Ponder the Art and Set Sail at the Maritime Impressions Exhibit

Experience art, learn about history, walk the ships and take a sea tour. Currently displayed at the Maritime Museum are artistic renditions of San Diego ships through the exhibit of Plein Air Painters Association of San Diego (PAPASAN).  Impressionist artists seek to express a feeling more than the exact nature of reality. Their works are colorful and vibrant in depicting the maritime existence of San Diego Bay. After visiting the museums and contemplating the art you can take a swift boat tour of the bay.

French Impressionism is a radical change from previous European art and continues today as a frontier of art exploration (Snider, 2001). The style seeks to enhance the general impressions from a scene by using unmixed primary colors and short strokes that creation reflection (1). Many of the paintings are vibrant and not in particular detail but still provide a full picture.  A feast for the eyes.

PAPASAN artists to connect through nature while offering exceptional paintings for patrons to ponder and purchase. You may see some of these paintings at http://www.papasanartists.com/.  Their mantra is “The beautiful is in nature, and it is encountered under the most diverse forms of reality. Once it is found, it belongs to art, or rather to the artist who discovers it”. - Gustave Courbet.

Perhaps you would prefer to make a few hours out of the affair and visit the rest of the museums. For $16 you can purchase a ticket and walk aboard the multiple ships in the harbor. Explore San Diego maritime culture by walking aboard vessels like the Russian Cold War B-39 Submarine, the Steam Ferry Berkeley, or the Pirates of the Caribbean star HMS Surprise.  You can review some of the ships at http://www.sdmaritime.org/the-ships/

As a bonus to your ticket you can splurge for the addition $5 to take a tour of San Diego Bay. The guided swift boat tour does the same as the larger tours in the area but at a much lower price. With the museum entrance ticket and the $5 tour pass you can enjoy the entire event with the sightseeing tour for a grand total of $21. With less than a dozen on board it is up close and personal. There are few things similar to feeling the wake of the water while your host elaborates on the history of the bay.

San Diego Maritime Museaum

1492 North Harbor Dr.
San Diego, CA 92101

http://www.sdmaritime.org/maritime-impressions/

Snider, L. (2001). A lasting impression: French painters revolutionize the art world. History Teacher, 35 (1).