Seven exhibitions across SDMA and MOPA@SDMA span Imperial Russian icons, five centuries of landscape painting, and an extended run of Forging a Legacy SAN DIEGO (November 12, 2026) – The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) and The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) head into 2027 with a lineup that includes an extended run of Forging a Legacy, an exhibition celebrating the Museum’s centennial and showcasing highlights of the Museum collection acquired within the past 15 years; the first solo show of work by Meghann Riepenhoff in a U.S. museum, including the public debut of a monumental grid of 48 cyanotypes commissioned by SDMA and made at Mission Beach; and new exhibitions devoted to Chicago photographer Barbara Crane and San Diego-based artist Udo…

Inaugural Museum as a Stage Performing Arts Initiative and Revitalized Guest Lecture Series Bring New, More Plentiful Immersive Experiences to Visitors SAN DIEGO (October 1, 2026) – Building on the momentum of its centennial year, The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is launching its inaugural Museum as a Stage performing arts season to pair visual and performing arts, elevating both experiences. The Museum is also revitalizing its long-running Guest Lecture Series that invites the community to connect more deeply with the Museum collection and the San Diego arts scene. Expanding Performing Arts with Museum as a Stage Museum as a Stage is SDMA’s performing arts initiative, created to reconnect the performing and visual art traditions and expand the ways audiences experience art. Presented in partnership with Camarada, Classics 4…

Internationally Acclaimed Mexican Artist Weaves Migration and Community into an Exhibition, Public Art, and Celebrations Running Through January SAN DIEGO (August 3, 2026) – In celebration of The San Diego Museum of Art Centennial, the Museum is launching a Visiting Artist program, starting by welcoming award-winning artist Betsabeé Romero as the opening visiting artist to the Museum through January 2027. The acclaimed Mexican artist, known for infusing objects with symbolism from her homeland, is bringing her unique artistic vision to San Diego through her first solo exhibition in the region, as well as a soccer-themed public art installation and event in the Balboa Park Plaza de Panama, and Día de los Muertos celebrations that will extend beyond Balboa Park. A Mexico City-based artist, Romero is known for transforming everyday materials,…

From Vogue to Buckingham Palace, the First Exhibition Dedicated to Beaton’s Fashion and Portrait Photography Opens This July at MOPA@SDMA in Balboa Park SAN DIEGO (June 11, 2026) – The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) is proud to present Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World, on view July 11, 2026, through January 10, 2027. One of the twentieth century’s most creative forces, Beaton was a photographer, fashion illustrator, Oscar-winning costume designer, social caricaturist, and writer who was prominent in the British and American creative scenes. The only West Coast venue of the touring exhibition from The National Portrait Gallery, London, it is a stunning addition to The San Diego Museum of Art’s centennial year celebrations. Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World is the first exhibition dedicated solely…

Featuring works by Picasso, Monet, Warhol and more, the exhibition reflects the depth and ambition of a museum transformed by visionary collecting and the extraordinary generosity of a community SAN DIEGO (May 2026)– The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is debuting its upcoming exhibition, Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions, on view May 21 through September 7, 2026. Drawing from the more than 14,500 works that have joined the Museum’s collection throughout the past 15 years, this selection of over 120 works is testament to the legacy the Museum is creating for San Diego. Since opening its doors in 1926 as the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego, the Museum has grown into a world-class institution, building significant collections of Renaissance and Baroque Old Masters alongside Modern…

The Museum’s Signature Annual Fundraiser is a Highlight of the Centennial, Drawing Inspiration from its Renowned Collection of Works by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec SAN DIEGO, CA (February 24, 2026) – The San Diego Museum of Art is celebrating the return of its exhilarating Art Alive springtime event from April 23-26, 2026, featuring regional floral designers showcasing arrangements interpreting approximately 80 works of art throughout the Museum. Art Alive is the Museum’s signature annual fundraiser, providing vital year-round support for the exhibitions, education, outreach and public programs for the community.  The Museum is commemorating its Centennial this year with a series of special exhibitions, including Cafés and Cabarets: The Spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrec. The theme for Art Alive 2026 draws inspiration from Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec and his vibrant, theatrical spirit of…

More than 100 Pictures from the Celebrated Mexican Photographer Showcase Her Full Career at The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) in Balboa Park SAN DIEGO, CA (February 2, 2026) – The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) is proud to announce its upcoming exhibition, Graciela Iturbide: Photographs from Colecciones Fundación Mapfre, a remarkable opportunity to see a solo exhibition of photography from the internationally recognized Mexican artist. Running from February 14 through June 7, 2026, the exhibition includes some of Iturbide’s most iconic photographs and features approximately 150 pictures by the artist. Known for capturing the daily lives of women and Indigenous peoples, Iturbide (b. 1942) has spent more than 50 years bringing a singular poetic eye…

Museum to Debut Major Exhibitions, Launch Immersive Programs, and Host Public Birthday Bash in 2026 SAN DIEGO, CA (October 28, 2025) – The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) today announced plans for its momentous 2026 Centennial, celebrating 100 years since the institution first opened its doors as the Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego on February 28, 1926. The year-long celebration will feature can’t-miss exhibitions, an all-day public birthday party, and the expansion of community-focused programming. “For a century, The San Diego Museum of Art has served as a cultural anchor, inspiring generations through the power of art,” said Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director and CEO of The San Diego Museum of Art. “Our Centennial is not just a reflection on our remarkable history, but a bold declaration…

In the wake of a prestigious award, the Museum forges a path toward its landmark renovation alongside new partnership with local firm SAN DIEGO, CA (September 19, 2025) – The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) announced today it has been chosen for the Signature Project Design Award for Museum Renovation, an accolade that recognizes the Museum’s forward-looking approach to evolving cultural institutions. Alongside this news, the Museum has announced its selection of acclaimed San Diego firm Safdie Rabines Architects to partner with the internationally renowned Foster + Partners on the planned renovation of its Balboa Park home. The Signature Project Design Awards, presented by the Design Forward Alliance as part of San Diego Design Week, spotlight San Diego’s leading design projects and their designers’ visionary contributions to the local…

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,…