A public memorial to honor the life of the iconic local artist, naturalist and and humanitarian James Hubbell will take place Aug. 24 at his Pearl of the Pacific park on Shelter Island in San Diego.
Hubbell’s artwork and organically inspired designs can be found in buildings and galleries throughout California and beyond, but he was best known for his other-worldly “habitable sculptures” home and art compound in Santa Ysabel that’s listed in the San Diego County Register of Historic Places. Hubbell passed away May 17 at age 92.
In 1982, Hubbell and his wife, Anne, started the Ilan-lael Foundation — a Hebrew phrase meaning “tree that is a gift from God” — with the goal of bringing art to the masses.
His masterwork was Ilan-Lael’s Pacific Rim Park project, a series of eight seaside parks built from 1994 to 2018 in cities that touch the Pacific Ocean, from San Diego’s Shelter Island to Vladivostok, Russia, to Puerto Princesa, the Philippines. The goal of the project, which Hubbell designed, supervised and built on-site with local volunteers, was to foster international peace and connection through art.
In honor of the Pacific Rim Project, the memorial will begin with a Friendship Walk symbolizing Hubbell’s commitment to celebrating the cultures of the Pacific and fostering unity among the nations surrounding the Pacific Ocean. The walk will start at Hubbell’s Pacific Portal gazebo and lead to the Pacific Rim Park. Following the walk, the community is invited to gather to honor Hubbell’s life’s works and passions. The celebration will feature music, dance, and tributes to Hubbell.
The memorial is scheduled for 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 24 at Shoreline Park, 2200 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego.
For those who cannot attend, the foundation has invited members of the public to send notes of sympathy and memories that will be shared with the Hubbell family to Ilan-Lael Foundation, P.O. Box 1221, Julian, CA 92036. For more details, visit ilanlaelfoundation.org/in-memory-of-james.
The Hubbell home and art compound, which is owned and managed by the Ilan-Lael Foundation, just finished its spring tour season and will kick off fall tours Oct. 4. Meanwhile, an exhibit of Hubbell’s work is now on display at the San Diego Central Library downtown. “Architecture of Jubilation: The Art and Vision of James Hubbell” runs through Aug. 4.
Ilan-Lael is also hosting an upcoming art tour in Tecate, Mexico, to showcase his volunteer work there. On July 14, the “James Hubbell in Baja: A Tecate Art Tour” will be a walking tour to a museum, ecological center and the Rancho La Puerta. Participants will meet at the Tecate border crossing. Tickets are $195.
For more, visit ilanlaelfoundation.org.