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, including automobile tires, vehicles, and objects associated with travel, into artworks that reflect on movement, exchange, and belonging. For more than three decades, she has exhibited internationally at institutions including the British Museum, London; the Grand Palais, Paris; the Guggenheim Museum; the National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.; the Nevada Museum of Art; and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Her work is held in public collections including LACMA, the British Museum, Museo del Barrio, and the Irish Museum of Modern Art.

“San Diego and Tijuana have always shared more than a border, and Betsabeé Romero’s work makes that connection impossible to ignore,” said Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director and CEO of The San Diego Museum of Art. “We are honored to host Romero as a visiting artist and bring her vision to San Diego for a season of art, connection, and celebration.”

Betsabeé Romero Brings Ancient Fútbol to San Diego

Anchoring Romero’s San Diego-based art installations is her solo exhibition, Betsabeé Romero: Tejiendo Redes (Weaving Nets), at The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) August 10, 2026, through January 3, 2027. Drawing on her Mexican heritage and ancestral traditions, through the exhibition Romero explores fútbol as a powerful expression of migration, community, and cultural exchange, tracing connections between contemporary soccer culture and the ancient Mesoamerican ballgame, juego de pelota, revealing how sport has long served as a space for gathering, storytelling, and belonging. 

Throughout the exhibition, Romero transforms familiar symbols of the game into reflections on movement across borders and generations. For Romero, fútbol is more than a sport. It’s a shared language that travels with people, carrying traditions, histories, and identities wherever they go.

This exhibition is part of Tejiendo Redes, an ongoing public art project that brings communities together through collaboratively woven soccer nets installed across North America. Created in partnership with women weavers in Tijuana, Mexico, the project celebrates the collective spirit of the game and the enduring connections forged through migration, creativity, and play. Part of Tejiendo Redes, a soccer goal post installation by Romero was on view in front of SDMA through the end of July.

“Through Tejiendo Redes, Romero invites our community to see fútbol, and each other, in an entirely new light,” said Deidré Guevara, Director of Community Engagement. “This exhibition, Romero’s first in the region, builds on our commitment to fostering community through art.”

Exhibition Details
Betsabeé Romero: Tejiendo Redes (Weaving Nets)

• Dates: August 13, 2026 – January 3, 2027
• Location: Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA), 1649 El Prado, Casa de Balboa, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA, 92101
• Tickets: Members receive complimentary admission; Museum general admission tickets are required for nonmembers.

Community Celebration
Green Carpet: The 12th Player with Betsabeé Romero
Saturday, August 8, 2026 | 4:30 p.m.
Plaza de Panama & SDMA front steps | Free Community Event

Romero transforms the Museum’s front steps and the Plaza de Panama into a symbolic soccer field, created in collaboration with students from San Diego and Tijuana. Inspired by the FIFA World Cup, Romero’s project celebrates the “12th Player,” the communities whose support, traditions, and collective spirit give meaning to the game. Following the public artwork unveiling, guests are invited to a community picnic on the pitch and a live performance from the Museum steps. Visitors are encouraged to arrive con tu camisa puesta (“with your shirt on”), wearing a shirt representing a cause, community, or organization they support.

Día de los Muertos with Betsabeé Romero

Collaborative Installation: October 23–30, 2026 | On View: October 30–November 3, 2026
The San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego Central Library, and Casa Casillas in Chula Vista | Free Community Installation

This fall, The San Diego Museum of Art is partnering with Romero to present a series of Día de los Muertos installations celebrating memory, community, and cultural tradition across San Diego County. Drawing on her long-standing exploration of migration, collective storytelling, and public art, Romero has developed an original artistic framework for a collaborative project creating ofrendas, temporary altars for honoring the dead, that will be realized at multiple partner sites throughout the region. While united by Romero’s vision, each ofrenda will be uniquely shaped by the community in which it is created, reflecting local histories, cultural traditions, and personal stories contributed by participants.

Through artist-designed artmaking activities, community members will be invited to honor loved ones, share memories, and contribute meaningful objects and creative responses. The result will be a series of distinct installations that celebrate both the shared traditions of Día de los Muertos and the diverse voices of the communities that bring each ofrenda to life.

Romero will join the Museum community for the inauguration of the SDMA ofrenda on Sunday, November 1 at 11:00 a.m. on the Museum’s front steps. The free-to-the-community ceremony and celebration will feature live music and community remarks. Complementing the community celebration is The Taco Party, a lively gathering featuring unlimited street-style tacos, refreshing beverages, music, and a festive atmosphere, all in the Museum’s sculpture court and garden. This ticketed event is designed as a fun and welcoming celebration for all ages, bringing together great food, community, and the joyful spirit of Día de los Muertos. The Taco Party will be held in the May S. Marcy Sculpture Court and Garden from noon to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 1.

Betsabeé Romero Artist Talk

Guest Lecture Series: Betsabeé Romero in Conversation with Roxana Velásquez
Friday, October 30, 2026 | 6:00 p.m.
MOPA@SDMA Theater

Romero joins Roxana Velásquez, Maruja Baldwin Executive Director and CEO of The San Diego Museum of Art, for a conversation exploring her artistic career, multidisciplinary practice, and the themes that have shaped her work over the past three decades. Presented as part of the Museum’s Guest Lecture Series, this program provides a unique opportunity to hear directly from one of Mexico’s most celebrated contemporary artists as she discusses the role of art in fostering connection, remembrance, and belonging.

To purchase exhibition and event tickets, and for more information about MOPA@SDMA, 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 35,000 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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