The San Diego River Park Foundation is dedicated to the restoration of the San Diego River. One of…read morethe many ways they use to reconnect San Diego with this magnificent natural waterway is art! Public art and various murals about river life help to raise awareness . All of the artwork is designed and supervised by a professional artist but the actual workmanship of the projects is done by volunteers. There are currently 5 community murals. Some are at the Preserve Trail between Pacific Highway and Napa Street. Others are at the parking lot near Mission Center Road and Hazard Center Drive. There is also "River Life" at Qualcomm Road and Camino de la Reina in Mission Valley. Every mural is a colorful piece of art and hopefully does the job of both engaging the community and beautifying the immediate area.

Nice art. In a fellow artist and i love seeing nice art out there. Great pieces. San Diego has a…read morelot of great artists and its good to see that. Keep up the great work.

You will find this historic fountain in Horton Plaza, where it is the centerpiece. It is the self…read more-proclaimed "Broadway Fountain for the People." It was designed by Irving J. Gill who completed it in 1910 and modeled it after the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates in Athens, Greece. The fountains 1910 dedication was scheduled to coincide with the opening of the US Grant Hotel, which is located just across the street. It was primarily funded through the generosity of local banker Louis J. Wilde, who donated $10,000. The fountain received the California Historic Resource designation in 1971 and is owned by the city The fountain is unique and has 5 marble pillars holding up a dome that is made of prismatic glass with bronze filigree. There is water spraying upward from fountain pool meeting in between the pillars. It is interesting to note that this was the first fountain to combine flowing water and electricity for its colored lights. Originally, the fountain was topped with a gilded eagle. However, it was stolen and replaced with a smaller eagle made of zinc. If you were wondering, the original eagle was eventually recovered. The park is currently undergoing renovations and the majority of it is closed, However, the fountain and the section it is located in remains open and is operational. However, it was vandalized in December 2005 though, and had to be shut off until repairs are complete. A large rock was thrown into the fountain, breaking an expensive glass panel inside. It reopened in 2016. This is a nice fountain with a bit of history behind. I hear that it is known for having homeless people bathing in it, even though I did not see it happening while I was there. It is still worth checking out if you are in the area. There is metered street parking and commercial parking garages within a reasonable walking distance from fountain. Thee is also public transportation stops available nearby too.

I love hidden San Diego and honestly anything that's a little odd, so once I heard about this, I…read morehad to find it and see for myself. It feels a little disrespectful to say that a sculpture looks like a turd when that wasn't the artist's intent, but... it looks like a turd. It's hard to look at it and think of anything else. At least that's what I thought. When I sent a photo to some friends and family, they were all able to quiet the intrusive thoughts of poop for long enough to think of some other possible interpretations, including: * a Cheeto or cheese puff * a giant cashew * a snake emerging from the ground * a dinosaur-sized macaroni * a rock (less creative but classier, I guess) Now, I'll just have to come back and see it again for Halloween -- I've heard that someone (who would do this?) puts giant googly eyes on it. Keep San Diego weird!!

A piece of art that really moves you, get it?…read more Public art is always subject to debate, and in San Diego the preference tends to run on the "less-than classy side". Statues of dolphins, horses, and fishermen will barely cause a ripple on anyone's radar. However, there is one sculpture in particular that causes looks of befuddlement more than any where else. Representing a large bowel movement, this sculpture is often referred to as the "Scripps Turd" which remains its reputation to this day. The Abstract Sculpture, titled Okeanos, a.k.a. "The Scripps Turd" is made of bronze and was created by artist William Tucker. Tucker is a modern British sculpture and art scholar born in Cairo, Egypt. He attended the University of Oxford and went on to further study sculpture at Saint Martin's School of Art in London under teacher and mentor Anthony Caro. He has since received several awards and honors for his work, such as: The Guggenheim Fellowship for Creative Arts in 1986. The International Sculpture Center's Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture in 2010. The title of National Academician at the National Academy Museum in 2011. People driving along North Torrey Pines Road in La Jolla had undoubtedly once noticed Tucker's big, hulking 13-foot piece of art in front of the Scripps Green Hospital. Despite the public's distaste for the art piece, the 3,500-pound sculpture was commissioned for $200,000 in 1987. The money came from donors in honor of Frank J. Dixon, the Director of the Institute for 25 years. Tucker named the artwork after the Greek god of rivers and oceans, Okeanos or (Ōkeanós), also known as Oceanus. Okeanos was a Titan who represented the ocean and was the eldest son of Uranus (ha) and Gaia. Tucker said the form, to him, suggested an ocean wave, and it was hailed by many critics when it was revealed. Michael Brenson, the former art critic of The New York Times, wrote of Okeanos in 1988: "The sculpture is a rippling curve that seems to spew out of the earth and curl up like a wave. It suggests not only water but also clouds and vegetation and human limbs." Alas, the public didn't feel the same way. Nor did philanthropist Edythe H. Scripps, who had "The Turd" moved to a new location by The Scripps Research Institute at the mere cost of another $40,000 (more money down the drain. I drew inspiration in recalling a smaller sculpture featured in the classic documentary film on the life of legend Joseph Dirtè (see tip photo). Upon seeing this work of art, the latter was most likely inspired by this same piece. A "chip off the old creative block" perhaps.

This is a piece by Atlanta-based artist Amy Landesberg and was commissioned by the San Diego County…read moreRegional Airport Authority. It is a very creative work and was made in 2015. It spans about 60 feet high and 60 feet wide. It is comprised of 801 left-side tail lights from Hyundai Elantras. You will find this piece in the San Diego Airport rental car center on a tall wall on the side of the up escalator. The piece was Inspired by the swarming patterns of various species. It is interesting to note that the arrangement of the tail lights were designed through a computer simulation that was intended to mimic the effect of a fine San Diego breeze on a traveling swarm. This piece is not without controversy. The price tag of the piece has come into question. This and its sister piece, Autoplast II: Side Mirror Hive, costed $675,000 with and estimated annual maintenance cost of $6,000. I find this piece amazing. It is like a school of tadpoles swimming around. You cannot help but look at it. It is well constructed and organized. I did notice that a few of the lights had fallen off. You can see the mounts where they use to be. This is a unique piece that is definitely worth checking out. I will agree that the audience for this piece is very limited and will be only those people that are picking up rental cars. That is not much opportunity for any group outside of that to see this piece. This is not a large consumer of time, but is still an interesting thing to view as you a headed up to get your rental.

The Alley Art in Escondido is such a hidden gem. If you are out and about Grand Avenue, going…read morethrough the Alley Art can definitely add that extra sparkle to your day and adventures. There are QR codes next to some of them to give you more information about the art and artist. Each piece is unique and so well done that it will make you stop and stare or "double take". They definitely capture the spirit of the neighborhood and sign of the times. Check out the Alley Art and support artists!

I didn't even know this was here, was driving by and saw one of the signs. Took a quick drive…read moreend-to-end and enjoyed the artworks. Some had been moved/removed and only a QR code remained. The art isn't GREAT, but it is good and appears to be by local artists. Much appreciated in the area. Hope this helps to pick up Grand which seems to be lagging a bit.

I came across this park and it had this mural. I thought it looked real cool, so I said we got to…read moretake some photos of this. We took a few shots and we added to yelp it's nice check it out

You will find this sculpture in Waterfront Park. You can not miss it. It sticks out like a sore…read morethumb. It is in a little circular area with benches around it. It has two names. Arbre de Serpents or its English translation, Serpent Tree. it was made in 1988 by Niki de Saint Phalle, who is known for colorful sculptures. It depicts a tree looking structure, with snakes where the branches would be. It is very colorful and made stained glass, mosaic tiles, polyester, and mirrors. It should be noted that de Saint Phalle adopted serpents as her signature motif for a perfume she produced to finance her Tarot Garden. There are a few of these these around the country Including New York and Washington DC. Th one in Missouri sits in the middle of a fountain and spits out water. I am not sure if this one has that capability, but it sure would be cool if it did. I really like this piece. It is creative and has some awesome artwork. The sculpture definitely grabs your attention with its bright colors and reflective glass. Parking to get a closer look is easy. There is metered street parking in front of the park where the sculpture is located. Anyway, as with most sculptures that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. So, you may want to consider making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip. Maybe coordinate it with a visit to Waterfront Park or some of the many attractions on the Pier across the street.

I love public art in random places and this qualifies! The huge sculpture is actually a mirrored…read moremosaic which had to have been a labor of art love to create! It's made of zillions of pieces of mirrored glass so it sparkles in the San Diego sun! Stop by and check it out if you are in the area! Definitely unique! Life is good with one of a kind art works!

Beautiful silver sculpture gracing Imperial Beach at the western end of Dahlia Street along Ocean…read moreLane. It's right in front of Lifeguard Station 7 and has nice concrete benches to sit upon to have picnics or just to enjoy the sound and scenic view of the waves crashing along the beach. Come by and check it out! I love art!

Cool Dolphins Statue in Dunes Park situated between Pier South Resort and Barrels Restaurant and…read moreLounge. Perfect landmark along Imperial Beach depicting the true natural "Ocean Riders" of the sea marking the best surfing areas right behind it are.