Legacy Blossoms mural brightens Valencia Park!

In October, inspired local artists and volunteers came together to paint this beautiful 250-foot mural in Valencia Park, along Manzanares Way east of Euclid Avenue. It’s called the Legacy Blossoms mural.

You can see a photograph of the mural being painted on Instagram here. The installation team is credited as: Kim, Dentlok, SD Writerz and Natifa.

Additional photos of the mural’s progress can be seen on the Southeast Art Team Instagram page here. If you like what these artists are doing for the community, why not provide them with an assist?

The large concrete embankment south of the St. Rita Catholic Church complex is now covered with colorful poppies, succulents, an ocean sunset and the breath of life, brightening this neighborhood in Southeast San Diego!

Look how wonderful the art is!

If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Mural on National City Public Works building!

This beautiful mural was painted a couple months ago. It decorates the National City Public Works building at 1726 Wilson Avenue, next to the 18th Street underpass of Interstate 5. The vibrant public art is a positive vision of life in this South Bay community.

The mural was the work of the Vision Culture Foundation and their team of inspired artists.

The building and other nearby walls had previously been the target of taggers whose vandalism required repeated removal, at the expense of the city.

National City Vice Mayor Marcus Bush helped drive an effort to paint beautiful murals on the walls, instead, providing graffiti artists with a chance to earn money while creating enduring public art!

This awesome project aims to create murals all around National City!

A young gentleman whom I met during my walk told me the long wall along 18th Street opposite this mural was also painted as part of the same project. The spray painted art appeals to kids with Christmas images from Toy Story, the Grinch and more!

If you’d like to see San Diego through my lens, find the “Follow” box in the sidebar to receive new posts in your email, or bookmark coolsandiegosights.com and swing on by occasionally!

(If you’re viewing Cool San Diego Sights on a phone, you can open my website’s sidebar by tapping those three parallel lines at the top of the page.)

Two cool murals in a Normal Heights nook!

There’s a tiny parking nook on Adams Avenue in Normal Heights where new murals often appear. The nook lies between Adams Avenue Tattoo and Bosforo, a Turkish restaurant. (Bosforo’s building used to be home of El Zarape Mexican Cantina).

Over many years I’ve photographed these ever-changing murals. Most or all of the art has been painted, I believe, by graffiti artists Hasler (@hasler_88) and Sharky (@bigchill8825).

Last weekend, as I enjoyed the Adams Avenue Street Fair, I noticed two new murals in this nook. It had been about a year since I last peered into it.

I’m fairly sure the same artists created both of these. Check it out!

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.

Feel free to share!

The Overthinkers Art Society’s super cool show!

A group of cool creators, including some of San Diego’s top street artists and muralists, came together today in Balboa Park. They displayed and sold their work at The Overthinkers Art Society Pop-up Group Exhibition!

As you might imagine, the event was chill and awesome!

Room 101 in the Casa del Prado was filled with creativity and color, and visitors could meet artists whose work they’ve no doubt seen around the city.

I followed signs to the exhibition and, surprised, wandered among the artists’ tables. I met a few artists whose names I recognized from photographing street art around San Diego. All were super friendly.

How cool is this?

The first table I came to contained the art of Franky Agostino (@3ojos1). It was a preview of the awesomeness to come…

At the next table I met prolific San Diego artist and muralist Maxx Moses!

If you’ve taken the trolley’s Orange Line east of downtown San Diego, you’ve likely seen his incredible work. In fact, his art is all over the place, from Hillcrest to Chula Vista to Encanto to La Mesa and beyond.

If you’d like to see photos of Maxx Moses artwork I’ve taken over the years, click here!

Here’s a bit of his art at today’s pop-up exhibition…

Next up, I met Dave Persue! No doubt you recognize his popular, instantly recognizable creation Bunny Kitty. He smiled for a photo, then took to the stage with his electric guitar.

He’s had murals all around town, too. See some of them by clicking here!

Then I came to the work of another great San Diego muralist: Sharky!

There’s a special little parking nook in Normal Heights where I’ve seen his recurring work, teamed with artist Hasler. Check out a few of those murals here and here and here.

The next photo shows artist Mathew Curran (@mathewcurran) by graffiti art he created in Spain…

I’ve seen the next artist’s street art on electrical boxes around San Diego. Such as here! His super unique work is unmistakable.

His name is Jorge Gutierrez Garcia (@jggart226).

He often paints figures like the ones in the next photo. His work appears to be full of symbolism. He said some people think the figures are aliens, other people see mythological characters.

People are encouraged to use their imagination!

As I walked around, I discovered a big roomful of even more cool art. I’m so glad I stumbled upon this great event!

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.

Feel free to share!

A crazy bar mural in Mission Hills!

Question:

In San Diego, what do beer chuggers, extraterrestrials, an octopus, a drunk Swinging Friar and other Bad Friends have in common?

Answer:

They occupy a crazy mural tucked in an alley beside CJ’s Lounge in Mission Hills!

I don’t know who painted the mural or when, but it must illustrate the crazy, good times inside the BEST BAR IN THE WORLD! Because it says so!

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.

Feel free to share!

Street art on four blocks of Imperial Avenue!

Followers of Cool San Diego Sights know I love walking all over and taking photos of interesting things, including street art. My most recent walk through Logan Heights resulted in lots of great finds!

These photos were taken along Imperial Avenue, as I walked west from 29th Street to 25th Street. (The first two photos are actually a few steps east of the intersection.)

Enjoy!

I love the following artwork on a building at Imperial Avenue and 29th Street. If you know anything about it, please leave a comment!

Now I’ve reached more works of art painted on a fence. They appear to belong to Varrio Guetto Art Gallery. The eyes are similar to work done by renowned muralist Mario Torero…

As I continue my walk west…

The next cosmic mural features a robot with sunglasses. It’s signed Dentlok Tattoo Arts 2022.

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.

Feel free to share!

Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson in Logan Heights!

The other day I took photos of a cool mural in Logan Heights that shows legendary boxers Muhammad Ali and Mike Tyson. It’s painted at the corner of Imperial Avenue and 27th Street.

Ali’s famous quote “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” is written above the boxers. Tyson’s quote “I’m a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars…” appears, too, along with an image of one of his tigers.

I didn’t realize it until I did some searching on the internet, but San Diego’s own Archie Moore boxed Muhammad Ali (when he was known as Cassius Clay) back in 1962. You can read a Wikipedia article about the event here.

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.

Feel free to share!

New murals at SA Recycling in San Diego!

The huge mural you see in my first five photographs is relatively new, I believe. Today was the first time I saw it, while riding the Orange Line of the San Diego Trolley.

The cool artwork has been spray painted on the corner of SA Recycling, at the corner of Commercial Street and 30th Street. It includes images of masked lucha libre wrestlers.

I’ve tried to find out more about the mural, but no success yet, apart from seeing graffiti artist signatures @killadoom422 and @misterhir.

If you know more, please leave a comment!

UPDATE!

I later learned, during an event at the Comic-Con Museum, that the large lucha libre mural depicts Rey Mysterio, his uncle Rey Misterio, son Dominik, and wrestlers Psicosis and Konnan. It was painted by artist Dentlok!

Awesome stuff!

Another mural is being painted on the side of the same building, but facing Commercial Street. No artist was there when I happened by.

Outlined are musicians and more wrestlers.

If I see this cool art completed in the future, I’ll post photos in an update!

Speaking of SA Recycling, the long fence around the opposite (east) end of their facility features lots of superhero spray paint art. I took photographs back in late 2018 when that art was being created. Check it out here!

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.

Feel free to share!

Street art at Vision Culture Foundation in National City!

This cool street art painted on a long wall is visible from Highland Avenue at the Vision Culture Foundation in National City. When I recently walked by they appeared to be closed. I paused to take these photographs from the sidewalk just outside their gate entrance.

Here’s the Vision Culture Foundation website. The organization focuses on creative arts, and their center strives to empower and uplift youth and the community. They are a safe space that nurtures goals and dreams.

Check it out!

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.

Feel free to share!

More pop culture street art on Commercial Street!

For many years–as long as I can remember–the north side of the Reliable Pipe Supply lot on San Diego’s Commercial Street has been decorated with street art. Most of the images reference pop culture characters–in particular, comic book superheroes and villains.

When I walked along Commercial Street between National Avenue and 15th Street recently, I noticed much of the artwork changed in 2024. After doing a little research, I see that a variety of San Diego artists came together during San Diego’s Comic-Con to create this street art.

I took these photographs as I walked along.

(This string of pop culture street art is similar to a stretch that was painted a short distance down the road to the east, near the intersection of Commercial Street and 31st Street. You can see those photos, taken in 2018, by clicking here.)

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.

Feel free to share this!