Friday, June 18–Sunday, June 20
Plaza De Panama
Art Alive 2021 brings the Open Air Floral Affair, a floral fusion of activities, the popular Garden of Activities, unique gifts at the Art Alive Marketplace, flourishing creativity, and delicious delights. Art Alive 2021 will offer floral fun and excitement for all ages.
Floral Affair features
- Colorful contemporary art installations by Rachel Hayes and Davis McCarty
- Large-scale floral interpretations of Museum sculptures in the Plaza de Panama
- The Art Alive Marketplace showcasing opulent gift offerings and fresh florals
- Family-friendly art-making and succulent planting at the Garden of Activities
- Collaborative coloring wall from Harrah’s Resort Southern California
- Interactive LOVELECTRIC station from SDG&E
- Delicious fare and beverages available from Bread & Cheese, Pineapple Crush, Panama 66, and S3 Coffee Bar for al fresco daytime dining
- And other interactive activities to be announced…
Floral Affair access is purchased with Art Alive floral exhibition tickets.
Art Alive timed tickets are now available to members and on sale to the public!
Free boosted Wi-Fi is available at Art Alive courtesy of Cox Communications.
Wi-Fi is available as “SDMA Guest.”
Garden of Activities at the Open Air Floral Affair
June 18–20, 2021
Noon–4:00 p.m. daily
The Art Alive Garden of Activities is a family-friendly art-making space with floral-inspired, hands-on projects led by the Museum’s Education team. This year, the Garden of Activities expands and moves outdoors to the Open Air Floral Affair located in the Plaza de Panama. This activity is free for members and children ages 0-6, and for all who have purchased the ticket for the Open Air Floral Affair. No reservation needed.
The Corvette Diner will be onsite handing out swag and free mini milkshakes to all Garden of Activities participants! Join the fun in the Garden of Activities.
Art Alive Marketplace
Shop opulent gifts and fresh florals from our signature vendors:
- Abrazo Style specializes in fairly traded, quality, hand-embroidered, 100% cotton Mexican apparel in contemporary fabrics and designs; richly hand-woven scarves, wraps and totes; and exceptional natural seed and stone jewelry. Abrazo products are socially responsible and their goal is to contribute to the development of vibrant communities through sustainable employment at fair wages. Visit Abrazo Style online to learn more.
- The Bench Glass: Chris Moore has been creating works in glass for nearly 30 years. His studio, The Bench, is located in the Logan Heights neighborhood of San Diego. Visit The Bench Glass online to learn more.
- David Steiglitz Pottery: David Stieglitz is a San Diego-based potter and craftsman. He focuses on wheel-thrown functional pottery that is rooted in the ancient materials and practices that clay embodies. David’s company 2194°F, is a vehicle for accessible contemporary table wares. Visit David Steiglitz Pottery online to learn more.
- Green Fresh Florals + Plants: The annual Art Alive pop-up flower market returns this year selling fresh flowers and plants, custom bouquets, and fresh flower crowns. Visit Green Fresh Florals + Plants online to learn more.
- Kathleen Mitchell Glass: Multi-talented glass artisan Kathleen Mitchell has been a fixture in the San Diego scene for many years. Mitchell is the owner of Art-Hell glass blowing studio in the neighborhood of Barrio Logan. Visit Kathleen Mitchell Glass online to learn more.
- Nathaly Aguilera Apparel: San Diegan Nathaly Aguilera’s popular handmade floral head pieces can be deceptively simple, while other pieces are complex, colorful, and austere. Since each piece is handmade, they are all truly one of a kind and can be worn over and over again. Visit Nathaly Aguilera Apparel online to learn more.
- Norma Hill Designs: Apparel designer Norma Hill uses a special image transfer technique to put her photos, taken throughout her travels around the world, to silk and silk blends creating wearable works of art. Visit Norma Hill Designs online to learn more.
- Pattie Parkhurst Jewelry: From flowers and tender smoke tendrils to DNA strands and other geometric shapes, each design by Pattie Parkhurst uses sheets of sterling, gold, and other metals that are sometimes hammered thousands of times to bring traditional anticlastic designs to life. Visit Pattie Parkhurst Jewelry online to learn more.
- Sheri Liebert Jewelry: Sheri Liebert has been creating bold, elegant, and timeless handmade jewelry in La Jolla for over two decades. Her eye for detail and passion for choosing only the finest materials have made her one-of-a-kind pieces greatly in demand among both collectors and wearers alike, creating objects that are truly “art you can wear.” Visit Sheri Liebert Jewelry online to learn more.
- Vasant Designs: Acclaimed jewelry designer Vasant of Vasant Designs attempts to capture both the resplendent beauty and stark austerity of India. Her frequent travels to India helped her find the inspiration for her artistic quest for perfection. Visit Vasant Designs online to learn more.
Food & Beverages
Indulge in delicious food and beverages from the following partners for al fresco daytime dining at the Art Alive Open Air Floral Affair.
Panama 66 at the Open Air Floral Affair
Panama 66 will be open only to guests with access to the Open Air Floral Affair. They will be operating in their normal location with an extended front patio in the Plaza de Panama serving their regular menu plus a selection of floral-themed food and beverage specials just for Art Alive! See the Panama 66 Regular Menu and Panama 66 Art Alive Menu Specials.
Panama 66 Art Alive Hours
Friday, June 18 – 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Saturday, June 19 – 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20 – 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Pop-Up Concessions at the Open Air Floral Affair
In addition to Panama 66 operations, a delicious selection of pop-up food concession booths is available to Open Air Floral Affair guests on the Plaza de Panama.
Bread & Cheese offers tasty and inspired grilled cheese for kids and adults alike. See the Bread & Cheese Art Alive menu.
Bread & Cheese Hours
Friday, June 18–Saturday, June 19 – 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20 – 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Pineapple Crush serves frozen, healthy, delicious drinks. See the Pineapple Crush Smoothies menu.
Pineapple Crush Hours
Friday, June 18–Saturday, June 19 – 9:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20 – 9:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
Panama 66, the restaurant at the Museum, presents a special pop-up menu of delectable to-go boxes, kid-friendly fare, and desserts. See the Panama 66 Art Alive pop-up menu.
Panama 66 Pop-Up Hours
Friday, June 18–Saturday, June 19 – 11:00 a.m.–8:00 p.m.
Sunday, June 20 – 11:00 a.m.–6:00 p.m.
S3 Coffee serves indulgent drinks and pastries. See the S3 Coffee menu.
S3 Coffee Hours
Friday, June 18–Sunday, June 20 – 9:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Featured Artists
Rachel Hayes
Rachel Hayes, an artist inspired by traditions of quiltmaking, sculpture, painting, Minimalism, and Land Art, creates installations that embrace light to transform space. In this version of Not Fade Away, a project she designed for The San Diego Museum of Art, Hayes stitches together several types of pliant materials — colored plastic theatrical gels, translucent organza, and opaque reflective gold lamé — to create dynamic constructions that swoop through the Sculpture Court, activating their surroundings. Colorful dapples of light play across the ground, giving the viewer a new awareness of place, time, and space. The warm color palette of this work evokes the opulence of the Museum, the epic sunsets off the coast, and the golden Oklahoma sunshine, where the artist resides.
Rachel Hayes received her BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in Fiber, and her MFA in Painting from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Award in Painting and Sculpture, Augustus Saint-Gaudens Memorial Fellowship in Sculpture, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Professional Fellowship in Sculpture, Virginia Commission for the Arts Fellowship in Sculpture, and a Charlotte Street Fund Award.
Davis McCarty
Davis McCarty’s functionally integrated architectural sculptures have been installed and exhibited at museums, iconic buildings, and art festivals around the globe including: the Wright Museum of Art, Sears Tower, Union Station, Zhou B Art Center, Burning Man, and Symbiosis. His work is held in the Illinois State Museum public collection.
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