Un Mar de Colores · Sunset Cliffs, CA
Cultural Arts & Storytelling for Sunset Cliffs Communities
Exhibition and publication opportunities — your child's work displayed in galleries and community spaces.
Un Mar de Colores's Cultural Arts & Storytelling workshops center Indigenous, Latino, and Chicano voices of the California coast — and Sunset Cliffs youth are welcome in every cohort. Quarterly workshops run throughout San Diego County in partnership with Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council and Point Loma Surfers Association, with summer artist residencies open to Sunset Cliffs students via referral from San Diego Unified School District. All supplies, instruction, and exhibition opportunities are provided at no cost.
Schedule — Sunset Cliffs Program Days
Quarterly workshops + summer artist residencies · Completely free
You Might Be Feeling This
- —Bilingual arts instruction is rare — most Sunset Cliffs-area workshops default to English-only artists and materials.
- —Your child is creative but art classes in Sunset Cliffs cost more per session than your family can sustain monthly.
- —You want intergenerational participation — many art workshops exclude young kids or older relatives from Sunset Cliffs.
What Changes When Youth Get in the Water
- Quarterly workshops across San Diego — consistent creative community, not one-off craft days.
- Guest-artist workshops bring professional creators who reflect Sunset Cliffs communities.
- Free means free — no supply fees, no exhibition entry costs, no residency tuition.
Why We Run This Program in Sunset Cliffs
Sunset Cliffs is an advanced-only surf zone — we do not teach beginners here. Instead, our Sunset Cliffs programming focuses on our Surf Athletic Scholarship athletes and shoreline environmental stewardship at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park, partnering with the San Diego Park & Recreation Department on tide-pool conservation days.
- Population
- 14,000
- BIPOC residents
- 34%
- Spanish-speaking households
- 15%
- Distance to beach
- Coastal
Cultural Arts & Storytelling in Sunset Cliffs — What You Should Know
Poetry and spoken word coastal workshops honor Sunset Cliffs barrio voice — ocean imagery from inland neighborhoods, immigration narratives, and Tijuana River memory.
All ages cultural arts welcome grandparents and young children from Sunset Cliffs — intergenerational oral tradition sessions preserve family coastal memory.
Why Sunset Cliffs Matters to Our Mission
Cross-border watershed work matters to Sunset Cliffs because Tijuana River pollution and coastal health don't stop at a border fence. Our education modules name that reality honestly.
From Sunset Cliffs'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.
Local Sunset Cliffs Partners & Referral Sources
In partnership with San Diego Unified School District and local community organizations, we recruit youth from 1+ Title I schools.
School district & Title I partners
- San Diego Unified School District
- •Point Loma High
Community partners
- ◆Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council
- ◆Point Loma Surfers Association
- ◆San Diego Park & Recreation Department
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 Sunset Cliffs 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
Un Mar de Colores is recognized by partners including the San Diego Foundation, Surfrider San Diego, WILDCOAST, and school districts across San Diego — not a pop-up program, a sustained movement.
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 Sunset Cliffs
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. Sunset Cliffs cohorts rotate through forms across quarterly workshops.
What are summer artist residencies?+
Immersive multi-day residencies with professional BIPOC guest artists — deeper creation than single quarterly workshops. Free for Sunset Cliffs youth including supplies, mentorship, and exhibition output. Commercial residencies often charge tuition.
How does Kumeyaay culture appear in arts programming?+
Kumeyaay elders participate in coastal storytelling and living culture modules alongside visual arts — elders as teachers, not symbols. Sunset Cliffs Indigenous and Latino youth learn cultural depth commercial surf culture erases.
Are cultural arts & storytelling in Sunset Cliffs really free?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs in Sunset Cliffs are 100% free — including 3/2mm wetsuits, soft-top surfboards, transportation from partner schools like Point Loma High, and certified bilingual instruction. Funding comes from the San Diego Foundation, community grants, and individual donors. No Sunset Cliffs family has ever paid for our programming.
Where exactly do cultural arts & storytelling happen in Sunset Cliffs?+
Primary water sessions run at Sunset Cliffs. Classroom components happen at Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council and other partner sites. All water activities happen within lifeguard-flag zones.
What ages can enroll in Sunset Cliffs?+
We serve youth ages All ages. In Sunset Cliffs specifically, our recruitment runs through San Diego Unified School District — with priority enrollment for students from Point Loma High. 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 Sunset Cliffs, supervised by instructors certified by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Lifeguard Division. Water comfort is built progressively. In Sunset Cliffs, 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 Sunset Cliffs?+
Yes. All Un Mar de Colores programs are bilingual — and in Sunset Cliffs, where 15% 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 Sunset Cliffs?+
Three ways: (1) everything is free, while most Sunset Cliffs surf programs charge $50–$150 per lesson; (2) we are BIPOC-led and our coaches reflect the 34%-BIPOC Sunset Cliffs 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 Sunset Cliffs, not just those who can afford access.
How do I sign my Sunset Cliffs child up?+
Visit our sign-up page or contact us directly. Priority enrollment goes to students of Point Loma High and referrals from Sunset Cliffs Natural Park Council and Point Loma Surfers Association. Summer cohorts fill 3–4 weeks before start, so early contact is recommended.
Ready to Get in the Water?
Support the movement or enroll your youth — Un Mar de Colores is building coastal access for Sunset Cliffs families.
All Un Mar de Colores programs are free for Sunset Cliffs 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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