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Creative Communities in Coronado

An Overview of Coronado’s Creative Community

Coronado is blessed to have a vibrant, lively, and engaging arts community and the Cultural Arts Commission is proud to provide a public face for Coronado’s body of creative industries. 

Grounded in a rich cultural heritage stretching back over a century, our enchanted island enjoys and shares two resident theater groups – Coronado Playhouse Community Theater, and Lamb’s Players Theatre (San Diego County’s third largest professional theater group) offer performances year around; the Coronado School of the Arts, a nationally acclaimed, award-winning school located on the campus of Coronado High School; several fine art galleries including Arts & Frames by Wood Gallery, Art for Wildlife, Austin’s, Dan McGeorge, Emerald C, Ruby P. and C3 Gallery in the Coronado Community Center.  Music is well presented by the Coronado Community Band and the Coronado Jazz Band as well as Musica Vitale (an ensemble of professional classical singers) and two organizations provide a wide variety of free music concerts – Coronado Promenade Concerts in the Park (Summer Sunday evenings in Spreckels Park) and the Ferry Landing Concert Series (Saturday and Sunday afternoons spring to late fall).

Our Coronado Senior Association provides classes, films and quarterly musical Cabarets open to the public and the Coronado Recreation Dept. and Coronado’s Unified School District Adult Education offers a host of classes for young to old year-around. The Coronado Historical Association represents both history and art with its museum exhibitions, historic archives, and as the sponsor of the widely popular Historic Home tours (May) and Coronado ArtWalk (September). One of our crown jewels - the Coronado Public Library, offers on-going exhibitions, children’s storytelling, lectures, films, and hosts discussion groups along with the very popular series of events during their Summer Festival. Our City boasts a collection of over 45 pieces of art in public places around town stretching from Tidelands Park to the south end of the Strand – a Public Art Walking Tour brochure is available for viewing on CoronadoARTS.com or pick one up at the Coronado Visitor’s Center.

Adding to our visual bounty – any drive down Orange Street from the Ferry landing to the Hotel Del Coronado offers myriad opportunities to view and enjoy Mainstreet Ltd.’s sixteen unique and special median gardens or to tune into the buzz of downtown activity or view MotorCars on MainStreet (April) or MainStreet Goes Ghostly (October). And last but certainly not least – the Coronado Island Film Festival organization is working on plans for the second annual Coronado Film Festival slated for November 2017. CIFF will host films in our historic and exquisitely restored Village Theater and CoSA’s Performing Arts Theater along with other venues.

Beyond the obvious organizations, Coronado is also home to a number of nationally recognized award-winning authors and poets, playwrights, TV, Film, and stage directors/producers, as well as actors, musicians, composers, and filmmakers. We offer a wide and richly textured variety of visual fine artists and craftsman rounding out what Coronado presents to its residents and shares with the world. Coronado Arts Association presents a variety of visual artists at their Art in the Park (1st and 3rd Sundays in Spreckels Park). Find them all listed on Artist Profile pages of the Arts Directory on CoronadoARTS.com.

The arts in Coronado are alive, vibrant and growing. We invite you to come to take a closer look and let us share and engage you in our passion for creativity.

  • In addition to offering one of the finest libraries in the County, the City of Coronado Public Library houses a beautiful collection of historic art and their ongoing exhibitions and programming provide a variety of activities from children’s storytelling to lectures, films, and concerts. The Library also maintains a selection of holdings that are set in or feature Coronado, connect our city to the military, or were written by an author who lives or has lived in Coronado. Click here to download a pdf of the holdings. 640 Orange Avenue – Info: 619.533.7930 ~ www.coronado.ca.us/library/
     
  • The City of Coronado Recreation Dept. offers a wonderful assortment of arts-related classes on an ongoing basis as well as summer and school holiday camps for young people designed to stimulate creativity, teach new skills and provide new sources for inspiration in addition to the normal recreation services one might expect. 1845 Strand Way –Info: 619.522.7342 ~ www.coronado.ca.us/recreation
     
  • The Coronado Vintage Village Theatre is celebrating 64 years in downtown Coronado. In a combined 10-year effort between Vintage Cinemas and the City of Coronado Redevelopment Agency, the magnificently restored Village Theatres present the finest first-run feature films in three state-of-the-art auditoriums. Enjoy timeless moviegoing in Sony 4K Digital Cinema. Real 3D Presentation on selected features, Dolby Digital Sound and of course freshly popped popcorn! The theatre is available for your Special Event, Location Shoot, private Screening Event, Wedding or Birthday Party. For details on the movies of the week or how Vintage Cinemas can make your event timeless contact 619.437-6161 or www.vintagecinemas.com
  • Established in 1959 the Coronado Art Association carries forward a proud and popular tradition of Art in the Park.  The first and third Sunday of each month from 10 am to 4 pm year-round, local member artists gather to show and sell their original artwork in our beloved Spreckels Park.  Info: Gerry Lounsbury 619.435.4546 ~ www.coronadoartassn.com

  • Open to all levels, Coronado Community Band and Coronado Jazz Band foster a sense of community for those interested in instrumental music and provides opportunities to practice and grow skills through weekly sessions at the Coronado High School and public concerts in a variety of locations.  Info: Phil Imming  619.435.1299
     
  • Coronado Adult Education provides low-cost arts-related classes each season to stimulate the mind and expand creative horizons.  Info: 619.522.8911 ~ www.adulted-rop.coronado.k12.ca.us 
     
  • Coronado Historical Association wears many hats and in addition to their critically important mission of preserving and sharing Coronado’s rich history, they operate the Museum of Art and History as well as the Coronado Visitor Center both housed on Orange Avenue in Coronado’s first designated Historic Commercial building.  CHA offers ongoing exhibitions and lectures, educates Coronado school children on local history, and sponsors an annual home tour and the Coronado ArtWALK. 1100 Orange Avenue, Info: 619.435.7242 ~ www.CoronadoHistory.org
     
  • The newest non-profit arts group in our community which emerged from initial interest developed by the CAC’s Film Program area is the Coronado Island Film Festival (CIFF). CIFF is a nonprofit 501(c) 3 tax-exempt corporation whose mission is to celebrate the magical art of visual storytelling: THE MOVIES. CIFF recently held its second annual film festival in November 2017. For more information visit coronadoislandfilmfest.com or contact Founder Doug St. Denis 619.435.0413
     
  • Coronado Playhouse Community Theater is the oldest community theatre in San Diego County and has been serving the Coronado community since 1946. A local theatre has the responsibility to challenge, educate, entertain, and enrich its constituency. Further, they draw upon local creative and technical talent to give Coronado and San Diego residents’ access to experience training in the theatrical arts while offering a wide variety of shows on a year-round basis. On the bay at the Community Center. 1845 Strand Way, Info: 619.435.4856 ~ www.CoronadoPlayhouse.com
     
  • Coronado Mainstreet, Ltd. is committed to supporting and preserving one of our most basic and treasured resources – our downtown, a symbol of our community’s economic health, the local quality of life, pride, and community history.  They sponsor the median gardens on Orange and numerous events including MotorCars on MainStreet, an annual Historic Preservation Symposium during Historic Preservation Month in May, Downtown Goes Ghostly and Small Business Saturday the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The Mainstreet Board Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month in the Crown Room at City Hall at 7:45 a.m. and are open to the public.1001 B Avenue, #216, Info: 619-437-0254 ~ www.CoronadoMainStreet.com
  • Coronado Music and Arts Foundation (CMAF) presents an annual Coronado Music Festival at the Coronado Ferry Landing. The festival is free, family-friendly, and celebrates all genres of live music and art for the communities of Coronado and San Diego to enjoy. CMAF's primary goal is to showcase a free annual music and art festival in addition to continuing to offer free art programs throughout the year.  Embracing our motto "Bridging the Cultural Arts Experience" at every turn. https://www.coronadomusicfestival.com/
  • Sunday concerts in the park are signature elements of the Coronado experience where friendships and memories are made.  Coronado Promenade Concerts produces and manages the Spreckels Park summer concert series that has been a staple of Coronado life for over four decades.  Running every Sunday evening (usually a 6 pm start) from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend the series features classic Rock & Roll, Blues, Jazz, Military and Concert bands, and enough Swing to keep our “dancers” happy. www.CoronadoConcert.com
     
  • The nationally acclaimed and award-winning Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA) is a public arts conservatory pre-professional arts program that reaches out to talented grade 9 -12 students in San Diego County.  CoSA is the place for aspiring young artists to immerse themselves in an afternoon of classes in one of six performing or visual arts conservatories: Classical and Contemporary Dance, Digital Media and Filmmaking, Instrumental Music, Musical Theatre & Drama, Technical Theatre and Visual Arts. 650 D. Avenue, Info: 619.522.4050 ~ www.cosasandiego.com
     
  • The Coronado Senior Association is bustling with activity on a daily basis and with a motto that states: A complete and full life for seniors, they offer a meeting place for persons fifty years of age and older. The center offers a variety of programs, trips, special events, activities and classes at low-cost or free.  1019 Seventh Street, Info: 619.435.2616 ~ coronadoseniorcenter.org
     
  • Now in its 41st year, Lamb’s Players Theater sets out a varied theatrical menu each annual 5-play season (Feb. through November) offering musical, drama, comedy and adventurous premieres in their 350-seat resident theater in the historic Spreckels building followed by their annual An American Christmas. 1142 Orange Avenue, Info: 619.437.0600  ~ www.LambsPlayers.org  
     
  • Musica Vitale is a professional ensemble presenting a cappella chamber works of Western European and Slavic origin from the 19th and 20th centuries.  Info: Jantina Perry 619.424.5890 ~ www.musicavitale.com