The arts are one of many reasons to love Living in Carlsbad CA. Moreover, the arts are a passion of mine, and one I enjoy sharing with others.
In Part 1 of this series on the arts in Carlsbad we talked about theater. Part 2 was focused on film and outdoor movies. In Part 3 the emphasis was on the music offerings.
Part 4 was about the visual arts in Carlsbad, with a focus on wall murals and sculpture.
In this final post in the series, I’ll talk about galleries and art fairs.
LIVING IN CARLSBAD – GALLERIES
The Walter D. Cannon Art Gallery is city-owned. The Gallery is located at the Dove Library complex at 1775 Dove Lane off El Camino Real. The Cannon Gallery is for display only. As a result there are no art work sales. The Gallery offers multiple shows during the year with an opening reception. Moreover, some of these are traveling exhibits with a national reputation. Lastly, admission to the Cannon Gallery is free! The photo is from an exhibit on fiber works from several years ago.
If you are interested in glass art Barrio Glassworks in Carlsbad Village is worth a visit. You can simply walk in, watch glassblowing, and enjoy their amazing glass retail gift shop and exhibit room. Additionally, they offer glassblowing classes and occasionally have special events.
There are plenty of private art galleries, too, including the Front Porch Gallery and the North Coastal Art Gallery (formerly the Carlsbad Oceanside Art League) in the Village. The Foundry Artist Studio is at the New Village Arts complex on State Street. Wander around the Village a bit and you’ll find some other galleries.
And don’t limit yourself to the Village – you’ll find some galleries outside the downtown area, too.
LIVING IN CARLSBAD – ART FAIRS
Finally, if you enjoy outdoor art fairs, Carlsbad has 4 each year to enjoy.
The Carlsbad Village Street Faire is one of the country’s largest 1-day outdoor arts and craft fairs. The fair hosts around 800 vendors and takes place in May each year. Furthermore, there is a repeat of this fair in November in time for holiday shopping. This year is the 39th annual fair. In addition to tons of artwork you’ll find plenty of food and live music.
The Art in the Village fair is in late spring or early summer each year. The date varies but the 25th fair was in 2023 on June 25th with about 100 local and regional artists. Furthermore, you’ll find performance art, interactive demonstrations, and live music, too.
ArtWalk Carlsbad takes place in September and is held on Armada Drive above the Flower Fields. There are food trucks and booths plus live music performances on 2 stages in a beautiful setting with ocean views and breezes. There are usually about 100 artists. As a result, there’s some awesome artwork in all types of media.
