Lighting up the heart of downtown San Diego, Quartyard presents an immersive light exhibition, City Lights.
Capturing the essence of urban art and local culture, the immersive experience brings a new taste of artistry to San Diego.
San Diego State University alumni Justin Navalle and Mirelle Schwalbach have brought together seven artists from around the San Diego area to transform Quartyard. The venue consists of abandoned shipping containers that have been transformed into a performance venue with graffiti artwork and a bar area.
Entering the venue you are greeted by the captivating effects of bright strobe lights that follow you with every step you take. Plenty of photo opportunities are available throughout the venue, including multiple phone booths, a swing set and even a bus stop contributing to the urban atmosphere with an imaginative twist.
Adding to the experience were the imaginative murals painted by local San Diego artists, which provided elegant and eye-catching backgrounds for visitors to appreciate.
In collaboration with El Comal in North Park, City Lights presents a dynamic menu of Mexican flavors. The menu was rich and authentic with dishes like tacos, chicken skewers, esquite and chorizo con papa. The bar menu was vast, offering traditional drinks with a Mexican twist.
The menu offered vegan and vegetarian options catering to diverse palettes and dietary restrictions. The bar menu also served alcohol and alcohol-free options with rich Mexican hot chocolate and tea.
One suggestion for improvement could be to consider offering an adult only experience, as there were a couple children who were being very loud disrupting the musical part of the experience.
It’s also a good idea for visitors to arrive early to the event, as parking on Market Street is minimal, and finding a spot can be difficult.
Looking to the future, Navalle hopes to expand Quartyard further throughout downtown and transform more vacant lots into lively hotspots showcasing San Diego art and culture.
