Along Coronado’s Orange Avenue corridor, the window of the Night & Day Café offers more than a glimpse of its interior; it’s a stage for art.
Paintings by local artists Jody Esquer, Katie Karosich and Cathy Surgeoner Deibler turn the café’s storefront into a pop-up gallery.
This creative endeavor, spearheaded by the trio in October, celebrates the artistry of Coronado while hinting at its potential as a burgeoning art colony.
The collaboration is no coincidence. Karosich, a Carmel native and full-time painter of five years, said she sees Coronado as poised to emulate her hometown’s storied artistic legacy.
“Carmel was founded as an art colony,” she said. “There’s a network of galleries and organizations supporting artists. Coronado could be the same. The potential is here — we just need to keep pushing.”
Dubbed “Coronado Art Hub,” the popup was conceived by Esquer, Karosich and Deibler to unite the local art scene and inject beauty into underutilized spaces.
“We’re trying to do more than showcase our art,” Karosich said. “It’s about beautifying Coronado and fostering a community for artists. This display is just the start — we hope to fill more empty windows and eventually host pop-up shows and sales.”
Esquer, a longtime illustrator and painter, said the idea of the impromptu showcase was sparked after the trio noticed the empty window display at her daughter and son-in-law’s café.
“My daughter runs the café with her husband, and there was this empty window while they were planning an expansion,” she said. “Katie, Cathy and I thought, ‘Why don’t we put our paintings there?’”
The idea stuck and weekly meetings followed, evolving into an effort to promote Coronado’s artistic identity.
Where it all started
The Navy connects all three artists to Coronado in deeply personal ways.
Esquer fell in love with the island as a child when her father was stationed there, while Karosich and Deibler, both married to servicemen, have been shaped by lives of travel and military assignments that ultimately led them to call Coronado home.
Deibler said her husband’s deployment reignited a passion for art after years away from painting.
“I started painting when my first child was born,” she explained. “It was a way to escape and create while he was deployed. At the time, I hadn’t made art for nearly a decade.”
Deibler’s journey took her from science studies in Northern Ireland to working in film and TV art departments before rediscovering her love for painting.
Today, she’s known for her watercolor depictions of ocean blues and turquoises, inspired by mornings spent surfing with her husband.
“The ocean is a big part of my work,” she said. “It’s calming, and the colors I mix remind me of sailing and the sea.”
For Karosich, art has always been a lifeline.
“I didn’t excel in anything but the arts,” she admitted. “I’ve followed my passion despite the challenges of being an artist. Living abroad with my husband’s Navy career gave me the chance to hone my craft in Italy and Spain, where I immersed myself in plein air painting and photography.”
Her works in the pop-up carry a personal touch — the frames were crafted by her friend, Roberto Rossi, an Italian artisan.
“It was like Christmas,” she said. “I’d give him my paintings and let him design the frames without instructions. It was a collaborative process.”
Esquer said her artistic journey is rooted in her upbringing as a Navy kid constantly on the move.
“I used art to occupy my time when I felt lonely,” she said. “Drawing became a way to explore new places like Guam and Monterey and make them feel less foreign.”
Later, inspired by the burgeoning field of computer graphics, Esquer returned to school at Platt College San Diego at age 30 to complete her graphic design degree.
After two decades in the field, she pivoted back to traditional art, drawing inspiration from the landscapes of Monterey and Carmel, where her parents — both artists themselves — fostered her creative instincts.
Her work now spans a broad spectrum, from intricate pen-and-ink illustrations to abstract landscapes and playful Christmas cards.
“I do whatever feels right at the moment,” Esquer said. “Sometimes it’s collage, other times watercolor or acrylic. It’s like throwing a noodle at the wall and seeing what sticks.”
Karosich said her aspirations for Coronado’s art scene are grounded in her experiences growing up in art’s quiet hum in Carmel, where young artists were nurtured by organizations like the Carmel Art Association.
“High school students were given scholarships and exhibition opportunities,” she said. “That early support made all the difference.”
Across the street from her childhood home in Monterey, she often watched artist Frank Ashley, a figure both enigmatic and inspiring. Known within art circles for his evocative oil paintings — many capturing the vibrant energy of New Orleans or the thrill of horse racing — Ashley worked with singular focus.
“He was an eccentric man who was interesting to me,” Katie said. “He painted all the time and made me realize that you can make a living at being just an artist.”
All ships rise in a high tide
Now, she hopes Coronado artists will band together.
“All ships rise in a high tide,” she said. “There’s great art here, but the challenge is getting the word out. If we unite, we can promote not just individual artists, but Coronado as an artistic destination.”
Esquer said she envisions empty windows across Coronado transformed into vibrant displays, providing opportunities for both established and emerging artists, especially students from the Coronado School of the Arts (CoSA).
Esquer said CoSA supports the idea of incorporating an art installation in the café expansion, involving students in the process.
“They [CoSA] plan to create a working model to determine the logistics and the types of paintings that will be included in the exhibit,” she said.
“The value of art in a community like Coronado is enormous,” she said. “Art has always been central to civilization. It enriches our culture and helps communities thrive. I think we need to find more ways to incorporate art into our daily lives, whether through schools, public installations or temporary pop-ups like this one.”
The artists of Coronado Art Hub said that they envision a future where art becomes an integral part of the city’s identity.
Besides the Night & Day Café, Deibler has reached out to realtors and the Chamber of Commerce to display art in windows. The artists have also put their work outside the Chase Bank on Orange Avenue.
“I got lots of comments from people saying how lovely it is to have a look at the art and the publicities for the local artists,” Deibler said. “I’d love to do more of that.”
Looking ahead, she said she hopes to expand these efforts, potentially turning renovated spaces into permanent gallery venues.
“It’d be incredible to see Coronado become a hub for artists like La Jolla or Encinitas,” she said. “We need spaces where creativity can thrive and where locals and visitors can connect with the arts.”
Karosich expressed interest in using window displays to feature local artwork, offering exposure to artists and sharing a percentage of sales with the business if a piece sells.
As Esquer put it, “We’re just getting started.”
