Arts and Museums
San Diego International Airport (SAN) presented Espacios & Lines, a temporary art exhibition that showcases the culture of our shared binational region of 7.1 million people. This exhibition, premiered in March, explores the border of art and design follows the World Design Organization’s (WDO) joint designation of San Diego and Tijuana as the World Design Capital 2024 (WDC). Espacios & Lines features the work of 16 local artists, half of whom work binationally, five who fully reside in Baja California. Their work addresses the region’s shared symbolism, unseen vantage points, reimagined lines, design as necessity, design as reconstruction, and more.
The Museum of Photographic Arts at The San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA@SDMA) welcomed three new exhibitions this spring. Picture This: Recent Acquisitions, open now through August 4, showcases a variety of important themes and genres, including Portraiture, Abstraction/Manipulation, and Modernism. Storyteller: Work by Holly Roberts, open now through August 18, is a symbolic reflection of Robert’s life and the imperfections in the world around her. The Artist Speaks: Cara Romero, open April 27 – October 20, features the work of Cara Romero, an enrolled citizen of the Chemehuevi Indian Tribe, who was raised between the contrasting settings of the reservation in the Mojave Desert, California, and the urban sprawl of Houston, Texas. She draws inspiration from her individual identity and employs a distinct approach to representing cultural memory, history, and lived experiences.
Comic-Con Museum will open three upcoming exhibits featuring the famous Betty Boop, award-winning comic creator and Afrofuturist John Jennings, and a bi-national exhibition as a participating World Design Capital San Diego Tijuana 2024 community initiative. Scheduled to open to the public in May and June, these exhibits are all world premieres and original to the Museum. Exhibits include “Becoming Betty Boop,” an exclusive exhibit showcasing the history and evolution of the iconic cartoon character, “Border Blitz: Artistas del Cómic de Tijuana,” featuring the art of Charles Glaubitz, Alejandra Yépiz Portillo, and Urbano Mata, the exhibit will highlight the diverse stories and perspectives of these border artists as told through their art and “Collaboration(s)! A Journey with John Jennings,” that will explore the many graphic novel and comic art collaborations in the world of John Jennings.
The 2024 Mainly Mozart All-Star Orchestra Festival returns June 20-29 to two La Jolla venues where it first held performances in 2023: the UC San Diego Epstein Family Amphitheater and The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center. The festival is the largest gathering of concertmasters and principal players from the nation’s top orchestras, who come together in San Diego every summer to form one remarkable orchestra for a limited six-concert series. Featuring musicians from top U.S. orchestras, including the New York Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra and Philadelphia Orchestra, Mainly Mozart’s All-Star Orchestra is the only orchestra of its kind in the country.
La Jolla Music Society (LJMS)’ annual SummerFest will return to The Conrad from July 26 to August 24, bringing the finest musicians in the world to La Jolla for four weeks of exciting concerts. Music Director Inon Barnatan, returning in his sixth year, has created an exciting program titled “Inside Stories.” La Jolla will host some of the finest musicians and performance artists from around the globe, including the much-anticipated debuts of the sensational vocal group VOCES8, guitarist Sean Shibe, and conductor Ludovic Morlot. Guests will also see the return of beloved artists like Augustin Hadelich, Tessa Lark, Alisa Weilerstein, Anthony McGill, Paul Watkins, and James Ehnes.
The Navy SEAL Museum San Diego will open in late 2024 in Downtown San Diego to build a museum to honor the history and heritage of the U.S. Navy SEALs. This showcase museum will engage visitors of all ages through immersive storytelling and galleries, activated artifacts, engaging digital media and interactive exhibits.
