Spanish Village Art Center050

The Spanish Village Art Center is a small colony of working artists' studios inside Balboa Park. Built in 1934, the Village was designed to evoke a Spanish town square, and it does just that, with its pastel stucco buildings, red tile roofs, gazebo, and pathways of multi-colored flagstone.

The Village is beautifully landscaped and there are stone tables with umbrellas scattered throughout - a fine spot for lunch or refreshments that you can buy on-site or bring in from the outside. In all, the Village houses 37 art studios representing various mediums.

It's not necessarily a kid's favorite place, but our children found seeing artists and craftspeople at work in their studios quite fascinating (the glass-blower was a particular favorite!). Highlights for kids include the Sculptor's Guild garden, a charming outdoor space just large enough to house a variety of sculptural works but small enough to be interesting and digestible for those with short attention spans, and the mineral and gem displays at Gem Worker's Guild at the north end of the Village.

Many of the artists offer private and group art classes and summer camps for kids out of their studios. Mediums include ceramics, painting, beadwork, and mixed media. Contact individual artists for more information.