Spanish Village Artist Center

Balboa Park is a San Diego must-see.  We've played bocce ball on their lawns, walked their acres of parkland and today, we went to the Botanical Gardens and their Art Center.

The Botanical Gardens are housed in a huge adobe and wood structure that is just like a very large greenhouse without the glass.  When it rains outside, it's wet inside too!  It's a place where the plants are protected from the beating sun, but not necessarily the weather; I guess it's more like a shade house than a greenhouse, whatever...

Remembering that it's still January and that the plants are somewhat dormant, it was hard to imagine the number of flowering orchids being shown.  Many of these plants are planted there, not flowered elsewhere in pots and brought in when it's convenient.  The background plants are mainly large ferns and palms of different types with the growing focus is on the epiphytes; plants that live in or on other plants without being parasites.  They did a good job and a visit to this free facility is well worth the effort.

 

There are also many different museums, theaters, meeting places, playgrounds and similar 'community activity' type places in Balboa Park; one of these facilities is an old World's Fair remnant from the 1920's [or so].  The area had many different uses over the years, from a triage facility for the wounded after the second world war, to a fast food location for tourists a few years ago.  Its present use is as a place for artists to practice their art and sell their wares.  Kathleen suggested it as a place to see.

Each artist is juried and the quality levels are quite high.  I spoke with a retired high-school teacher who now throws pottery.  His potter's guild is made up of 40 potters who rent their space from the Balboa Park administration and his 'volunteer' time ends up being about a day a month.  Their facility includes an area with about 5 potter's wheels and miscellaneous work spaces so that the different artists [potters] have a place to work.  The rest of their area was devoted to showing off their wares and to sales.  What a neat place.