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SAN DIEGO—The month of May marks the return of the San Diego Museum of Art's most anticipated springtime tradition: Art Alive. Celebrating its 24th year, the event will present the work of more than 100 floral designers, including the internationally renowned René van Rems, who has accepted the challenge of adorning the Museum's entire rotunda.

SDMA's major presentation of Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits (closing June 12) will continue to generate a wide variety of related events throughout the months of May and June, including lectures, gallery talks, and a free Family Festival. In addition, SDMA will unveil the next exhibition in the critically acclaimed Contemporary Links series on June 4 when Sandow Birk responds to lithographs by George Wesley Bellows in the Museum's collection with his own signature brand of social satire in a suite titled The Leading Causes of Death in America.

This spring also brings two remarkable pianists to SDMA's Copley Auditorium. Local phenom Eldar Djingarov returns to the Jazz in the Park stage on May 4, and later that same week, on May 6, one of the world's leading interpreters of Beethoven, John Lill, makes his SDMA debut in collaboration with Mainly Mozart.

For more information on the Museum's performances and lectures, call (619) 696-1966. To purchase tickets, please call Ticketmaster at (619) 220-8497. Museum members receive the discounted price for each of the events listed. Programs and artists are subject to change.

Museum hours
Tuesday-Wednesday, Friday-Sunday: 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.;
Thursday: 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.

Admission to the galleries
Adult, $9; Senior (65+), Young Adult (18-24), Military and Student with ID, $7; Youth (6-17), $4; 5 and under free. See below for Art Alive exhibition admission prices.

Gallery tours
The Museum's docents offer free public tours of the galleries on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 11:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., and on Fridays and Sundays at 1:00 and 2:00 p.m.

SDMA offers free admission for school groups and youth organizations with advance reservations. Call the education department at (619) 231-1996 for more information.

Water's Café @ SDMA
Open Tuesday-Friday, 11:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Reservations are not required. For more information, call the café at (619) 237-0675.

EXHIBITIONS

Opening

Art Alive 2005
May 13-15, 2005
Museum visitors will once again experience the vibrant energy of over 100 fresh floral interpretations of works in SDMA's renowned collections displayed throughout the galleries. A highlight of this year's Art Alive extravaganza will be the dazzling floral design work by the internationally recognized ambassador of the floral industry, René van Rems, in the Museum's historic rotunda. As SDMA's premier fundraising event, revenue from Art Alive supports many important facets of the Museum's mission, including educational outreach and conservation of the collections.

Art Alive exhibition hours: May 13 (Friday): 10:00 a.m.-9:00 p.m.; May 14 (Saturday) and May 15 (Sunday): 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.

Art Alive admission prices: Adult $12; Senior (65+), Young Adult (18-24), and Military and Student with ID $10; Youth (6-17) $5; SDMA members and children five and under are admitted free.

Contemporary Links 3: Sandow Birk—The Leading Causes of Death in America
June 4-August 14, 2005
The third installment of the San Diego Museum of Art's Contemporary Links series will present ten commissioned lithographs by the famed West Coast artist, Sandow Birk. Collectively titled The Leading Causes of Death in America, Birk's project will be based on prints by the 20th-century American artist George Wesley Bellows from SDMA's extensive collection. For more than ten years, Birk, who is currently based in Long Beach, California, has been referencing some of Western art history's most recognizable works to create poignant satires of contemporary American life. He is known for his astute, yet humorous social commentary on topics ranging from consumerism to popular culture.

Continuing/Closing

Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits
April 16-June 12, 2005
Retratos marks the very first time a comprehensive exhibition of Latin American portraiture has ever been assembled for a U.S. tour. The exhibition demonstrates the depth and breadth of this important tradition across a variety of cultures from North, Central, and South America as well as the Caribbean. Comprised of 114 works in different media, the exhibition explores the meaning of this art form for the many societies represented, featuring examples by the ancient Moche of Peru, the Maya of Mexico, artists working under Spanish rule during Mexico's Viceregal period, and artists of the modern era like Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, and Fernando Botero.

Young Art 2005: Portraits/Retratos
April 23-June 5, 2005
Budding artists from all over San Diego will have a chance to display their talents in the San Diego Museum of Art's biennial exhibition of K-12 student artwork. Drawn from San Diego City and County public and private schools, the works chosen for this exhibition will focus on the art of portraiture in all media. This year's Young Art exhibition is presented in conjunction with Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits.

Origins of Mughal Painting
March 26-August 28, 2005
Mughal painting is one of the most celebrated of all Indian painting styles. At its height between 1556 and 1658, artists of the Mughal court workshop created pictures that are unique in their combined attributes of naturalism, stylization, and internal vigor. The depth and breadth of the San Diego Museum of Art's renowned Binney Collection makes possible this new installation of approximately 16 images that examines one of the lingering mysteries in the history of Indian art: how such a distinctive and sophisticated style as that of the imperial Mughals arose so quickly.

Continuing with Changes

Human Presence: Works from the Museum's Collection
December 4, 2004-July 17, 2005 (Re-installation of works on paper opens April 30)
This two-part exhibition of the Museum's contemporary collection examines the role of the human body in art, both as subject matter and as an instrument of perception, to express shifting notions of the self. Part I: The Singular Body joins a selection of three-dimensional sculptures of the human body and animal forms in the galleries with works on view in SDMA's sculpture garden and court. A re-installation of works on paper in Part II: Through the Geometry of Color, opening April 30, will explore how abstract artists have manipulated color, line, and form to induce an unconscious psychological reaction in the viewer.

Tastes in Asian Art
November 6, 2004-November 6, 2005 (Closed May 17-27 for re-installation of new objects)
View some of the most significant works in SDMA's extensive Asian collection in this fresh thematic display in the Asian Court that highlights the diverse tastes of different social groups. From May 17 through 27, the exhibition will be temporarily closed for a re-installation of approximately 45 new pieces. Among the objects added to the display will be a selection of arts from the Islamic world, a newly restored bodhisattva head from Pakistan dating to the 1st century, and 20th-century Japanese prints.

Line and Color in European Painting
October 23, 2004-September 4, 2005 (Closed June 14-17 for re-installation)
The current installation of the Museum's collection of 19th through early 20th-century European art explores the two predominant approaches to pictorial representation that guided, and often divided, artists throughout the century: one that focused on color and another that relied upon line. The exhibition surveys the major European trends of the era including academic art, Romanticism, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Cubism, and German Expressionism.
Note that this exhibition will temporarily close on June 14 and reopen in a new gallery space on June 18.

MAY EVENTS CALENDAR

May 4, Wednesday
5:30 p.m.
CONCERT Jazz in the Park: Eldar Djangirov Trio
Back by popular demand, the Museum is proud to announce the return engagement of 18-year-old piano phenom, Eldar Djangirov. Celebrating the release of his new Sony Music CD, Eldar has been performing worldwide, including a concert this year at the White House. The Los Angeles Times writes, "He is truly a virtuosic musical prodigy."
$14/$17, James S. Copley Auditorium

May 6, Friday
10:00 a.m.
LECTURE "New Directions in American Art"
Frances Pohl, Ph.D., professor of art history, Pomona College, discusses her recently published textbook Framing America: A Social History of American Art, which re-thinks earlier presentations of the history of American art.
$10, James S. Copley Auditorium

8:00 p.m.
CONCERT Chamber Music at the Museum: John Lill, piano
Pianist John Lill makes his SDMA debut with a program of Mozart, Beethoven, Brahms, and Prokofiev. Lill's career has taken him to over 50 countries, both as recitalist and soloist with the world's greatest orchestras. His extensive repertoire includes over 70 concertos, and he is acclaimed as a leading interpreter of Beethoven. His recordings can be found on numerous labels including Deutsche Grammophon and EMI.
$30/$28 keyboard side; $20/$18 general admission; $10 with student ID; James S. Copley Auditorium

May 13, Friday
11:00 a.m.
ART ALIVE EVENT Floral Demonstration with Kim Morrill
With more than 30 years in the floral industry, Kim Morrill, AIFD, is inspired by the mood and sentiment of the flower. Her articles and design work have been featured in Elle Décor and Metropolitan Home magazines.
$40, James S. Copley Auditorium

May 19, Thursday
6:00 p.m.
GALLERY TALK "Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits"
Steven Kern, SDMA's curator of European art, takes visitors on a tour of Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits. Part of the Insight Gallery Talk series.
Free with museum admission, meet in rotunda

7:00 p.m.
FILM Frida (2002, R)
In conjunction with Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits, the San Diego Museum of Art presents the Academy Award-winning Julie Taymor film based on the life of artists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera. From her complex and enduring relationship with her mentor and husband, Rivera, to her illicit and controversial affair with Leon Trotsky, Frida Kahlo lived a bold and uncompromising life as a political, artistic, and sexual revolutionary.
$6/$8, James S. Copley Auditorium

May 20, Friday
10:00 a.m.
LECTURE: "Presence and Representation in Latin American Portraiture"
Jeanette Favrot Peterson, Ph.D., professor of art history, U.C. Santa Barbara, explains how the rich tradition of portraiture in Latin America provides fascinating records of the major cultural values and political tensions in the region through the Pre-Columbian, colonial, and the modern periods. (Note: this lecture was originally scheduled for May 13.)
$10, James S. Copley Auditorium

May 22, Sunday
2:00 p.m.
GALLERY TALK "Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits"
See description for May 19.
Free with museum admission, meet in rotunda

2:00 p.m.
CONCERT Old Masters of Music and Art Cappella Gloriana
Vocal ensemble Cappella Gloriana, directed by Virginia Sublett and Stephen Sturk, pays tribute to Thomas Tallis on the Quincentenary of his birth.
Free with museum admission, Hibben Gallery

3:00 p.m.
LECTURE "The Face of a Nation: Portraits, History, and Still Lives in 19th-Century Mexico" by Dr. Stacie Widdifield
A professor of art history at the University of Arizona, Dr. Widdifield is a widely published specialist on 19th-century Mexican art and has authored the book The Embodiment of the National in Late Nineteenth-Century Mexican Painting. Presented by the Museum's Latin American Arts Committee.
Free with museum admission, James S. Copley Auditorium

May 25, Wednesday
7:00 p.m.
FILM Not-So-Silent Film Festival: Carmen (1915)
The Teeny-Tiny Pit Orchestra for Silent Films led by Scott Paulson provides the lively musical accompaniment and sound effects to Cecil B. DeMille's early film version of Bizet's famous opera. The film tells the story of a cigarette girl and a Spanish officer caught up in a love triangle that leads to murder and disgrace. A live opera singer will accompany the pit's performance of Bizet's romantic score.
$5/$7 ($4 children), James S. Copley Auditorium

May 26, Thursday
2:00 p.m.
GALLERY TALK "Retratos: 2,000 años de retratos latinoamericanos"
Karin Homberg, an SDMA education staff member and native Spanish speaker, will lead a tour of the Retratos exhibition in Spanish.
Free with museum admission, meet in rotunda

7:00 p.m.
CONCERT Theme & Variations: The Asian Collection featuring Taiko Honpo Kaburaya
The four-part concert/lecture series concludes with a look at SDMA's extensive Asian collection and a live performance by the Taiko Honpo Kaburaya drum troupe from Hiroshima. The troupe began in 1997 and is comprised of 11 energetic musicians who play a variety of instruments, including large drums and wooden flutes, as well as sing and dance. The troupe takes a contemporary spin on the traditional Japanese art form of taiko drumming.
$12/$15 ($7.50 with student ID), James S. Copley Auditorium

JUNE EVENTS CALENDAR

June 1, Wednesday
5:30 p.m.
CONCERT Jazz in the Park: Shelly Berg/Frank Potenza Quartet, featuring Carmen Bradford
Top Los Angeles jazz artists, guitarist Frank Potenza and pianist Shelly Berg, take the stage to perform jazz classics and originals from their new Azica Records release. Joining the quartet, also from Los Angeles, will be renowned jazz vocalist Carmen Bradford who has performed or recorded with Lou Rawls, Lena Horne, and Tony Bennett.
$14/$17, James S. Copley Auditorium

June 3, Friday
6:00 p.m.
LECTURE "Mexican Masks as Retratos: Representation and Meaning in Mexican Folk Drama" by Dr. Janet Brody Esser
Dr. Janet Brody Esser is professor emeritus at San Diego State University. She will present material from her many years of research in a village in Mexico, addressing the meaning and use of Mexican masks. Light refreshments will be served.
$10/$12 ($8 students with ID), James S. Copley Auditorium

June 5, Sunday
Noon to 4:00 p.m.
FAMILY FESTIVAL: The Faces of Latin America
SDMA's major spring exhibition, Retratos: 2,000 Years of Latin American Portraits provides the backdrop for this fun and lively family fiesta! Kids of all ages can practice a variety of techniques for portrait making, inspired by the great masters of portraiture on view in the galleries. Mariachis and traditional folk dances of Latin America will help set the mood, and free gallery tours of the Retratos exhibition will be given in both English and Spanish.
Free

June 9, Thursday
6:00 p.m.
GALLERY TALK "Origins of Mughal Painting"
Cornelia Feye, SDMA's manager of docent programs, explores the newest installation of Indian paintings from the Binney Collection. Part of the Insight Gallery Talk series.
Free with admission, meet in rotunda

June 12, Thursday
2:00 p.m.
GALLERY TALK "Origins of Mughal Painting"
See description for June 9.
Free with admission, meet in rotunda

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