Explore La Jolla’s outdoor gallery during its Growing Together cultural series

LA JOLLA – The second in a series of six free family and youth-focused community events designed to unite La Jolla’s major cultural institutions is set for early May.

The series, known as “Growing Together,” will take place Sunday, May 3, from noon to 2 p.m. and is being hosted by La Jolla Historical Society.

The Historical Society is collaborating during the year-long series with the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, and Murals of La Jolla.

The cultural series, which debuted March 8, will continue to feature collaborative programs throughout the year inviting families and teens to engage with art and history in meaningful ways.

On May 3, the event invites families to explore La Jolla’s outdoor gallery through a self-guided mini-murals tour featuring 3-4 murals via QR code. It comes complete with a downloadable map, a scavenger hunt, and music at some of the stops.

Each mural location will include a mural-inspired drawing activity and interactive “passport stamps” so children can track their progress.

Families can also enjoy an artist-guided workshop with Space Maker artist Kaori Fukuyama, a San Diego-based multidisciplinary artist working across site-specific installation, sculpture, and painting. A double-sided large canvas will invite attendees to contribute to a collaborative mural, creating a lasting community artwork commemorating the day.

At the Historical Society on May 3, guests can enjoy shaded, hands-on activity tables inspired by the murals. Also, Songs4Smiles, a student-run nonprofit from the San Diego Youth Symphony, will provide live music to eventgoers. Lawn games and tacos for purchase round out a fun, creative afternoon designed to connect families with art, place, and each other.

Lauren Lockhart, La Jolla Historical Society’s executive director, noted this year’s inaugural March 8 installment of Growing Together was impressive, with more than 250 guests.

“We had visitors ages 2 to 92,” she said. “We love to see inter-generational audiences enjoying our space and taking advantage of our free programming. We can’t wait to do it again.”

Lockhart said that the overarching purpose of Growing Together is for cultural institutions to integrate more into the community.

“One of the goals more broadly is to increase awareness that La Jolla is a wonderful destination for arts and cultural programming. We want to lift up the work that all of us (cultural institutions) are doing.”

It is believed Growing Together will “amplify the work we’re doing serving a wider audience and raising awareness through San Diego and beyond” of all the cultural and historical resources offered in La Jolla, pointed out Lockhart.

Looking ahead, Lockhart said the third installment of Growing Together, in collaboration with Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, titled Teen Art Fridays, will be June 5 from 4-6 p.m. Hosted at the Athenaeum at 1008 Wall St., teen art is a free after-school program for middle and high school students.

The event will offer guided, hands-on art experiences encouraging creative exploration, connection, and engagement with La Jolla’s cultural landscape.

Growing Together, which is being tested this year, could become an annual community event series.

“Our hope is that, this pilot year for the series, which has already had great success, will be held on an annual basis and that we will be able to find new (cultural) partners,” said Lockhart.

She added that this event comes during a challenging time when funding for arts and culture from the city is at risk.