Sparks Gallery

On our list of the best activities in San Diego.

The Sterling Hardware Building in the Gaslamp Quarter now holds contemporary art instead of the tools it once sold, its brick walls and iron details serving as backdrop for paintings, sculpture and jewelry made by Southern California artists. Sonya Sparks has owned and run the gallery for more than a decade, mounting shows that range from solo exhibitions to group shows built around a theme. The gallery also rents out as an event space, alongside its regular schedule of exhibitions.