The San Diego Museum of Art is marking its 100th anniversary with a special exhibition titled 'SDMA: 100 Years.' The show, curated by Lucas Perez, traces the institution's history from its origins following the 1915 Panama-California Exposition, through its founding in 1926 as the Fine Arts Gallery, to its present-day identity, featuring archival discoveries like early children's art and photographs from its time as a naval hospital during World War II.
The centennial exhibition highlights the museum's deep entanglement with the cultural and civic development of San Diego. It underscores how a community's ambition and patronage, notably from figures like Appleton and Amelia Bridges, built a lasting institution. The show matters as a reflection on the role of museums as evolving, community-authored entities, recovering lost narratives and connecting past and present audiences.