CommerceCulture

Community

ARTS AND CULTURE

at Market Creek

Overview and Map

2

1

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.

Arts and Culture

2

Creek Terrace Apartments

Family Health Center

Arts and CultureThe Village at Market Creek

Amphitheater & Festival Park

Joe & Vi Jacobs Center

Writerz Blok

Village Gateway

3

Joe & Vi Jacobs Center1. Center for Community

& Cultural Arts 2. Cultural Banners3. Traveling Exhibits4. Cultural Niches5. Asphalt Art6. Joe and Vi Photo Mosaic7. Indoor & Outdoor Stages

Market Creek Plaza

8. Cross-Cultural Dome Art

9. Cultural Tile Walkways10. Community Faces11. Kumeyaay Sculpture

(Coming November 2011)

Existing & Planned Public Art Locations

Existing Art Locations

Planned Art Locations

Northwest Village

World Courtyard

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)

• WorldCourtyard

• CreekTerraceApartments

• NorthwestVillage

• Family Health Center

• VillageGateways(4)

Market Creek Plaza

Village Gateway

Village Gateway

Village Gateway

4

Cultural BannersHanging 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.

Joe & Vi Jacobs Center

Center for Community & Cultural ArtsIn 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.

1

Arts and Culture

Traveling ExhibitsArtistic 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.

3

2

5

Cultural NichesShowcasing 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 ArtThe 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.

4

2

5

5

5

3

4

1

6

7

Indoor and Outdoor StagesWith two versatile outdoor stages and one fully-equipped 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 MosaicThe 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

7

6

6

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.

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.

Cultural Tile WalkwaysTwo 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).

8

9b

Market Creek Plaza

9a

Arts and Culture

Cultural FestivalsEvery month, beginning

in April and running through

September, a different

culture is celebrated in

The Village with traditions,

music, food, and art.

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.

10

7

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.

9b

9a

12

15

14

13

A

B

C

DE

8

10 10

F

G

H

I

A. Asia Wok

B. Papa John’s Pizza

C. Felix’s BBQ (coming soon!)

D. L&L Hawaiian BBQ

E. Ashlon Realty

F. Cold Stone Creamery

G. Business Matters

H. SDG&EBillPayCenter

I. T-Mobile

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.

Cultural HousesLocated 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.

15

Dragonfly DreamsDesigned and created by a community artist, this whimsical life-size bronze sculpture of a child contemplating a dragonfly sits near the Children’s Wall.

13

14

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.

11

8

Arts and CultureWriterz 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

to build the program into a community art center.A year later, Graff Creek became Writerz Blok. Three years after

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.

9

www.TheVillageatMarketCreek.com

404 Euclid Avenue, San Diego, CA 92114(619)527-6161

at Market Creek

October 2011 | 11-1708