Morning photo of the new Fault Line Park in San Diego’s East Village. The Central Library’s dome is visible in the background.
An incredibly cool new public park opened in East Village a couple weeks ago. It’s called Fault Line Park, and is located south of Island Avenue between 14th and 15th Street. The park is situated directly above a shallow rupture of the Rose Canyon Fault System, which stretches through downtown San Diego.
In addition to a children’s playground and places to sit and walk, the 1.3 acre Fault Line Park contains a really unique feature. A public art installation, titled Fault Whisper, by artist Po Shu Wang of Living Lenses, allows visitors to monitor our active planet. Large, shining spheres stand on either side of the fault line. At the west sphere, curious ears can listen to the Earth’s subterranean movements, which are recorded by a seismometer embedded below in the actual fault! They can also look through an eyepiece toward the opposite sphere, to see whether the Earth has shifted!
What brilliant, interesting artwork!
Even though I listened intently, I couldn’t hear the Earth whispering early this morning when I took these pics. Perhaps old Mother Earth was still sleeping!
This line marks where a part of the Rose Canyon Fault System has ruptured, just 14 feet below the surface. According to geologists, there’s no great earthquake danger here.Photographer records cool reflections in one of the large stainless steel spheres in Fault Line Park.Plaque describes Fault Whisper public art, created by Po Shu Wang in 2014. Two spheres stand on either side of the fault line. From one you can listen to the Earth and monitor movement.Here’s the opening where you can press your ear to listen. There’s a speaker just inside. The Earth’s movements are translated into musical notes.Looking through eyepiece at the opposing sphere. If the Pacific and North American tectonic plates have shifted since the art’s installation, it isn’t very noticeable.Stella Public House restaurant in East Village is located right next to the cool new Fault Line Park.If Stella Public House is as awesome as the super friendly employee I met, you’d better head over there at once!View of Fault Line Park in East Village from outdoor patio shared by Stella Public House and Halcyon coffeehouse and cocktail lounge.
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Many of the world’s best sand artists are in San Diego for the 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge.
Right now, the world’s most amazing sand sculptures are standing on the B Street Pier on San Diego’s Embarcadero. They were created by a select group of international sand masters for the 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge. These talented sculptors are world-class artists, as you can see from the following images. My photos were taken on Saturday morning shortly after the gate opened. All of the competing artists were on the pier adding the final touches to their incredible artwork. The sculptures will be officially judged this afternoon.
The theme of the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge this year is the Olympic Games. Many of the sand masterpieces had a classic, sculptural relief appearance. Every one was sensational.
The competitive event, which takes place downtown at the edge of our beautiful bay next to the Cruise Ship Terminal, continues through Labor Day weekend. If you can’t make it, enjoy these photos!
John Gowdy, Jersey Boy, now living in Italy, has been sand sculpting since 1990. He was winner of Sand Wars on the Travel Channel.John Gowdy’s Olympics-themed sculpture features Bruce Jenner, men’s decathlon winner in 1976, and his transformation to female Caitlyn.Bruce Jender. I am Cait…now.Unzipping a past gold-winning athlete. A new person emerges.John Gowdy is interviewed by a video production crew at the 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge.Sue McGrew, from Tacoma, Washington, is also accomplished in snow and ice sculpting.Sue McGrew’s sand sculpture titled Father of the Game, a statue-like image of Zeus, king of the Greek gods on Mount Olympus.Amazing artistic skill is required to sculpt sand so perfectly. These sand masters, like Olympic athletes, are the best in the world!Zeus seems to be sitting at the edge of the B Street Pier in downtown San Diego! The Port Pavilion and the Broadway Pier are in the background.JOOheng Tan, of Singapore, won last year’s competition! He has been called Vincent Sand Gogh!JOOheng Tan’s sculpture, Game Over, is a striking work of art that immediately caught and held my eye.Just an amazing, incredible work of art. You don’t see something like this everyday! In a few days it will be swept away.The artists are still at work, getting their pieces ready to be judged this afternoon.Ilya Filimontsev, from Moscow, Russia, is competing here for the first time, and I predict he will win an award! I voted for him and saw others doing the same.Ilya Filimontsev’s sculpture is titled Never Give Up!!! Wow! Now that’s an impressive sand sculpture. And he wasn’t finished!Carefully working beneath a wing and Olympic wreath on a sunny San Diego Labor Day weekend.A masterpiece of sand is being created as the public watches and takes photographs.Fergus Mulvany is from Dublin, Ireland. He studied fine art and became a sand artist as a student by chance!Fergus Mulvany is working on his creation called The Threshold of Momentum. It’s a fantastic piece, one of my favorites.Closer photo shows superb detail work of the kinetic sand sculpture.Back side of The Threshold of Momentum is simple and stylish.The artists were all friendly and didn’t seem to mind chatting with folks who were admiring their works in progress.Dan Belcher, of St. Louis, Missouri, is 14 time world champion sand sculptor!I can see why Dan Belcher has won so many world championships. The artistry of his piece, Citius, Altius, Fortius, is exceptional.Citius, Altius, Fortius is Latin for Faster, Higher, Stronger. It’s the Olympic Motto.Human figures shaped from sand have bold form and physical presence.Susanne Ruseler, from the Netherlands, studied biology and thereby learned to represent and beautify human beings and all creatures. She has won many contests.Susanne Ruseler’s sculpture is called Long Jump. An Olympic athlete leaps like a rabbit!Flowing hair made of sand. Incredible.I saw lots of water hoses, buckets, shovels and carving tools being used on the large sand creations.Morgan Rudluff is from Santa Cruz, California. She considers herself to be quite fortunate and rich in many ways. Sand sculpting has her heart.Morgan Rudluff’s sand sculpture is Perseverance. It appears to be a tower made of a Greek column and abstract human forms.We’re nearing the end of the B Street Pier, gazing out at blue San Diego Bay.Many hours of hard work and perseverance combined with imagination and skill produces a fine result.The steady hand of a world-class sand artist.Kirk Rademaker comes from Stinson Beach, California. His nickname is The Sand Guy. Fantastical mechanical machines are his trademark.Kirk Rademaker is creating a piece called Anchor Leg, which indeed resembles an anchor. How appropriate, because it’s by the water!The skyline of downtown San Diego can be seen to the east. It’s a warm day and promises big crowds.This sand sculpture was quite fantastic and left much to the imaginationMelineige Beauregard is from Quebec, Canada. Some believe sand sculpting is art, some believe it’s a sport. She believes it’s a spiritual experience.Melineige Beauregard’s artwork is called In The Zone. I believe it was the most original creation of all the entries. You’ll see why.An interesting face decorates one end of the complicated multi-part sand sculpture.The opposite end features a circle, like an eyepiece, through which visitors are meant to look.And this is what we see! An Olympic runner ready to race at the starting blocks!Jorvis Kivits, of the Netherlands, believes that in art, beauty should shine through. He has recently begun sculpting marble.Photo Finish is the name of Jorvis Kivits’ curvy piece. It’s an unusual, wonderful thing to behold!Gazing through some world-class sand art across San Diego Bay toward North Island.Eleven amazing works of art on the B Street Pier. Plus there are other team sand sculptures getting started, and a few finished sculptures by event sponsors. Lots of cool stuff all over!As of this moment, these are the finest sand sculptures in the whole wide world. In a few days…they vanish! Go see them now, if you can!
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Sand sculpture welcoming visitors to the U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge in San Diego shows Team USA and Olympians on the Road to Rio!
A sand sculpture that pays tribute to Team USA and the upcoming 2016 Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro is now standing at the foot of the B Street Pier in downtown San Diego. I thought you might enjoy seeing the finished artwork!
Several days ago I blogged about how the sculpture was being created by Dan Belcher from St. Louis, Missouri and Ilya Filimontsev from Moscow, Russia. They’re both world-class sand masters who will be competing in Labor Day weekend’s big international U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge. This fantastic sand art will welcome visitors to the annual event!
The beautiful result of friendship between American and Russian artists is on display in San Diego!
Banner on fence at B Street Pier near Cruise Ship Terminal promotes the 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition in San Diego.Team USA, American Olympic athletes and a United States flag decorate one side of a sand sculpture at the foot of the B Street Pier in San Diego!
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Dan Belcher from St. Louis, Missouri and Ilya Filimontsev from Moscow, Russia, work together on the big event’s welcoming “Team USA” sand sculpture.
The 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge and Dimensional Art Exposition is coming next weekend! Between this very special annual event, and the equally amazing Festival of Sail which will be held a short distance up the Embarcadero, the long Labor Day weekend is going to be awesome!
Today I walked along the waterfront in the warm sunshine to see if anything interesting was going on.
Not only has quarry sand been dumped in large piles along the B Street Pier, right next to the Cruise Ship Terminal, but sand sculptures which welcome visitors to the event were being readied by a few of the world’s top sand masters! I briefly met Dan Belcher, Ilya Filimontsev and Susanne Ruseler, three of the best, most talented sand sculptors on the planet! And all were really nice people! They and the other world-class sand artists who will compete at the event have won many top awards. Dan, alone, has won 14 world championships!
Ilya is new to the San Diego competition this year, and so is Susanne. When I spoke to Susanne, I remembered how Chris Guinto, several days before last year’s competition, told me his still unformed creation was secret. Susanne remarked that plans aren’t so much a secret–it’s that they’re only partially formed when the work begins. The act of sand sculpting is dynamic, and sometimes changes have to be made mid-creation for either artistic or structural reasons. I asked if she ever accidentally knocked down portions of a sand sculpture and she replied: “Yes!” But it’s something you get used to and work around. It’s just something one can expect when working with sand.
Funny. According to a notification I received from WordPress, today is the two year anniversary of Cool San Diego Sights. And during those two years, the most “liked” blog post is from last year’s U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge! You might enjoy seeing last year’s jaw-dropping entries!
The 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge is coming to San Diego’s B Street Pier, next to the Cruise Ship Terminal, this Labor Day weekend!Dan is helping to prepare this sculpture near the entrance to the 2015 U.S. Sand Sculpting Challenge at Harbor Drive.These mounds of quarry sand from East County were dumped on the B Street Pier several days ago. They’ll be used by the competing sand masters later this week.Susanne Ruseler, from the Netherlands, is another new competitor this year. She was super nice and talked for a bit.Susanne is carefully working on another cool sand sculpture for event visitors. I can’t wait to see what she produces during the competition!
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Photographer and model next to One Pointed Attention, 2014, by artist Kelsey Brookes, on a wall in La Jolla.
Here are some photos of cool art seen while walking about the streets of La Jolla. More specifically, the Village of La Jolla–the central business and cultural district which is the heart of this wonderful community.
La Jolla is an affluent part of San Diego, so there seem to be art galleries wherever one roams. But there are also many eye-catching street murals and works of urban art.
This collection of photos is far from comprehensive. These are just photos taken during several semi-random walks around The Village (including today). That’s the way this blog usually operates!
Classic religious imagery floats above entrance to Mary, Star of the Sea Catholic Church in La Jolla.A funny walrus and frightened fish along the roof of a shop on Pearl Street.Trashcan street art depicts Native American, whose headdress contains feathers spelling place names.Urban art on a La Jolla trashcan shows a boldly colorful Southwestern scene, with mountains and cacti.A female face painted on a La Jolla garbage container.Another similar face, composed of different hues.This eye-boggling street mural on Fay Avenue is Sexy Cash, 2015, by Mark Bradford.Most street numbers on city buildings are plain and boring. Not 910 Prospect Street!Unusual human sculpture sits near the sidewalk outside La Jolla’s Madison Gallery.Another strange figure squats nearby.This cool horse outside a Madison Gallery window was created with large pieces of junk and old machine parts.A close-up photo of the imaginative horse sculpture.On Prospect Street, a long narrow mysterious mural and a single underwater eye. Whale, 2014, Nina Katchadourian.Some interesting metal artwork above a store entrance depicts a sailboat and palm trees.It’s Dr. Seuss’ Green Eggs and Ham! This fun art is outside the Legends Gallery in La Jolla, the town where popular children’s book author Theodor Geisel lived.A canvas out on public display in front of the Contemporary Fine Art Gallery in the central business area sometimes called Village of La Jolla.Someone walking down Herschel Avenue said she hated this giant mural! It’s Blah, Blah, Blah, 2015, by Mel Bochner. Perhaps it gave her the blahs.I personally like this mural of a darkly glowing tall ship. It’s titled “at Sea” and was created in 2012 by Ann Hamilton.A cool fish dangles in front of the Herringbone Restaurant.Large, unusual metal sculptures in front of the Tasende Gallery in La Jolla.Hummingbird artwork on a bench near a sidewalk, and a rose.Hammering Man by Jonathan Borofsky at Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s location in La Jolla. I believe years ago this motorized sculpture stood near America Plaza downtown.I don’t know what this egg-like object is. If you do, please leave a comment… UPDATE! According to local author Corey Lynn Fayman, the artist is Andy Goldsworthy. I’ve learned this piece is titled West Coast Cairn. Goldsworthy has two other stone eggs in the United States, in Des Moines, Iowa, and Purchase, New York.
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A simple but meaningful pavilion stands at the west end of Shelter Island. It holds the Bell of Friendship.
At the west end of Shelter Island, which lies near the entrance to San Diego Bay, you’ll find a testament to the enduring friendship that has been established between two sister cities. San Diego and Yokohama are located on opposite sides of the wide Pacific Ocean, yet these two beautiful cities are closely connected.
In 1958 a large bronze traditional Japanese bell was dedicated on Shelter Island with great ceremony. It’s located in a prominent spot; ships from countries throughout the world pass it every day. The bell, created by Masahiko Katori, one of Japan’s living National Treasures, was presented during a Centennial Celebration which marked a hundred years of formal relations between the United States and Japan. The bell hangs in a pavilion surrounded by a narrow moat of water and a space of green grass.
The Bell of Friendship, which is six feet high and almost two and half tons, is seldom rung; but on New Year’s Eve the ram strikes the heavy bronze, resonating deeply–many say spiritually–welcoming a hopeful future.
The Japanese Friendship Bell was presented by the City of Yokohama to the people of San Diego in 1958 as a symbol of eternal friendship.This magnificent bell was cast by the artist Masahiko Katori who has been designated as a Living National Treasure by the government of Japan.The Japanese Friendship Bell is one of several landmarks that can be seen along the length of Shoreline Park on Shelter Island.
At the front of the simple pavilion stands a three foot tall sculpture of a young girl. “The Girl in Red Shoes” by Japanese artist Munehiro Komeno debuted in 2010 and represents the friendship between the ports of San Diego and Yokohama. The sculpture portrays Kimi, a Japanese orphan who was adopted by a loving American couple in the 1920s. The girl was later diagnosed with tuberculosis and couldn’t leave Japan. The touching story has been told many times, and has become a symbol of the goodwill that exists between our two nations. Kimi holds a rose and carnation. The rose symbolizes Yokohama; the carnation is San Diego.
The Girl in Red Shoes by Munehiro Komeno. June 2, 2009. Kimi represents close friendship between the United States and Japan.Biking past a unique and beautiful sight on a glorious summer day.
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The Loading Dock is a large public mural painted by Linda Churchill of Muralizing. It’s located on the west side of the Ace Hardware building in Hillcrest.
Check out this public art! You can find it a few steps south of University Avenue on 10th Avenue, in Hillcrest. The large mural enlivens the Ace Hardware store building and is a cool sight for those passing by. It was painted by local artist Linda Churchill, whose work can be seen around San Diego. According to one article I found on the internet, “The Loading Dock” received an Orchid Award from the San Diego Architectural Foundation.
The Loading Dock, dedicated 1998 to the Community of Hillcrest by Joe Jeter, Bruce Reeves, Hillcrest Ace Hardware. Building our community one home at a time. Linda Churchill, muralist.The cool, nostalgic trompe l’oeil painting depicts an old-fashioned hardware store loading dock, complete with realistic Ace Stores delivery truck.This image of yesteryear appears to include some modern hardware store products, including shiny new garbage cans and a nice big barbecue grill.Two helpful Ace Hardware employees seem to have emerged from the past to welcome neighbors and shoppers who walk down the sidewalk in art-filled Hillcrest.
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Sign outside the Spanish Village history exhibit, which is open to the public in Gallery 21.
Anyone in San Diego who loves art must visit Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. Some of the region’s finest local artists occupy its 38 working studios. By strolling around the large, colorful courtyard and poking a nose here and there, the public can see (and purchase) finished artwork of every kind, watch the creative process, and talk to the friendly artists themselves.
While at Spanish Village–if you’re the curious sort–you might also check out a small but fascinating history exhibit. Just step into Gallery 21.
Earlier this summer I was graciously given a tour of the exhibit by one of the resident artists. Here are a few photos and captions describing what I saw. Of course, it’s much better to experience Spanish Village and these memories of its history firsthand. So I encourage everyone to head on over.
The exhibit reviews how, a century ago, Balboa Park (originally called City Park) was developed and transformed into a dreamlike landscape for the 1915 Panama-California Exposition. Many fantastic buildings were created, using a variety of influences from Spanish, Mexican, European Renaissance and Moorish origins. This unique mixture became what is known as Spanish Colonial Revival architecture.
Later, the successful California Pacific International Exposition of 1935 was promoted to boost San Diego during the Great Depression. It used existing buildings from the Panama-California Exposition and exhibits from the recent Chicago Century of Progress Expo. New construction designed by master architect Richard Smith Requa added a variety of buildings to Balboa Park, including those of Spanish Village. Spanish Village, as its name implied, originally recreated life in Spain, with “shops that sold art, curios, flowers, music and wine. It had a children’s theater, a Chinese Bazaar, a cocktail lounge called Cafe Granada and other restaurants. The Village was at the entrance to the Fun Zone which contained a Midway, a midget zoo, and an Indian Village.”
Today, this exhibit’s historical photographs, newspaper articles and ephemera relating to Spanish Village help visitors understand and appreciate the cultural contributions over many decades of hundreds of participating artists.
Doorway inside Gallery 21 leads to an unexpected treasure trove of Balboa Park and San Diego history.Beautifully painted mural in the small museum pleases the eyes of art-loving visitors.The walls, like a scrapbook, feature a mosaic of images and articles chronicling the history of Spanish Village.Old photographs show Spanish Village buildings, which were erected for the 1935 California Pacific Exposition in Balboa Park. They housed shops and restaurants during the expo.The California Pacific Exposition closed September 9, 1936, and the idea for Spanish Village Art Center was soon realized. Artists completed their studios and had a public opening on April 7th.Display lists Spanish Village’s artist founders. Newspaper clipping’s “Officers of Culture Project” included Sherman Trease, Mina Schultz Pulsifer, and Henry Long.Old San Diego Union newspaper announces first Art Fiesta, a festival held September 3-6, 1937. Spanish Village hosted all forms of visual art, plus theater groups, writers and musicians.Visitor to the Spanish Village history exhibit learns about the rich heritage of this very unique and wonderful place.Another display tells of the coming of World War II, and how the Army took over Spanish Village. Many departing artists would serve in the military. Some later returned to renew their art.After the Army left, a financial dispute with the City of San Diego was resolved. Artists would pay affordable rent for each studio. A jury would decide on qualified renters.Samples of past Spanish Village publications, including a quarterly. Today the artists promote their work online using websites, e-newsletters and social media.Do you have a memory or story about Spanish Village Art Center? Experiences are being collected and added to this show. Thanks for the community spirit!Spanish Village is located in amazing, historic Balboa Park. Art grows here.
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Bronze sculptures of Our Silences, by Mexican artist Rivelino, are loaded onto a truck for transport from San Diego to San Francisco. Each figure weighs about a ton.
Last January I posted the blog: Our Silences and precious freedom of speech. I had walked down to Ruocco Park, just north of Seaport Village, to investigate an eye-popping new installation of public art titled Nuestros Silencios (which translated from Spanish means Our Silences).
The mysterious, monumental bronze sculptures, created by noted Mexican artist José Rivelino Moreno Valle, convey the importance of freedom of speech. The mouths of the huge anthropomorphic figures are each blocked by a metal plate; voices are censored and silenced. The emotional reaction the artwork produces is quite strong. In the past six months millions of San Diegans and visiting tourists have had the opportunity to be directly influenced by Rivelino’s thought-provoking artwork.
This morning I made another discovery! I was walking along San Diego’s waterfront when I noticed a crane lifting large objects near Tuna Harbor. I thought it was some sort of boating equipment being loaded onto a truck. As I approached, I suddenly saw the large objects were Rivelino’s sculptures!
I soon learned that Our Silences is on its way to San Francisco! (The sculptures were supposed to move to Los Angeles in March, but those plans changed.) The amazing public artwork will soon be situated on the north end of Harry Bridges Plaza, on San Francisco’s Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building! They should arrive in time to take part in San Francisco’s Mex I Am festival, which showcases performing arts, culture, and ideas from Mexico.
Our Silences has been traveling around the world for about 4 years, making its potent statement in San Diego, Mexico City, and in numerous major cities throughout Europe.
But wait! Would you believe it? I was fortunate this morning to meet the artist himself! He was hanging out at Seward Johnson’s famous Unconditional Surrender statue just across the Fish Market’s parking lot, and I was graciously introduced and allowed to take a photograph!
Rivelino, smiling, showed me on his smartphone a new piece of public art that he’s been working on. Called Equality, it’s going to be installed in historic Trafalgar Square, at the center of London, England! Equality will consist of two huge sculpted index fingers, each pointing at the other. It seems that each massive finger is blaming the other. But people can stand in a space between the two sculptures, reach out and touch the tips of each finger, uniting both! I can’t wait to see photos when Equality is finally installed!
Very cool, indeed!
Rivelino smiles broadly as he supervises the movement of his monumental works of art!Our Silences will soon be exhibited at Harry Bridges Plaza, in front of San Francisco’s landmark Ferry Building.
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Fintan Magee, famous Australian street artist, painted the “Hunger” mural in San Diego’s East Village.
Some cool, thought-provoking street art was painted on the west wall of the old Jerome’s warehouse about half a year ago. It’s part of the Sea Walls Project, a collaboration with PangeaSeed to provide a view of the tuna industry (which used to be very important in San Diego decades ago). Titled “Hunger”, the huge street mural is by world-famous street artist Fintan Magee, who is often described as Australia’s Banksy!
As you might recall, the south side of this old East Village building contains the MOOPA ArtWall.
A tuna fisherman’s hand and his bound, bloody catch emerge from a pile of fish.An uprooted tree is weirdly suspended behind a real tree growing from a San Diego sidewalk.Fisherman in yellow slicker seems to release a seagull from a tangle of fishing line.
Cool San Diego Sights! 