Tag: urban art

Cool mural celebrates diversity in Golden Hill.

Colorful faces and complex depth are elements of a public mural located in Golden Hill.
Colorful faces and complex depth are elements of a public mural located in Golden Hill.

I haven’t taken a walk through Golden Hill for several months. But this morning I discovered some photos of a cool Golden Hill mural languishing in my computer. I forgot!

This public art at the corner of 25th Street and B Street celebrates the diversity and the vibrancy one encounters in San Diego’s small Golden Hill community. It’s an enlarged version of a 8.25 by 19 inch mixed media collage, created by artist Giancarlo Pia in 2013. I love how three dimensional and richly colorful this mural is!

Giancarlo Pia. Golden Hill, 2013. Mixed Media Collage. This mural is dedicated to the residents of Golden Hill and reflects the vibrancy and diversity of the community.
Giancarlo Pia. Golden Hill, 2013. Mixed Media Collage. This mural is dedicated to the residents of Golden Hill and reflects the vibrancy and diversity of the community.
Many lively images can be seen in this artwork. The rich culture and history of Golden Hill is celebrated.
Many lively images can be seen in this artwork. The rich culture and history of Golden Hill is celebrated.
A very cool mural at a street corner in Golden Hill.
A very cool mural at a street corner in Golden Hill.

UPDATE!

Here’s a much better complete photo of the mural that I took on a later walk…

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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!

Memories of summer on a chilly San Diego morning.

The sounds and sunshine of summer linger on a building in downtown San Diego.
Sunshine and the sounds of summer linger on a building in downtown San Diego.

Yes, San Diego has sunny, temperate weather for most of the year–many say our city has the best weather in the whole wide world. But, you know, these mornings in December can seem a bit chilly. At least to me. So I was thankful to spot some warm art this morning at the corner of Fourth Avenue and C Street.

Memories of summer linger on . . .

Musical notes and birds fly among tropical palm trees. An image on a utility box warms the city as winter nears.
Musical notes and birds fly among palm trees. As winter nears, an image on a utility box warms the heart of the city.

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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!

Cool street art and signs in Ocean Beach!

Surfer walks past a community mural in Ocean Beach. The mural project was begun by OB artist Rich James in 1999. Residents each paint a square in the finished artwork.
Surfer walks past a community mural in Ocean Beach. The mural project was begun by OB artist Rich James in 1999. During special events, residents each paint a square in the mosaic artwork.

Just some more cool photos of colorful signs and street art taken while walking around Ocean Beach. I’ve arranged them in no particular order. Enjoy!

Cool street art mural on the side of a building near the foot of the OB pier.
Cool street art mural on the side of a building near the foot of the OB pier. Artist Celeste Byers collaborated with Aaron Glasson.
A small totem pole and some geraniums.
A small totem pole and some geraniums.
Surfing street art on OB utility box shows a view down the barrel of perfect wave.
Surfing street art on OB utility box shows a view down the barrel of perfect wave.
Motorcycle graphic on repair shop wall.
Motorcycle graphic on repair shop wall.
A mermaid holds ocean gifts. A mural in an Ocean Beach alley above a dumpster.
A mermaid holds a shell full of ocean gifts. A mural in an Ocean Beach alley above a dumpster.
Images of breaking surf high on a building wall.
Images of breaking surf high on a building wall.
Candy and goodies depicted on a colorfully painted Beach Sweets sign.
Candy and goodies depicted on a colorfully painted Beach Sweets sign.
This octopus on Newport Avenue seems to enjoy beer and pizza. One can grab a lot with eight tentacles!
This octopus on Newport Avenue seems to enjoy beer and pizza. One can grab a lot with eight tentacles!
A pelican, pizza and ale.
A pelican, pizza and ale.
Ocean Beach Surf School truck features cool surfer art.
Ocean Beach Surf School truck parked by sand features cool surfer art.
A splash of urban art on the side of the Hodads building.
A splash of urban art on the side of the Hodad’s building.
Another of many community murals in Ocean Beach. This one depicts underwater sea life.
Another of the many community murals in Ocean Beach. This one depicts underwater sea life.
What appears to be a tropical island scene on a utility box in OB.
What appears to be a tropical island scene on a utility box in OB.
Art along a sidewalk shows lush vegetation and the OB pier.
Art along a sidewalk shows lush vegetation and the OB pier.
Three parrots take flight.
Three parrots take flight.
Surfboards lie in wait beyond open door of the groovy USA Hostels Ocean Beach.
Surfboards lie in wait beyond open door of the groovy USA Hostels Ocean Beach.
Street lamp on Newport Avenue features palm trees.
Street lamp on Newport Avenue features palm trees.
Car with surfboard drives down Newport Avenue past tattoo parlor street art signs.
Car with surfboard drives down Newport Avenue past hair salon and tattoo parlor street art signs.
Don't believe the hype! You are already beautiful. Music, expression, love.
Don’t believe the hype! You are already beautiful. Music, expression, love.
Volkswagen bug appears to have emerged from the 60s, with peace signs and psychedelic designs.
Volkswagen bug appears to have emerged from the 60s, with peace signs and psychedelic designs.
Ocean Beach community mural features bicycles.
Ocean Beach community mural features bicycles.
The OB Christmas tree near the beach is a focal point of this cool community mural!
The OB Christmas tree near the beach is a focal point of this cool community mural!

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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego!  Are you curious?  There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts.  If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!

To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Unexpected faces appear in the Gaslamp!

Unexpected faces in the window of Sparks Gallery in the Gaslamp Quarter. This colorful work of art commands the attention of those passing down the sidewalk.
Unexpected faces in the window of Sparks Gallery in the Gaslamp Quarter. This colorful work of art commands the attention of anyone passing down the sidewalk.

The Gaslamp Quarter is usually bustling with humanity, as people shop, dine and take a stroll through the historic heart of downtown San Diego. But occasionally unexpected faces appear!

A mannequin high in a window makes one do a double take as one walks down Sixth Avenue through San Diego's Gaslamp.
A mannequin high in a building window made me do a double take as I walked down Sixth Avenue through San Diego’s Gaslamp!
A stylish Tatyana on a Gaslamp shop's sign.
A stylish Tatyana on a Gaslamp shop’s sign.
Doug Loves Movies so much it seems he has forgotten to shave. A funny face spotted while walking down a sidewalk.
Doug Loves Movies so much it seems he has forgotten to shave. A funny face spotted while strolling down a sidewalk, camera in hand.
This unexpected face has no skin. The Chrome Domes seem mostly bones.
This unexpected face has no skin. The Chrome Domes seem mostly bones.
A mischievous face that now looks upon an outdoor patio filled with nobody. Dick's Last Resort in the Gaslamp has closed.
A mischievous face painted next to a deserted patio. Dick’s Last Resort in the Gaslamp has closed after many years.
The Grinch is behaving unexpectedly unGrinchlike in this fun artwork inside the front window of The Chuck Jones Gallery.
The Grinch is smiling and behaving unexpectedly unGrinchlike in this fun artwork inside the front window of The Chuck Jones Gallery.
Very cool! It's Steve McQueen sporting some shades. An image above the windows of Eyes On Fifth.
Very cool! It’s Steve McQueen sporting some shades. An image above the windows of Eyes On Fifth.
This large face painted on the brick wall inside a Gaslamp Quarter restaurant is an unexpected, arresting sight.
A large face painted on the brick wall inside a Gaslamp Quarter restaurant is an unexpected, arresting sight.

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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego!  Are you curious?  There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts.  If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!

To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Dots, squares, cubes, and a crazy tangle.

Colorful dots on the side of a building in downtown San Diego.
Colorful dots on the side of a building in downtown San Diego.

Every walk through the city is a voyage of discovery. Everywhere you turn there are sudden surprises of color, form and depth. An inquisitive scientist might see geometric order; an artist might discern shades, intimations, emotion.

This morning, during a walk through downtown, I photographed dots, squares, cubes and a rather crazy tangle.

Six blue squares on the north side of the Columbia Place building.
Six blue squares on the north side of the Columbia Place building.
Steel cubes on west side of Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, which is housed in the Santa Fe Depot's old baggage terminal. Art by Richard Serra, 2005.
Steel cubes on west side of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, which is housed in the Santa Fe Depot’s old baggage terminal. Art by Richard Serra, 2005.  Litter atop cube 1 is by Anonymous.  Idealized (though rusty) art meets messy (real) life.
A crazy tangle of electrical lines in the entrance of the David C. Copley Building in downtown San Diego.
A crazy tangle of electrical lines in the entrance of the David C. Copley Building in downtown San Diego. A sculpture at MCASD. Power Maze with Sconce, Roman de Salvo, 1998.

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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!

Cool street art: The Nest Murals near Chicano Park.

The Nest Murals include a big blue whale on a yellow fence in Barrio Logan, not far from downtown San Diego.
The Nest Murals include a big blue whale on a yellow fence in Barrio Logan, not far from downtown San Diego.

I stumbled upon a collection of colorful murals the other day while walking through Barrio Logan. A project of The Nest, founded by San Diego artist Jorge Mendoza, this very cool street art can be found near the intersection of National Avenue and Evans Street, a block southeast of Chicano Park.

Check out these pics!

Boldly spray painted designs dazzle the eye and inspire imagination.
Boldly spray painted designs dazzle the eye and inspire imagination.
A large eye watches Evans Street, a block southeast of Chicano Park.
A large eye watches Evans Street, a block southeast of Chicano Park.
Swirls of blue, green, pink, and an old Volkswagen Beetle.
Swirls of blue, green, pink, and an old Volkswagen Beetle.
Entering an alley, we see a lot more cool street art spray painted on a fence.
Entering an alley, we see a lot more cool street art spray painted on a fence.
A brush-head and skull-flower makes one look twice.
A brush-head and skull-flower makes one look twice.
Three eyes in a blazing sun, which shines from The Nest Murals in Barrio Logan.
Three eyes in a blazing sun, which shines from The Nest Murals in Barrio Logan.
Odd creatures made of cloth, buttons and pins paint graffiti on a garage door.
Odd creatures made of cloth, buttons and pins paint graffiti on a garage door.
A hand emerges from the mouth of a fish at The Nest Murals.
A hand emerges from the mouth of a fish at The Nest Murals.
Fun colorful designs include cheese.
Colorful artwork includes images of cheese.
A face with odd geometric features in the Barrio Logan alley.
A face with odd features in the Barrio Logan alley.
Super creative street art at The Nest Murals, located near Chicano Park.
Very creative street art at The Nest Murals, located near Chicano Park.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

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New Barrio Logan mural honors four lost lives.

A long mural painted on a building at the corner of National Avenue and Evans Street honors four lives that were lost during a tragic accident in Chicano Park on October 15, 2016.
A long mural painted on a building at the corner of National Avenue and Evans Street honors four lives that were lost during a tragic accident in Chicano Park on October 15, 2016.

Here are photos of the new mural in Barrio Logan that honors the lives of four people who died tragically last month in Chicano Park under the Coronado Bay Bridge. On October 14, the four–Annamarie Contreras, Cruz Elias Contreras, Andre Christopher Banks and Francine Denise Jimenez–were attending the annual La Raza Run motorcycle festival in Chicano Park when a car driven by a drunk driver suddenly plummeted from the bridge onto the crowd below. The news that four were killed and eight were injured was shocking. Many were shaken. So many hearts were broken.

The new artwork, which includes a tribute to the four victims, can be found at the corner of National Avenue and Evans Street, a block southeast of Chicano Park. Chicano Park is famous for its many colorful murals that depict the civil rights struggles of Mexican Americans and immigrants.

On Saturday, October 16, the day we started our mural, four members of the annual Raza Run lost their lives in the tragic accident at Chicano Park.
On Saturday, October 16, the day we started our mural, four members of the annual Raza Run lost their lives in the tragic accident at Chicano Park.
The mural is titled Que Viva Barrio Logan, by artist Mario Torero. It's painted on the side of Diego and Son Printing. Making a difference in our community.
The mural is titled Que Viva Barrio Logan, by artist Mario Torero. It’s painted on the side of Diego and Son Printing. Words proclaim: Making a difference in our community.
The mural transmits great emotion. Many in the Barrio Logan community oppose gentrification.
The mural transmits great emotion. Many in the Barrio Logan community oppose gentrification.
The mural also includes a message opposing the building of a new stadium downtown.
The mural also includes a message opposing the building of a new stadium downtown.
Working under the Coronado Bay Bridge, home of Chicano Park.
Working under the Coronado Bay Bridge, home of Chicano Park.
A few of the many images in the mural. Breaking a chain of bondage. Music and pride. Protect the water.
A few of the images in the mural. Breaking a chain of bondage. Music and pride. Protect the water.
A bold face in Barrio Logan.
The face of Bob Dylan in Barrio Logan.
Skeletons on bicycles. Symbols, I believe, of past loved ones.
Skeletons on bicycles. Symbols, I believe, of past loved ones.
Withstanding with Standing Rock.
Withstanding with Standing Rock.
The face of a migrant worker.
The face of a migrant worker.
Walking down the National Avenue sidewalk, past a new mural that celebrates life, memory and history in Barrio Logan.
Walking down the National Avenue sidewalk, past a new mural that celebrates life, memory and history in Barrio Logan.

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

New mural painted on Union-Tribune building.

A new mural is being painted on the north side of 600 B Street, the new home of the San Diego Union Tribune. It depicts a man sitting on a wall reading a newspaper. Loose windblown pages transform into colorful butterflies.
Mural painted on the north side of 600 B Street, home of the San Diego Union Tribune. It depicts a man sitting on an actual wall reading a newspaper. Loose windblown pages transform into colorful butterflies.

A mural is being painted on the north side of the building at 600 B Street, a high-rise that is the new home of the San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper. The large mural overlooks a fenced park-like space that once was the playground for a downtown child care center.

I saw the colorful new mural behind scaffolding this morning while walking to a nearby trolley station. The artwork cleverly depicts a person reading a newspaper, while “sitting” on a wall that juts from the building. The man doesn’t seem to notice that windblown pages are rising skyward, transforming into butterflies.

The image is quaint, almost nostalgic, as if it were lifted from the pages of a treasured children’s book. Undoubtedly the San Diego Union-Tribune is the inspiration for this mural. It’s a funny choice of images, considering the fact that physical newspapers seem to be gradually fading away. But whatever the digital age might bring, the written word, like language itself, will live on…

UPDATE!

Here’s a photo I took after the mural was completed:

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I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

To read a few stories I’ve written, visit Short Stories by Richard.

Cool urban art at Quartyard in East Village.

Some cool urban art by Exist1981, created for PangeaSeed's Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans festival. The artwork, located at the Quartyard in East Village, warns that melting sea ice due to climate change will affect polar bear populations.
Cool urban art by Exist1981, created for PangeaSeed’s Sea Walls: Murals for Oceans festival. The public artwork, located at the Quartyard in East Village, warns that melting sea ice due to climate change will affect polar bear populations.

Whenever I walk past Quartyard in San Diego’s East Village, I look around to see what cool urban art I might discover. I took out my camera yesterday and snapped a few photos of the colorful artwork!

Quartyard, at the corner of Market Street and 11th Avenue in San Diego's East Village, is a place where people can gather to eat, drink, talk, and enjoy entertainment.
Quartyard, at the corner of Market Street and 11th Avenue in San Diego’s East Village, is a place where people can gather to eat, drink, talk, and enjoy entertainment.
Mail delivery person heads into Quartyard, an unusual community gathering place made from repurposed shipping containers. Coffee, beer, concerts and food trucks are found here.
Mail delivery person heads into Quartyard, a community gathering place made from repurposed shipping containers. Coffee, beer, concerts and food trucks are found here.
A colorfully painted parking meter stands strangely by the mail box.
A cheerfully painted parking meter stands strangely by a mail box.
The Meshuggah Shack occupies one shipping container. The funky place is known for their great coffee and friendly vibe.
The Meshuggah Shack occupies one shipping container. The funky place is known for their great coffee and friendly vibe.
The Meshuggah Shack offers coffee, tea, oddities, smoothies, noshes, and other fun stuff.
The colorful Meshuggah Shack offers coffee, tea, oddities, smoothies, noshes, and other fun stuff.
Words on one shipping container at the Quartyard proclaims this is Your City Block.
Words on one shipping container at the Quartyard proclaim this is Your City Block.
Sun, water, hungry sharks and a tropical island. I'm not exactly sure what is going on in this crazy street art created by Nick McPherson and MR DVICE.
Sun, water, hungry sharks and a tropical island. I’m not exactly sure what is going on in this crazy street art created by Nick McPherson and MR DVICE.

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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego!  Are you curious?  There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts.  If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!

To enjoy future posts, you can also “like” Cool San Diego Sights on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Expressive faces painted in Chicano Park.

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This morning I walked through Chicano Park. It had been a while since I last wandered among the park’s many famous murals. My camera was searching for no one thing in particular. But I couldn’t stop admiring the many expressive faces that have been artfully painted: faces from our Hispanic community that contain a whole range of emotions, including pride, hope and resolve. The expressive faces reflect humanity and inner beauty.

I’ve blogged about this amazing collection of outdoor murals (the largest in the country) on several occasions, providing a little more information. Today, I simply present a few photos of painted human expression.

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This blog now features thousands of photos around San Diego!  Are you curious?  There’s lots of cool stuff to check out!

Here’s the Cool San Diego Sights main page, where you can read the most current blog posts.  If you’re using a small mobile device, click those three parallel lines up at the top–that opens up my website’s sidebar, where you’ll see the most popular posts, a search box, and more!