Un Mar de Colores · San Diego, CA
Free Visual Arts Workshops for San Diego Families
Kumeyaay history and living culture taught alongside visual arts — not token decoration.
Un Mar de Colores's Cultural Arts & Storytelling workshops center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast — and San Diego youth are welcome in every cohort. Quarterly workshops run throughout San Diego County in partnership with San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Junior Lifeguards, with summer artist residencies open to San Diego students via referral from San Diego Unified School District. All supplies, instruction, and exhibition opportunities are provided at no cost.
Schedule — San Diego Program Days
Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Museum trips to San Diego feel like visiting someone else's narrative — not creating your own coastal art.
- —Oral tradition and storytelling aren't in youth programs — your grandparents' coastal memories stay at the dinner table.
- —Your child is creative but art classes in San Diego cost more per session than your family can sustain monthly.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Partnerships with local galleries and museums amplify San Diego youth work publicly.
- Work returns to community — public exhibitions and screenings in San Diego, not sold to tourists.
- Latino and Chicano surf culture history centers voices commercial surf media erases.
Why We Run This Program in San Diego
San Diego is the second-largest city in California with a 30% Hispanic/Latino population and the 2nd-largest school district in the state. Our San Diego programming spans La Jolla Shores, Tourmaline Surfing Park, Mission Beach, and OB Pier, serving San Diego Unified's 98,000 students — with particular focus on Title I middle and high schools in PB, Mission Bay, and Point Loma.
- Population
- 1,386,932
- BIPOC residents
- 55%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 30%
- Distance to beach
- Coastal
Cultural Arts & Storytelling in San Diego — What You Should Know
Free cultural arts for San Diego Title I students often connect through San Diego Unified School District referrals and Ocean Stewards after-school integration.
Coastal storytelling workshops for San Diego families integrate oral tradition, Kumeyaay living culture, and barrio poetry — narratives commercial surf media erases for communities where 55% of residents are BIPOC.
Why San Diego Matters to Our Mission
San Diego sits inside San Diego County's coastal equity gap — 55% of residents identify as BIPOC, yet beach access has historically been gated by cost, transportation, and culture. Un Mar de Colores closes that gap with free programming and school-based recruitment.
Cross-border watershed work matters to San Diego because Tijuana River pollution and coastal health don't stop at a border fence. Our education modules name that reality honestly.
Local San Diego Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 5+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- San Diego Unified School District
- •Kate Sessions Elementary
- •Mission Beach Elementary
- •Pacific Beach Middle
- •Mission Bay High
- •Point Loma High
Community partners
- ◆San Diego Unified School District
- ◆San Diego Junior Lifeguards
- ◆Scripps Institution of Oceanography
- ◆San Diego Public Library
- ◆Mission Bay Aquatic Center
Program Curriculum
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.
- →Coastal storytelling and oral tradition
- →Kumeyaay history and living culture
- →Latino and Chicano surf culture history
- →Visual arts (painting, mural, photography)
- →Poetry and spoken word
- →Film and documentary-making
What's Included — Free for Every San Diego Youth
- ✓All art supplies provided
- ✓Guest-artist workshops
- ✓Exhibition and publication opportunities
- ✓Bilingual instruction
- ✓Culturally grounded curriculum
- ✓Partnership with local galleries and museums
Why Un Mar de Colores
Since 2018, Un Mar de Colores has served thousands of youth across San Diego County and the Cali-Baja region — with funding from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors keeping every program 100% free.
What our community says
“"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."”
Frequently Asked Questions — Cultural Arts & Storytelling in San Diego
What are summer artist residencies?+
Immersive multi-day residencies with professional BIPOC guest artists — deeper creation than single quarterly workshops. Free for San Diego youth including supplies, mentorship, and exhibition output. Commercial residencies often charge tuition.
What art forms are included?+
Coastal storytelling and oral tradition, Kumeyaay history and living culture, Latino and Chicano surf culture history, visual arts (painting, mural, photography), poetry and spoken word, and film and documentary-making. San Diego cohorts rotate through forms across quarterly workshops.
How often do workshops run near San Diego?+
Quarterly workshops across San Diego plus summer artist residencies. Check our calendar for the next San Diego-accessible session — some events occur near La Jolla Shores and Tourmaline, others at partner community sites.
Are cultural arts & storytelling in San Diego really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in San Diego are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No San Diego family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do cultural arts & storytelling happen in San Diego?+
Primary water sessions run at La Jolla Shores. Classroom components happen at San Diego Unified School District and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
What ages can enroll in San Diego?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In San Diego specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle and 2 other Title I schools. Cohorts are age-appropriate (One Ocean for 6–12, Ocean Stewards for 13–17).
Does my child need to know how to swim before starting?+
No. We begin every cohort with ocean-safety fundamentals in chest-deep whitewater at La Jolla Shores, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In San Diego, we also run pre-cohort pool-familiarization sessions at local community pools for students who request extra comfort-building.
Are lessons taught in Spanish in San Diego?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in San Diego, where 30% 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.
How is Un Mar de Colores different from other cultural arts & storytelling in San Diego?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most San Diego surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 55%-BIPOC San Diego 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 San Diego, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my San Diego child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Kate Sessions Elementary, Mission Beach Elementary, Pacific Beach Middle and referrals from San Diego Unified School District and San Diego Junior Lifeguards. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Join hundreds of San Diego families who trust Un Mar de Colores for free ocean programming. Enroll today.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for San Diego 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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