Tag: public art

Petrichor rises in downtown Children’s Park!

Cool public art rises in downtown San Diego’s newly reopened Children’s Park. I walked through the park today and took photographs of this fascinating sculpture, which is titled Petrichor.

Last year, while the reimagined, redesigned Children’s Park was still closed to the public behind a construction fence, I had called this mysterious white structure a “tower of fun” in my ignorance. I thought it might be part of the nearby playground. I’ve since learned the steel and cement sculpture was created by San Diego artist Miki Iwasaki. (You might recall a different sculpture she created for Liberty Station in Point Loma.)

The odd lattice-like geometric shape of Petrichor in the sky makes an interesting contrast against nearby trees and more distant downtown high-rises!

Petrichor was added to the City of San Diego Civic Art Collection in 2023.

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Save the Turtles mural in Pacific Beach.

Last June this beautiful environmental mural was painted in Pacific Beach. You can find it on the west side of Mission Boulevard, a block south of Grand Avenue. (It’s on a wall next to the anti-cigarette butt “Bunny Kitty” mural by Persue that you can see here.)

I took these photos into the afternoon sun, but with a little contrast tweaking they appear pretty good. The watery mural features a mermaid, sea turtle, tropical fish, and the two messages: DON’T USE PLASTIC STRAWS and SAVE THE TURTLES.

The artist is Aqua One (@aquaoneart), who describes himself as a Modern Chicano Graffiti Artist. If you check out his Instagram page, you’ll notice his other artwork has a very different look!

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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)!

Singing Patterns brighten Southeast San Diego!

A two-part mural titled Singing Patterns brightens a corner of Valencia Park in Southeast San Diego. The colorful public art decorates the west side of the Southeastern Live Well Center, which opened last year. Travel along Euclid Avenue near Market Street and you’ll see it!

Singing Patterns was created by artist, writer and activist Doris Bittar. Here’s her Instagram page where you’ll see photos of the mural panels being installed.

You can read about this installation and all the art inside and outside the Southeastern Live Well Center by clicking here. You’ll learn this outdoor mural honors the culture of San Diego’s dynamic and historic neighborhoods… The artwork metaphorically bridges regions, history and time together using patterns from all over the world.

The patterns are derived from Black, Latin, Syrian, Somali and Filipino culture.

Earlier this year, while walking in Valencia Park, I took photographs of other public art outside this large new San Diego County complex. See those photos here and 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)!

New public art appears at RaDD in San Diego!

New public art has appeared at the RaDD (Research and Development District) complex that now rises on San Diego’s waterfront!

Sculptures and murals can be viewed by those walking along the Embarcadero among the five gleaming RaDD buildings where some construction fences have recently come down.

I was able to photograph the above sculpture and a long mural today during my walk near the USS Midway, the Greatest Generation Walk and Ruocco Park. I also spotted a water feature among plants and trees between the two southernmost buildings.

Another large red sculpture and another mural have also appeared among the buildings to the north, but construction fences still obstruct photography. I’ll try to provide more photos when those fences are removed.

I know nothing about the artists. If you have any interesting information, please leave a comment. If I learn anything further about this new public art in San Diego, I’ll post an update!

(Last November, I spotted a new mural at the north end of RaDD. See those photos 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)!

Beautiful new mural debuts in Rolando!

A beautiful new mural has debuted in San Diego’s Rolando neighborhood!

Depictions of homes in the community, nearby San Diego State University, and familiar plants and animals enliven a wall on 62nd Avenue, a block south of El Cajon Boulevard. The mural was created in partnership with SDG&E, whose substation is located here.

This colorful public art debuted earlier this week and is the work of ArtReach. The lead muralist was Katy Yeaw.

(While visiting Katy’s website, I learned she painted a fun electrical box that I photographed years ago in Little Italy!)

Late this afternoon I checked out the three sides of this great new mural…

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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)!

ArtReach community murals in City Heights!

These very beautiful murals were painted a month ago in San Diego’s City Heights neighborhood. I saw the murals last weekend as I walked down Fairmount Avenue, just north of University Avenue. They decorate the Plaza del Sol affordable housing building.

I’ve learned the colorful artwork was created by ArtReach during a Community Paint Day!

ArtReach is a program in San Diego that inspires and educates youth with art. You can see their website’s Mural Programs page here. ArtReach’s mission is: Igniting youth creativity through visual arts expression and community connection.

Check out these fantastic murals! The images reflect cultural diversity in the community and regional flora and fauna.

Many hands held paintbrushes. The lead artist was @thisisntjosue.

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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)!

The Art of Healing mural in City Heights.

Should you walk down Fairmount Avenue, a block and a half north of University Avenue, you’ll find this beautiful mural. It was painted outside the La Maestra Community Health Center’s HOPE Clinic, which provides health care for the homeless.

There’s a face gazing up at the stars. And a plaque…

The Art of Healing, Sheena Rae Dowling, 2017-2018

This work of art is one of a series of murals commissioned by Covered California in collaboration with La Maestra Community Health Centers as part of the “Covered in Art” project to promote health and wellness in communities across California and attract attention to locations across the state where individuals can enroll in health insurance, get care or participate in activities that foster better health. Sheena Rae Dowling said The Art of Healing was designed to showcase the holistic approach to healing mentally, spiritually and physically. The “Covered in Art” project is a living demonstration of the fact that health care is local and that Covered California is woven into the fabric of local communities.

Sheena Rae Dowling is a San Diego artist whose work has been shown at exhibitions around Southern California. See her website here.

I’ve observed a couple of her great pieces at exhibitions years ago. If you’d like to see them, too, click here and here and read the photo captions.

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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)!

“If not me then who?” in National City.

A thought-provoking mural is boldly painted on a wall in National City. The wall stretches beneath the Dunkin’ Donuts on Plaza Boulevard, just east of Interstate 805.

The east side of the mural asks: “If not me then who…” The long south side encourages those passing by to: ”Make a statement by Making a Difference.”

It surprised me to learn this mural, painted in 2019, honors fallen soldier Lieutenant Commander Landon L. Jones, who died when his helicopter crashed into the Red Sea. A number of Dunkin’ Donuts franchises around San Diego dedicate their stores to a particular fallen service member. These stores are operated by Tali Burton, a U.S. Marine Veteran.

The mural was painted by Coronado residents, and was designed by a Coronado High School student!

To understand the full story, click here for an excellent article.

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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)!

JOURNEYworm takes form at San Diego High School!

The JOURNEYworm appears to be taking form along Park Boulevard in front of San Diego High School. I saw it today during my walk from Balboa Park to downtown!

This temporary art installation will be one segment of the completed 1.7 mile long Bay to Park Paseo, a special corridor that is being created to celebrate the designation of San Diego/Tijuana as World Design Capital 2024. Here’s a page that describes the Bay to Park Paseo.

The JOURNEYworm is described as an arc-shaped sculpture, assembled from screens and wires, to evoke the shapes of our region–ocean waves, desert canyons, and gabled roofs…At night, JOURNEYworm will come alive…it will change colors and blast pulses of light in response to ambient sounds and music played by passersby…

I noticed many transparent fabrics moving in the wind among the eucalyptus trees. Curling together, with clouds and blue sky behind, they can create some very beautiful effects, as you can see!

I can’t really envision how the JOURNEYworm will finally appear. I intend to take more photos as the worm turns and develops!

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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)!

More positive murals by students in Escondido!

When I returned to Washington Park in Escondido yesterday, I noticed that four more positive murals have been painted by local students on two of the community center buildings. Click here to see the murals I found during my walk through Washington Park last spring.

Here’s a great article that concerns these four new murals. They were painted later in 2023 by Del Lago Academy students in teacher Sudi Memarzadeh’s class.

I like how, in the first two photos, young human figures are together covering over hurtful words. Goodbye loner, poor, hate and ugly. Hello bright, positive colors!

The next mural honors Mahsa Amini and the women’s freedom movement in Iran…

Women, Life, Freedom.

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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)!