More than a century ago, San Diego’s Naval Training Center, often referred to as the “Cradle of the Navy,” welcomed its first recruits.
Now known as Arts District Liberty Station, the former military base is celebrating its 25th year. As part of the milestone, the district is running a fundraising initiative through May 2026 to raise $250,000 to support its programs that uplift communities across the San Diego-Tijuana region.
CEO Lisa Johnson said the arts district has come a long way from its past as a training center.
“Twenty-five years ago, you would have been in waders slogging through mud, and it's hard for people to conceptualize that,” Johnson said. “That's what it looked like (compared) to where we are today, this beautiful, thriving arts and culture district.”
The money being raised is not only for arts-related programming, but also to support its role as a state-recognized cultural district.
More than 100 acres have been dedicated to cultivating the creative district and repurposing the buildings for public use, bringing an estimated 2.1 million visitors each year, according to the organization.
So far, the site has transformed 18 of its 26 historic buildings, largely through philanthropic support. The newest building is the Joan and Irwin Jacobs Performing Arts Center, formerly Naval Building 178. It is now a freestanding live performance space with two theaters.
Katrina Bruins is the executive director of the Visions Museum of Textile Art and one of arts district's first tenants. She said the campus creates multiple entry points into the arts.
“Each of those little sectors brings a different form of community, and those grow and expand what's possible here,” Bruins said. “They really bring in new people into the arts district.”
The transformation of Liberty Station began in 1993, when the U.S. Navy announced plans to close the Naval Training Center under the Base Closure and Realignment Act. The City of San Diego entered into a lease agreement with the Navy in 1995 to ensure the property would continue to serve the public.
In 2000, the site was officially transferred to the city and renamed Liberty Station, a move aimed at
attracting residents, visitors and investment.
Johnson said the arts district still carries the same mission as the former training center — education, but with a new purpose.
“We like to say that we've returned education to a training base, just in the form of arts and culture,” Johnson said, “instead of how to make a bomb or how to run a ship.”
One of those educational opportunities is Liberty School which gives underserved youth a space to learn about arts and culture from artists at Liberty Station.
“It gives them an opportunity to express themselves in different ways,” Johnson said. “which many students don't (have) because a lot of arts programming was removed from schools a long time ago.”
Kathy Krentler is a longtime board member of Liberty Station and a Point Loma resident. She said Liberty Station honors the city’s past while shaping its present.
“We are an important part of everyone, never forgetting that we have a naval history in this town,” Krentler said,“but, we really have helped the broader arts community in San Diego grow.”
Arts District Liberty Station is also known for its free parking and its year-round 24-hour open-air gallery through its art installation program.
Another program supported by the campaign is the Emerging Artists Residency, which provides early-career artists with a rent-free studio for six months.
Eden DeLaVara completed her residency this past year. She first applied in 2024 but was not accepted. She continued to make art and reapplied in 2025, when she was selected.
“I’m no longer creating work in isolation,” DeLaVara said. “I think that makes me feel really appreciative for this space because I'm able to see the impact of my work and what I'm actually offering to the community.”
DeLaVara is the same age as the arts district and remembers visiting Liberty Station as a child, imagining what it might be like to have her own studio there.
She specializes in oil painting and recently began working in fiber arts, including quilting. She said her goal is to create a sense of belonging and inspire traditions that can be carried forward
“I see myself kind of stitched into that as someone who is aligning with wanting to be in San Diego for a long time and investing in the next generation of artists,” DeLaVara said.
A community-centered gala will be held on April 30, 2026, celebrating the artists, educators and civic leaders who helped transform Liberty Station into what it is today.
