Spanish Village Art Center...San Diego's Best Kept Secret!!!!

A few weeks after I moved to San Diego, I discovered Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. The picture behind my blog title is my studio in Spanish Village. "The Village", as we "artists" refer to it, was built in 1935 for the second California Exposition (World's Fair). It was built, obviously to represent a small village in Spain. When the exposition was over in 1937, the Village was destined for demolition. A group of artists approached the City of San Diego and requested that they be allowed to turn the abandoned Village into a group of working artists' studios. Their request was granted and for the last 70 years, Spanish Village (located between the Natural History Museum and the Zoo) has provided working studio and gallery space, for thousands of San Diego's local artists. The Village is open 7 days a week and holds several special events each year. Yet, not a day goes by that I don't hear some local resident (some living here for 30 years!) say with shock..."What a wonderful place this is! I never knew this existed...how long has it been here?" So, the next time you are in San Diego, come to Balboa Park and visit the artists in Spanish Village...and tell your friends! We don't want it to be a secret anymore!!!