Members Offered First Visits July 6-7; Free Admission For Frontline Workers and First Responders Through Labor Day SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Museum of Art will reopen its doors to the general public on Thursday, July 9, 2020, following a closure since March 14 due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. Museum members will receive early access to the Museum on July 6 and 7, 2020, beginning at 10 a.m. To ensure the health and well-being of its visitors and following the City of San Diego’s guidance, the Museum will operate at a reduced visitor capacity and has implemented new safety protocols. All staff and visitors will be required to wear face masks, follow physical distancing measures, and pass a non-invasive temperature screening to gain entry into the Museum….

Dear San Diego Museum of Art Community, The San Diego Museum of Art is committed to upholding the tenets of equality and the standards of ethical consciousness. We must be daring and unafraid when confronted by racism and the systemic destruction it causes. Such intolerable tragedies and injustices against George Floyd and countless others remind us that we must unite as a community to speak and act against prejudice in any form. We stand in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and Black communities who continue to bear the legacy of centuries-old systems of oppression. We stand in solidarity with those whose mind is open to diversity of skin, spirit, and culture. We stand in solidarity with those who choose to define humanity by collective will to improve versus divisive tactics…

Partnership continues for 13th season to bring visual and musical interpretations of art to the public SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Museum of Art is pleased to announce its partnership with Art of Elan to host an online video series featuring musical performances inspired by works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection. The concert series will kick off with its first performance on Tuesday, June 9, 2020, with a violin performance from Art of Elan Executive and Artistic Director Kate Hatmaker. Building on the 13-season partnership between the two arts organizations, the video series will feature short musical responses to works of art from the Museum’s permanent collection that are meant to inspire and uplift the community. The schedule of performances (each under 10 minutes in length),…

Art Alive COVID-19 Precautions Updated(in effect April 28-May 1, 2022) Friday, April 1, 2022 The Museum is following state and local guidelines to help protect against the spread of COVID-19. In the interest of health, safety, and providing a positive experience for all, Art Alive will again be a timed ticketed event. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative test result is no longer required for entry to Art Alive and Bloom Bash. Masks are strongly recommended inside the Museum for all visitors, including youth ages 3 and older. Please note, the following are not permitted instead of a face mask: gaiters, bandanas, scarves, ski masks, balaclavas, or masks with an exhalation valve. As COVID-19 guidelines are subject to change, visit this webpage (SDMArt.org/COVID-19-updates) the week of the event for…

Two Special Exhibitions and a Self-Portrait from the Rijksmuseum Showcase Works by One of the Greatest Painters in Art History SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Museum of Art is pleased to present the exhibition In the Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, featuring nearly 70 paintings by renowned 17th century Dutch artists whose works introduced innovative artistic and technical approaches to the art world. On view May 23, 2020, through September 7, 2020, this exhibition showcases the subjects in which Rembrandt van Rijn (1606–1669) and other Dutch masters specialized. Drawn on works from the extraordinary Rose-Marie and Eijk van Otterloo Collection and the MFA, Boston permanent collection, this exhibition brings never-before-seen paintings to the region. In the Age of Rembrandt: Dutch Paintings…

The San Diego Museum of Art’s 39th annual Art Alive exhibition, a four-day event featuring nearly 100 floral designers’ exquisite interpretations of famous works of art from the Museum, will be on view April 23 – April 26, 2020. A highly anticipated spring tradition, Art Alive is the Museum’s signature fundraiser in support of education, outreach programs and special exhibitions. Each year, Art Alive attracts more than 12,000 guests to the exhibition, which fills the galleries with a multi-sensory experience of color and scent that complements each unique piece of artwork. In addition, more than 1,500 guests attend Bloom Bash, the exclusive opening party, which expanded last year into the Plaza de Panama to accommodate a growing guest list. This year’s Bloom Bash will feature new engagement activities, 45 restaurant…

The San Diego Museum of Art is pleased to welcome Ladan Akbarnia, Ph.D., as its new Curator of South Asian and Islamic Art. Akbarnia will begin her role on October 15, 2019. Akbarnia comes to the Museum with 20 years of specialized curatorial and research experience in the arts of the Islamic world, in particular from Iran, Central Asia and India. She has worked with reputable institutions across the world, including in her most recent role as Curator and Assistant Keeper for the Islamic Collections at The British Museum in London, where she was a lead curator for the Albukhary Foundation Gallery of the Islamic World. Akbarnia previously served as Executive Director at the Iran Heritage Foundation in London and Associate Curator of Islamic Art at the Brooklyn Museum, where…

First Major Exhibition in 30 years Reexamines the Great Gilded Age Painter SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Museum of Art is pleased to present the exhibition Bouguereau & America, featuring nearly 40 paintings by the popular French academic artist William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1825–1905). On view November 9, 2019 through March 15, 2020, this exhibition reexamines the work of this long-neglected artist and allows a view unencumbered by a modernist bias.  Bouguereau & America showcases the master’s traditional use of composition, form and subject matter, bringing to life paintings of goddesses, heroes, shepherdesses and nymphs, including the beloved work The Young Shepherdess (1885), drawn from the Museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition is the first in nearly 30 years to bring together many of the artist’s most important works, including A…

The San Diego Museum of Art presents the exhibition Art & Empire: The Golden Age of Spain, featuring more than 100 outstanding works by leading artists from Spain and its global territories during the pivotal years of around 1600 to 1750.On view May 18, 2019 through Sept. 2, 2019, the exhibition showcases a wide variety of exquisite paintings, sculpture, and decorative arts produced throughout the Spanish-speaking world. This exhibition is the first in the U.S. to examine the notion of “Golden Age” beyond the shores of the Iberian Peninsula by bringing together works from Spain’s European, American, and Asian realms. “Art & Empire: The Golden Age of Spain showcases the broad scope of the Spanish empire and helps bring context to some of the international treasures within the Museum’s permanent…

SAN DIEGO, CA – The San Diego Museum of Art is pleased to announce the 38th annual Art Alive exhibition, on view April 11– April 14, 2019. As the Museum’s signature fundraiser and a highly anticipated spring tradition, the event features nearly 100 floral designers’ interpretations of famous works of art throughout the Museum, filling the galleries with a brilliant crescendo of color and scent. Art Alive has grown significantly since it launched in 1982. The four-day event welcomes more than 12,000 guests to the exhibition and 1,400 guests to Bloom Bash, the popular opening celebration. Each year, Art Alive exceeds the previous record for funds raised. This year, Bloom Bash will expand into the Plaza de Panama to accommodate a growing guest list, new activities including a Ferris wheel,…