Balboa Park Part 2
Travel Excursion
By Patrice Raplee
Spanish Art Village – Balboa Park, San Diego
Photo
By Patrice Raplee
Last month, Travel Excursion visited the San Diego Zoo in
Balboa Park. Here’s part two of Balboa Park and the Spanish Village
Art Center.
Just past the San Diego Zoo entrance, keep walking to the
right into Balboa Park. Located on the left-hand side is, literally,
a hidden jewel, the Spanish Village Art Center. Many residents of
San Diego are not aware that this community has thrived in their
midst since 1937. The village was born from the aftermath of the
second World’s Fair: ’35 – ’36 California Pacific International Exhibition.
Concessionaires who sold various handcrafts and sundries originally
used the buildings. Sherman Trease was a visionary who contacted
artists and executives when the Spanish Village was no longer needed
for the fair. Together, with members of the park board and individual
artists, this group turned a dilapidated set of buildings into the
fabulous art village that it is today.
The colorful Spanish Village is a nonprofit corporation. Its
principal purpose is to encourage and promote the work of local artists,
offering them a place to work and exhibit their products. Artists
are accepted into the village by means of an outside-juried committee.
The village is comprised of painters, sculptors, wood and metalworkers,
glass and ceramics, artists, writers, photographers, jewelry and
textile artists. This unique art colony has grown into a quaint,
yet beautiful village with multi-colored painted brick walkways,
accented with artwork and Spanish stucco buildings topped with red-tiled
roofs. The main courtyard is filled with flowering trees, potted
plants and is a gathering place for artists and the public to meet
and visit. They may watch art demonstrations, discuss art and just
sit and absorb the sunlit atmosphere of the enchanting village.
Fountain & Gardens Balboa Park – Photo
By Patrice Raplee
There are 38 studios to date with over 90 artists at work
within the different guilds. In addition, artists sell their work
and teach classes for children and adults. The public is welcome
to view the artists at work in the studios whenever available.
The stunning array of their incredible art is superior in
design, quality and originality. Village artists such as Lucy Wang,
(studio four) displays vibrant three-dimensional watercolor on silk
that absorbs and captivates the viewer. Wang’s varied silk themes
would grace any domicile.
Don Knapp and Scott Weaver of studio number three, blend rich
artwork of mixed media and vivid glasswork. Knapp and Weaver are
a perfect pairing with their use of brilliant color infused throughout
their distinctive creations.
Cassandra Shepard of studio 32 imbues luminous shades into
her flowing Shibori and silk hand-painted couture. Combine this artist’s
gorgeous fashions with her contemporary jewelry for an elegant and
enviable addition to your wardrobe.
All of the artist luminaries in the Spanish Village merit
a write-up of their extraordinary art and all of the studios are
a must-see with their myriad of unique and magnificent creations.
The art village is incomparable and one of San Diego’s best kept
secrets. It isn’t a wonder, though, as patrons of the Spanish Village
revel in the covetous admiration they receive when showing or wearing
art from the village.
After visiting the Spanish Art Village, it’s time to explore
Balboa Park, which consists of seven performing arts theaters, 15
museums and several cultural centers, gardens, recreation, attractions
and restaurants. This magnificently beautiful and historical park
is ranked one of the best international parks in the world and offers
so much to do and see, it is a cultural trip destination in itself.
Balboa Park’s undeveloped origin began in 1868 and today encompasses 1,200
acres. Kate Sessions’ early landscape design of Balboa Park (1892)
and the elaborate Spanish-Renaissance architecture, constructed for
the first World’s Fair (the 1915-16 Panama-California Exposition),
were the genesis of the park’s current appearance. Sessions planted
100 trees a year in the park for many years.
Lily Pond By Timken Museum Balboa Park
Photo
By Patrice Raplee
Start with the performing arts. The most famous of Balboa
Park’s performing arts theaters is the Old Globe. Founded in 1935,
the Old Globe encompasses three venues: The Outdoor Lowell Davies
Festival Theater, the historic Old Globe Theater and the intimate
Cassius Carter Centre Stage, located next to the historic Old Globe.
The Tony Award-winning Old Globe Theater is internationally acclaimed
and one of the most prestigious to the region. This circular theater
was where John Lithgow started in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels before
it went on to Broadway; the Full Monty took stage here as
well.
Besides all of the fabulous performances staged at the Old
Globe throughout the year, Christmas is especially enchanting with
Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas. In its eighth
year, the Grinch is extremely popular with all ages. The surrounding
outside area of the theater is turned into a magical version of Whoville
with the gift shop bedecked and selling Grinch, Cindy Lou and Whoville
gifts and memorabilia. For an outstanding Christmas family surprise,
catch an Old Globe performance of this American classic!
Shakespeare’s works are performed often at the Old Globe with
several works presented under the stars at the Lowell Davies Theater.
There is nothing quite as romantic and passionate as a performance
of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Othello unfolding
before the audience on a warm, starry summer night.
The gardens that flourish throughout Balboa Park are incredibly
beautiful with their graceful designs and supporting water features
and flowing fountains. There are a myriad of different gardens to
stroll through such as the Alcazar Garden, the Rose Garden, the Japanese
Friendship Garden, the Desert Garden and the historical Botanical
Building to name a few. Truly, these diverse selections of flora
and fauna, from native local plants and trees, to themed designs
such as the formal English style of the Marston House Garden are
an amazing botanical triumph. If time permits, visit as many of the
gardens as possible. Two must-see gardens are the Botanical Building,
located in front of the Lily Pond, with over 2,100 plants and flowers
and the Alcazar Gardens styled after the Alcazar Castle in Seville,
Spain.
The Old Globe
Theater – Balboa
Park
Photo
By Patrice Raplee
Museums abound (about 15) in Balboa Park with the San Diego
Air & Space Center, the San Diego Museum of Man, to the Reuben
H. Fleet Science Center and the renowned Timken Museum of Art. For
most visitors, time is again a factor, so the choices of museums
come down to personal interests. For young adults and children, consider
the Museum of Man, or the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. The Science
Center boasts the world’s first IMAX Theater and their plethora of
interactive science exhibits will keep fussy visitors of any age
busy for hours. The center’s Kid City is great for children seven
and under. For visitors who prefer paintings, The Timken Museum features
a fabulous collection of old European Masters (Rembrandt & Bruegel),
as well as American and Russian artists. Located adjacent to the
Lily Pond and Botanical Building, the Timken is small but outstanding
and free to visit.
After visits to better your cultural and artistic appreciations,
you’re starved. Balboa Park hosts over 12 restaurants, cafes, quick
bites and tearooms. For quick nibbles, sandwiches and breakfast,
try Café in the Park. For a lovely traditional Japanese tea, noodles
and sushi, try the Tea Pavilion. The Prado at Balboa Park is an excellent
restaurant with inside and outdoor seating. A bit more on the formal
side, the restaurant is often the site of summer wedding receptions
and is frequented by locals and visitors alike. Their menu varies,
but is diverse and fresh. The Prado is always busy, so reservations
are a good idea.
San Diego is a great city for a holiday and after visiting Balboa Park,
many guests want to move to the coastal mecca. Visitors and locals
never tire of the magnificent and evolving Balboa Park. With its
great cultural and recreational attractions, the park has become
an icon for all other cities to emulate. Just strolling through the
park and gazing at the architecture and serene gardens makes one
wonder if Kate Sessions had any idea of the enormous success and
growth that would follow when she first planted those 100 trees…
For additional information and planning on Balboa Park, go
to: http://www.balboapark.org.
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