Good beer? Check. Good beaches? Check. Good biking trails? We’ve got those, too. While our commuter bike lanes may not qualify us to be a bike-friendly county, San Diego’s diverse terrain presents a wide range of paths for two wheels. From bayside joy rides to mountain biking in nature, these are six of the best bike trails in San Diego.

Bayshore Bikeway (Silver Strand) Trail

Explore the Strand in an easy and relaxed nine-mile ride that comprises one part of the 24-mile Bayshore Bikeway. The trail starts at the Coronado Ferry Landing Marketplace, then heads down the coast to Imperial Beach—passing the Hotel Del and the Coronado Cays along the way.

Carlsbad Coastal Rail Trail

Ideal for families with little ones, this short stretch runs adjacent to the train tracks and offers a quiet break from Carlsbad’s busy streets. In the future, the trail will expand to run 44 miles from Oceanside down to central San Diego. For now, enjoy an easy 0.7 mile jaunt with family.

Fiesta Island

Views and a good workout are our MO around here. Fiesta Island packs a punch with both, serving up sunny views of the bay and a four-mile loop to get your ride in. The route is a popular spot for cyclists working on their time trials, so be prepared to move over for the pros! Looking for a longer ride? Mission Bay’s got even more space to bike with completely flat terrain, picnic spots, and a scenic tour of the water.

Lake Hodges Bridge

Take to this stress-ribbon bridge—the longest in the world!—for a scenic tour around Lake Hodges, north of Rancho Bernardo. The bridge is 990 feet long and connects with other trails once you get to the north side. The bridge is a popular spot for families, so plan a weekday trip if you want to avoid crowds.

Mission Trails

More adventurous cyclists will want to check out Mission Trails Regional Park, which has a seemingly endless amount of space to explore. Take a six-mile ride along Lake Murray, or a trek on the Father Junípero Serra Trail to check out the Old Mission Dam.

San Diego River Bike Path

This versatile and car-free path is good for whatever you have in mind, be it a mellow weekend ride or a calorie-burning workout. No matter your idea of leisure, there are 20 miles of pathway to take advantage of, running from Mission Valley to Ocean Beach.

Where to Bike

The post Where to Bike in San Diego appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Brittany Joseph, owner of Badlands Vintage

Originally published Dec 2020 | Updated February 2023

Just because you’re shopping secondhand doesn’t mean it can’t look high-end or glamorous, says Brittany Joseph, owner of Badlands Vintage. The Oceanside shop is a collection of Joseph’s favorite things—statement furniture pieces and decor from the midcentury modern and ’80s postmodern design eras. “Badlands is kind of desert-meets-city vibes,” she says. “It’s minimalist pieces that have a touch of glam.”

Step inside her brick-and-mortar and you’ll see what she means. Joseph has carefully curated the store to reflect her style and ditched the cluttered look often found in most vintage shops, making it a point to lay out the furniture as one would a home. “I wanted the space to feel warm and inviting,” she says. “I think it’s helpful for people to see how the pieces look in a completed space instead of being positioned on their own.”

Badlands Vintage / Living Space

Her inventory changes often, as she shops for new pieces nearly every day. The key to finding them is simple: She only purchases things she absolutely loves, ensuring that every item in her inventory is something easy for her to sell.

Joseph has had a knack for thrifting for most of her life. She started with vintage clothing, slowly building a closet of secondhand items, then expanded into finding vintage home goods as she started designing her own spaces and helping her friends with theirs. It felt like a natural move to turn it into a business and, when she moved to Oceanside eight years ago, decided to do just that.

She’s been running her online shop ever since, operating out of her home, warehouse, and a small pop-up in Sea Hive Marketplace. But in 2020, despite the pandemic, Joseph says her business was growing exponentially. “So many people were at home suddenly and I think they realized they wanted to make their home a really comfortable and inviting place to be,” she says.

Badlands Vintage / Candles

That spike in sales led her to scout for a more permanent home. She found her ideal location on South Coast Highway, flipped it in an impressive three weeks, and opened just in time for Small Business Saturday. And if that sounds like a crazy feat, it’s because it is. “I’m very goal driven,” she says, “so in the moment I just get to work and do what needs to be done, but I’m starting to realize just how crazy it was to do it all so fast.”

It’s a testament to her impeccable work ethic. Now, she’s been able to pursue a lifelong passion even amid a global health crisis. But that’s just one aspect of it. For Joseph, the real reward comes from opening a Black- and female-owned business. “I love living in Oceanside and I love this community,” she says. “There are only a few Black-owned businesses here, so I’m proud to help represent people of color, especially women.”

The post The Black- and Female-Owned Vintage Shop Housing Your Dream Furniture appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

FilmOut San Diego’s LGTBQ Film Festval

Peter Von Kant

September 1

Sixty-four. That’s the number of Picassos permanently held at the San Diego Museum of Art. Not shabby. Best-known as a painter and sculptor, Picasso: Drawings and Prints highlights 17 of his paper works. There’s also a ceramic Picasso piece and an ink drawing by one of his frequent collaborators, Henri Matisse (through January 29). Some legendary, legendary things on walls.

September 4

Wynton Marsalis is the Rolling Stones of jazz, its biggest star. The Grammywinning trumpeter and music director brings his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra to Rady Shell. It’s 15 of the jazz world’s best soloists and ensemble players all on that $98-million stage for modern takes on Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and other historical pieces.

September 7

Ski resorts in the offseason are surreal, massive vacuums of humanity. The world premier of Annabella in July reimagines that environment as an opportunity for magical self-expression and discovery. From playwright Richard Strand (Ben Butler), this comedy/fantasy delivers the feel-good you want out of theater (through October 2).

Picasso at the San Diego Museum of Art

SDMA

September 8-11

FilmOut San Diego’s LGBTQ Film Festival is the only LGBTQ+ film festival in San Diego, and it returns for its 22nd year at the Museum of Photographic Arts and The San Diego Natural History Museum. Expect international entries, documentaries, and short feature films.

September 9

The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) San Diego is ushering in a new season, Limitless Growth, Limited World, with 11 diverse exhibits and events across the 2022-2023 season. Attend the opening reception at the ICA North campus to meet artists Yaw Owusu and Carolina Caycedo and get an exclusive look at their new exhibits.

September 9-11

Same Same But Different, founded by a group of San Diegans, combines music, yoga, art, and sustainability for the most quintessentially Californian camping-slash-music festival, and it’s just two hours outside of town. Join the floatopia party along Lake Perris, then stake out a front-row spot for headliners like Chromeo and The Glitch Mob.

Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord

La Jolla Playhouse

September 10

Los Angeles-based artist Keaton Macon combines sculpture, installation, and sound to create an immersive experience that comments on recollection and memory while upsetting common narratives. View his latest exhibit at Logan Heights’ Best Practice (through October 15).

September 10-11

Art and community come together with 150+ juried artists, live music, wine, beer, cocktails and eats at the 36th annual San Diego Festival of the Arts at the Surf Sports Park in Del Mar. Proceeds from the silent auction, tickets and drink sales benefit adaptive sports programs for local adults and children with disabilities. Art! Food! Culture! Get some!

September 11

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank follows the reunion of two longtime friends who’ve followed starkly different paths in life, love, and family. From Pulitzer Prize finalist Nathan Englander, this world premiere presents the highs and lows of friendship through a comedic & heartfelt lens.

September 15

At the MCASD La Jolla, Alexis Smith: the American Way puts the artist’s famed mixed-media collages on display for a career retrospective. The works establish Smith’s influence as a Southern California artist commenting on American pop culture, ‘70s movements, identity, and self realization (through January 29).

Duke Windsor’s An American Classic

Sparks Gallery

September 17

The Museum of Photographic Arts presents this year’s juried youth exhibit, Myth and Magic. Exploring themes of generational storytelling, fantasies, and realms just beyond our reach, this showcase presents more than 70 works from students across grades K-12 in San Diego County and Tijuana (through February 19).

September 20

In Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord, Kristina Wong sets out to make sewing masks in the early days of the pandemic and winds up overseeing hundreds of volunteers (kids and parents, included) in a WFH sweatshop. Tackled with tenderness and levity, this Pulitzer Prize finalist invites the audience to reflect on where we’ve been, what we’ve endured, and how we continued on (through October 16).

September 21-25

Each year, the city arranges five days to celebrate its buzzing design world and those who shape it. From landscape and interiors to fashion and graphic design, San Diego Design Week invites attendees into the making process with live demos, workshops, gallery tours, and more. Inspiration anyone?

Hamilton

Joan Marus

September 24-25

This year’s San Diego Spirits Festival is stirring things up with a new location at the MCASD La Jolla, offering patrons a chance to cheers to the best of mixology at the museum. Sip libations with Lichtenstein, like a julep with Jasper Johns, or enjoy a Rob Roy with Rothko. Tour the museum’s expansive renovation while tasting your way through over 60 cocktail brands.

October 9

Beethoven, Brahms, Shubert, Chopin. Le Salon de Musiques may be new to San Diego, but the music series brings more than a decade of experience running their intimate concerts for classical music-lovers in Los Angeles. Grab a seat for the opening night of their new season hosted by musicologist Nuvi Mehta. Each performance is introduced by Mehta and ends with a conversation between the musicians and the audience.

October 14

Catch award-winning author and activist Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni at Warwick’s for a discussion on her latest book, The Last Queen. Divakaruni has been published in The Atlantic, The New Yorker, and The Best American Short Stories collection.

October 16

In the pieces that make up Reverence, local artist Duke Windsor’s latest exhibition at Sparks Gallery, the ordinary is amplified to new heights: An overstuffed recycling bin is made eye-catching, a burger is given icon treatment, and gold turns the everyday into something special. (through December 30).

San Diego Spirits Festival

SDSF

October 30

It’s been five years since Canadian indie-pop band Alvvays released their last album. Catch them at The Observatory in North Park to hear synthy, ethereal tracks from their latest release, Blue Rev.

November 9

The Elton John will be at Petco Park to play hits from his decades-spanning career during his Farewell Yellow Brick Road Final Tour. Feathers, fringe, and glitter are required for entry.

November 9-20

Don’t “throw away your shot” to see the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical Hamilton, which is back for another spin at the Civic Theatre. Lin Manuel Miranda’s showstopper retells the story of Alexander Hamilton through hip-hop, rap, and pop-inspired music.

November 29

Harper Lee’s iconic novel takes the stage at the Civic Theatre in Aaron Sorkin’s adaptation of To Kill A Mockingbird, directed by Tony Award-winner Bartlett Sher. The play captures all of the thrill, humor, and heart of the original classic, bringing the Finch family to life once again (through December 4).

To Kill A Mockingbird

Julieta Cervantes

December 4

Make the holidays weird with cult cinema god John Waters at Belly Up Tavern. A John Waters Christmas is a one-man holiday show that gives classic Christmas music the iconic and eccentric Waters touch, beginning with his 2004 anthology by the same name.

December 10-24

For the first time in 20 years, The Mystery of Irma Vep returns to the Diversionary Theatre in University Heights. This high camp show mixes the best of Victorian-era romance, Gothic fiction, and B-movie kitsch for a uniquely entertaining mystery set in the moors of the English countryside.

December 18

Sadie Weinberg’s North County dance company Litvak gives modern dance a fresh perspective in Light, performed with the company’s core dancers alongside violinist and composer Yale Strom.

The post Fall Arts Preview 2022 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

ArtWalk at Liberty Station

Paul Nestor

August 2:

Summer isn’t officially official until—please hold for the plane passing overhead—Shakespeare outdoors begins at The Old Globe’s Lowell Davies Theatre. Bonus points if it’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, which blends poetically with the stage’s Balboa Park backdrop (through September 4).

August 2:

In Here There Are Blueberries at the La Jolla Playhouse, World War II-era photographs lead a museum archivist and a Nazi descendent down separate rabbit holes of discovery. Slowly the stories behind the photos unfold, along with new revelations on the Holocaust and humanity (through August 21).

August 4:

California native, singer, TikTok superstar and supreme hair-owner Oliver Tree is coming to Petco Park’s Gallagher Square alongside alternative/indie singer Jawny. Last fall, the Santa Cruz singer/filmmaker announced his latest album, Cowboy Tears, may be his last. Hand-wash your primary-color track suit and tear-up like a real cowboy.

 Petco Park’s Gallagher Square 

August 6:

Twinzers, bonzers, rhino chasers. If those words get you emotional, head to the full display of San Diego surf culture at One Paseo’s Summer Surf Fest. Alongside live surf rock performances, pop-up shops, and interactive art installations, you can gawk at vintage surfboards and cars.

August 6-7:

At ArtWalk at Liberty Station you can score a new painting or vase or unidentifiable yet oddly compelling thing you just really need—and get the story of the pieces from the makers themselves. The festival gathers local and national artists who specialize in all forms, from ceramics to watercolor to sculpture, with demos and interactive pop-ups.

August 13:

San Diego Museum of Art’s book club, Art of Reading, highlights fictional reads that pair with the museum’s exhibits. This month, it’s a discussion about Deborah Davis’ Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X— Sargent’s most famous painting, and one that nearly ruined Madame X. Total scandal.

August 14:

Hillcrest’s CityFest is known by locals as Pride-Light, a massive neighborhood block party. The annual festival celebrates the restaurants and shops that make up San Diego’s most iconic LGBTQ+ neighborhood with six interactive art installations and performances over the nine-block span.

August 14:

Local bookstore legend Warwick’s has been bringing big names in the literary world to San Diego for decades. This month at Balboa Theatre, its iconic investigative journalist Bob Woodward, gives an inside look into his reporting on Watergate, Washington, and political dynamics.

Muna Band

Issac Schneider

August 15:

Fresh off their new self-titled album, Muna is taking the stage at The Observatory in North Park. The L.A.-based trio has carved out a name for their punchy, electronic indie-pop that addresses sexuality, gender, and love.

The post San Diego Events Calendar: August 2022 appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Troy’s Pick

Name and title: Troy Johnson, food critic

Breakfast Republic

Order: Harvest omelet and piña colada French toast

Multiple locations

Marie’s Pick

Name and title: Marie Tutko, editor in chief

Roxy’s Tacos

Order: Carne asada torta

815 C Street, Downtown

David’s Pick

Name and title: David Martin, director of integrated media

Gourmet Tamales

Order: Mushroom and roasted garlic tamales

3616 Ocean Ranch Boulevard, Oceanside

Bao Buns

Erica’s Pick

Name and title: Erica Nichols, associate editor

Ska Bar

Order: Korean asada fries and bao buns

3250 Adams Avenue, Normal Heights

Meat

Beth Demmon’s Pick (from episode 230 of the Happy Half Hour podcast)

Angkorian Pikestaff

Order: Dish changes weekly

734 Park Boulevard, East Village

vegan harvest omelet

The post What to Eat in San Diego This Week: French Toast, Tamales, and More appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Troy’s Picks

Name and title: Troy Johnson, food critic

Nishiki Ramen

Order: Smoke Bomb Black Ramen

1040 University Avenue, Hillcrest; 8055 Armour Street, Kearny Mesa

Station Tavern

Order: Cheeseburger

2204 Fern Street, South Park

Marie’s Picks

Name and title: Marie Tutko, editor in chief

Menya Ultra 

Order: Tantan men ramen

8199 Clairemont Mesa Boulevard, Clairemont; 8141 Mira Mesa Boulevard, Mira Mesa

Kiko’s Seafood Lunch Truck

Order: Fish tacos (three for $5 on Tuesdays)

6090 Friars Road, Mission Valley

David’s Picks

Name and title: David Martin, digital media director

Original 40 Brewing

Order: Grilled veggie board

3117 University Avenue, North Park

Fortunate Son

Order: Green cabbage and crab rangoons

2943 Adams Avenue, Normal Heights

Erica’s Picks

Name and title: Erica Nichols, associate editor

Ototo Sushi Co.

Order: Albacore Delight and Cabo rolls

5651 Balboa Avenue, Clairemont; 16480 Paseo Del Sur, Del Sur; 2558 Laning Road, Liberty Station

Poseidon Project

Order: Hot honey pizza

4126 Napier Street, Bay Park

Esthela Davila’s Pick (from episode 193 of the Happy Half Hour podcast)

Deft Brewing

Order: Beer and pizza from Cucina Caprese

5328 Banks Street, Bay Park

Station Tavern

Harrison Photographic

The post San Diego Takeout This Week: Fish Tacos, Ramen, and More appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Alma Sisco- Smith, 81 Retired Academic Administrator

Who had an early influence on your life?

I remember visiting my grandmother when I was seven or eight and her telling me, “I expect you to do good things in life.” It stuck with me forever.

No pressure! But it really wasn’t! I’ve never carried anything with me as a burden or an obligation; I look at everything as an opportunity.

What have been some of your most memorable opportunities?

I had my first female professor in college when I was studying to become a medical lab tech. She helped me realize that the pressure shouldn’t just be on the learner; there are different learning styles and different teaching styles. I now help the North County African American Women’s Association with their scholarship programs, and I always remember that when working with these young women.

How has it been staying at home more?

My husband and I miss going out to breakfast at Don’s Country Kitchen, but he has his space and I have my “peace room.” He always tells me, “Thank you for making such a wonderful home.”

What’s the trick?

Music. We love jazz and classical music. I also love working on my garden—we have tangerines, lemons, avocados… My neighbor always says to me, “What about getting old do you not get?”

Andrew Atienza 6, First Grader Mira Mesa

Your mom tells me you know all about the US presidents.

Right now I’m learning about Roosevelt. But my favorite is George Washington because he fought in the Revolutionary War. I have a book all about how it started and what kinds of guns and swords they used.

Would you ever want to be president?

No, I want to be the next great martial artist. Since Bruce Lee died, we need another.

That’s amazing! Have you been practicing?

I take taekwondo classes and watch a lot of Bruce Lee films, so my brain gets filled with all of the tricks. I carry my nunchucks with me wherever I go—just in case. But I also want to be an engineer so I can have money and fix my house.

What kind of house do you want?

It will be big, but not too big. In the backyard I want a pool and a treehouse with a diving board in it. I also want a garage that’s full of tools and bikes and stuff like that. I just don’t want things to get dirty!

You are really smart. How else would you describe yourself?

“Kind” and “makes you have serotonin”—that means “happiness.” But wait, can I ask you a question?

Sure!

How are you going to get my picture in the magazine? Are you going to draw it or take a picture and place it in with tape?

Alma Sisco-Smith & Andrew Atienza

Jenny Seigwart

The post 70 & Sunny: Alma & Andrew appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Eat

Head south toward El Cajon Boulevard to find some of Talmadge’s most popular spots, like Su Pan Bakery, where Mexican pastries, bread, and desserts are made from scratch daily, or Á Châu for locally beloved egg rolls and bánh mì sandwiches. For your caffeine fix, Gem Coffee delivers with freshly roasted coffee and matcha, and half-gallon latte mixes to satisfy your cravings for the whole week—also in store are fresh floral bouquets from local farmers. Farther north in the neighborhood, Romeo and Julieta Wine Cafe is a popular choice for global wines and Eastern European bites—including Polish pierogies and schnitzel.

Gem Coffee

Justin Halbert

Explore

On the east side of charming Kensington, Talmadge is a quiet neighborhood surrounded by canyons and historic homes. To get moving, a membership at the Copley-Price Family YMCA gives you unlimited access to outdoor workout classes and swimming; members can even reserve pool lanes. Nearby Colina del Sol Park offers plenty of green space to exercise or enjoy a picnic. Or if you’re simply looking for some fresh air, stop by the Talmadge Mini Park. At the center of a residential roundabout, this park is a sweet and simple getaway with a piece of history—the wrought-iron gates you see date back to 1927, when they stood as the gateway to the neighborhood. In 2002, a detailed restoration returned these gates to their original glory.

Did You Know?

Talmadge was founded in 1925 and named for silent film star sisters Constance, Natalie, and Norma Talmadge. On the west side of the community, you can find streets named after all three of them.

Talmage Street Signs

Justin Halbert

The post San Diego Neighborhood Spotlight: Talmadge appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

Weller, known as the “San Diego Highwayman,” dedicated over 50 years of his life to helping stranded motorists. It goes back to 1964, when he was 16 and stuck in a snowbank after losing control of his car during an Illinois blizzard. He’d been stranded for hours by the time another driver noticed the skid marks and stopped to pull him out. The man refused any payment once the job was done, and simply told him to pay it forward. “It was a couple years later when I was old enough and smart enough to realize that he very well may have saved my life,” Weller says. “So I started my mission to pass it on.”

Passing it on became just another day’s work for him. In between his shifts as a mechanic, he’d hop in his 1955 Ford Wagon, “Beulah,” and drive up and down San Diego freeways looking for anyone who needed roadside assistance. He rarely got calls or went out with a specific plan. As Weller puts it, “I’d just drive around until my intuition or whatever you want to call it guided me to someone in dire straits.” Whether it was changing a tire or pulling someone out of a burning car (which he’s done a couple of times), he would assist however he could, refuse payment, and encourage the person to pass it on. Then, he’d go home until that itch to help came up again and guided him back into his car and out on the road.

Highwayman Thomas Weller / Car

Dewey Keithly

The stories are endless. A quick scroll through Weller’s GoFundMe donations shows the kind of impact he’s left on people. How one chance encounter with a complete stranger stayed with them for the rest of their life. To these many benefactors, their donation was a small token of thanks for what they considered a heroic act. But Weller’s help was never about himself; he simply did what he felt was right.

“I’m no hero,” he says. “I just happened to be at the right place at the right time for people. You just do what is necessary.”

Being our highwayman was just one chapter of Weller’s life. The man has stories to fill seemingly hundreds of books. There’s the time he met his current wife—whom he lovingly refers to as a “good witch”—on a double date and dove in to rescue her after she fell into a creek on Mount Palomar. Or the time he bid adieu to high school by driving his motorcycle down the hallway to the principal’s office and delivering a note saying he was dropping out. His longtime snow-chain sales were even a unique experience, in which he taught customers how to put them on (complete with his own set of quirks and moves inspired by his favorite author, Louis L’Amour) and wouldn’t let them leave until they could demonstrate that they could do it on their own.

Highwayman Thomas Weller / Treasures

Dewey Keithly

But these days, life looks a little different. In February 2017, Weller lost his 17-year-old dog and copilot, Sheela, to old age. Shortly after, he suffered a minor stroke and then, when COVID-19 shut down the county, he was forced to pause and reflect on what would come next.

“My wife said it was the Lord’s way of telling me to slow down,” he says. “I can’t run like I used to and I don’t have the balance that I used to. I can’t in good conscience go out there and play on the freeway anymore.”

It hasn’t been an easy transition. Helping others always helped him just as much. As someone who has struggled with depression most of his life, Weller says that going out and helping others kept those negative thoughts at bay. “I’ve always been a deep person and if I could help one person, it helped me. It was beautiful compensation.”

Highwayman Thomas Weller / Welcome to the Ranch

Dewey Keithly

He’s found some of that same relief in gardening. Last year, he built out a large garden at his ranch filled with vegetables and fruit trees bearing oranges, apples, peaches, and grapefruit. He takes pleasure in methodically tending to something, watching it grow, and ultimately reaping the reward. But here as in his former life, the real reward is always in the doing.

Sure, life may be quieter these days. But San Diego’s highwayman has discovered that there are still plenty of ways to pay it forward, even off the road. Whether that’s tending to his garden and sharing it with his neighbors, or finally accepting help from the hundreds of people he helped during all those years on the road. It sure is somethin.

Highwayman Thomas Weller / Feature

Dewey Keithly

The post San Diego’s Highwayman Adjusts to Life Off the Road appeared first on San Diego Magazine.

“I had reached out to the Jacobs Center just to see if we could get some of our art on display there because, though we always wanted a gallery, it just wasn’t in our budget at that time,” she says. “Instead, the CEO, Reginald Jones, showed us this place around the corner from the center. When I saw the ‘for lease’ sign still up in the window, I just started crying.”

The gallery opened in late 2020, housing the work of Phillips-Pea and co-owner Raquel Rhone alongside a curated selection from other local artists. Beyond fine art, there’s colorful jewelry, decor, prints, and handmade goods on display and for sale. It’s an opportunity for the artists, but Phillips-Pea also stresses that it’s an opportunity for those in the community to get curious about the arts. Before the pandemic, they offered a space for locals to come in and free-paint on blank canvases. Now they offer virtual workshops and post DIY projects online.

“We are an underserved community and feel the effects of what it means to be an underserved community,” she says. “But the response to art has always been positive. When you tap into what you’re passionate about, you positively affect everyone else around you. It doesn’t have to be drawing or painting. Whatever it is that excites you, we encourage you to pursue it.”

Southeast Art Team’s rally for artists goes beyond placing their work in a gallery. When they see potential, they go into overdrive to keep that artist well and working. “I recognize the signs when people are not honing in on their full potential, because I was there myself once, too,” she says. Whether it’s getting someone off the street or offering them business advice, the team positions themselves to help “find the awesomeness in you.” In the future, Phillips-Pea envisions the organization expanding into a full-fledged artists’ union, providing housing, gallery space, business resources, and counseling to anyone they take under their wing.

It all comes down to generational wealth, she says. “We are all about taking our community to the next level and laying down the pavement for future generations, like my son, to continue down that path.”

The pop-up gallery is open through the end of February in Market Creek Plaza. Due to COVID-19, to tour it you must make an appointment online.

Pop-Up Gallery

342 Euclid Avenue, Suite 406, Lincoln Park

@popupgalleryatmarketcreekplaza

Kim Phillips-Pea with Raquel Rhone, artist and vice president of the Southeast Art Team.

Anissa Durham

The post This Pop-Up Gallery Showcases Southeast San Diego’s Artists appeared first on San Diego Magazine.