Highlights include a major retrospective of sculptor Eduardo Chillida, a first solo US exhibition of Mexican Surrealist painter Alfredo Castañeda, and a diverse celebration of photography
SAN DIEGO, CA (September 2025) – This fall and winter, The San Diego Museum of Art is launching eight new exhibitions across its two Balboa Park locations, The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) and The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA). The compelling exhibition lineup covers a broad spectrum of artistic movements and global perspectives, from monumental Spanish sculptures and powerful photography to intricate contemporary installations and a retrospective of one of Mexico’s most prominent post-Surrealist artists. New exhibition elements including virtual reality, sound art, and interactive community spaces bring immersive art experience to the fore. Together, these shows are sure to engage audiences both local and nationwide.
Two new exhibitions open September 6 and together highlight the continuing role of the Museum in showcasing the most important artists from Mexico and their position in the larger national art landscape.
“We are thrilled to welcome our guests to an exciting season of exhibitions that showcases both the breadth of our collection and the vibrancy of Modern and Contemporary art,” states Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director and CEO of The San Diego Museum of Art. “We are bringing landmark, world-class exhibitions to San Diego, including the only US show marking the centenary of Eduardo Chillida’s birth and the largest show of his work in nearly 50 years; the first US retrospective of celebrated Mexican Surrealist artist Alfredo Castañeda; and all-new work from local artist Marianela de la Hoz that was created in collaboration with multiple Grammy Award-winning sound artist and music producer Marc Urselli. Plus, we’re sharing a celebration of photography that speaks to the role of the medium in California, both as its subject and in how it is collected. These shows are pushing boundaries and not to be missed.”
Alfredo Castañeda: Beyond Surrealism
September 6, 2025 – March 1, 2026 at SDMA
This exhibition brings together thirty-five paintings for the first United States museum retrospective of the work of Mexican artist Alfredo Castañeda. One of the most prolific champions of the Surrealist movement in Latin America, Castañeda’s work is marked by introspection, psychological investigation, whimsy, and an acutely self-aware sense of humor. Themes of family, self, identity, and journey are all at the forefront of this striking artist’s visual vocabulary. The exhibition is complemented by a full-color catalogue and an educational community gallery that reflects on the importance of sobremesa, the practice of communing together at the end of a meal. The community gallery will feature a dining table at its center and invite guests to reflect on the Castañeda exhibition and connect with others while surrounded by images and insights from the artist’s family life.
Marianela de la Hoz and Marc Urselli: Palpitations
September 6, 2025 – February 22, 2026 at SDMA
Mexican artist Marianela de la Hoz returns to SDMA in a new medium with her highly detailed and psychologically penetrating visual works, completed this year in her San Diego studio, complemented with soundscapes by Grammy Award-winning sound artist and producer Marc Urselli. The paintings, themed on the dualities of life and death, war and hope, and what it means to be human in an age of Artificial Intelligence, are created by de la Hoz on sound cones. Literally pulsating with sound vibration, the paintings each feature a visceral human heart. In perfect synchronization, the sounds carry through and animate the paintings for a multi-sensory experience. Together, the artists create an immersive environment that is both visually and aurally compelling.
More to Explore: Exhibitions On View at SDMA and MOPA@SDMA
Eduardo Chillida: Convergence
August 2, 2025 – February 8, 2026 at SDMA
This landmark exhibition celebrates the work of renowned Basque sculptor Eduardo Chillida (1924–2002) on the one-hundred-year anniversary of his birth. As the most comprehensive survey of his work in North America in nearly half a century, the exhibition encompasses the full range of the artist’s practice, including early sculptures forged from iron agricultural tools; massive wood structures made from reclaimed oak timbers; translucent alabaster carvings hollowed with light; and delicate works on paper inspired by the philosophy of Heidegger, the music of Bach, and the architecture of Louis Kahn. A highlight is an immersive virtual reality experience of his renowned site-specific installation, Comb of the Wind XV. Featuring 360-degree visuals, ambient soundscapes of the waves and wind of San Sebastián’s La Concha Bay, and a scent capturing the salty sea against Corten steel, this multi-sensory experience underscores Chillida’s commitment to materials and engaging fully with the environment.
Shifting Visions: Photographs from the Collection of Ken and Jacki Widder
August 2, 2025 – January 25, 2026 at MOPA@SDMA
Celebrating the generosity of prominent San Diegans Ken and Jacki Widder, this exhibition is drawn exclusively from their collection, as well as from the hundreds of photographic works that they have gifted to the Museum to share with the community. The selection is a microcosm of major crosscurrents in mid-twentieth-century American and European photography. Its breadth is vast, ranging from portraiture and photojournalism to architectural views, motion studies, and works that verge on abstraction. This exhibition, and its publication, explores photography’s many facets and roles within modern culture.
Mirae kh RHEE: Constellations
June 21, 2025 – January 4, 2026 at MOPA@SDMA
Berlin-based artist Mirae kh RHEE, born in Seoul, traces a personal journey through traditional Korean objects, ancient myths, and the constellations once used to chart a course through the unknown. This immersive installation explores the search for belonging within a vast universe, creating a space for reflection and reclamation, and illuminating the strength and resilience that emerge from shared experience.
Conversations in Art: Dignity
July 11, 2025 – January 4, 2026 at MOPA@SDMA
The first installment of a new initiative, Conversations in Art: Dignity invites four local artists/collaboratives—Hugo Crosthwaite, Anthony Sigala, Cat Chiu Phillips, and Shinpei Takeda/the Aja Project—to create new works inspired by the Museum’s permanent collection and works on loan to the Museum. Centered on the theme of dignity, the exhibition includes interactive elements that encourage visitors to share their own perspectives, helping to shape a collective understanding of this powerful theme.
John Gutmann & Max Yavno: California Photographers
August 9, 2025–January 11, 2026 at SDMA
Rediscover the works of John Gutmann and Max Yavno, two influential photographers who chronicled mid-20th-century California in all its grit and glory. Gutmann, who fled Nazi Germany, brought a unique European perspective to his dynamic, often disorienting portrayals of urban life. Conversely, Yavno’s more sociologically driven observations capture the prevailing spirit of California residents during the same period. Together, their approaches to photography highlight the distinctive culture of California with interconnecting and sometimes conflicting photographic styles.
A New Vision for San Diego
August 30, 2025–ongoing at SDMA
A showcase of the upcoming SDMA West Wing renovation, this exhibition features architectural models created by Foster + Partners of their concept design. While creating a more sustainable and environmentally friendly museum that respects its unique history and site within Balboa Park, the plans also increase free accessibility, expand community and education opportunities, and double display space, while safeguarding the collection for generations to come with new publicly-visible storage enabling behind-the-scenes glimpses of exhibition preparation and conservation.
Looking Ahead to 2026, the SDMA Centennial Year
On the horizon for 2026 the Museum looks forward to celebrating its centennial. In anticipation of the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego, now The San Diego Museum of Art, a series of celebrations and special exhibitions are being planned. Save the date for a community celebration on the Museum’s birthday on February 28, 2026; special collaborations and exhibitions; the announcement of the SDMA Centennial Artist Open Call selections; and more. Details to come.
For more information on The San Diego Museum of Art or to purchase tickets or membership, visit SDMArt.org.
About The San Diego Museum of Art
Providing a rich and diverse cultural experience, The San Diego Museum of Art houses some of the world’s finest art. Located in the heart of Balboa Park, the Museum’s internationally renowned collection of more than 32,000 works—dating from 3000 BC to present day—includes Spanish and Italian old masters, the Edwin Binney 3rd Collection of South Asian paintings, East Asian art, art from the Americas, Modern and Contemporary art, and the Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA). The Museum regularly features major exhibitions of art from around the world, as well as extensive cultural and community engagement programs for all ages. The San Diego Museum of Art hosts experiences that invite visitors to explore art through music, dance, film, food, and so much more. At The San Diego Museum of Art, exhibition text is always in English and Spanish.
The San Diego Museum of Art is located at 1450 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, 92101.
The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art is located at 1649 El Prado in Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, 92101.
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