San Diego, CA. (April 2024) – The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) is pleased to welcome three new photography exhibitions this spring: Picture This: Recent Acquisitions, Storyteller: Work by Holly Roberts, and The Artist Speaks: Cara Romero. Learn more about the individual exhibitions below. Picture This: Recent Acquisitions (open now through August 4, 2024)The works on view have been selected from over a thousand photographs received as gifts to the Museum of Photographic Arts and The San Diego Museum of Art collections in the last three years, culminating with the merger of the Museum of Photographic Arts and The San Diego Museum of Art. The combined photographic arts collection now contains over fifteen thousand works spanning mediums such as photography, video, and new…

San Diego, CA. (March 2024) – The San Diego Museum of Art welcomes Kara Felt, Ph.D., as the Lawrence S. Friedman Curator of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art, starting March 27. In her new role, Felt will oversee the institution’s photography and new media collection, and related research and exhibitions for the Museum’s galleries over two sites in Balboa Park, which include those of the Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art. She will also develop and champion the Museum’s touring photographic exhibitions. The Museum’s photography collection contains approximately 15,000 works, with strengths in Modern American, European and Latin American photography, as well as contemporary photography. Highlights include in-depth holdings of work by Berenice Abbott, Lola Álvarez Bravo, Manuel Álvarez Bravo, Esther…

Celebrate art and community with floral interpretations of famous works of art inspired by the Museum’s collection SAN DIEGO, CA (February 2024) – The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is in full bloom this spring, with floral designers interpreting works of art from the Museum’s collection into vibrant floral displays from April 25–April 28, 2024. Art Alive is the Museum’s signature annual fundraiser, providing critical year-round support for exhibitions, education, and outreach programs in the community. The signature celebration brings a kaleidoscope of nearly 100 colorful floral arrangements inspired by works of art on view at SDMA. The theme for this year’s Art Alive celebrates Indian art and culture, and the event will include a special installation from the Museum’s renowned Edwin Binney 3rd collection of South Asian paintings….

Access for All grant aids efforts in reducing barriers to Museum visits, including select free admission days, added community events and accessibility offerings San Diego, CA. (January 2024) – New in 2024, The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is offering free general admission to all on the second Thursday of each month through February 2026 and extending free general admission daily to active and veteran military service members with a valid military ID, plus one guest, and all students with student ID. These admission updates are a result of the Museum being awarded an Access for All grant funded by the Art Bridges Foundation, a national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton. Through the grant, SDMA will receive $1.6 million over three years and is committed to offering…

Welcome to The San Diego Museum of Art in beautiful Balboa Park, San Diego. Compiled here are some of our top tips to help you get the most from your visit to the art museum and Balboa Park. Getting to the Museum The San Diego Museum of Art is located at 1450 El Prado in the heart of Balboa Park. Walk, bike, bus, trolley, or drive. There are countless ways to get here. The best access to the Museum is by way of Park Boulevard or the historic Cabrillo Bridge. Explore our helpful driving directions to Balboa Park and the Museum for details on how to best approach the Museum by car from the north, east, south, or west. Parking in Balboa Park is available to the public throughout the…

‘Access for All’ grants $40 million in funding to museums nationwide, aiming to reduce barriers to museum visits San Diego, CA. (October 2023) – The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is pleased to announce that it is a recipient of the ‘Access for All’ grant funded by the Art Bridges Foundation, a national arts nonprofit founded by philanthropist Alice Walton. SDMA will receive $1.6 million over three years to develop tailored programming for the local community, to launch in January 2024, including: Access for All is a $40 million nationwide initiative from Art Bridges Foundation aimed at closing access and opportunity gaps that prevent all communities from experiencing art. This $40 million in funding to 64 art museums and cultural institutions nationwide, aims to increase access to art across…

Experience Color and Its Enduring Role in Korean Art and Culture San Diego, CA. (July 2023)– The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is pleased to announce the special exhibition Korea in Color: A Legacy of Auspicious Images, which sheds light on the use of color in Korean painting—known as polychrome painting (chaesaekhwa)—and its role in Korean culture. On view from October 28, 2023, through March 3, 2024, the exhibition will make its U.S. debut at The San Diego Museum of Art after traveling from the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, Gwacheon in South Korea (MMCA). Exploring the continued influence of polychrome painting and its legacy of auspicious imagery, the exhibition will showcase contemporary works in dialogue with historical masterpieces. Fifty works of art from multiple lenders span a variety of…

These two historic institutions unite to create a dynamic cultural destination celebrating the beauty and diversity of visual arts San Diego, CA. (May 23, 2023) – The San Diego Museum of Art and The Museum of Photographic Arts announced today that they will merge to become one unified institution. This strategic merger will allow the combination of collections, resources, and expertise for the benefit of the San Diego community and beyond. The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is one of the city’s oldest and most esteemed institutions, founded in 1926 with a collection that spans over 5,000 years of art history. The San Diego Museum of Art has more than 22,000 works of art, having added thousands of photographs to its collection over the last eight years, and has…

This bequest is a transformative gift for the Museum to further position the institution’s positive impact on the community SAN DIEGO, Calif. (March 27, 2023) – The San Diego Museum of Art announced today the receipt of a $2.4 million bequest from the estate of Dr. Janet Brody Esser to acquire and display works of art by Black artists and artists of the African diaspora. In addition, the Museum has received more than 200 volumes from Dr. Esser’s library and select works of art from her personal collection, including a drawing by local artist Marianela de la Hoz and four lithographs by Luis Jiménez. Her bequest made possible the inaugural acquisition of a mixed-media work by contemporary artist Nick Cave and a recent major exhibition of work by Justin Sterling. As…

Electing a Global Studio Marks an Important Step Towards a Transformational Investment at the Museum and for San Diego San Diego, CA. (March 7, 2023) – Following a comprehensive search, The San Diego Museum of Art announces the selection of renowned international architectural firm Foster + Partners as the Design Architect for a future renovation project set to enhance the Museum’s facilities and visitor experience. These climate-conscious enhancements will make it possible to continue serving a diverse and growing community throughout Southern California and beyond. The project will begin its detailed planning phase in the coming months and is expected to break ground in 2026. Situated within Balboa Park, a historic urban cultural oasis, the Museum’s renovation plan aims to increase art display and further enrich the public’s interaction with…