular murals during my most recent walk through town.

The Ramona H.E.A.R.T. Mural Project promotes community pride, and entices those driving through this East County town, often on the way to Julian or Anza Borrego, to stop and explore.

According to the Ramona Murals website, the letters in the acronym H.E.A.R.T. stand for Historic and Hiking; Equine; Arts, Antiques and Agriculture; Rural vistas and drives; and Tasting of fine wines. Or perhaps it simply means heart. I prefer the latter.

Photos that I already shared of one multi-panel mural concerning the historical Verlaque Pioneer Store can be found by clicking here.

There are additional murals that I didn’t see, particularly those near the west end of Main Street. You can view those and find a map of all the murals here.

Hiking Mt. Woodson, 2018, artist Rik Erickson.
Ramona Reflections, 2020, artist Gretchen Weidner.
Bandy Blacksmith, 2019, artist Beata Wojcik.
Music Mural, 2014, artist Jason Luper.
Casey Tibbs, 2012, artists John and Jeanne Whalen. Casey Duane Tibbs was a Ramona resident, rodeo performer, stunt man and actor. In 1979 he was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame.
Country Lifestyles, 2017, artist Robert K. Teague.
Lucky Spirit–Charles Lindbergh, 2016, artists John and Jeanne Whalen. Seems familiar? This mural was originally on the commuter building at Lindbergh Field–now called San Diego International Airport.
Old Firehouse, 2017, artist Rik Erickson.
Fire Engine #2 served Ramona as a front-line truck for brush and structure fires…It served for 39 years…
Pioneer Cabin, 2019, artist Rik Erickson.
Grand Kenilworth Inn, 2020, artist Beata Wojcik.
The old Kenilworth Inn opened in Ramona (then called Nuevo) at this location in 1887 as the Ramona Hotel.
Tending the Vineyard, 2017, artist Miguel Angel Godoy.
July 4th 1914 Main Street, 2016, artist Anna Parker.
Historic Commerce, 2014, artists Bob Teague and Mark Martensen.
Ramona Mural, 2020, artists Loretta Alfonsi, Shirley Jones, Sunny Peterson.
Ramona Body & Fender Shop, 2020, artist Daniel Hernandez.

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!