Of Stephenie’s 5 to Try This Weekend, here’s the one I tried — #1.

When you consider all the public art along downtown San Diego’s waterfront — from the temporary and seasonal to the permanent collections — it’s clear the Port Authority of San Diego is committed to art as a way to keep the waterfront dynamic and its visitors stimulated.

Each year, ArtWalk on the Bay celebrates that spirit by packing as many artists and art pieces into Embarcadero Marina Park North (right where Seaport Village is) as possible, along with art teachers, musicians (on two stages), and even demonstrations from culinary artists.

Here are some scenes from my art walk today — day one of ArtWalk on the Bay 2009.

You won't miss the herd of large, iron creatures in motion greeting you on your way into the festival.

Attention future painters, sculptors, mask shapers and kite makers: Start young! Start here!

Beat it, kid! KidsWalk drum circles are led by Susan Hall of RhythmWorx, and they're a blast.

And look! Real, live artists creating real, live art before your very eyes! This is Michael Summers, painter, painting.

This was just a small taste of day one of ArtWalk on the Bay.  The art festival stretches all along the Embarcadero North, and there’s still one more day to go.  The festival starts again Sunday at 10:00 A.M.

A tip for those of you not taking advantage of our great public transportation system to get to ArtWalk: Seaport Village offers the closest parking but it’s best to get there before noon for a good shot at that parking lot.  Otherwise, since there is no parking enforcement on Sunday, grab any of the metered parking spots along Harbor Drive and save your change.

Tags: art, downtown, festival, outdoors, public art, seaport village, things to do, what to do

(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

1. This weekend is the 4th annual ArtWalk on the Bay, as in San Diego Bay along the downtown waterfront embarcadero. The event will feature live music, wine tastings, kids activities and of course, some of the region’s finest art.  The free event takes place from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday at the Embarcadero Marina Park North (behind Seaport Village).
2. San Diego’s culinary community joins forces for the 5th annual San Diego Restaurant Week, kicking-off this Sunday. More than one-hundred of the city’s top restaurants will offer prix-fixe, three-course dinner menus for just $20, $30 or $40 per person. Hungry? What a great excuse to eat, bon appétit!
3. This Sunday, the spirit of Brazil comes to San Diego during the Brazilian Independence Day Street Fair & Parade in Pacific Beach. This family-friendly event will feature an amazing display of Brazilian culture with samba dancers, a capoeirea show (the super cool martial arts dance form), costumes, live music, food and a Carnival parade down Garnet Avenue; this free event takes place noon to 6 p.m. and I can’t wait! I’ve always wanted to visit Brazil, now I can get a taste without the expensive plane ride.
4. The 18th Annual Paddle For Clean Water Festival takes place this Sunday at the Ocean Beach Pier from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. In an effort to raise awareness about the need for clean water, the San Diego Surfrider Foundation will host this free event with a non-competitive paddle out in Ocean Beach, live music, vendors, a huge raffle, kid zone, beer garden and food.  Special shout out to San Diego’s own Tribal Seeds who will be performing at the event.
5. Did you know that Sunday is National Grandparent’s Day? Well, my grandparents are my two most favorite people in the world, so in their honor, here are some special deals being offered this Sunday:
   

   love my fantastic grandparents!

   Visit the Ruben H. Fleet Science Center where all grandparents accompanied by a paying child will receive free admission; enjoy a Grandparent’s Day brunch or dinner cruise with Hornblower Cruises & Events; experience Grandparent’s Day on the Bay with an introductory kayaking lesson across San Diego Bay to Coronado; or, at the very least just call your grandparents to say hi.

Tags: 5 to try, art, free, live music, ocean beach, pacific beach, san diego bay, san diego restaurant week, things to do, what to do

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Popcorn Chicken is one of the 30 new Urban Trees on San Diego Bay.

My perennial favorite public art project is blooming again along the shores of San Diego Bay.  Each year since 2003, the Port of San Diego has commissioned artists to dream up fantastic, fanciful sculptures and install their “urban tree” on our waterfront. 

Over the years, the Urban Trees project has produced works of art that range from literal to surreal to kinetic to musical to just plain silly.

What does Urban Trees version 6 have to offer?  

Well, the trees are installed, the Port has posted a handy google map to guide you and they are definitely worth a leisurely stroll along the Bay to check them out. 

Paper Airplanes are pretty, no?

Pop art crops up in “Popcorn Chicken” a 10′ tall red and white striped popcorn box filled with, you guessed it, chickens. 

It’s graceful and beautiful but it also reminds me of being a kid and long lazy afternoons lost in imagination. 

A little whimsy – it makes me smile!

Tags: art, free, public art, san diego bay, sculpture

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Art museums in Balboa Park display great works by artists and masters, both living and not-so-living.  But art — even great art – is an ongoing thing.  It’s happening now and it will continue to happen into the future.  That’s why Balboa Park provides local artists of the living variety with a venue to create and display their creative offspring.

The Spanish Village Art Center is home to 37 working artist studios that are open to the public every day.  Here, you can wander through and watch as art is created — clay thrown, glass blown, and tapestries sewn (among other art forms that don’t necessarily rhyme).  You can check out the local art all around and even support the artists by picking up a fresh piece for yourself.

One of my regular stops in the Village is Lucy Wang’s studio where she can always be seen creating one of her beautiful Japanese watercolor pieces or a rich 3-D painting that must be seen to be believed.  You heard me.  3-D.  I know there’s a better name for her deep, layered paintings, but 3-D really paints a picture, no?

There are also hot glass blowers like Jake Burksmith who put on quite a show when they do their thing.  Hot glass is a dynamic medium that’s fascinating to watch in action.  ATTENTION PARENTS: Even if you’re just across the lawn at the Natural History Museum, take a minute to stop by Studio 18 in the Spanish Village and see if any of the hot glass artists are creating.  Your kids want to see this!

The Spanish Village Art Center offers art classes for all ages almost every day.  I was just looking into pottery classes for the fam.  Children’s pottery classes are given every Saturday, rain (ha ha) or shine, and adults can take the class Tuesdays and/or Thursdays.  Check out the website for the full class schedule.

And Speaking of Pottery . . .

Clay sculpture by CASD

By the by, if you like pottery and ceramics but don’t feel up to the hassle of actually creating it, walk a few steps over to the Casa del Prado this Saturday, August 29, where Clay Artists of San Diego will hold their first annual Ceramics Show and Sale.

The show will feature unique and original pieces, both sculptural and functional, by 26 local clay artists.  If the word “ceramics” doesn’t exactly make your imagination dance, remember what I said about the glass artists and try to think outside the pot.  One thing artists are good at is making the ordinary extraordinary.

The Ceramics Show and Sale will take place in the Casa del Prado’s largest room — the Majorca Room (room 101) — on Saturday from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M.

Tags: art, balboa park, kids, things to do, what to do

(11 votes, average: 4.73 out of 5)

 Loading ...

There’s fun stuff happening this weekend, especially on Sunday. So if you’re in the mood for great music, good food and whales and mimosas too, check out these weekend activities and events:

1. Get your groove thang on this Saturday and Sunday at the North Park Music Thing, a two-day concert event. On Saturday
   

   doin her thing at North Park Music Thing

   night around 7 p.m., a number of North Park’s most happening bars and clubs will transform into a concert hallapalooza during the Saturday Night Music Fest where over 100 bands will perform on 20 stages at venues like True North Tavern, Bar Pink and The Office Bar. Saturday night admission tickets will be sold at each venue for $20 and provide entry into all 20 venues. Then on Sunday, the North Park Music Thing festivities continue from noon to 7 p.m. with the Sunday Street Fest, which will feature 3 stages of live music, a live art show, international food and street vendors.  Street Fest tickets will be $20.

   *** This just in: Tin Can Alehouse will be selling one-cent beers on Saturday night during the Music Fest. Buy one beer and get the second one for a penny! ***

2. On Sunday, Hillcrest’s main drag, Fifth Avenue, will come alive during the annual Hillcrest Cityfest Street Fair. Taking place from noon to 9:30 p.m., this free event will have music, arts and crafts, food, entertainment stages, children’s rides and more. Take part in the Lantern Parade at 8:30 p.m. and stay for the countdown to the relighting of the famous Hillcrest city sign at 9 p.m.
3. This Sunday is a chance of a lifetime…a chance to see the largest mammas on the planet, Blue Whales! They’re here in San Diego for the summer and you can check them out with H&M Landing’s Blue Whale Cruises. The 8 hour cruise departs this Sunday at 9 a.m. from H&M Landing’s home base in Point Loma. The cost of the cruise is $80 for kids and $100 for adults.
4. Carlsbad’s annual Art in the Village event goes down this Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. with live jazz performances and over 200 arts vendors selling sculptures, photography, ceramics, handmade jewelry, furniture and more.
5. I think Sunday’s are the perfect days for brunch and mimosas. There are a number of places in town to kick back and let the bubbly orange juice elevate your mood, but I’m quite fond of the summertime Sunday brunch at The Pearl Hotel. Every Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., The Pearl serves up a delicious brunch selection at very reasonable prices. The best part? For just $20 you can enjoy your choice of entrée and bottomless mimosas.

Tags: art, Carlsbad, festival, food, free, Hillcrest, live music, North Park, Point Loma, summer, things to do, whale watching, what to do

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

"Thanks for the memories . . ."

Earlier today, I ran across a dedication ceremony for the newest memorial to be installed downtown at Tuna Harbor Park on the bay, just south of the USS Midway Museum.  (Yeah, I didn’t know it was called Tuna Harbor Park, either.)  Over 100 people including yours truly, along with Port Authority officials, veterans, a Marine Corps band, and even a Navy admiral, were there to pay tribute to the newest inductee into the collection of military memorials: Honorary Veteran, Bob Hope.

The new memorial, “A National Salute to Bob Hope and the Military,” is the crowning piece in the Port of San Diego Public Art program’s Greatest Generation Collection, which is a series of art pieces and memorials honoring people, events and military heritage from World War II to present day.  Bob Hope’s presence in the collection is fitting since that is just about the same span of time that he spent entertaining U.S. troops overseas.

The Greatest Generation Collection has several other powerful pieces strewn about the area, including the Aircraft Carrier Memorial, the popular giant sculpture “Unconditional Surrender,” which recreates the famous Life Magazine photograph from 1945 of a sailor kissing a nurse in Times Square, and the bronze piece that gets me the most, “Homecoming.”  That’s the one that shows a sailor reuniting with his wife and child after a long deployment.  You don’t have to have served to understand the emotion behind that one.

"Unconditional Surrender"

With all the solemnity and emotion among the military monuments, they could sure use a visit from Bob Hope’s USO road show, which is what the new memorial depicts.  It’s actually comprised of 16 bronze statues — Bob “broadcasting from San Diego” Hope eternally entertaining 15 servicemen and women representing every branch of the military during every war since World War II.  The memorial says much by itself, but you can pick up a brochure about it, and the entire collection, from the Port of San Diego.

You’ll probably be down near Tuna Harbor Park at some point — visiting the USS Midway Museum or perhaps walking from Seaport Village to the Coronado Ferry — so odds are you’ll run into these pieces from the Greatest Generation Collection, as well as some other military heritage memorials.   Drop in on Bob’s show while you’re there and thank him for the memories.  (No, I never served.  I just have always liked Bob Hope.  If the Port of San Diego ever dedicates a Dorothy Lamour memorial, you know I’ll be there.)

"This is Bob 'San Diego' Hope. You all know San Diego, don't you? That's the southernmost town in Los Angeles!"

Tags: art, downtown, free, military, outdoors, san diego bay

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

June’s special edition of Culture and Cocktails event, “Flowers After Hours,” was in conjunction with the museum’s annual event, “Art Alive,” a yearly tradition at SDMA that pairs the permanent art collection with unique floral interpretations of the art.

The entire museum was transformed into a menagerie of hanging birdcages, lanterns and lights. Exhibitors helped to instantly get in the mood of the night by featuring a free Marie Antoinette hair booth where you could dress your tresses in pearls and feathers, and afterwards sample fine perfumes and make your own take-home samples. Upstairs, you could create your own masquerade masks to parade around in (sorry, no pictures of my mask with the lazy eye and lopsided flowers) while sipping on fine cocktails and grooving to the sounds of the downstairs DJ’s.

You may be thinking, “Wow, this sounds more like a snazzy soiree than an art museum event.” I can guarantee you that even if you don’t have a vast knowledge of Goya or couldn’t recognize the Statue of David to save your life, you will enjoy the hip atmosphere blended with the amazing art of the museum.

Tags: art, balboa park

(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

 Loading ...

Looking for something to do this weekend?  Consider these activities and events:

1. This Saturday, check out the grand opening of the new Hamilton Children’s Garden at the Quail Botanical Gardens in Encinitas.  This extraordinary garden will be the largest children’s garden on the West Coast, featuring 14 different interactive areas for exploring and educating children about nature.  The free, grand opening event takes place from noon to 4 p.m. and will include live music, storytelling, arts and crafts, light refreshments and more.

2. The 13th Annual Inter-Tribal Pow Wow takes place this Saturday, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.,  at the historic Mission San Luis Rey in Oceanside.  This event draws tribal members from all over the United States and features dancing, Native American arts and crafts, games and food.

3. Come one, come all, the San Diego County Fair opens this weekend.  This year’s fair, themed “Music Mania,” features music of all types and genres in addition to top performing artists and popular attractions.  Check out the great music line ups this Saturday and Sunday, including Melissa Ethridge and MTV3’s Latin Battle of the Bands.  Of course, no visit to the fair would be complete without munching on the fabulous… uh, fare : )

a thought provoking exhibit at Ray at Night

4. This Sunday, The New Children’s Museum offers free admission to all, so come on by to explore and create innovative art.  The Museum will also host prize giveaways and special Sunday performances and activities.

5. This Saturday night, head over to North Park’s Ray Street for its monthly Ray at Night gallery art walk from from 7 – 10 p.m.  Enjoy music and light fare as the Ray Street galleries display fascinating works by local painters, photographers and sculptors.

Tags: 5 to try, art, encinitas, garden, museum, North Park, Oceanside

(No Ratings Yet)

 Loading ...