at Market Creek
Community
ARTSCommerce AND Culture CULTURE Overview and Map
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Arts and Culture
The Village at Market Creek The Village at Market Creek is brought to life with public art that embraces cultural diversity and traditions, reflecting community pride. From the start, arts and culture have been galvanizing forces for bringing residents from diverse neighborhoods together. Community teams worked together to plan and design Market Creek Plaza and the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, which have become magnets for bringing people from across the country to The Village at Market Creek. An atmosphere of cross-cultural sharing helps deepen understanding of their own cultures while building bridges to others. Art connects culture and commerce through capacity-building and training opportunities. It is a platform for economic growth and employment for local community artists. Art has shaped Market Creek into a global village that conveys a sense of the world coming together.
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Arts and Culture
The Village at Market Creek
Village Gateway
Family Health Center
Writerz Blok
Creek Terrace Apartments
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center
Amphitheater & Festival Park
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Existing & Planned Public Art Locations Village Gateway
Northwest Village
Village Gateway
Market Creek Plaza
World Courtyard
Existing Art Locations Planned Art Locations
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center 1. Center for Community & Cultural Arts 2. Cultural Banners 3. Traveling Exhibits 4. Cultural Niches 5. Asphalt Art 6. Joe and Vi Photo Mosaic 7. Indoor & Outdoor Stages Market Creek Plaza 8. Cross-Cultural Dome Art
Village Gateway
9. Cultural Tile Walkways 10. Community Faces 11. Kumeyaay Sculpture (Coming November 2011)
Amphitheater & Festival Park 12. Bronze Sculpture 13. Children’s Wall 14. Market Creek Amphitheater 15. Cultural Houses Writerz Blok 16. Urban Art Park The Village at Market Creek (planned art locations) • World Courtyard • Creek Terrace Apartments • Northwest Village • Family Health Center • Village Gateways (4) 3
Arts and Culture
Joe & Vi Jacobs Center
Cultural Banners Hanging in the sweeping entrance of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center are eight 5’ x 13’ banners created by community artists. The striking panels highlight local cultures and feature welcome messages. Details of the pieces can be seen on the pole banners in the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center entryways and parking lot.
1 Center for Community & Cultural Arts In early 2010, a series of focus groups were held with local residents and artists to discuss how to promote and support the arts in The Village. They expressed interest in a partnership with the cultural institutions in Balboa Park. At the time, several of the institutions were creating plans to broaden their audience base. The feedback was enthusiastic and the Center for Community & Cultural Arts (CCCA) was born, with museum directors from the Balboa Park institutions joining the team of residents and artists in a Learning Partnership. The CCCA Learning Partnership consists of representatives from the San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Museum of Man, Mingei International Museum, Museum of Photographic Arts, and San Diego History Center as well as approximately 50 members who represent cultural communities and artists from southeastern San Diego. Building a two-way bridge between Balboa Park and southeastern San Diego is the core of their work. The Jacobs Family Foundation and The Legler Benbough Foundation have secured a 5,500-square-foot space in the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center, which has become the anchor space for the program. Currently, CCCA is envisioned as an arts organization that is both with and without walls, to allow for the inclusion of various arts disciplines — from visual arts to performing arts — and address the various needs of the community — from learning to create art, to exhibiting and performing. 4
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Traveling Exhibits Artistic displays and museum pieces regularly displayed at the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center are open to the public. Previous exhibitions include the Considering Black Womanhood exhibit in partnership with the San Diego Museum of Art and SANA Art Foundation.
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Cultural Niches Showcasing rotating exhibits of cultural and visual art, these niches are incorporated into the design of the first and third floors of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center.
Asphalt Art The colorful patterns painted on the asphalt surrounding the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center were designed by a local muralist who led a youth team to complete the temporary art pieces.
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Indoor and Outdoor Stages With two versatile outdoor stages and one fullyequipped indoor stage, performing arts has a home in The Village at Market Creek. Partnerships with community organizations — including Asian Story Theatre, Young Audiences of San Diego, and Center Stage Theatrical Academy — have entertained residents of all ages through story and song. Joe & Vi Jacobs Mosaic The people of this community have been touched by Joe and Vi Jacobs’ commitment and generosity through the work of their family’s foundations, the Jacobs Family Foundation and the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation, and through their personal messages of respecting differences, embracing risk, and valuing the contributions of all. This photo mosaic, created in their honor, is made up of over 1,000 examples of this tremendous partnership and what’s possible when residents working together to create neighborhood change. 5
Arts and Culture
Market Creek Plaza Cross-Cultural Dome Art Located inside Asia Wok restaurant, the dome was designed and painted by local artist Sal Barajas. The art depicts representatives from the Samoan, Sudanese, Somali, Laotian, Mexican, Filipino, Kumaaya, and African American cultures — all of who live in the surrounding neighborhoods.
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Cultural Festivals Every month, beginning in April and running through September, a different culture is celebrated in The Village with traditions, music, food, and art.
Cultural Tile Walkways Two tile walkways located at Market Creek Plaza were designed and installed by local artists. They are renditions of cultural tapestries featuring a traditional Laotian cloth (9a) and an African batik (9b).
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In October, all the cultures come together in a culminating extravaganza called the Arts & Culture Fest. This exciting event includes cross-cultural education and sharing, cultural workshops, fine art displays and art workshops, entertainment, and an International Market alongside a children’s activity zone and community resource booths. Activities are spread from the Market Creek Plaza Amphitheater to Festival Park with its eight authentic cultural houses and across Chollas Creek to the indoor and outdoor venues of the Joe & Vi Jacobs Center. Visit www.ArtsandCultureFest.com to learn more. 6
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Community Faces Recognizing the contributions of residents who improved their communities, these hand-painted canvas portraits are displayed on the east and west sides of Food 4 Less.
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A. Asia Wok B. Papa John’s Pizza
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C. Felix’s BBQ (coming soon!)
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E. Ashlon Realty
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11 Coyote Tracks (Coming November 2011) This sculpture was created in honor of the Kumeyaay people – the original residents of this former village site. The sawil (basket) is decorated with traditional motifs and represents cultural resilience and revival.
D. L&L Hawaiian BBQ
9a F. Cold Stone Creamery
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G. Business Matters
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H. SDG&E Bill Pay Center
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I. T-Mobile
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Dragonfly Dreams Designed and created by a community artist, this whimsical life-size bronze sculpture of a child contemplating a dragonfly sits near the Children’s Wall.
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13 Children’s Wall Along the back of the amphitheater is a beautiful copper-inlaid tree decorated with hand-painted, circular tile leaves created by more than 600 local children.
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Market Creek Amphitheater The Market Creek Amphitheater has been the setting for a variety of musical and theatrical performances. Tiered grass seating areas make the perfect setting for up to 500 guests to relax or picnic in the shade.
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Cultural Houses Located on World Court, the eight cultural houses are reflective of the surrounding community: African American, Chamorro, Filipino, Laotian, Mexican, Samoan, Somalian, and Sudanese. The houses echo the style of a traditional cultural home from each region.
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Arts and Culture
Writerz Blok Art Park
In 1999, illegal graffiti was a problem in San Diego. After commissioning several local artists for a community mural project, the Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation learned that most of the defacement was done by youth looking for a place to express themselves. The decision was made to start a program aimed at steering the youth away from illegal vandalism and towards learning the art of graffiti. “Graff Creek” started as a nomadic graffiti art program held at sites throughout the neighborhood. It had a following of over 300 youth who volunteered their time and efforts
A year later, Graff Creek became Writerz Blok. Three years after
to build the program into a community art center.
that, a half-acre facility was donated to the program, including office space and a large yard for an open-air art park. What began as a unique approach to prevent gang-related graffiti is now one of the country’s most innovative youth art programs. Writerz Blok is a safe, “gang-neutral,” and creative space that encourages artistic expression and entrepreneurial exploration while providing an alternative to gang membership — and an opportunity for shaping a healthy and fulfilling future. Working to establish partnerships with local arts institutions including the Museum of Contemporary Art and the San Diego Museum of Art, Writerz Blok is now helping bring this art form to new and more traditional arts audiences. This important work is raising awareness, increasing respect, and achieving more wide spread appreciation for graffiti as a legitimate and museum-worthy art form.
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at Market Creek
www.TheVillageatMarketCreek.com 404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114 (619) 527-6161 October 2011 | 11-1708