Diners sit at tables on the waterfront. An Italian fish market, colorful buildings and clouds.
I really like this mural. You’ll find it near the corner of Grape Street and Kettner Boulevard in Little Italy. It was painted by San Diego artist Stephanie Clair. Her art is modern, romantic and overflowing with the simple pleasures of life. Please enjoy a few colorful photos!
Little Italy mural painted by artist Stephanie Clair shows the life of a fishing town. Perhaps it resembles San Diego’s past.Fishermen in their boats working the sea. The water is blue and green.Lovers drink wine as they sit by the water, gazing out at the sunset.A streetcar among buildings that seem to pulse with life.
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A happy clown face decorates the Fourth Avenue sidewalk, a block north of Broadway near the center of San Diego.
Should you ever walk along Fourth Avenue in downtown San Diego, you might stumble upon a delightful surprise. A bit north of Broadway a clown face smiles up from the sidewalk. Above him is a heaven of old circus tile artwork, depicting exotic animals and performers in every sort of crazy pose. The art decorates a building which is now home to Halah’s Market.
It isn’t the sort of thing one expects to see in San Diego! At a Las Vegas hotel or casino, perhaps!
I can find nothing about the origin of this circus artwork. If you happen to know something, please leave a comment!
Halah’s Market in downtown San Diego has a storefront with some fantastic, nostalgic circus artwork. The canopy above the entrance resembles a carousel. Searching the internet, all I learned about this building was that it was built in 1925.Acrobats and performing animals of every description . . . including elephants, penguins, zebras, camels and bears. A circus atmosphere in an unexpected place!A singing pig is joined by a trapeze artist and a seal in a hat. One often sees images of surfers, Hispanic culture or local landmarks in San Diego–not the circus!More fun animals in poses that suggest circus acts.A surprising clown greets walkers in downtown San Diego!
UPDATE!
I got a great comment! This location used to be the Chi-Chi Club San Diego! More can be learned here!
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The new Horton Plaza Park in downtown San Diego makes history in 2016, just over a century after this important civic gathering place originated.
Early this morning I enjoyed a bit of history. During my walk, I paused to check out downtown San Diego’s brand new Horton Plaza Park!
The new park, located in the heart of our city, is just as fantastic as I anticipated. It contains cool public artwork, garden-like beauty, and loads of great modern features. But what I appreciated most, as I strolled through the park this morning, was its tangible sense of history.
Horton Plaza Park not only highlights the iconic Broadway Fountain, a true San Diego landmark, but preserves a number of fascinating historical markers and plaques that remember aspects of our city’s unique history.
Please read the photo captions, where I provide more information. I’ve also included three photographs taken about a week before the park opened, as last-minute preparations were being made.
People walk near west entrance of a greatly enlarged Horton Plaza Park the morning after its grand opening celebration. Historically the small city park was simply called Horton Plaza. (When people say “Horton Plaza” today, they are usually referring to the popular shopping mall located directly to the south.)About a week before the grand opening of the new Horton Plaza Park, many workers were applying the final touches.The historic 1910 Broadway Fountain, designed by Irving Gill, is being renovated about a week before the amazing new Horton Plaza Park’s grand opening.The modern, expansive Horton Plaza Park is a fantastic addition to downtown San Diego, but its creation took many years of planning and hard work. One last photo that was taken about a week prior to the grand opening.The morning after the park’s grand opening. A tile walkway along the north edge of Horton Plaza Park preserves a century of history in San Diego.One plaque, dated 1985, in the walkway at the north entrance to the park. It was laid down to mark Horton Plaza’s 75th anniversary.San Diego’s iconic Broadway Fountain, with the equally famous U.S. Grant Hotel in the background. The hotel was built by the son of President Ulysses S. Grant and opened in 1910.One of four plaques near base of the Broadway Fountain. It reads Presented to The City of San Diego by Louis J. Wilde, 1909 A.D. Wilde was a banker, businessman and San Diego mayor.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Father Junipero Serra, founder of the first Spanish missions in California, including Mission Basilica San Diego de Alcalá.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo, who discovered San Diego Bay during an expedition for Spain in 1542.Plaque near base of Broadway Fountain depicts Alonzo E. Horton. He created and promoted New Town, where downtown San Diego exists today. Before being sold to the city in 1895, the Horton Plaza park was originally used by guests staying at his Horton House Hotel.A proud eagle perched within the elegant columns of San Diego’s Broadway Fountain.Looking east from the Broadway Fountain toward an historical marker: The Pacific Milestone.The citizens of San Diego in dedicating this Pacific Milestone, November 17, 1923, hereby gratefully acknowledge the untiring efforts of Col. Ed Fletcher in the construction of a Southern Transcontinental Highway.Points of the compass cap the Pacific Milestone.Pacific Milestone dedicated by our beloved President Calvin Coolidge November 17, 1923.The Pacific Milestone in today’s Horton Plaza Park marks the western terminus of The Old Spanish Trail, which traversed the American continent and ended in St. Augustine, Florida.Old Spanish Trail. St. Augustine, Florida to San Diego, California.A familiar El Camino Real bell in Horton Plaza Park. It was donated by the San Diego Woman’s Club.Small plaque beneath the El Camino Real bell in Horton Plaza Park.Another historical plaque in the tile walkway. First Pacific Terminal Jefferson Davis Highway. Presented to the City of San Diego May 12, 1926…Starbucks occupies one of three food pavilions at the new Horton Plaza Park. The morning after the park’s grand opening, this Starbucks is already busy.People who enjoy a morning coffee can sit at tables above Horton Plaza Park’s outdoor amphitheater. A cool new mural serves as a distinctive urban backdrop.A better look at the central part of the park. This broad, shallow amphitheater will be the site of many concerts and civic events in downtown San Diego. It also contains an interactive fountain (off at the moment).Walking along Fourth Avenue, viewing the new park through several 23-foot high metal sculptures. These luminaries have lights that change colors at night.Rounding a corner, I see some workers are removing fencing and tables that were used for the park’s big grand opening yesterday evening.South side of the huge public art mural in Horton Plaza Park.A cool public space that is sure to become one of San Diego’s most popular gathering places.The morning after San Diego’s amazing new Horton Plaza Park has opened. History is being made, and one gentleman takes it all in.
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A painting of a market full of Mexican crafts and charm. It makes anyone walking down the sidewalk feel that life is good, just gazing at this colorful artwork.
Some new, very cool urban art has recently appeared on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights! Here are a few photos!
The street mural, titled Un dia de Mercado, is painted on the side of one small building. It depicts a Mexican marketplace, and many of the goods a shopper is likely to find there. The colors are vivid and happy. The artwork inspires joy.
Un dia de Mercado. A fantastic new street mural on Adams Avenue in San Diego’s Normal Heights neighborhood.Un dia de Mercado was completed on April 2, 2016. It was painted by several talented artists. Their signatures are evident in this photo. New colorful urban art in Normal Heights!A smiling face, a funny parrot, an umbrella, guitar, flowers, fruit and a sleeping dog. One day at the market!Beautiful artistry on the side of a building on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights!This street mural adds sunshine and happiness to an already very cool neighborhood in San Diego!
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Imagination. One work of art on a construction site fence in East Village.
One can find some colorful, imaginative artwork on a long construction site fence in East Village. In case you aren’t in San Diego, or simply can’t swing on by, I took some photographs!
The large city block bounded by the fence is the site of a new mixed-use development called IDEA1. The visionary urban project includes a combination of apartments, lofts, restaurants, retail and high-tech office space. At the center of it all will be a community gathering place, called The Hub. I can’t wait to see everything finished.
Meanwhile, we can enjoy this cool urban art!
A skyscraper fits right in with a vertical pencil, ruler and paint brush.A big construction crane in downtown San Diego rises over globs of color.A cloud containing llamas engulfs the upper stories of a very tall building. Okay, that’s just plain weird! But I like it!Discover Beyond. Beyond this construction fence, IDEA1 is rising. IDEA1 is a new mixed-use residential and business project in East Village.A noodle coming out of a basket spells Idea. Care for some sushi?Cool graphic shows lamp, street signs, a DecoBike station, traffic signal and San Diego trolley.Curious? I am.A psychedelic, tree-lined eyeball between colorful barren branches.Bright Idea at the corner of Park Boulevard and F Street in San Diego’s East Village.Top of one idea, with wires coming out.A couple, a red umbrella, and city lights.
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Have you seen my new blog yet? I think you might enjoy it! It’s called Beautiful Balboa Park! It contains lots of fun, interesting stuff!
Heading down the Bayshore Bikeway on Coronado Island, with a bit of downtown San Diego in the background.
My random walks around San Diego are full of surprises. I’m always excited to stumble upon one of those immensely fun sculptures that used to be part of the Urban Trees exhibitions on the Embarcadero.
From 2003 to 2011, seven different Urban Trees projects were funded by the Port of San Diego. Each exhibition featured about 30 unique sculptures, standing downtown at intervals along San Diego Bay. This public artwork was made from a whole range of different materials, including wood, copper, glass, tiles and steel. The fanciful pieces were selected by juried artist competitions, and when the Urban Trees exhibitions came to an end after about one year, many of the creations were sold by the artists to various collectors, institutions, businesses and public entities.
So there are times when I just can’t help smiling, because I happen to encounter one of the transplanted “trees” during a walk.
Perhaps you’ve already seen a few of these highly creative sculptures on my Cool San Diego Sights blog. If not, then click here.
My Bike, by Amos Robinson, 2008. This inventive kinetic sculpture turns in the wind. It was part of the Port of San Diego’s fun Urban Trees 5 exhibition.A steel bicyclist with wildly blowing hair flies through the blue sky past some Southern California palm trees!This colorful sculpture was part of Urban Trees 2. It’s called A Different But Loving Pair, by Cecilia Stanford. It’s made of handmade tile and mosaic.Whimsical public artwork that now stands across the parking lot from the Port of San Diego building on Pacific Highway.Visitors to San Diego’s Embarcadero walk past a looming dragon!Sea Dragon, by artist Deana Mando, 2006. This fantastic creation was part of the Urban Trees 3 exhibition. It’s now seen by many people.My walks around San Diego are frequently interrupted by dragons and other very cool sights!
UPDATE!
Here are a few more photos of three Urban Trees in front of the Cruise Ship Terminal! (I took the following pics in early 2017.)
Three sculptures by the San Diego Cruise Ship Terminal on the Embarcadero were part of Urban Trees exhibitions in past years.Green Fire, Robert Verhees, 2006.Tap Root and Growth, Christopher Lee. I can’t find a year.Orange Tree, Guy and Ellen Mayenobe, 2007.
ANOTHER RANDOM UPDATE!
Some of the Urban Trees that have been acquired by the Port of San Diego are moved around from place to place. I’ve observed that the Sea Dragon was moved to Pepper Park in National City in early 2017.
I’ve also noticed from the window of the trolley that the Fish Tree by Zbigniew Pingot and Tobias Flores, which used to stand with those three other sculptures in front of the Cruise Ship Terminal, is now located in the northwest corner of the Port of San Diego’s parking lot! A Different But Loving Pair no longer occupies that corner of their parking lot! Where it is, I don’t know!
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Tour guide Jeff explains that today’s Studio 36 Sculptors Guild was an outdoor theatre in the early years of Spanish Village. The front was a lobby and ticket booth. Writers, actors and set designers would act out plays on the inner patio.
Spanish Village Art Center, in beautiful Balboa Park, is where you’ll find the colorful studios of many fine San Diego artists. Last year I blogged about the history of this fascinating place. A small exhibit in Gallery 21 recounted how Spanish Village was created for the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, and traced the village’s evolution over subsequent decades. Unfortunately, that exhibit no longer exists. But I did record much of it. To enjoy an overview of the history, you can revisit my old blog post by clicking here.
Last Saturday I was given a terrific tour of Spanish Village by a super friendly guy named Jeff. During the tour, Jeff showed me some unusual, unexpected features of Spanish Village and delved into its often surprising history.
(Fortunately, Jeff gave me some notes that I will reference in this blog. Should you enjoy a tour yourself, you can probably obtain your own copy!)
Please read the photo captions where I provide descriptions and very short explanations. As you’ll see, many interesting changes in Spanish Village have taken place over the years. And I’ve barely begun to scratch the surface!
If something I’ve written is inaccurate, or needs some elaboration, leave a comment! What memories do you have?
Click here to check out the Spanish Village Art Center blog! Support these great artists!
An old photograph of how Spanish Village appeared around the time of the California Pacific International Exposition of 1935.
In 1935, when Spanish Village opened, visitors strolled down simulated Old World streets, which featured restaurants and shops in picturesque, open-arched buildings. The architecture was inspired by the Andalusian region of southern Spain. In addition to wine shops, a cocktail lounge and a Chinese Bazaar, one could buy flowers and enjoy music, art . . . and even a high wire trapeze act!
You can see in the above old photograph a no-longer-existing building at the center of today’s large patio. It separated Spanish Village into two “streets” that visitors could enjoy.
Over the years, resident artists have built out the small open air shops to create practical but unique enclosed spaces. Some of the open arches have been filled in, or can now be seen inside certain studios.
A current map of Spanish Village shows how it appears today. You can find this wonderful part of Balboa Park between the Natural History Museum and the San Diego Zoo.Jeff shows me Studios 34 A and 34 B, which were originally one space featuring a puppet show.Studios 24 through 28 surround a small inner courtyard. This area in Spanish Village originally contained a wishing well and actual horse stalls!Studio 6 has a sliding barn door! Two other studios dating from the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition have similar doors.Studio 8, like many others in Spanish Village, was built out from the original open archway to provide more space for the artists. The words The SHANGHAI are from 1935. It evidently used to be a bar.Near Studio 8’s entrance are two amazing works of art. Here’s one. It was created by John Novy, a potter who was a member of Spanish Village from 1969 to 1977.Second installation of ceramic tiles on exterior of Studio 8 in Spanish Village. This art was created by professional potter John Novy.This used to be the east entrance into Spanish Village. Today you’ll find outdoor glassblowers creating amazing glass pieces while visitors gather around to watch.The old east entrance (under the tiles) is now blocked off. Much of the grassy area occupied by today’s Balboa Park Miniature Railroad used to be a parking lot.Studio 18 is now the office of Spanish Village Art Center. In the early years a caretaker lived here. That rooster weather vane can be seen in many old photographs.The south end of the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society building used to extend a bit into today’s large patio area. You can see an old wooden beam on the present-day exterior.This quaint little street, during the 1935 California Pacific International Exposition, led into the Fun Zone! Now it leads to a small parking lot.Gazing back south from the parking lot at today’s Spanish Village artist co-op in Balboa Park.The extended west side of the San Diego Mineral and Gem Society building was built sometime after the 1935 Expo.Originally, the building terminated where you see the column.Walking along the west edge of Spanish Village. Many decorative columns and arches provide this artist’s co-op with unique character.Looking through the west archway toward a shrub elephant, which stands on a nearby, newly improved walkway that heads north to the San Diego Zoo.This large dance floor (and the area where I’m standing) at the center of the colorful Spanish Village patio was once occupied by a large building. It seems there is some debate as to what that building was, exactly.Studio 3 is occupied by artist Don Knapp. He arrived at Spanish Village as a child! His grandmother was a founding member in the 1930s.Loads of fun, creative stuff is going on in Spanish Village Art Center in 2016. Please click the image to enlarge it, and then mark your calendar!Jeff provides a really interesting tour. Look for his friendly smile if you happen to find yourself in wonderful, historic Spanish Village!
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Seven curving metal palm trees rise into the beautiful San Diego sky at Bayfront Plaza.
These are photographs of “living metal” under changing skies. Since 2008, seven stainless steel abstract palm trees have stood in front of San Diego’s Bayfront Hilton, moving gently on windy days. I’ve taken many photos of these unique sculptures over the years. They were created by artist Ned Kahn.
Wind Palms, Ned Kahn, 2008. Stainless steel kinetic sculptures in front of Hilton San Diego Bayfront.People walk beneath unique tree-like art between the San Diego Convention Center and the Hilton hotel.The silvery, sun-reflecting stainless steel ribbon “leaves” of the Wind Palms move very slightly in the sea breeze.Looking upward at different geometric patterns. The curving fronds rotate when the wind’s direction changes.Seagulls circle high above the palm-like kinetic sculptures on a gray, cloudy day.Walking along near the Hilton, heading toward the edge of San Diego Bay.Shining trees in a cloudless blue sky.
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Sunlight reflects from an interesting sculptural facade in downtown San Diego.
Some unique artwork has recently appeared on San Diego’s Embarcadero. An eye-catching sculptural facade is part of the new two-hotels-in-one-building project that was recently completed at the site once occupied by historic Lane Field.
Marriott’s dual Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites San Diego Downtown/Bayfront has been open for about two weeks. A couple days ago, I walked right up to the lobby entrance to snap several pics…
A unique building now stands at the location of old Lane Field, home of the minor league baseball Padres over half a century ago. It contains two new Marriott Hotels: Residence Inn and SpringHill Suites.Shining sculptural facade on parking garage levels of recently completed Marriott two-hotels-in-one building. This unique sight can be found on San Diego’s waterfront at the site of old Lane Field.Closer photo of the uniquely undulating artwork, which conceals parking garage levels.I learned these thin, curving layers are made of aluminum.Marriott’s new SpringHill Suites and Residence Inn on San Diego’s Embarcadero reflects warm light shortly before sunset.
UPDATE!
I received a comment from the artist! In it he writes:
“My name is David Franklin and I am the artist that created the rippling facade for the new building. Its called “California Rain” and is the product of the percent for art in the Port of San Diego public art program…”
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A ship’s bow splashes water into downtown San Diego’s Civic Center Plaza!
This evening my route home included a meandering stroll through downtown San Diego’s Civic Center Plaza, which is home to the City Administration Building, the San Diego Community Concourse and the San Diego Civic Theater. I observed that the extremely popular musical comedy The Book of Mormon is playing at the theater tonight. I hope the arriving theatergoers watched their step. Because I also noted a large ship’s bow was splashing water right into the center of the plaza!
But seriously, the iconic bronze water fountain called Bow Wave, created by Malcolm Leland in 1972, was looking beautiful as dusk fell and the lights of surrounding buildings began to glow. It seemed the mysterious ship was arriving just in time for the performance!
The unique water fountain Bow Wave, by Malcolm Leland, 1972. Outward splashing water tricks the eye and the bronze sculpture seems to move forward!A strange, dark ship seems to pull into a downtown plaza, to dock beside the San Diego Civic Theater!People arrive to watch The Book of Mormon as night approaches and lights come on in downtown San Diego.An iconic water fountain in the heart of San Diego is yet another cool sight!
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Cool San Diego Sights! 