Washington Elementary students create abstract Mona Lisa chalk art during 2014 Festa in Little Italy. As you will see, it would later become the basis for a very cool public mural!
Students at Washington Elementary STEAM Magnet School in Little Italy have helped to produce a very cool public art mural! As motorists depart Little Italy, turning onto southbound Interstate 5 from Grape Street, they are greeted by a colorful Minecraft-style Mona Lisa along with the big word CIAO!
The abstract 20′ x 20′ Mona Lisa mural is based on chalk art that Washington Elementary School kids created for 2014 Festa, an annual Italian-themed festival in their very own Little Italy neighborhood.
I happened to blog about Festa that year, and took the above photo of the kids working on the original Mona Lisa chalk art. With the help of local artist Jayne Barnett, their completed work would eventually become a very large, very creative mural that thousands of delighted drivers pass every day!
Mine-A-Lisa’s Salutation. The Little Italy mural is a much larger recreation of chalk art created by students at 2014 Festa. The Italian art-themed piece was rendered using “bricks” of color in the Minecraft style.Mona Lisa says goodbye to everyone with a large CIAO as drivers head onto southbound I-5 from Grape Street!
If you’d like to see more chalk art created during 2014 Festa, including many amazing pieces produced by students from schools all around San Diego, click here!
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Early this morning, while it was still dark, I moved curiously around (and inside) the new Jaume Plensa sculpture Pacific Soul in downtown San Diego. Bright lights shining up from beneath the sculpture give its hollow but extremely complex form weird substance. Every angle fascinated my eyes.
If you’d like to learn more about this amazing public art, which now stands at the corner of Broadway and Pacific Highway near the Embarcadero, visit my original blog post, where several months ago, over the period of several days, I documented Pacific Soul’s installation. In that post I also provided some information about Jaume Plensa, who is a world-renowned artist from Spain.
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Photo of Santa Fe Depot as it appears today. Some changes to the historic building are possibly in its future.
I went on a short tour of the Santa Fe Depot last week during the San Diego Architectural Foundation 2018 OPEN HOUSE event.
I’ve posted about the depot several times in the past. One fact-filled post concerned an historical exhibit inside the waiting room; another shared hundred year old photos of the building. During our tour I learned even more and enjoyed looking at additional old images.
This downtown San Diego landmark was designed by Bakewell and Brown to welcome the many anticipated visitors to the 1915 Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. The depot’s construction began on May 28, 1914. The building officially opened on March 7, 1915. Materials that were used include a steel frame with wood trusses, concrete slabs, brick arcades and hollow clay tile infill walls. The architects Bakewell and Brown also designed San Francisco City Hall, the Coit Tower and Pasadena City Hall.
During the course of its history, there have been various changes to the building and its forecourt. The original arched forecourt, pictured in some of the following photos, was demolished in 1954 to make way for a parking lot. The current outdoor plaza featuring a fountain and colorful tiled benches replaced the parking lot in the 1980s.
The gentleman providing the tour indicated that recent new ownership of the Santa Fe Depot has opened up the possibility of future development. I learned an unused second story of the depot, once containing a manager’s apartment, telegraph room and railroad worker bedrooms, might be converted into office spaces, but an elevator, heating and electricity are now lacking.
I learned that the fountain in the forecourt’s plaza is leaking and permanently turned off. This valuable property between the main depot building and Broadway might be developed into a space for downtown eateries.
I also learned the large iconic Santa Fe sign atop the depot dates from the mid 50’s, and that there are plans to light it up at night using LED lighting.
Read the captions for some additional fascinating facts about this architectural marvel!
Looking up at one tile-domed tower. The black material is holding together cracked terracotta columns on chicken wire. The 1915 depot was built for the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park.Our tour group and a few Amtrak passengers move through the Santa Fe Depot’s large waiting room. The building’s architecture is in the Mission Revival style with Spanish Colonial Revival influences.We learn about the beautiful tilework throughout the depot.The depot’s glazed Kaospar tiling was created by California China Products Co. of National City, the same company that produced all of the tile for Balboa Park’s 1915 exposition.Raised levels of these gorgeous tiles each feature a different color!We’re shown an old postcard image of the original Main Waiting Room. Ticket and vending kiosks lined the west side of the depot’s interior. There used to be a Fred Harvey lunch room near the current ticket area at the building’s north end.Looking up at the amazing ceiling. Most of the woodwork has never been painted. The original bronze light fixtures have an appearance that is masculine and sturdy.More handsome woodwork around a door that leads to an old Stair Hall on the waiting room’s east side.Our group heads outside to the forecourt’s sunny plaza.Looking at the south side of the depot. Sadly, the fountain leaks and is turned off.We are shown more old images. This is an illustration of the original arched forecourt structure on Broadway. I also see the tower of the original 1887 Victorian station to the west (the other side of the tracks) before it was demolished.Here’s the old parking lot. (I see the distinctive County Administration Building to the left.)Streetcars used to run along Broadway right up to the old forecourt!A photo of the now unused second floor of the Santa Fe Depot.Another historical photo. This can be found on one side of the information kiosk presently inside the depot.Our tour guide collects old postcards. Here’s another that shows the arched west side of the depot, beside the railroad tracks.Information sheet shows map of the Santa Fe System and the San Diego Depot. Today the depot is the 3rd-busiest train station in California and 13th-busiest in the Amtrak system. (Click image to enlarge it.)Gazing from the forecourt’s plaza over a tiled bench toward America Plaza and buildings along Broadway. This area might soon undergo changes!
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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!
An amazing Rex the Lion sculpture has debuted in front of the San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park!
Wow! Look what debuted this morning in the recently renovated plaza in front of the San Diego Zoo! A gigantic sculpture of Rex the Lion, whose roar during Balboa Park’s 1915 Panama-California Exposition inspired Dr. Harry Wegeforth to establish a city zoo!
The amazing, mind-boggling 27-foot sculpture is made of 10 tons of stainless steel and bronze. It was created by the obviously talented people of Blue Rhino Studio. This landmark public artwork is sure to become an iconic sight known by people all around the world!
When I saw a mysterious construction fence here weeks ago, I originally surmised the historic Jessop’s Street Clock presently in Horton Plaza would be installed near the zoo’s entrance. Boy, was I wrong!
During the ceremony this morning, colorful puppeteers and costumed stilt walkers entertained the crowd right next to the sculpture, while a couple brief speeches were made. I noticed lots of huge smiles lit up faces–including my own!
Super cool!
A 27-foot 10 ton sculpture of a lion that inspired the San Diego Zoo’s founding now stands in a newly renovated plaza by the zoo’s entrance.Reporters and lovers of the zoo have gathered for a special dedication ceremony on Sunday morning.People wait for the historic event to begin.I learned this cool It Began With a Roar t-shirt logo was designed by a lady in the zoo’s marketing department. Very nice!The ceremony is starting! Looks what’s entering the area near Rex the Lion!A fun blue rhino circles around the sculpture to the delight of young and old alike!These cool costumed stilt-walkers circled around from the other side!Giraffes, too! Oh, man! What fun!Councilmember Chris Ward makes a short speech. Who knew sparsely populated San Diego a century ago would originate one of the world’s most famous zoos?In the plaza around the base of the Rex lion sculpture are a bunch of fun inlaid animals.Inlaid near the public art’s base is the shiny inscription Rex’s Roar. One Man – One Lion – One Encounter. 1916-2016. Celebrating 100 Years.I’ve spotted some flamingos nearby!Kids rush up to touch the golden sculpture!Another nearby sign indicates Rex’s Roar was made possible by a generous gift from Craig and Mark Grosvenor and their families.Everybody wants a close look!A gigantic golden lion now guards the entrance to the San Diego Zoo. It’s Rex, truly King of Beasts!An historic day at the much-beloved San Diego Zoo.Parrots take flight underfoot.Rex the Lion, inspiration for the San Diego Zoo’s creation, now lives eternally in Balboa Park!
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An enormous yellow lemon welcomes travelers passing through the heart of Lemon Grove, a community east of downtown San Diego.
Step off an Orange Line trolley at the Lemon Grove Trolley Depot and you’re in for a surprise! On either side of the trolley station are several fun installations of public art. Signs also describe the unique agricultural history of Lemon Grove, which today is a sunny suburban community east of downtown San Diego.
I cruised into the trolley station last weekend to explore the immediate area. Of course, I had to direct my feet toward the big iconic lemon, which stands directly across the street from the depot, at the intersection of Broadway and Lemon Grove Avenue. The 3000 pound lemon was originally created in 1928 as a proud civic float for San Diego’s big Fourth of July parade. It was afterward turned into a permanent monument with a generous application of plaster!
Read the photo captions to learn a little bit more about fascinating Lemon Grove!
The Lemon Grove Trolley Depot is a 1986 replica of the original 1895 train depot, which stood near the Lemon Grove Store and a fruit-packing shed.The city of Lemon Grove boasts the Best Climate on Earth! I spotted this sign at a nearby bus stop.Fun street art near the Lemon Grove Trolley Depot provides tasty advice for those times when life gives you lemons……make lemonade!Or a lemon cupcake!A walkway between the Celsius residential building and the Lemon Grove Trolley Depot contains tile mosaic lemon slices!What appears to be a tall, shiny sculpture near Celsius and the trolley station rotates in the wind and generates electricity.Colorful tiles radiate at the base of the rotating windmill.People wait for an Orange Line trolley at the Lemon Grove station. The original structure had an open cupola so the depot agent could wave signal flags at oncoming trains.A farm’s windmill and tractor are artistic reminders of an agricultural past. They stand in the promenade beside the Lemon Grove Trolley Depot.Both sides of this fun public art tractor are composed of small tiles.A creative bench in the public promenade. It appears like crates that were used by the Lemon Grove Fruit Growers Association!A sign near the depot shows the old Lemon Grove Store, circa 1900. The store provided supplies for nearby ranches, contained the post office, and was a community gathering place.Another sign contains a view of Lemon Grove orchards looking towards Mount Miguel across the McTear Orchard in 1910.Old photo of the Sonka Store in 1912. The building eventually became the Grove Pastry Shop.Old photo shows the Lemon Grove float during the San Diego parade in 1920. The parade celebrated the opening of John D. Spreckels’ railway, which existed where the trolley runs today.Another sign features a photo of local women working in the packing house during the Great Depression. During peak season, two or three railroad cars would be loaded full of lemons per day.The historical legacy of Lemon Grove is remembered around the site of the old train depot, which is now a stop of the San Diego Trolley.Lemons have a history of thriving in Lemon Grove, a community that claims to have the Best Climate on Earth!
UPDATE!
I took the following photos several years later, after the lemon had been repainted and a plaque had been installed in front of it.
The plaque reads: The Big Lemon 1928. Alberto Treganza designed the Lemon as a July 4th parade float. Today it is the City’s symbol of its noble agrarian past and its “Best Climate on Earth.” A Heritage Project of the Lemon Grove Historical Society and the City of Lemon Grove.
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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!
Public artwork is being installed outside the new City of San Diego Bayside Fire Station No. 2, at the corner of Cedar Street and Pacific Highway
Some cool public artwork is rising at the corner of Cedar Street and Pacific Highway, right next to the new Bayside Fire Station No. 2 in Little Italy!
For the past couple weeks I’ve been watching the unusual sculpture slowly grow, like flowers and vines sprouting from a base of urban concrete. And, according to what I’ve read, that’s exactly the effect that’s intended. The artists Ingram Ober, Marisól Rendón-Ober and Chuck Moffit are known for their unusual, thought-provoking creations, which are often sublime or humorous. The old Victrola horn-like brass elements of the sculpture will broadcast gentle music, which will contrast with the noise of the nearby streets and sudden fire engine sirens.
I can’t wait to see (and listen to) this artwork when it is completed!
Construction of the new Bayside Fire Station No. 2 appears to be almost complete.Twisting metal structures rise up like whipping fire hoses.Gentle music will play out of the brass trumpet-like forms.A red vine seems to be growing around those two horns! This might make a nice place to sit when finished.When completed, this new public art should to be pretty interesting!Cool art seems to be growing out the sidewalk in front of the new Bayside Fire Station in 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!
Close up of a colorful mural now on display in front of the San Diego Museum of Art.
Many extraordinary artists make San Diego their home. They help our city sparkle with culture and energy.
Amazing works by distinguished local muralists are now on display in Balboa Park, directly in front of the San Diego Museum of Art.
The six colorful murals, painted live a couple weeks ago, are inspired by a world-class exhibition now running inside the museum. Modern Masters from Latin America: The Pérez Simón Collection is an exhibition of modern Latin masterpieces that no art lover should miss. I blogged about it here. Go soon. It will be closing in two weeks.
I don’t know how long these murals will be on display outdoors in front of the museum, so swing by Balboa Park soon to enjoy them in person!
To see the murals of Chicano Park, you can click here.
Visitors to Balboa Park check out a couple of the murals temporarily on display in the Plaza de Panama.Sign in front of the San Diego Museum of Art explains the outdoor Local Latin American Masters exhibition. Six murals were painted live in front of the museum.Art by Victor Ochoa. His work has been widely published. He was one of the original muralists to work in Chicano Park.Art by Carmen Kalo. She is a San Diego native who actively leads Chicano Park tours, builds social awareness, and works with at-risk youth and the homeless.Art by Hector Villegas. He is a teacher who has painted three murals at Chicano Park.Art by Cesar Castañeda. He owns the Chicano Art Gallery in Barrio Logan.Art by Stephanie Cecilia Cervantes. A painter first inspired by Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night, she was a muralist during Chicano Park’s 2011 restoration project.Protecting Our Water and Earth by Mario Torero. He is an artivist and founding member of the Centro Cultural de la Raza in Balboa Park.Amazing artwork that the public can see close up and in natural sunlight, just like the many fantastic murals of Chicano Park!
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Today I published a new short story. It’s titled One Magic Bubble. I suppose the short piece is about life.
Mosaic on Walgreens building in Coronado depicts an old ferry crossing San Diego Bay.
Last weekend during my walk through Coronado I noticed a really beautiful work of art. A colorful mosaic, set into the travertine exterior of the Walgreens building on Orange Avenue, depicts a ferry crossing San Diego Bay crowned by a flock of seagulls.
According to my limited research, it appears that the mosaic was created in 1985 by Susan Hertel and Denis O’Connor, in collaboration with Millard Owen Sheets, who designed many Home Savings of America bank branches in California. The mosaic represents one of the historic ferryboats that once transported cars between Coronado and San Diego. Ferries for cars operated until 1969, the year the San Diego–Coronado Bridge opened.
When the artwork debuted, the building at 925 Orange Avenue was a Home Savings branch. Subsequently it became a Petco. As building occupants have come and gone, the extraordinary mosaic has been preserved.
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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 couple walks toward the end of the Cesar Chavez Park public pier.
Yesterday I watched the Fern Street Cirus perform at Cesar Chavez Park. I arrived at the grassy park early, so I enjoyed a walk along the nearby public pier.
The modest Cesar Chavez Park pier is popular with fishermen and those who just want to venture out a short distance over the tranquil water. The Coronado Bay Bridge arches almost overhead. Docked immediately to the south are the interesting vessels and barges of Pacific Tugboat Service. Looking to the north, one can watch ships loading and unloading at the busy Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.
I lingered at the pier’s end for a couple of minutes. San Diego Bay and downtown’s glassy buildings were shining just like magic!
A huge barge and crane are nearby, and so is the Coronado Bay Bridge.Red and green benches along the pier are decorated with fun pictographic designs.Someone else is taking a break, gazing out at the beautiful bay.Approaching the end of the pier. This area can be reserved for special events. Someone was having a birthday party here later.There are expansive views from Cesar Chavez Park pier. Across the bay lies Coronado Island.Gazing back toward the Tenth Avenue Marine Terminal.All sorts of working boats are nearby.A few idle tugboats of the Pacific Tugboat Service.
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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 daring man does a one-armed handstand on the edge of a high roof!
I had to do a double take during my walk through Coronado yesterday. A man was doing a crazy one-armed handstand up on the Community Center’s rooftop!
After my initial surprise, I realized the man was actually an eye-catching sculpture. Handstand was created by artist Daniel Stern in 2010 and installed atop the building in 2012.
Does the name Daniel Stern ring a bell? The sculptor is also a prolific, well known actor! He’s probably best known for his role as one of the thieves in Home Alone!
I love it!
A surprising sculpture on top of the City of Coronado Community Center turns heads!Handstand, 2010, a sculpture by artist Daniel Stern, became part of the City of Coronado Public Art Collection in 2012.A crazy handstand at the edge of a Coronado rooftop!
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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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