Your Guide to the Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA)
From photography to film and community art, there is much to explore at the Museum of Photographic Art at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA). Find exhibition listings, gallery locations, and Museum guidelines below. Plus, check out the MOPA@SDMA Store when visiting to bring home your own work of art.
Download the SDMA App to learn more about the works in the MOPA@SDMA galleries, as well as insights on what is on view at The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA), the public art in the Plaza de Panama, and sculptures in the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden. Hear fascinating stories behind the art, artists, and styles through curator-led videos and custom audio tours.
Now On View
MOPA@SDMA Atrium / Shifting Visions: Photographs from the Collection of Ken and Jacki Widder (On view through January 25, 2026)
Schwartz Gallery / Mirae kh RHEE: Constellations (On view through January 4, 2026)
Nash Gallery / Shifting Visions: Photographs from the Collection of Ken and Jacki Widder (On view through January 25, 2026)
Vahe Guzelimian Gallery / Shifting Visions: Photographs from the Collection of Ken and Jacki Widder (On view through January 25, 2026)
Diane Dammeyer Gallery / Conversations in Art: Dignity (On view through January 4, 2026)
Museum Guidelines
Whether you’re a first-time museum visitor, a regular museumgoer, or a lifelong photography lover, we welcome you and thank you for visiting. Please be aware of our museum guidelines, which are designed to make your visit enjoyable.
We are a bilingual museum and you will find all our exhibition texts in English and Spanish.
MOPA@SDMA has galleries that feature the photographic arts and more.
The Museum Is a Welcoming Shared Space
MOPA@SDMA is a welcoming space. All who share this space are expected to treat others with respect and dignity. Anyone whose conduct is disruptive, abusive, or discriminatory will be asked to adjust their behavior and may be asked to leave the premises.
Animals
Service animals that are trained to do work or perform specific tasks for the benefit of an individual with disabilities are welcome at MOPA@SDMA. For more information about service animals please visit the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) informational webpage on service animals.
Pets and emotional support animals are not permitted within the Museum.
Benches and Stools
Please enjoy the benches placed throughout the galleries.
Children Are Welcome!
The Museum is an enjoyable and fascinating place for children of all ages. Please make sure that children are always accompanied by an adult.
We want children to enjoy the galleries. We invite them to talk, laugh, and move around freely. However, running and other physical activity in which they can hurt themselves or damage the works of art are not permitted.
For groups, we request one adult for every ten children under the age of 14.
Clothing
The Museum reserves the right to restrict admission to visitors wearing certain types of clothing that could pose a danger to our works of art (e.g. ski masks, long-protruding objects, etc.)
Backpacks and Large Bags
For your comfort and the safety of the art on view, please leave larger items at home. Please note, backpacks and backpack-style child carriers must be worn on the front of the body, carried by hand like a briefcase, or left at coat check. Strollers are allowed in all gallery spaces. Thank you for keeping our works of art safe.
Eating and Drinking Are Not Allowed in the Galleries
Food and beverages, including chewing gum and bottled water, are not allowed in the galleries.
Photograph with Care
We encourage our visitors to share their experiences and photos with friends. For that reason, non-flash photography of objects in the Museum’s permanent collection is permitted for private use only. Photographs may not be published, sold, reproduced, transferred, distributed, or otherwise commercially exploited in any manner. Flash photography, the use of tripods, monopods, extension sticks (also known as selfie sticks), and the use of movie or video cameras are prohibited.
Please also note that photography is not permitted in special exhibitions or in areas designated “No Photography.” Please check for the “No Photography Allowed” symbol at gallery entrances, or on a work of art’s label. If you’re not sure whether photography is permitted, please ask a Museum Attendant.
The Museum reserves the right to enforce no photography rules on particularly busy days.
The Museum reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to withhold and/or withdraw permission to photograph on its premises.
Video filming and special photography projects, including engagement and wedding photography, are not permitted at the Museum unless preapproved by the Museum’s Marketing Department. These photography projects are subject to additional fees, security oversight, and 30-day lead booking process.
Contact 619.232.7931 or info@sdmart.org to inquire.
For press photography, please contact 62ABOVE at sdma@62above.com
Sketch with Pencils
Sketching in the galleries is welcomed. Visitors may use pencil, colored pencils, or crayons on sketchpads, notebooks, or drawing boards up to 15 x 17 in. Please take care not to prop materials against walls or display cases, nor spread out on the floor, and maintain a safe distance from the artworks. Ink, chalk, paint, pastels, and easels are prohibited. To arrange sketching visits for groups of ten or more please contact info@sdmart.org.
Talk About It
We encourage dialogue in the galleries, but please be courteous to others. Please limit cell phone conversations to non-gallery spaces, such as the David C. Copley Atrium, or outside. Your sticker enables you to re-enter as many times as you need during your visit.
Touching Art
It is tempting to touch a work of art. Though one touch may not seem like much, even the slightest contact can damage the surface of a painting, discolor stone, and even rust metal. A good rule is to keep a 12-inch safety zone between you and a work of art. This helps to avoid accidental touching or bumping. As it is the Museum’s responsibility to make sure works of art remain safe, we thank you for not touching on behalf of future generations of visitors. Please do not lean on walls or cases, either to write or for physical support. Feel free to sit on the benches or the floor as you look, talk, write, or draw.
Tours and Groups
If there is a tour or program in the galleries, feel free to enter the gallery, but we ask that you move around the group.
Museum Map
