Un Mar de Colores · Del Mar, CA
Guest-artist workshops bring professional BIPOC creators to Del Mar cohorts across San Diego.
Un Mar de Colores's Cultural Arts & Storytelling workshops center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast — and Del Mar youth are welcome in every cohort. Quarterly workshops run throughout San Diego County in partnership with Del Mar Foundation and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve, with summer artist residencies open to Del Mar students via referral from Del Mar Union School District. All supplies, instruction, and exhibition opportunities are provided at no cost.
Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completely free
Del Mar's 2.5-mile coastline produces some of the cleanest water and most consistent small waves in the region, protected by the San Dieguito River mouth eddies. Our 15th Street Beach lessons sit in front of Powerhouse Park, which doubles as our outdoor classroom. We partner with Del Mar Union's Del Mar Heights and Ashley Falls Elementary — serving primarily inland Del Mar Mesa and Carmel Valley neighborhoods.
Film and documentary workshops for Del Mar teens include camera access and editing mentorship — storytelling tools without elite film school fees.
With 8% Spanish-speaking households in Del Mar, bilingual arts instruction and exhibition materials are standard — not English-only gallery language.
Parents in Del Mar often ask how a nonprofit can offer everything free. Answer: San Diego Foundation grants, community donors, and partners who believe Del Mar youth belong in the lineup — same as any other kid in San Diego.
From Del Mar's Title I schools to the sand, our pipeline is built on real partnerships — not generic 'serving the area' language. Every cohort names the schools, beaches, and community orgs involved.
Un Mar's primary Del Mar location, directly in front of Powerhouse Park — which doubles as our outdoor classroom space.
15th Street sits in the heart of Del Mar Village, adjacent to Powerhouse Park, the historic 1928 beach concession building that gives the park its name.
In partnership with Del Mar Union School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 2+ Title I schools.
Cultural Arts & Storytelling at Un Mar de Colores is where the surf, the coast, and community narrative meet. Quarterly workshops and summer artist residencies bring together youth, professional artists, and Kumeyaay elders to create work that reflects the living cultural traditions of the California coast. Programs center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices historically marginalized in coastal culture, and every workshop ends with a public exhibition, publication, or film screening that returns the art to the community that made it.
Our impact is measured in youth served, school partnerships, and watershed stewardship hours — published annually in our impact reports at mar-de-colores.org.
“"He used to approach new activities with extreme anxiety — to the point where sometimes we couldn't even get out of the car. Now he goes much deeper into the water."”
Yes — film and documentary-making workshops include camera access and editing mentorship. Del Mar teens document coastal stories, environmental justice, and neighborhood memory with professional guidance.
Yes — bilingual instruction and materials in English and Spanish. In Del Mar, where 8% of households are Spanish-speaking, artists and elders deliver workshops in both languages.
Yes — 100% free. All art supplies, guest-artist instruction, bilingual materials, and exhibition opportunities are included. Commercial youth art classes in San Diego County often charge $30–$80 per session. Del Mar families pay nothing.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Del Mar are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls Elementary, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Del Mar family has ever paid for our programming.
Primary water sessions run at 15th Street Beach. Classroom components happen at Del Mar Foundation and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
We serve youth ages All ages. In Del Mar specifically, our recruitment runs through Del Mar Union School District — with priority enrollment for students from Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls Elementary. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).
No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at 15th Street Beach, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Del Mar, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at local community pools for students who request extra comfort-building.
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Del Mar, where 8% of households are Spanish-speaking, we intentionally pair at least one bilingual coach to every session. Cultural programming is delivered in both languages, and parent communications are always sent in Spanish and English.
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Del Mar surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 20%-BIPOC Del Mar community we serve; (3) our curriculum includes environmental justice, Kumeyaay coastal history, and cultural arts — not just surf skills. We exist because the ocean should belong to everyone in Del Mar, not just those who can afford access.
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Del Mar Heights Elementary, Ashley Falls Elementary and referrals from Del Mar Foundation and Torrey Pines State Natural Reserve. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Sign your Del Mar youth up today — every program is 100% free, with wetsuits, boards, and transportation included.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Del Mar youth. Reach out to enroll, volunteer, or support the movement.
Un Mar de Colores is a BIPOC-led 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Oceanside, California. We provide free surf, ocean, and environmental programming for youth across San Diego and Tijuana — bridging cultures, coasts, and communities since 2018.
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