18th annual UH Arts Open & Taste of University Heights

The 18th year of this combined Arts/Taste annual event will start at the Taste ticket will call, information booth located in front of the University Heights Sign, 4601 Park Blvd. Pick up a free event map to artist studios and exhibitions in businesses and restaurants along and around Park Blvd. Join the community in celebrating the culinary flavors and local libations that make UH so unique. Taste tickets are $35 in advance or $40 event day. Included with your ticket is a free chance on a big assortment of prizes held at 3:30 pm at Kairoa Brewing Co. The Taste of UH hours are Noon-3pm.UH Arts Open is a self-guided, free tour of artists’ studios. Open Studios is a chance to experience first-hand how, where, and why art is created and provides a glimpse into the life of the working artist. The UH Arts Open hours are 11-3 pm with free shuttle service for both events.

This year, renowned UH artist Mario Torero will open his art house for the event from noon-3pm. He is a co-founder of several local cultural organizations, including the Centro Cultural de la Raza, the Chicano Park Murals Outdoor Museum, and the San Diego/Tijuana artists' group United By Art (UBA). Torero has also helped organize several international artistic and cultural exchanges. Torero's work has been exhibited in the United States, Mexico, Peru, Germany, and Japan. His murals are sprinkled throughout San Diego and around the world, including the train mural right here in University Heights. It is located at the intersection of Park Blvd and El Cajon Blvd behind a building facing the Annex Building. The 100 ft x 40 ft mural was completed in 1989 with students from Roosevelt Jr. High and is titled 'Train of Wisdom' and honors Frank the Trainman who passed away that year. His artwork is in the permanent collection of the Library of Congress