Then: “Hidden Leaves” was the first publication of the newly formed Ilan-Lael Foundation The first issue printed in 1984 was a forum for voices in architecture, design, art, and the preservation community who challenged San Diego to create livable cities filled with walkable streets, playgrounds, inspiring architecture, and colorful art. The magazine drew 3,000 new…
David Bardwick is the owner of David Alan Collection in Solana Beach and a long time supporter and friend of Ilan-Lael Foundation. Make sure to read the first part of our series “A Life Centered On Beauty: Part 1” What about James Hubbell and his works speaks to you? Jim and I always felt a…
Take my heart. Make it a gate. Open it wide To all the world. —JTH The presence of the Emerald Gate seems to rest in the background of my consciousness. One only partially grasps the personal journey into a new world, which often requires a painful death of parts of oneself and one’s beliefs. I…
Polished tree trunks stretch 15 feet or more toward the rafters. Kimonos hang in rows of regal splendor. Rustic jewelry glimmers from vitrines and display shelves. Ancient and new Balinese artworks crowd the floor, showing astonishing craftsmanship as well as a spiritual and devotional sensitivity rarely seen in an industrialized, tech-heavy world. Most dominant: dozens…
The Ilan Lael Foundation welcomed seven talented and established San Diego County artists to be featured in its 2024 Visiting Artist Program. Artist Fellows were invited to immerse themselves in Ilan-Lael’s unique environment and create works inspired by the beauty of the property and the Santa Ysabel landscape. Following James Hubbell’s philosophy of connecting people…
Bert Hubbell sent letters to my grandfather James and my uncles Drew, Torrey, Brennan, and Lauren for many years (Drew is my father). Not too long ago my brother Connor wrote to our great uncle that he wanted to visit someday. Bert took that to heart and held Connor to it. “When are you coming,…
James Hubbell and his brother, nicknamed Bert, shared a remarkably special connection. This spring they both left the earth within weeks of each other, reconnecting in the cosmos. They lived on opposite sides of the vast Pacific Ocean: James in Santa Ysabel and Bert and his wife Hiroko in an extraordinarily beautiful hand-built home in…
The early years… Harry Hubbell, whose family nickname was “Bert,” was James T. Hubbell’s brother. In 1952 Bert had an opportunity to travel to Africa with Charles Darwin’s great grandson, Quentin Keynes. Both young men were Darwinesque adventurers. After returning home, Bert was drafted into the Army and served until 1955 in a non-combatant role…
The Ilan Lael Foundation is proud to announce its inaugural Visiting Artist Program, honoring the visionary spirit of James Hubbell. This program invites established visual artists from the San Diego region to immerse themselves in the unique environment of Ilan-Lael. Inspired by the captivating beauty of the Santa Ysabel landscape and James Hubbell’s philosophy of…
Harvest Moon was an amazing success! The evening was alive with celebration as we gathered with friends for Ilan-Lael’s annual Harvest Moon Dinner—sipping local wines and beers, experiencing art created by some of the areas most acomplished artists, listing to poetry and live music, and feasting on a delicious pallea dinner. Low clouds obsured the…
THANK YOU FOR JOINING THE 3RD ANNUAL PRP FRIENDSHIP WALK and TRIBUTE to JAMES HUBBELL Sunny skies and a sparkling San Diego Bay welcomed more than 300 people Saturday, August 24, 2024, on a 1-mile “Friendship Walk” honoring the life and legacy of artist James Hubbell. Celebrants started at the Pacific Portal gazebo on Shelter…
We’ve lost a great friend: James T. Hubbell, a generous creative talent, and an extraordinary man. He died peacefully in Chula Vista, California, on May 17th at the age of 92 with wife Anne and family members by his side. James Hubbell was a talented artist and craftsman, a passionate naturalist, a devoted friend,…
We have been given a special gift, to live beside the magnificent Pacific Ocean, to be citizens of not only one city, but of an emerging Pacific Rim community. Born out of endless eons, the great water looked up and smiled into a blue sky. At night, it held the stars in its ever-moving arm….
James Hubbell: Architecture of Jubilation will be showing concurrently at four library locations until August 4. 2024, as part of World Capital San Diego Tijuana, 2024 When news arrived that San Diego and Tijuana would be the first binational designation in World Design Capital program history, Ilan-Lael jumped at the opportunity “to help discuss and…
While she realizes it might sound a bit clichéd, Kim Emerson is convinced that mosaic art chose her. “It wasn’t something that I had planned to do or study, but now I know that it was always there waiting for me,” she explains. A pivotal moment came in the early 1990s while working for a…
We’ve lost one of the great visionaries of organic architecture, and longtime friend of the Hubbell family, Kendrick Bangs Kellogg, architect. James and Anne Hubbell and the Kellogg families have fond memories of spending leisurely days together on the sands at Mission Beach, site of Kellogg’s first residential project. In one highlight of their long…
Charlene Penner leads me through her beautiful hand-built adobe home in Ramona, California at the base of Mt. Woodson and recounts how she joined the Ilan-Lael volunteer community. “It all began with this dragon…” she laughs, Her Radiance is actually the world’s slowest heater.” “Her Radiance” is the radiant heat system that uses solar panels…
The James Hubbell: Architecture of Jubilation opening reception at the downtown Central Library Gallery was a resounding success! We’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the incredible turnout. Hubbell enthusiasts enjoyed lively conversation, delicious refreshments, and the vibrant sounds of DJ Pablo Dodero, all while basking in the beauty of a San Diego sunset. James Hubbell: Architecture…
What a night! Harvest Moon Dinner 2023 was a sold out celebration in honor of the Foundation’s 40th anniversary and the culmination of our Summer of Love fundraising campaign. 140 people dined, danced, and connected with friends old and new at Ilan-Lael amid art, nature, and the glow of full moon. We wish to thank…
“Seeking Beauty: Selected Works from the Archive” will feature never-before-seen private artworks and ephemera that focus on the pivotal experiences in Hubbell’s youth. Discover how they shaped his unique philosophy and lifelong dedication to seeking and creating beauty. Select artworks will be available for purchase. Join us for a reception for the artist on Saturday…
Ilan-Lael’s 40th anniversary this year coincides with 40 years since the passing of San Diego’s famed mid-century modern architect, Sim Bruce Richards. “Bruce,” as most addressed him, was the close friend, benefactor, and colleague of James Hubbell from the 1950s to the early 1980s. James contributed architectural elements, sculptures, carvings, lamp fixtures, and art glass…