Experience the arts and culture of sunny San Diego on your self-guided ARTventure!
San Diego’s culture scene is rich in colors, flavors, and sounds. See breathtaking waterfront views and one of a kind artwork from a 1898 Berkeley steam ferry, imagine the sounds of military recruits of the past while enjoying artisan chocolates and dance at NTC Promenade, see how art and innovation can transform a neighborhood, taste the original craft beer of North Park after a show at a historic theater, see why Balboa Park is a model for creativity, innovation and collaboration and get in touch with your inner artist at The New Children’s Museum.
Barrio Logan: From the Streets to the Studios
In the early 1970s, this historic neighborhood became host to the world’s largest collection of Chicano murals. This rich history is fueling its revival as an arts enclave today. Enjoy historic murals at Chicano Park, venture into unique design studios such as Glashaus, The Bakery and Voz Alta and enjoy coffee at local Ryan Brothers. Immerse yourself in the buzz of street life in this bold, colorful neighborhood.
North Park Art: The New Urban Village
The historic urban neighborhood of North Park has evolved into a vibrant village, driven by architectural restoration, culinary creativity, and a grassroots arts community. An eclectic array of farm-to-table restaurants, independent coffee shops, visual art galleries, and dance studios can be found along the main arteries of 30th Street and University Avenue. Visit the historic >Birch North Park Theatre, which is the home of Lyric Opera San Diego, reopened after major renovations in 2005. See an artist-run storefront exhibition space, drop in on Eveoke Dance Theatre, and sample the neighborhood’s notable craft beer.
Gaslamp Quarter: Red-Light District to Entertainment Mecca
Stroll through the historic Gaslamp Quarter and discover more than nightclubs and bars (not that those are bad!). Begin with a picnic lunch at PETCO Park; visit Space4Art, a new collective of artist studios; tour the newly restored Balboa Theater; and visit the Asian Pacific Historic District. See how this downtown district has evolved since its days as a haven for saloons, gambling halls, and bordellos.
On the Waterfront
Head to the harbor toward the Maritime Museum of San Diego to take in the exhibition Cook, Melville and Gauguin: Three Voyages to Paradise. Wander through the Port of San Diego’s Urban Trees installation. At the waterfront, tour the San Salvador, a historically accurate replica of Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo’s ship being built by San Diego’s Maritime Museum. End your tour at Little Italy and enjoy art galleries, funky furniture shops and cafes.
Report for Duty
Experience the NTC Promenade, a growing destination for San Diego’s creative community with waterfront parks and Spanish Revival architecture, at the former Naval Training Center. Catch a class or watch a rehearsal of Malashock Dance, San Diego Ballet or San Diego Dance Theater at Dance Place San Diego. Stop in for hands-on art and music making at Bravo School of Art and the Recreational Music Center, sample artisan chocolates at Chi Chocolat and tour any of the eight art galleries.
Contemporary San Diego: Art Inside & Out
First stop is the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, where you can take in the latest exhibition. Pass through the historic Santa Fe Train Depot, a stunning example of Spanish Mission Colonial Revival architecture on the way to the next stop, the San Diego State University Downtown Gallery, featuring important work by SDSU alumni and faculty. Finally, engage your inner-child with hands-on art-making at The New Children’s Museum.
U of Art & Architecture
>The University of California, San Diego is world-renowned for its scientific and engineering achievements, but the impulse to innovate is around every corner. Home to the La Jolla Playhouse, a Tony Award-winning theater; the Stuart Collection of site-specific sculptures; and ARTPOWER!, a presenter of international performers and artists, UCSD ignites dialogue between artists, students, scholars, and the community. Louis Kahn’s neighboring architectural masterpiece, the Salk Institute, counterbalances the campus’s own Brutalist-style Geisel Library.
Balboa Park
See why Balboa Park is an international destination for arts, science, and culture. Experience the museums putting the latest audience research into action. Play Giskin Anomaly, a mobile phone adventure - “part scavenger hunt, part information, part walk.” Wind through the Park’s Spanish Renaissance architecture and lush landscape with stops at the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center, San Diego Natural History Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, Japanese Friendship Garden, San Diego Air & Space Museum, Mingei Museum and more. Tired? Relax at a performance at one of the Old Globe Theatre’s three stages.
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