San Diego Union-Tribune

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 6, 2026

‘Celebrate Black culture in a meaningful way’ at art exhibition opening June 19

Imani Camara, a 29-year-old photographer and community organizer, curated “Onyx: A Black Artist Exhibition” opening June 19 at Brokers Gallery in San Diego. The show features 22 local Black artists and runs through Aug. 2. Camara, who moved to San Diego in late 2024, began working at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego as an event sales associate in 2025, where she contributed to programming around Black art and culture. She also founded Black Women SD in 2025 to connect Black women through social and cultural gatherings. The exhibition’s title references the black stone onyx, symbolizing grounding and layered identities.

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 1, 2026

Oolong Gallery adds artist in residence this summer

Rancho Santa Fe’s Oolong Gallery has launched a new residency program to support local emerging artists, naming Carmel Valley painter John Notham as its first resident. Notham will develop his work exploring California light, transitional architecture, and cinematic Americana, with an opening reception scheduled for June 6. The residency is designed as both a studio laboratory and a public-facing dialogue, allowing viewers insight into Notham’s evolving process between realism, memory, and psychological narrative.

museum exhibitions schedule May 17, 2026

25 years later, artist David Adey continues to push the envelope

Artist David Adey is the subject of a mid-career survey, “David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies,” opening April 25 at the Oceanside Museum of Art. The 70-piece exhibition, curated by gallery owner Mark Quint in collaboration with Adey, spans 25 years of his career and includes a 2026 re-creation of his 2001 piece “The Lamb,” which features a reconstructed lamb carcass. Adey, now 53, originally created the work as a graduate student at Cranbrook Academy of Art. The show also features pieces like “Gravitational Radius” and “2,127 Rounds,” a sculpture made by firing an AR-15, Glock 34, and shotgun into cedar.

museum exhibitions schedule May 11, 2026

Exhibition at La Jolla’s Tim Bessell gallery to showcase surf-inspired art

An upcoming exhibition at Tim Bessell's surfboard shop and gallery in La Jolla will showcase surf-inspired works by a group of artists connected by their shared love of surfing and the ocean. The show, expected to open in the first week of June, features painter, sculptor, photographer, and mixed-media artists, including Joel Pessoa, Tim Bessell, Robin Bessell, Shaun Donovan, and Steve Sherman. Pessoa will display wood carvings from Portugal and paintings from his time in La Jolla, while Bessell—an internationally known surfboard maker and artist—will also exhibit his own works, alongside his wife Robin's floral mixed-media pieces and informal contributions from his daughter Natalie.

museum exhibitions schedule May 10, 2026

International Friendship Park, at the western end of the U.S.-Mexico border, is focus of new art exhibition

A new art exhibition titled “Occupy Thirdspace III: The Park” opens at San Diego’s Central Library, focusing on International Friendship Park, a state park at the western end of the U.S.-Mexico border. Co-curated by Sara Solaimani and Natalia Ventura, the show features three artist collectives—Las Comadres, Art Made Between Opposite Sides (AMBOS), and Friends of International Friendship Park—to visually tell the park’s story. The park opened in 1971 as a meeting place for families divided by the border but has been closed on the U.S. side since 2020, while remaining open on the Mexico side. The exhibition is the third installment in Solaimani’s series exploring Henri Lefebvre’s concept of “third spaces” as symbolic sites that challenge systems of power.

museum exhibitions schedule May 10, 2026

In the Curator’s Words: New Balboa Park exhibit showcases the work of LGBTQ artists

Artist RD Riccoboni curated a new exhibition titled "ArtSpectrum 2026" at Gallery 21 in Balboa Park, showcasing the work of 12 LGBTQ artists from San Diego. The show runs from May 5 through June 1, 2026, and was produced in collaboration with the Village Arts and Education Foundation and Patric Stillman of The Studio Door. Featured artists include Miguel Camacho-Padilla, Trevor Copenhaver, Tommy Diethert, Don Grant, Brian Hicks, Carole Kuck, Martin Luera, Danne Sadler, Stefan Talian, and Tim Weedlun, with works spanning painting, sculpture, ceramics, and stained glass.

article local schedule May 5, 2026

Students share their artistic talents at 2Create Gallery opening reception

The 2026 Student Art Exhibition opened at 2Create Gallery in Ramona on May 1, featuring works by local high school students. Aspen Gribbon, a 15-year-old Ramona High sophomore, displayed two sculptures titled “Log” and “Tiger in Pond,” inspired by nature and her favorite animal. Other student artists included Sydney Culton, who showed ceramic pieces and plans to pursue ultrasound technology, Simon Fogarty with his surreal painting “Breaking Out,” and Mckenzie Beaty, who painted a shrimp in acrylics. The reception brought together aspiring, amateur, and professional artists.

museum exhibitions schedule May 3, 2026

In the Curator’s Words: At Studio Door, honoring ‘The Natural World’

Laura Green and Pierre Bounaud have co-curated a new exhibition titled "The Natural World" at The Studio Door in Hillcrest, San Diego, running from May 8 through June 12. The show features paintings by Green and ceramic and glass works selected by Bounaud, all exploring humanity's complex relationship with nature. Green's impressionistic paintings focus on animals and plants from the San Diego landscape, while Bounaud emphasizes clay and glass as materials drawn from the earth. The exhibition includes works by artists such as Oscar Romo and Kathleen Kane Murrell, who address environmental themes and conservation.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 18, 2026

Anyone can say something against injustice. This group uses artwork to do that.

The exhibition "Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency" has opened at Art Produce Gallery in San Diego, featuring a group of artists who utilize their work as a tool for political and social disruption. Curated by Alessandra Moctezuma in collaboration with the nonprofit Space 4 Art, the show presents a diverse range of media aimed at addressing issues such as immigrant rights, LGBTQ+ protections, and environmental policy.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 17, 2026

Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’ ‘Giants’ art exhibition opens in La Jolla this weekend. Here are 5 things to see.

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is debuting "Giants," a major exhibition featuring over 130 works from the private collection of Kasseem "Swizz Beatz" Dean and Alicia Keys. The West Coast premiere showcases monumental paintings, sculptures, and installations by nearly 40 Black artists, including Kehinde Wiley, Mickalene Thomas, and Nick Cave. The show is organized around themes of scale and cultural impact, beginning with personal artifacts from the Deans' early careers before transitioning into significant contemporary masterpieces.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 12, 2026

In the Curator’s Words: James Hubbell and his brother Bert still united through art

The Oceanside Museum of Art has opened "Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell," a poignant exhibition curated by Brennan Hubbell, the son of James and nephew of Bert. The show explores the parallel creative lives of the two brothers, who lived on opposite sides of the Pacific for sixty years—James in San Diego and Bert in Japan—yet maintained a deep spiritual and artistic connection through letters and shared philosophies. Both artists passed away within weeks of each other in 2024, shortly after a final video call that reconnected them after a period of silence.

article news schedule Apr 11, 2026

‘Southeast Exchange’: New La Jolla mural showcases findings at Texas discount store

Artist Lizzie Zelter has installed a new large-scale mural titled "Southeast Exchange" in La Jolla, California, as part of the Murals of La Jolla public art initiative. The composition is based on the artist's observations of a discount store in Brownsville, Texas, featuring a dense array of consumer goods and reflective surfaces that explore themes of domestic arrangement and cultural artifacts. The work is designed to be read from right to left, mimicking the flow of pedestrian traffic and challenging traditional visual perspectives.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 10, 2026

The power of ‘print as protest’ in new exhibition at Chicano Park museum

Multidisciplinary artist and printmaker Irie Zepeda has curated a new group exhibition titled “Print As Protest/Grafica En Resistencia” at the Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center in San Diego. The show highlights printmaking as a vital medium for solidarity and community storytelling, drawing on Zepeda’s deep roots in Barrio Logan and their work with Por La Mano Press y Arte. The exhibition features works that position the craft of printing as a tool for visibility and collective action within marginalized communities.

museum exhibitions schedule Apr 5, 2026

In the Curator’s Words: At Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, a fusion of tradition and innovation

The Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum in San Diego has opened a new exhibition that blends traditional Japanese aesthetics with contemporary artistic innovation. The show, curated by a museum professional, features works that reinterpret classic forms and concepts through modern materials and perspectives.

article local schedule Mar 8, 2026

Quilts made by 35 fiber artists on exhibit in Poway through April 4

Thirty-five fiber artists from the Southern California/Nevada region of Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) are showcasing their work in the exhibition “Beyond the Canvas” at the Poway Center for the Performing Arts. The exhibition features a diverse range of styles, including abstract designs, landscapes, and representational pieces, all created using fabric and thread rather than traditional paint or clay. Featured artists such as Kathleen McCabe, Mary Tabar, and Kathy Piper demonstrate the versatility of the medium through works that range from hand-dyed cotton abstracts to nature-inspired imagery.

museum exhibitions schedule Jan 25, 2026

Give it a chance and you might love abstract art, too

Katie Ruiz, a textile artist and programs associate at Space 4 Art, curated the exhibition "Non-Objective Lessons" at Art Produce Gallery in San Diego, running through Feb. 12. The show features minimalist, non-objective abstract art by artists including Tom Demello and Melissa Walter, aiming to help viewers who struggle to appreciate abstract work. It is the first of seven exhibitions supported by a $200,000 Arts Ecosystem Grant from the Prebys Foundation, which funds a year of programming at Space 4 Art.

article local schedule Dec 27, 2025

Nature is the focus of Pacific Beach Library art exhibition

San Diego artist Young Min Jo is presenting his solo exhibition "Late Autumn in San Diego" at the Pacific Beach/Taylor Library’s Community Room through January 30. The free show features his impressionistic landscape paintings inspired by nature scenes from San Diego and around the world, including beaches, palm trees, harbors, and the San Diego-Coronado Bridge. A public reception will be held on January 17.

museum exhibitions schedule Dec 10, 2025

Del Mar Fairgrounds to host Banksy-themed art exhibition

“The Art of Banksy: Without Limits,” a touring exhibition dedicated to the anonymous British street artist Banksy, will open January 30 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. Featuring 200 pieces including certified originals from private collectors and replicas, the show presents prints, photographs, sculptures, murals, and video-mapping installations, along with an infinity room, a hologram installation, and a room focused on Banksy’s Ukraine-related works. The exhibition, which debuted in Istanbul in 2016, is not officially sanctioned by Banksy but serves as a tribute to his provocative, satirical art.

article local schedule Jul 17, 2025

The ‘Art Couple’ of Cardiff to showcase work at The Cali Life Gallery grand opening

The Cali Life Gallery in Cardiff, California, is holding its grand opening on July 26, featuring a joint exhibition by local artists Rosemary KimBal and Raymond Elstad for the first time. Rosemary, a Zen painting master, and Raymond, a former dance photographer turned linocut artist, met in 1987 at one of her brush painting classes and later married. The gallery, owned by artists Greg and Rachel Cali, aims to showcase local talent and California-inspired art.

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 20, 2025

Local feminist art coalition tackles censorship in current exhibition at San Diego Central Library

The Feminist Image Group (FIG), a local feminist art coalition, is opening a new exhibition titled "In the Land of…" at the San Diego Central Library on Sunday, running through Oct. 12. Originally invited to exhibit before the pandemic, the group shifted focus to address censorship after facing criticism directed at libraries and books. The show features 15 members' works in various media, including paintings, sculpture, fabric art, embroidery, and collage, confronting banned books, silenced histories, and the fight for free expression. Member Jennifer Spencer, a local photographer and painter, helped organize the exhibition and contributed an accordion-fold book piece inspired by Project 2025.

museum exhibitions schedule Jun 10, 2025

Emerging artist John Singletary featured in Oolong Gallery’s ‘Sun Goin’ Down’

Oolong Gallery in La Jolla, California, is presenting 'Sun Goin’ Down,' the first solo exhibition of painter John Singletary, a 2025 UC San Diego MFA graduate. The show features a series of haunting, symbolic paintings that explore memory, myth, and themes of death, love, and fear through techniques like sgraffito and sanding. It runs through June 25, with a special Juneteenth event planned for June 19.

article local schedule May 6, 2025

2Create Gallery in Ramona hosts opening event for Student Art Exhibit

2Create Gallery in Ramona, California, hosted an opening reception on May 2 for its annual Student Art Exhibit, featuring works by middle and high school students from the Ramona Unified School District. Students such as Aaliyah Villanueva, Red Harrell, Aro Clark, and Jaelyn Dokken displayed pieces exploring personal themes like identity, fear, and escape, using media from painted cardboard to markers and clay. The exhibit runs throughout May as part of the gallery's monthly First Friday Open Houses.

museum exhibitions schedule May 2, 2025

Never ‘too much.’ Local artist celebrates reclaiming own space and voice in Bonita exhibition

Local artist Bryttney-Mischele Salvant presents "Too Much Art for One's Soul," a solo exhibition at the Bonita Museum from May 3 to 5, with an opening night on May 3. The show features a retrospective of her work, a short film, live poetry, and interactive art, exploring her journey of reclaiming her identity after being told she was "too much" as a child. Salvant, a self-taught surreal expressionist, also teaches art classes at the museum in partnership with The Arc of San Diego and runs her Poetic Artistry business.

article local schedule Apr 8, 2025

Local art advisors launch pop up art exhibit in Rancho Santa Fe village

A pop-up art exhibition titled 'This is Now' has opened in a long-vacant storefront in Rancho Santa Fe village, curated by the Ryan Campbell Garrett Art Advisory. The show features works by notable artists including Ed Ruscha, Hugo McCloud, Lynne Drexler, and Sam Gilliam, and will run through April 25. The exhibition aims to revitalize the space and engage the local community, with a successful opening reception held on March 29.

person San Diego Union-Tribune