Hendrik Kerstens, Spout, 2011. Archival pigment print on photographic paper. Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art: Gift of the Lawrence Friedman Trust, 2021.007.007. © Hendrik Kerstens. Holly Roberts, Angry Face, 2021. Mixed media collage. © Holly Roberts, Courtesy of Holly Roberts. Cara Romero, Naomi, 2017. Archival pigment print. © Cara Romero 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 b ..read more

Kara Felt, Ph.D., Curator of Photography at The San Diego Museum of Art San Diego, CA. (March 2024) – The San Diego Museum of Art welcomes Kara Felt, Ph.D., as Curator of Photography, 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 conta ..read more

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 arrangement ..read more

 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 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 Ar ..read more

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 nor ..read more

‘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: Underwriting free admission on a designated “Access for All Day” Designing interdisciplinary a ..read more

Experience Color and Its Enduring Role in Korean Art and Culture Kim Chonghak, Metamorphosed Peony (detail), 2006. Acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist. 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 traveli ..read more

This bequest is a transformative gift for the Museum to further position the institution’s positive impact on the community Dr. Janet Brody Esser 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 f ..read more

SAN DIEGO, Calif. (January) – The San Diego Museum of Art welcomes Rachel Jans as Associate Curator of Modern & Contemporary Art beginning December 1. Jans will curate exhibitions, advise on acquisitions, and conduct research for all modern and contemporary art at the Museum. With more than 10 years of experience, she joins the institution from the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art where she served as Assistant Curator of Painting and Sculpture. “We are thrilled to welcome Rachel to The San Diego Museum of Art and believe that she will play a critical role in continuing to provide visitor ..read more

Internationally Renowned Contemporary Mexican Artist Debuts First Solo Museum Exhibition in the United States SAN DIEGO – The San Diego Museum of Art presents Sergio Hernández: Embers of Oaxaca, an exhibition by the Oaxacan contemporary artist Sergio Hernández, on view November 12, 2022 – February 12, 2023. The first solo museum exhibition in the U.S. for the artist, the showcase features more than 30 large-scale paintings and mixed-media works with motifs drawn from the iconography of Hernández’s Indigenous heritage and wonders of the natural world, including native species of southern Mexico ..read more