Did these two giant Flat-tailed Horned Lizards escape from the San Diego Natural History Museum in Balboa Park? At first glance, one might think so!
On second glance, it’s apparent this great chalk art, below the steps of the Natural History Museum’s south entrance, is a rather realistic depiction of Phrynosoma mcallii, and is super cool!
I learned that this artwork was created several weeks ago during the big EarthFair event in the park. It has survived quite well so far!
The two immense reptiles, which I spotted by chance today, were the production of @sidewalk_chalk_dad. I’ve seen his great chalk art in Balboa Park during other past events.
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A nostalgic mural in downtown Vista, California depicts an annual community parade held in the 1930’s to 1950’s.
One recently restored end of the Vistacado Festival Parade mural, originally painted in 2005 by artist Clayton Parker, decorates the exterior of Barrel & Stave Pour House, near the corner of Main Street and Indiana Avenue.
The parade seems to proceed around the building. There are cool old cars, a marching band, cheerleaders, young baseball players, dignitaries, and even walking avocado mascots!
I smiled when I saw the mural includes an image of Pepper Tree Frosty, which I blogged about yesterday here!
This parade artwork is actually one small part of a much, much longer historical mural that runs 564 feet along Vistacado Lane between North Indiana and Michigan Avenue. The entire stretch of artwork has been recognized as Guinness World Record longest continuous mural!
I glimpsed the very long, somewhat faded artwork down Vistacado Lane during my walk yesterday, and in retrospect I should have photographed all of it. I’ll hopefully remember to do that on my next visit to Vista.
I learned about the longer mural when I read this article. It explains how the original artist, Clayton Parker, restored the portion you see in these photographs back in 2020.
UPDATE!
I later returned to Vista to photograph the entire length of the world record historical mural. You can see those photos 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!
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One seldom observes public art that features poetry. It’s even more rare when the poems are composed by people who are frequently ignored.
Transcending Perception is public art that debuted in Liberty Station back in October, 2020. I hadn’t seen this installation until last weekend, when I walked down a pathway on the east side of THE LOT movie theater.
The images of Transcending Perception, according to the nearby information sign, “were created in a series of workshops that combined theater, poetry, and photography with the intention of ‘returning the gaze’ on both current and historical representations of those who are often excluded or misrepresented in the dominant media…”
This artwork was created by Josemar Gonzalez/Diana Cervera/The AjA Project.
Should you visit Liberty Station in Point Loma, you might want to read these potent words and consider what they mean and why they were written.
We all lead unique lives, with our own experiences and assumptions. It’s enlightening to put yourself in another’s shoes.
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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!
If you’ve ever driven past the Buggy Bath Car Wash in Linda Vista, you might’ve seen this cool abstract mural that looks like a bird in flight. It’s titled Linda Vista Messenger of Love and Light.
The complex, spiritual artwork was painted in 2014 by San Diego artist Gibran Isaias Lopez, aka Isaias Crow. Over the years, I’ve photographed a variety of his murals. Click here if you’d like to see them again.
Here’s a great local article concerning the Linda Vista Messenger of Love and Light!
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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 rich culture of our region’s Native American Kumeyaay is honored at Old Town San Diego State Historic Park.
Near the corner of Juan Street and Taylor Street, the beautiful Iipay ~ Tipai Kumeyaay Mut Niihepok Land of the First People outdoor interpretive area teaches interested visitors a little of the Kumeyaay language. Kumeyaay words for many native animals and plants can be read along the edge of walkways.
During my last visit, I photographed many of the engraved artworks representing wild mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, cacti and trees, and the corresponding Kumeyaay and Spanish words.
If you want to see more of the surrounding area, the Land of the First People opened last year, and soon thereafter I took these photographs.
Incidentally, today there will be a special event held in this corner of Old Town San Diego State Historic Park. Earth Day will be celebrated! So if you read this in time, and you’re in the area, you might want to come on by!
Milyaapan. Mexican free-tailed bat.Sha-ii. Turkey vulture.Meshalyaap. Monarch butterfly.‘Aahmaa. California quail.‘Ensnyaaw. Coast live oak.‘Aashaa kwilaaw. Northern mockingbird.Hatepull. Nuttall’s woodpecker.Kekhuu. Northern flicker.Hallyewii. Alligator lizard.Iihay halakwal. Salamander.‘Emallk. Big-eared woodrat.Perhaaw. Gray fox.Kwak. Mule deer.Nyemtaay. Mountain lion.E’mull. Shaw’s agave.Ehmaall. Ground squirrel.‘Ewii. Southern Pacific rattlesnake.Waipuk. California kingsnake.Kusii. Jimsonweed.Hattepaa. Coyote.Hampachoka Huumpaashuuk. Anna’s hummingbird.‘Ehpaa. Coast prickly pear.Ashaa hahpaa. Cactus wren.Ku’uun. Red-tailed hawk.Hachehwach. Hooded oriole.Kupally. Blue elderberry.Nyemii. Bobcat.Llyexwiiw. Striped skunk.Para ak hepeshu. Great blue heron.Hantak. Treefrog.Ashaa milshlap. Mallard.
UPDATE!
I took photographs of more words during a later visit…
Hantak sa-ai. California toad.‘Ehnaally. Western pond turtle.Mashhaatiit. Dragonfly.E’pilly. Southern cattail.Meshalyaap heyull. Western tiger swallowtail.Para ak nemeshap. Great egret.Chi ariar tenurr estik. California killifish.‘U’uu. Great horned owl.Nemas. Raccoon.Miskenan. Stink beetle.Kellyemuy. Bumble bee.Hiiwaat. Deergrass.‘Eshpaa ewall nemeshap. Bald eagle.Kilyaahwii. Mourning dove.Tellypuu. Greater roadrunner.Meniish. Scorpion.‘Aanall. Honey mesquite.‘Eshpaa. Golden eagle.Kunyaaw. Black-tailed jackrabbit.Menniih. Tarantula.Muu. Bighorn sheep.
The following are animals that are extinct or no longer found in the area around San Diego…
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!
If you haven’t yet seen the Ocean Nomads mural in Barrio Logan, you’ll be surprised at the stunning beauty of this public artwork!
The three dimensional mosaic was created in 2013 by the Rainforest Art Project, with the help of young students from nearby Perkins Elementary School and Our Lady’s School. Hand-cut stained glass pieces glisten in sunlight, depicting a school of tuna swimming in the blue ocean off our coast.
The Rainforest Art Project, based in San Diego, works with schools in our region to create amazing works of art. Such as this!
Ocean Nomads can be found a few steps south of the outdoor fountain at Mercado del Barrio. Walk around a bit and you’ll find it!
If you want to see more great artwork by the Rainforest Art Project, check out their patriotic mosaic in La Mesa here. Or see the gorgeous art decorating their headquarters on National Avenue here. (In that old blog post I had labeled their building Farallon Design, which I believe might have been a previous occupant.)
It’s quite possible I’ve photographed more of their work around San Diego without realizing it!
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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!
I saw that a huge new mural is now being painted in San Diego’s East Village neighborhood. Drivers coming into downtown via F Street can’t miss it! The colorful mural can be seen on the new high-rise building west of 14th Street adjacent to the Urban Discovery Academy.
And the mural’s designer is unmistakably internationally renowned San Diego artist and illustrator Rafael López!
I should’ve wandered around a bit more to explore further, but I had a specific destination this morning. If I do learn more, I’ll provide an update. If you happen to know more about this amazing mural, please leave a comment!
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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!
Wow! Have you seen the huge mural that was recently painted on the side of the Escondido Public Library, facing the new mini park?
I heard about it and had to go see for myself!
The amazing mural, presented by the Escondido Library Foundation and the City of Escondido, is titled Escondido’s Vision. It was painted by Julia Anthony in late 2021, and officially dedicated, along with the new park, last month.
The bright, super colorful artwork depicts a beautiful day in Escondido, through the prism of imagination. It’s a broad landscape where the sun shines, reading is fun, the future is hopeful, and life is good!
I took a variety of photographs at different distances…
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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!
Does anyone out there know anything about this wonderful bronze sculpture of children playing in a tree? It’s located on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, near the entrance to the San Ysidro Health medical building.
As I walked past the beautiful artwork on Saturday I took these photos. I looked for a plaque or any indication of the artist and history. Perhaps I missed it, but I all saw was the sign near its base indicating the sculpture is monitored at all times.
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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!
A beautiful fountain invites meditation near the entrance to the Dr. William C. Herrick Community Health Care Library in La Mesa. I discovered it by pure chance while walking in La Mesa last weekend.
And, to my surprise, I learned the fountain, topped by a sculpture, is by none other than James Hubbell, whose mosaics also grace nearby Briercrest Park!
This public art in the Community Health Library’s outdoor courtyard is titled Moving Circles (O’s on the plaque). Water runs from the sculpture, then drips down from rugged stonework into a blue basin, where a watery mosaic ripples in the sunlight.
Moving Circles is dated 2002. I was told this particular project by renowned artist James Hubbell was separate from his work at Briercrest Park.
If you’d like to see those nearby park mosaics, which are also amazing, I took photographs of them, too. I posted those pics 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!
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