Barrio Logan was named one of California’s premier state-designated cultural districts this week by the California Arts Council. Only 14 districts in the state were selected for the honor.
“This will be the platform for Barrio Logan to be on the map,” said Luis Ojeda, Community and Business Development Manager for the City of San Diego, “it wasn’t about the money, it was about the respect and recognition.”
A cultural district is considered a well-defined geographic location that has a high concentration of cultural programs and resources. The Barrio Logan Cultural District will receive a small amount of funding for two years.
“It was a really competitive process,” said Ojeda, “everybody had to pull this application together within three weeks.”
The goal now for Barrio Logan is to preserve the culture while attracting more business to the area, said Ojeda.
One of the most culturally rich areas in Barrio Logan is Chicano Park, which is located under the pillars of the San Diego-Coronado Bay Bridge. Today more than 88 murals grace the pillars at the 7.4-acre park.
“We’ve known locally about how important this park is,” said Councilmember David Alvarez (District 8), “as we’ve been sharing the story with people around the state and country I think people acknowledge that it’s very unique.”
