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RAW April 2026
April is Art, Culture & Creativity Month in Vista and they were one of the first cities in the county to announce the proclamation at the Vista Civic Center Council Chambers on March 24. This is a collaboration with the Vista Public Arts Commission. The proclamation kicked off a month dedicated to the artists, performers, makers, storytellers, and creative leaders who shape Vista’s identity and strengthens their community. Another Arts, Culture and Creativity proclamation was made at the Community Art and Culture Conversation for County District 2 held in the Community Center of the Ramona County Library on April 17. Art Reports by or about SDVAN A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer: National History Museum vs. Science Museum vs. Museum of Art CALL TO ACTION: SHOW UP FOR City of SAN DIEGO ARTS & CULTURE. The city has not lower its funding ,it has eliminated it!!! Join a public press conference calling attention to this crisis and the decision that threatens $11.8 million in support for organizations, jobs, and community programming across our region. Civic Center Plaza (1200 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA) Monday, April 20, Noon for 12:30 p.m.Hosted by San Diego ART Matters, Arts+Culture: San Diego, and regional arts leaders.RSVPand Parking reimbursement is available. Signs welcome in the outdoor plaza (may not be allowed in Council Chambers). Hand-held signs are best (any handles must be wooden and less than 1/4" by 2"). Then Stay and take action at the 2:00 p.m. City Council session to speak directly to decision-makers. If you are an artist, take an online survey to show how these cuts will hurt you through the Artists Count . All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. Oceanside Museum of Art will present Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind) , an exhibition that draws on imagery of the seasonal bloom to explore one of the most pervasive conditions of modern life: collective exhaustion and burnout. May 2–September 27. Bread & Salt Gallery invites you to an evening with Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio on May 9 at 6 pm as she reflects on her debut solo exhibition, Noncompliant. Through newly developed works and a site-responsive mural, Ortiz-Rubio considers the tension between lived experience and the structures that attempt to contain it. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego returns with its second Avant GardeBall Larger Than Life on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 8PM to 12AM. A new theme this year is inspired by "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys" exhibition. The Natural History Museum in Balboa Park will open on May 22 with Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea . This art works combines community art and conservation efforts to remind viewers about the effects of plastic pollution on our delicate marine ecosystems. The exhibition features whimsical sculptures of sea creatures like Finn the mako shark and Dexter the Dungeness crab, made from debris like flip-flops, sand toys, lighters, and toothbrushes. Come see Luminous Wave by artist Deanne Sabeck across from the Cardiff by the Sea Library on Newcastle Ave. Luminous Wave is a kinetic glass sculpture that rotates and refracts light, creating oceanic colors on the ground during sunny days. The sculpture is designed to reflect the coastal environment and, from certain angles, resembles a surfing barrel. $10,000 is left to raise to ensure that the Luminous Waves stays in Cardiff where Art meets the Ocean. Contact Naimeh Tanha Woodward or go to the Encinitas Friends of the Art website to make a donation. Bonnie Dominguez was featured at the end of March and Kathie Ruiz in April in the GLAM series as part of Art Matters’Doing the Work which highlights women working across San Diego’s GLAM community — galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. Each woman reflects on the work that drives her, the challenges shaping her field, and the responsibility of carrying stories forward. Together, their voices offer a look at the visible and invisible labor —— that sustains San Diego’s cultural landscape. Congratulation to Vanguard Culture and their 10 th anniversary as a non-profit. They are presenting a Nonprofit Arts Leadership Summit including Nonprofit 101, Meet the Funders and an Executive Director Roundtable on Aug 27 from 9 to 4. At the MCASD in La Jolla. Designed for creatives across all disciplines including film, theatre, dance, visual arts, fashion, music, and more. Project [BLANK]’s annual exhibition will be a festival of innovative local art and music on May 28 from 6 to 9. This year’s WORKING TITLE at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral with bold visual art, multimedia installations, performance art, and live experimental music from a diverse group of transborder artists. the theme is Sanctuary. There is a major new work by San Diego composer Michelle Lou and the exhibition is curated by sculptor Diana Benavídez and Artistic Director Leslie Ann Leytham, and artist submissions will be reviewed by a panel of artists: Alessandra Moctezuma , Alvaro Díaz , Cat Gunn , and Luisa Martínez . BEST PRACTICE is pleased to present RUINS: PERFORMING QUEER HISTORY, curated by Nathan Storey.RUINS is an iterative exhibition of interdisciplinary artists reckoning with queer histories, archives, and loss within their own contemporary studio practices. The artists in RUINS unearth LGBTQ+ histories, search for the fragmentary pieces, and reimagine our queer constellations. From May 2 (opening 5 to 8pm) until June 13, 2026 In Balboa Park for the first time ArtSpectrum 2026 presents twelve of the region’s most accomplished LGBTQ visual artists at Gallery 21. Produced by The Studio Door in collaboration with the Village Arts and Education Foundation, the exhibition runs May 5 through June 1, 2026, with an opening reception on Saturday, May 9 from 1–4PM. Curated by RD Riccoboni, the exhibition reflects a community that is not emerging but established, influential, and actively shaping the cultural dialogue. Madison Gallery in Solana Beach presents Hunt Slonem. May 2 to June 27 with an reception May 16 th from 5-7pm, A Decade of Wonder is the 10th solo exhibition that brings together a dynamic selection of new works that continue Slonem’s signature exploration of repetition, color, and spiritual symbolism through iconic imagery — from tropical birds and butterflies to his beloved bunnies. India Thompson: Looks Like Home at the Mingei invites us to reconsider the objects that quietly shape our daily lives. Through handwoven, true-to-scale domestic forms, objects become vessels for memory, attachment, and care. Showing May 16 to Oct 18 th. Before that To Catch a Fish presents over sixty works of craft and art that are either used in fishing or that illuminate the relationship between people and fish. Showing May 2 to Nov 1 st. Gear up for FIVE new exhibitions at Oceanside Museum of Art in May the . Exhibition Celebration (May 2 from 5–7: pm) ; Matrix Multiplied: Hybrid Approaches to Printmaking, Aaron Kramer: Sense of Wonder, Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell, David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies, and Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind). With the collective Protest Ink San Diego (PISSED) led by master printer Chris Lahti,Alessandra Moctezuma and her team printed 400 silk-screened original political posters with 13 designs by students, staff and professors from Grossmont, Miramar and Mira Costa community colleges. On No King's Day, they were thronged by folks wanting the posters. By 10 am they were gone! The mission… take the streets and use different strategies to bring attention, organize and catalyze change. Over 40,000 people came out! If you want to be involved in the next one contact Alessandra ArtsBusXpress was named as one of the four non-profits to be selected for this quarter at Jimbo’s Groceries Stores. If you use your own shopping bags you can deposit a Wooden Nickel which means a donation to this worthy cause. We already have a Save the Date for San Diego Design Week 2026: September 15 – 20. It returns this fall—bringing together our region’s design community through immersive, hands-on, and accessible programming across disciplines. This year, they will be expanding how design shows up across the city, with programming designed for both professionals and the broader community—inviting more people to experience how design shapes everyday life. Make sure and join their email list to get updated info by emailing them at info@sddesignweek.org We are delighted that both the City of San Diego Office of Cultural Affairs with their San Diego Arts and Culture Club newsletter and Art Matters with their extended Arts Advocates newsletter sent out by Bob Lehman are both ramping up to let more people know what is going on in the artist community. Make sure you are on both email lists. Just in from U.S. News & World Report : The Department of Visual Arts at UC San Diego rose two spots, now tied with Stanford and Rutgers universities and ranked #8. The MFA program prepares students to pursue a career in the contemporary art field, including all aspects of art making, criticism, theory and curating. Murals of La Jolla jumps on the emerging artist bandwagon and the first of these murals is spectacular. Lizzie Zelter’ s Southeast Exchange , is a reimagined retail discount store (E & E Trading in Texas). During a grant-funded trip along the U.S.-Mexico border, Zelter noted the city’s parallels to San Diego. The mural is on the southeast-facing wall of 7540 Fay Avenue. The Art Glass Guild will be hosting their 2026 Spring Patio Show and Sale on Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th. This show is the largest Art Glass show in Southern California and is focused on showcasing art created by local San Diego Glass Artists. As always, the show is held at Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies opens on April 25 and is on view until Nov 1. This is a survey exhibition and Monograph release and is curated by Mark Quint at the Oceanside Museum of Art. There will be a celebration and book release party on Sat. May 2 from 5 to 7 pm. David Adey is a SD Art Prize recipient. OPPORTUNITIES (click to see a list of all current opportunities listed on SDVAN) Fallbrook School of Art /Art Center is looking for an Exhibition and Membership Manager. This position is responsible for increasing revenue through fundraising efforts through membership and artist engagement to support the organization’s financial growth and sustainability. This role is critical for the organization because it interfaces with current and potential members, as well as with current and potential artists who exhibit or sell their work in our gallery and gift shop. More info: Karen Trapane 760-402-3482 The ICA is looking for an Education Manager ($60K) and a part time Summer Camp Instructor. ($35 an hour). The call for entries for the Athenaeum’s 34th Annual Juried Exhibition is open now to June 30, 2026. Artists may enter up to three different works for the exhibition showing August 1–October 10 with an opening reception is Friday, July 31, 5:30–7:30 PM. The juror is Paul Mpagi Sepuya, a Los Angeles-based artist working in photography and related zine and ephemera. Entry fee per artist is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Blush & Brut is the theme of the 12th Anniversary Show for the Ashton Gallery at Art on 30 th. Keith Roberti, the interior designer, is the juror. Submissions are due by Fri. Sept 24 at 4 pm and the show opens and runs from May 2 to June 5 th. Sparks Gallery is making a call for artists for their Pop Art Exhibition . They want bold, contemporary works inspired by popular culture and modern life. Submissions should reflect Pop Art’s playful, colorful, or critical style, exploring themes like consumerism, celebrity culture, comics, and nostalgia. Up to 3 images per artwork. Entry fee: $20 (+ $10 additional media fee). Entry Deadline: June 15. Exhibition: Aug 1 – Oct 4. Opening: Aug 15. More info: Natalie Gonzales 619-696-1416 The City of Carlsbad invites artists to apply for the Carlsbad Beach Chairs public art project. Four artists will be selected—three to design one chair each, and one to design a paired set—for installation at sites throughout the city. Selected artists will also lead two one-hour public art activities connected to their design within three months of installation. Artists not selected will be considered for future opportunities. Deadline to submit is May 10. San Diego Museum of Art Guild Artists are invited to submit small to medium‑sized artworks (for display at the San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room & Gallery in La Mesa. The exhibition is May 1 to July 1 with a Sunday wine reception to celebrate participating artists. Please send two images of available works, along with the title, price, and date created to exhibitions@sdmaag.org with the subject line SAN PASQUAL. Wall-mounted works are preferred. Remember: Artists, be very aware that the Artists Count is now active. All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. Grant applications are now available Individual Artist Fellowships in San Diego and Imperial Counties for unrestricted grants from $5,000 to $50,000, providing flexible funding to support your vision, practice, and growth. The City of San Diego is administering these grants for the California Arts Council (CAC)’s Individual Artists Fellowship program Funding if for Aug 1, 2026 to Aug 31 2027. Guidelines and applications are now available and due April 30. There are lots of workshops for this all over the county! Another local grant opportunity that is ongoing for individual artist is from the William Male Foundation which are usually from $1K to $5K. Check out the site and email info@WilliamMaleFoundation.org for more info. The City of Encinitas Cultural Arts Division is seeking local artists to create a unique, handmade award for the annual 2026 City of Encinitas Environmental Award. The selected artist will be paid $1000 to create 4 works of art. You must be 16 years and above who live in San Diego County. Applications due Sunday, June 21. More info: Luciana Fernandes 7606332746 Call for artists for the 20th Annual LeucadiART Walk This is a juried art show and all applicants (even returning artists) must apply More info: leucadia101.com or email L101 Application due by July 25 th. Here is your chance to put gift items in the Fallbrook Art Center shop. The deadline is May 11 for the display from June 27, Aug 29. The Find, Magnified —a vibrant gift show featuring the work of exceptional local and regional artists. The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild is seeking art at the edge and beyond the traditional for an exhibition titled the Art of Now: Pushing Boundaries The exhibition will be at the Union Hall Gallery on Boardway in SD. The juror is Max Presneill, Director/ Head Curator of The Torrance Art Museum. The deadline for submissions is May 8 th for a showing June 5-28. More info Leslie Pierce 760.623.6453 The curators at the Bonita Museum of Art, Culture, and History are now accepting submissions for an exhibition 14.BIS for concrete poetry, visual poetry, and mathematical visual poetry. Works accepted will be shown on the wall or in a slideshow display. Submit one image per work (or follow-up with multiple works in separate emails—whichever you prefer). Send submissions or get more info: 14.BIS.Submissions@gmail.com . Applications still opened for Carlsbad’s Art in the Village 2026 on Sun June 29 presented by the Carlsbad Village Association Call for Artists. This is Carlsbad’s signature summer art festival with juried fine art and thousands of attendees. It is a one-day, open-air event featuring 150 local and regional artists.at Carlsbad Village on Sun, June 28, 2026. Applications are accepted until the show is sold out. Remember: ArtWalks in 2026: Carlsbad September 19 & 20. Click the links to apply before they fill up. And just a heads up, the ArtWalk team is helping The Carlsbad Village Association to present 28th Annual Art in the Village June 28and hey love their volunteers , so consider signing up. All the other dates are now set, Liberty Station July 31, August 1 & 2, Bella Vita Fest , October 17 & 18, Click the links to apply before they fill up. The Studio Door’s most anticipated 2026 calls for artists PROUD+ 2026 : 9th Annual National Exhibition deadline May 9 for exhibition June 19 to July 21. Have you got tidbits or other bits of gossip that you want to broadcast. Contact info@sdvisualarts.net
Art Reports by or about SDVAN A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer: State of the Arts Jan 2026: Shifts and Drifts TheBusiness of Art Scholarship is a unique opportunity for an artist who has a body of work to showcase and is interested in selling their artwork during Mission Fed ArtWalk. San Diego Visual Arts Networkand Mission Fed ArtWalk partner to select one emerging artist to receive mentoring, a booth at the festival and more. One scholarship recipient will be announced in early 2026. Deadline for Application Extended: Friday 12AM, Jan 30th, 2026 Remember:San Diego ART Matters is bringing back Creative Conversations and the first event in 2026 will be at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Feb 24 from 9 to 1 pm. The focus is The Arts in Rural and Unincorporated San Diego County. This information gathering meeting is free and in connection with the newly formed north county inland’s Art and Cultural Alliance which is the group formed by some of NCAN’s Fallbrook Advisory committee members. The California Arts Council is hosting Town Hall Gatherings and they are coming to San Diego to o gather broad and diverse input from arts and culture. The virtual online event for SD & Imperial Counties is Feb 3 from 6 pm – 7:30 pm. Register Here. In person, Jan 30, 9 am – 12:30 pm at the San Diego Made Factory Register Here. San Diego’s Museum Month 2026with more than 70 museums, historic sites, gardens, aquariums and more is starting February 1. You can pick up a Museum Month pass at any San Diego City or County Public Library or download from here to your mobile device! Present your pass this February for half-price admission for up to four people for the entire month. For some sites you will need to print out a hard copy of the pass. Politics of Portrayal Three Generations of Chicana Portraiture in Los Angeles In Conversation with San Diego Artists . How do you like that for a name! Blending contemporary realities with ancestral memory, these figurative works honor matriarchal lineages, personal narratives, and an enduring commitment to social justice. This show curated by Sybil Venegas is at San Diego Mesa College Art Gallery and has an opening reception on Feb 11 from 4 to 7pm. It runs until March 5. More info: Alessandra Moctezuma 619.388.2829 Stefanie Bales Fine Art and Swil Arts 2 of 15 businesses as new Cohorts of the San Diego Tourism Authority (SDTA) Accelerator this year. Patric Stillman of Studio Door tells us. He is Vice Chair of the SDTA Accelerator Alumni and will be working with them. The SDTA’s mission is to drive visitor demand to economically benefit the San Diego region. Alex Goodman , former director of the Brooks Theatre — Oceanside Theatre Company, has accepted the position as District Director for assemblywoman Tasha Boerner. Her district covers the cities from Carlsbad to Coronado. This gives us an incredible arts advocate at the state level. Be thinking about any ways this could be of benefit to the arts community suggest Jim Gilliam, chairman of the SD County Commission for Arts and Culture. Another shift in arts leadership: Lucy Eagleson, Executive Director,will be transitioning from her role at Arts a Reason to Survive. The ARTS board chair Tom Reise assures us the programs will continue uninterrupted. M(other) Tongues has opened at theSan Diego Public Library Art Gallery. It brings together artists who use textile to examine the interconnected experiences of migration, displacement, and cultural inheritance. Drawing on textile traditions rooted in women’s domestic and communal practices, the works approach stitching, weaving, and dyeing as forms of mark making—methods of carrying ancestral stories across borders and generations. The show end April 18 th. More info: Bonnie Domingos The Teeny Tiny fundraiser at Oceanside Museum of Art has works on view at the museum from Jan 28 - Feb 1, 2026. Artwork will be on display for preview at OMA the week before the online sale opens virtual sale opens on Sun, Feb 1, at 6pm. It closed Feb 22. Something new this year... a hand-selected group of 25 Teeny Tinies will be offered through a three-week virtual auction, which you'll see right before the fixed-price sale you know and love. With bidding starting at $25 each, the auction adds a note of excitement and possibility to an already iconic event. The Space 4 Art @ Art Produce residency gets under way with the inaugural exhibition Non-Objective Lessons: Explorations in San Diego Abstraction , which runs at Art Produce Gallery in North Park through February 12. Curated by artist and curator Katie Ruiz, the exhibition marks the first in a series of seven Space 4 Art-produced exhibitions that will spotlight the bold, innovative spirit of San Diego’s contemporary art scene. We finally have some news of exhibitions coming to the Institute of Contemporary Art in ICA Central in Balboa Park. Ruben Ulises Rodríguez Montoya: In the Garden of Earthly Delights: I Bend to Paradiseopens Feb 21 and funs to May 24. Montoya uses silicone and cast-off materials–salvaged from landfill-adjacent deserts and markets near his childhood home in New Mexico, to give form to a post-apocalyptic future where we are given a chance to heal from the wounds we suffer today: environmental destruction, racism, violence. Cat Gunn: if only by the light of a new moon is at ICA Central starting June 13. As the 2025 Artist-in-Residence, this is Gunn’s first solo museum exhibition centered around the impossible nostalgia for a home that one has never known through materials including fabric, ceramics, and cyanotypes. Eden DeLaVara will serve as the ICA Artist-in-Residence (AiR) for 2026. Through a collaboration with Studio 6608 in College-area, ICA San Diego will sponsor a year-long residency. In addition to a year of free studio space, the DeLaVara will receive a stipend, monthly materials budget, and the opportunity for a solo exhibition at ICA in 2027. However, besides the classes that does not seem to be any activities planned for the North County Campus. Such a pity! Robin Roberts is offering a class on Pocket Shrines on Fri Feb 6 from 10 to 2 in the La Jolla Studio of the Athenaeum. Step into the world of small-scale storytelling as you create a collage/assemblage inside a small tin container, using a variety of vintage and contemporary papers, found objects, and mixed media. $100/120 + $20 materials fee paid to instructor. Register here. Lots of wonderful news from the arts in Encinitas from the last Encinitas Art Commission meeting on Jan 5 . : Deanne Sabeck’sLuminous Wave has been recommended by the Encinitas Arts Commission to stay at its current location in Cardiff by the Sea and for the city to build a new pedestal in Cardiff in time for the next round of sculptures. The Encinitas Friends of the Arts will be raising the money to purchase this work for the city. The new Communications manager Alex Saint will help coordinate press for the city highlighting the Pacific View Art Center. The plan is for lots of cross pollination between the departments. The Environmental Commission does sustainability awards and they’d like for the awards to be designed by a local artist each year. By the end of the month, we should be seeing a posting for the new position of Arts Manager and it is gratifying to see things moving forward. They are using a recruitment agency for a national search. The city’s Senior Scholarship program is up and running. Seniors can receive up to $300 to apply to 1/2 of any class fee including the arts. The City will be receiving the $20K grant from their participation in the Art Matters Local Arts and Culture Leaders Learning Network program funded by the Prebys Foundation which will be applied to Senior scholarships, funding and transportation to/from programming. The Pacific View Art Center Open Studio program is free for families and staff will encourage the Boys & Girls club children to participate so they can invite their parents back to visit the center on Sunday to create together. The program is on Sundays, 2 to 4pm, Feb. and Mar 8. The toddler hour is also a great opportunity for younger families to explore on Tuesdays, Feb and March 10 th, at 10 to11am. Join the Prebys Foundation team for a 60-minute webinar overview of their grantmaking and program focus for 2026 on Jan 29 at 10 am . The webinar will be recorded and shared on the Prebys Foundation website following the event and it is aimed at for current and prospective nonprofit partners. Watch this space for more information about the $10M capital campaign to expand the Oceanside Museum of Art Pier View Way campus. At the heart of this project is the preservation of the historic 1929 Irving J. Gill–designed Fire Station and the growth of OMA’s campus from 20,000 to 30,000 square feet across a full city block. A nice check for almost $3.6 million from the state of CA championed by Senator Catherine Blakespear was the largest donation every made to OMA. The San Diego Museum of Art begins its 100th year celebration on Jan 24 with SDMA100 Years andLocal Visions: Reimagining the Façade. Watch forMuseum Suite: A Collection Performed in Nine Movementson until July 12 th. Mark your calendar now forCafés and Cabarets: The Spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrecopening April 4. Artist & Craftsman Supply, it's the end of an era after 25 years. They are closing their San Diego location. Sale immediately with 30% OFF our everyday prices, storewide, on all merchandise. The Mingei is partnering with the San Diego Public Library for the 2026 Winter Reading Challenge, Every Picture Tells a Story! Stop by the Library table at Mini Mingei programs this month to pick up a free book, and complete the reading challenge at the Library to receive a free adult pass to Mingei. The new PHES Gallery exhibition Fluid Visions is open in Carlsbad. It features Vicki Walsh, Marianela de la Hoz and Juanita Perez-Adelman and runs until March 21 st. St. Madeleine’s Sophie's Gallery in El Cajon will benefit from the Gotta' Have Heart: Honey Valentine celebration. It starts on Feb 6 and runs to Aril 6. Featuring a collection of scratchboard art & a variety of bee, honey, and garden-inspired artwork including a selection of hand-crafted Valentines, original prints, sculptures, mosaics, and jewelry. We love upcycling project and can recommend the CCAE’s Kintsugi Workshopon Jan 28, Feb 28 March 28 th from1 to 3 pm in Escondido. Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese technique of repairing ceramics with gold. In Japanese Zen aesthetics, broken bowls and dishes should continue to attract our respect and attention. Fee : $75 You gotta love the title… Slangin' Concrete: Dos Santos Collective at the Thumbprint Gallery in La Jolla. Slangin’ Concrete showcases limited-edition color ways created exclusively for Thumbprint Gallery. Blending raw materiality with refined craftsmanship, the exhibition blurs the line between sculptural art, functional design, and automotive influence. It opens on Feb 6 from 4-9 and runs only until Feb 28 th. More info Johnny Tran (858) 354-6294Address At 95 years old, artist Joe Valentino continues to astonish the art community with his creativity, vision, and generosity. His new Legacy Project, is titled What a Wonderful World and is created from hundreds of tiny pieces of colored paper, meticulously cut into intricate shapes. It opens Jan 31 at Studio ACE in Oceanside and runs until Feb 28 th. More info: Julia Fister 7607305203 Lightwall is a Cal State Fullerton students project showing now at California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum. This interactive installation combines fine art, kinetic light and AI-driven technology to ensure everyone who visits " has a unique experience. An homage to our dearly departed Ric Todd, his collection is being shown at theBonita Museum and Cultural Centerfrom Feb 1-17including Keith Haring, Steve R. Allen, Jaimee Todd, and even Ric Todd originals. April is California for the Arts’s Arts, Culture, & Creativity Month (ACCM) 2026 and the theme this year is #JoyActionPower. It aims to honor the resilience, resistance, and renewal that emerge when creative voices are valued and amplified. Learn how you can participate in this statewide movement during a #JoyActionPower Organizer’s Toolkit Webinar on Thursday, January 29th at 1PM PT which will offer a comprehensive overview of how to use the toolkit. Balboa Park parking: Bad news for everyone. We checked out the fees and the discounts are only for those living in the City of San Diego and not the county. So, if you do not live in the city, you will pay the full $10 for 4 hours or $16 a day in the closest lots to the Museum. You can park in Lower Inspiration Point for 3 free hours or $10 for the day and take the free shuttle. Otherwise, you pay at the parking meter kiosks on roads in Balboa Park for $2.50 an hour. No need to sign up and waste the $5 as that is only for monthly, quarterly or year passes or to register is you are a resident of the city. If you work for a non-profit in the park, you can park for free or if you have a disabled placard. Museums have noted a marked decline in attendance so far, as well as non-renewal of membership, even cancellation of birthday parties… In response, a petition has circulated, calling on city leaders to revisit the policy. Organizers say they plan to present the signatures to the San Diego City Council, requesting adjustments or exemptions to reduce the burden on museums, visitors and volunteers. Arts in California Parkswas initiated in 2022 by a one-time State General Fund allowance of $25 million. Funding was reduced to approximately $14M in 2024 as part of Statewide budget solutions, affecting the total funding available to support projects. From this pool of funding, in 2025, more than $2.6 million was invested to support 30 grant recipients across California. Applications for 2026/2027 will open in the spring of 2026. The U.S. House of Representatives passed an FY26 minibus appropriations package by a vote of 397 to 28, which included the Interior, Energy & Water Development, and Commerce, Justice & Science Appropriations. In an overwhelming sign of bipartisan support for the arts and culture in Congress, the Interior bill approved $207 million each, with no cuts, for the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH). Now it goes to the Senate. Did you know that California College of Arts and Crafts in SF is closing down at the end of the 2026/27 school year? Vanderbilt will then become the owner of the campus and will establish undergraduate and graduate programming, including art and design programs, at the campus. Vanderbilt also plans to operate a CCA Institute at Vanderbilt which will include, among other things, the Wattis Institute of Contemporary Arts, will maintain CCA archival materials, and will serve as a vehicle for CCA alumni engagement. There are many alumni in San Diego. OPPORTUNITIES (please list of all current opportunities on SDVAN) The deadline for the Business of Art Scholarship has been extended. Get your Application in by Friday 12AM, Jan 30th, 2026. This is a unique opportunity for an artist who has a body of work to showcase and is interested in selling their artwork during Mission Fed ArtWalk. San Diego Visual Arts Network and Mission Fed ArtWalk partner to select one emerging artist to receive mentoring, a booth at the festival and more. One scholarship recipient will be announced in early 2026. The application for new Arts Program Director is finally posted for Encinitas to take the place of Collette Stefanko. The due date is Feb 22. ArtReach is making a call for their annual Charity Art Auciton - Art on Vinyl Records. Deadline for submission to apply Jan 31st for an online auction and showing at 42 nd Mission Fed ArtWalk in Little Italy April 26th. More info: Anna Laroque 619-940-7278 Applications still opened for Carlsbad’s Art in the Village 2026 on Sun June 29presented by theCarlsbad Village Association Call for Artists. This is Carlsbad’s signature summer art festival with juried fine art and thousands of attendees. Applications are accepted until the show is sold out. LOS/NR in La Jolla is offering a 2026 Artist Award and be featured in an exhibition human body from Mar 13 - Apr, 24, 2026. The winner will also receive a monetary grant for the production of a future work, and will have their work displayed on a billboard in Downtown San Diego, CA. Five additional artists will be selected to be featured in the exhibition along with the winner. The deadline was extended to Jan 31. Visions Museum of Textile Art ( VMOTA) is making a call for entries for Quilt Visions 2026 , the museum’s 27th international juried exhibition. Jurors for 2026 are Carolyn Ducey, Justin Ming Yong, and David van Buskirk. Due Feb 9 th. We hear from Kevin Inman , Vice President, San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild of a new community gallery in Ocean Beach on Newport Avenue. Members of SDMAAG can exhibit there for 3 months with only a 20% commission. A good reason to join the Guild if you are not yet a member. Contact exhibitions@sdmaag.org Arts District Liberty Station is hiring a new Director of the Liberty School . The Director of Liberty School will be responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the Liberty School program. The Director will play a significant role in cultivating relationships with Teaching Artists, Classroom Teachers, School Administrators and Liberty School staff and volunteers. This is a part-time staff position and is a hybrid role with on-site work requirements. More info Tina Medina : 619.573.9300 Art on 30 th is making a call Crimson Regional Juried Exhibition. Crimson is more than a color. It’s a force that symbolizes love, passion, heat, intimacy and the pulse of life. Reception on Valentine's Day and runs until March 20 th at Ashton Gallery . The juror Mary Ketchem , art collector. Deadline to submit Feb 6 th. Studio ACE is making a call for artists for their Fiber & Textile Juried Exhibition. They welcome pieces that honor traditional craft, push the boundaries of fiber as a modern art form, or reimagine textiles in unexpected ways. Deadline Jan 25 with exhibition on view Feb 21 - March 2. My Creative Journey | Mi Viaje Creativo , the paid artist residency, is returning for another session in 2026. The four-month residency (April–July 2026) includes a free studio at the San Diego Made Factory , a $7,500 stipend, and opportunities to connect with students, neighbors, and fellow creatives through workshops, talks, and community events. Application due by Feb 10 with an online info session on Feb 3. Remember: Apply to the 19th Annual Dia de la Mujer Exhibitioncurated by Ariana Torres: Exquisite Potential: Surviving the 21st Century through Surreal Metamorphosis. Deadline Feb 1. Exhibition Dates: March 7th through May 19th, 2026 Sustainable Creations Exhibition curated by Renee Richetts, San Diego County Art and Culture Commissionerat the Fallbrook Center for the Arts will runs May 2 - June 13. Enter your upcycled art by March 16 th. Expressive Arts @ 32nd & Thorn is making a call for North Park creatives of all ages to bring a new PAVEMENT intersection muralto life. They want bold and simple ideas, with no more than six colors that fits in a square. Submit designs by Jan 30, emailing Tish McAllise Sjober com or mail/drop-off to 3201 Thorn Street, SD, 92104. Two of The Studio Door’s most anticipated 2026 calls for artists PROUD+ 2026: 9th Annual National Exhibition deadline May 9 for exhibition June 19 to July 21. All the dates are now set for ArtWalks in 2026:Mission Fed in Little ItalyApril 25 & 26, Liberty StationJuly 31, August 1 & 2, CarlsbadSeptember 19 & 20. Click the links to apply before they fill up. And just a heads up, the ArtWalk team is helping The Carlsbad Village Association to present the 28th Annual Art in the Village one-day, open-air event featuring 150 local and regional artists.at Carlsbad Village on Sun, June 28, 2026. Teachers, for a limited time, thanks to the Linda Brandes Foundation, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and ArtsBusXpress, have partnered to offer teachers at Title I schools a free field trip plus bus transportation to participate in the Explore + Make program at either the ICA Balboa Park or the Encinitas campus. Both the program and the bus transportation are included in this opportunity.
Art Reports by or about SDVAN A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer: Robert Williams is Fearless Depictions at Long Beach Museum of Art We are delighted to announce that Sierra Roberson is the Business of Art Scholarship recipient in 2026. San Diego Visual Arts Network and Mission Fed ArtWalk partner to select one emerging artist to receive mentoring and a booth at the festival on April 25/26 in Little Italy. In April, SDVAN will be supporting the North County Arts Network for the annual Open Your Heart to North County Arts campaign. The promotion this year re-enforces the California for the Arts: April as Arts, Cultural and Creativity Month . The theme this year is Joy, Action and Power . We interpret this to mean that the Visual and Performing Arts comes from joy and that creates action that builds power in our communities. Please let us know of any visual arts events that fits into this theme and we will make sure it gets extra attention in April. Send press release with low resolution jpg images to Patricia Frischer and remember to list the events on our calendar. Congratulation to our sister organization Synergy Arts Foundation who was awarded $40k for their healing arts program. The Prebys Foundation awarded $5.2 million to 50 nonprofit organizations through its Healing Through Arts and Nature initiative. Now in its second year, the initiative supports non-clinical approaches that show that participation in arts and cultural activities, as well as time spent in nature, can support emotional, physical, and social well-being. San Diego will have its own launch on April 2 of California for the Arts: April as Arts, Cultural and Creativity Month . The place has not been decided but the date is set. It is that time of year again for the Russel Lecture presented by the MCASD in collaboration with the Visual Arts Department at UC San Diego. The 2026 Russell Lecture features Los Angeles-based artist Joey Terrill and will be held March 12 at 5 pm. in La Jolla. More info: Melissa Zuazo 858 454 3541 Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego from Sat, April 18 - Sun, Aug 9. Come see more than 130 works of art by 37 Black American and diasporic artists. Highlights include works by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Gordon Parks, Amy Sherald and more – plus the debut of a new 25-foot work by Mickalene Thomas Keys makes its sole West Coast debut. Explores Black joy, resistance and cultural legacy through monumental painting, photography, and sculptures. Sold out:San Diego ART Matters presents Creative Conversations and the first event in 2026 will be at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido on Feb 24 from 9 to 1 pm. The focus is The Arts in Rural and Unincorporated San Diego County . This information gathering meeting is free and in connection with the newly formed north county inland’s Art and Cultural Alliance which is the group formed by some of NCAN’s Fallbrook Advisory committee members. There is a waiting list. Make sure and confirm your reservation, if you did already RSVPed. The first of five County Supervisors meeting is starting Feb 26 th from 5 to 6:30 pm for In Community: District 4 Gathering . Attendees will have the opportunity to meet the County Art Commissioners, the District Supervisors or a representative and hear brief updates on arts advocacy and resources, experience a local artist showcase, and connect with others working to strengthen arts and culture in our communities. This first one is held at the Southeastern Live Well Center (5101 Market Street, SD 92114) This is a free event with free parking. Watch for the other four County Supervisors meetings for the Arts. March is District 3, April District 2, May District 5, June District 1. Christine E. Jones, the former Chief of Civic Art Strategies for the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture, has accepted the new position for the County of San Diego as Manager of Art, Film, and Creative Industries in the Economic Development & Government Affairs department, a job that is 70% about the arts and handles all the admin for the County Commission of Arts and Culture. She is hoping to attend all five In Community meetings (above). We hope she sees this as a stepping stone in her career to a position of power much like that of Laura Zucker who galvanizes the Los Angeles commission to great heights. Roman de Salvo’s ELECTROSPECTRUM showing until May 23 with a reception on Sat. march 28 at 6 pm is at the Quint Gallery in La Jolla. This is a survey of sculptures and early experiments united by the use of the lightbulb by the San Diego Art Prize recipient in 2008. De Salvo often returns to past projects, sometimes remixing them from a new conceptual angle. The passing of Coop Cooprider 1936-2026 marks another milestone in the life of the arts in San Diego. Coop and his wife Patti (married for 62 glorious years) are credited with saving 10,000 square foot space in Balboa Park for San Diego Art Institute. rescuing ARTWALK, producing the major Collectors and Council Member’s Choice Benefit Exhibit on 3 floors of the Paladion atrium and as Chair of Scripps Arts for Healing program launching the Wolfstein Sculpture Park. As collectors of contemporary art including over 100 Diego Voci (1920-1985) oils, drawings, lithos, sculptures, they supported many local artists. We will remember Coop for his generous nature and his wonderful singing voice. Faith Ringgold: Full Circle - The Teachings and Her Legacy is on view opening Feb 28 to May 1 st at the Mandeville Art Gallery of UCSD. Curated by Mashonda Tifrere and spanning nearly five decades of artistic production from 1976 to 2023. Ringgold emerged from the Black Arts Movement as a visionary force, boldly weaving autobiography, social and political activism, and deep reverence for her ancestors into every layer of her work. Olimpia Vázquez Ojeda has been named the new Interim Executive Director of Arts a Reason to Survive (ARTS). With professional experience spanning arts education, youth development, cultural preservation, and community engagement, Olimpia has worked with organizations like the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, Barrio Logan College Institute, the National Park Service, and INAH in Baja California. Lucy Eagelson transitions from her role as Executive Director of A Reason To Survive to Price Philanthropies. The new Executive Director Chicano Park Museum and Cultural Center (CPMCC) has now been announced and it is Monica Hernandez, She is a Xicana raised in the San Ysidro/Tijuana borderlands, bringing over 15 years of experience She began her professional career at Casa Familiar where she co-founded the Front Arte y Cultura. She is also an interdisciplinary artivist, writer, curator, and cultural strategist. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the San Diego County Arts Commission, representing District 1 (Supervisor Paloma Aguirre). Open House San Diego is a free annual event that offers the public exclusive access to some of the region's most remarkable buildings and public spaces with a unique opportunity to engage with architects, designers, and fellow community members in meaningful conversations about the future of our city. This year it is March 7. Explore East Village, Civic Center, Little Italy, Bankers Hill, and North Park. OH! San Diego is produced SD Architecture Foundation. If you are having withdrawal from the Superbowl, why not explore the basketball themed work of Ellen Dieter at Adelman Fine Art in downtown San Diego. Join the Vision Museum of Textile Arts on March 12 for a day trip to Tijuana. In partnership with Art Scene Baja, VMOTA invites you to an immersive museum visit, meaningful artistic dialogue, and a shared culinary experience. The day concludes at CECUT with a visit to Somos Voces de Otras Voces (We are Voices of Other Voices), coordinated by Visions Museum of Textile Art and presented in a completely different architectural and cultural context. Creating Reliquaries: Honoring the Sacred is a workshop creating a small precious box for what you hold most dear. Held by Ellen Speert at her Center for Creative Renewal in Cardiff by the Sea on March 21 from 9 to 5, with more details available soon. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego gears up to present its Art Auction 2026 at MCASD (700 Prospect St, La Jolla) at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 6. This event invites art enthusiasts to grow their collection with artists such Amy Adler, John Baldessari, Niki de Saint Phalle, Ed Ruscha, and Perry Vásquez. Tickets start at $150. We love the article Why Starve? San Diego’s Art Culture is Thriving in the Feb 4 edition of The Word SD by Patric Stillman. Thanks for the mention of the San Diego Visual Arts Network. We can look forward in April to a new take on one of our favorites: Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell at the Oceanside Museum of Art will explore the parallel lives of two brothers who forged singular artistic paths on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean. Born in the 1930s and coming of age in the shadow of World War II and the atomic age, James and Bert Hubbell each devoted their lives to art as a moral, spiritual, and balancing force in a world marked by instability. The exhibition is in partnership with the Ilan Lael Foundation and curated by Brennan Hubbell. On Mar. 20-22: join Vanguard Culture for An Artist @ the Table: Ben Guerrette & Chef Flor Franco at Casa de Flor. 3 Water, Fire, Earth, and Air is the theme for a 4-course dinner and an immersive light, sound, and video experience. $175 to $225 (plus ticket fees) All but $75 of each ticket serves as a tax-deductible donation to the nonprofit, AND 25% off for SDVAN readers with code VCPARTNER. More info: Susanna H. Peredo 619-829-7561 Fallbrook Art Center present a Baja Artist Panel and Concert on sat Feb 28 from 4 to 7. It will be a lively evening of stories and music from their Baja Exhibition artists. Panelists: Alfredo Davalos, Carlos Castrejon, Ana María Herrera, José Hugo Sánchez and music from Ghyla Osuna and Sergio Estrada. Tickets $20. It looks like funds are in place and the renovations are going forward for the San Diego Museum of Art. That means it will probably be closed in 2027. So even with parking fees, it might be good to go this year! It has been open for a year already but we are only hearing about the Mira Costa Art Gallery. It is housed within the new state-of-the-art Media Arts Complex on MiraCosta College’s Oceanside campus Media Arts Building 28 – Room 28125.This spacious facility features indoor and outdoor displays of student artwork, faculty, alumni, and local artists. The total $25.8 million project was funded by MiraCosta’s capital improvement program, supported by Measure MM. The current exhibition InPrint is on view until March 6. Mark your calendars for March 27 & 28, 2026, when the Medium Festival of Photography returns to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) for a weekend celebrating photography in all its forms. The Athenaeum’s Annual Benefit Celebration in La Jolla is themed The Talk of the Town: Diamonds, Jazz and Dreams on Sat May 9. Now in its 127th year, the Athenaeum serves more than 100,000 visitors annually and remains one of only 17 membership libraries in the nation. Reservations required by April 25. For more info (858) 454-5872 or info@ljathenaeum.org . Due to renovations at Brooks Sunshine Theater, the art shows are postponed until further notice. The gallery reopening and upcoming exhibition themes are actively in the works and more details will be shared soon. Brooks Sunshine is home to the Oceanside Theater Company . In the new exhibition Race: Power, Resistance & Change , at the Museum of Us in Balboa Park, Fernando Sánchez Castillo draws on an American oral history that the Statue of Liberty was possibly imagined as a Black woman to honor the end of slavery in the United States. His sculpture A Proposal brings that possibility to life, casting Lady Liberty with new features and meaning. The Studio Door In Hillcrest launched The Crow Show twelve years ago, the idea was deceptively simple: invite artists to interpret a single subject and see what unfolds. One of the most symbolically complex birds in contemporary art, the crow carries centuries of contradiction. That tension continues to draw artists and patrons back year after year. What emerged has become one of San Diego’s longest-running themed national visual art exhibitions and a defining tradition in the Hillcrest gallery’s annual calendar. Open now and running through April 3, the reception is March 21 from 6 - 9 PM. March Art Gallery Month is organized by The Studio Door and has grown from 6 galleries the first year mainly in central San Diego to a county wide event. Exhibitions this year range from nationally juried shows to solo presentations and immersive studio experiences. Besides The Studio Door ’s 12th Annual The Crow Show, Distinction Gallery in Escondido activates more than twenty exhibition spaces within its building. Madison Gallery in Solana Beach hosts a solo exhibition of painter Donald Martiny. Adelman Fine Art , Meyer Fine Art Inc. , Sparks Gallery and Stefanie Bales Fine Art anchor Little Italy with concurrent programming. Thumbprint Gallery and R.B. Stevenson Gallery partner with First Friday La Jolla Art Walk, while PHES Gallery brings international artists to Carlsbad. Woodward Contemporary in Old Town adds nine working studios to the month’s programming. Visual Gallery + Design integrates its Creator Fair, featuring sixty art vendors in North Park. The City of Encinitas has accepted Luminous Wave a sculpture by Deanne Sabeck located at the southeast corner of Liverpool Drive and Newcastle Avenue next to the Cardiff by the Sea Library for permanent display. The Encinitas Friends of the Arts will be asking for donation to help defray the cost. Watch for the April announcement of the Artist Count. Not only is this a data gathering of information about the artists in the region, but 42 artists will be awarded $50,000 each totaling $1.5 million. This is organized through Art Matters .
OPPORTUNITIES (please list of all current opportunities on SDVAN) MiraCosta College in Oceanside is currently hiring for a permanent, part-time Gallery Assistant classified staff position to support the operation of our art gallery. More information is available here: MiraCosta Portal | Gallery Assistant . The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild is seeking art at the edge and beyond the traditional for an exhibition titled the Art of Now.: Pushing Boundaries The exhibition will be at the Union Hall Gallery on Boardway in SD. The juror is Max Presneill, Director/ Head Curator of The Torrance Art Museum. The deadline for submissions is May 8 th for a showing June 5-28. More info Leslie Pierce 760.623.6453 There is a call for submission for Where We Stand examines the political and geographic realities of life in the San Diego-Tijuana border region, a timely exploration of place, policy, and perspective through contemporary photography. Organized by Medium Photo and juried by Alessandra Moctezuma and Patricio A. Chávez, submission close on Feb 28 th. Exhibition reception and award ceremony on March 28, 2026 5:00 - 7:00pm. Exhibition runs from March 27 to April 19 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) in La Jolla. Medium Photo is announcing the first-ever Medium Photo Yearbook. Part time capsule, part community archive, and part love letter, this publication captures the people, images, and moments that shaped Medium Photo in 2025.All members can participate free, so this is a good time to join. Project Blank is making a call for WORKING TITLE No. 5 , their annual exhibition of experimental art, sound, and performance sound, music, and live performance., taking place May 28–30, 2026 at St. Paul’s Cathedral in Bankers Hill!. This year’s theme is Sanctuary and submission will be reviewed by , Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of local artists and curators, including Alessandra Moctezuma, Cat Gunn, Alvaro Díaz, and Luisa Martinez. Selected artists will receive honorariums of $300–$400. Due Feb 28. 5th Annual Coronado Art & Wine Festival is May 9 th with a call for artists with applications due March 13. This is a family-friendly festival open to the public and expected to draw 14,000 as in 2025. Artists do not need to pay commissions of their sales to the festival. But jury selected featured artists will be asked to donate one piece of work to the silent art auction that benefits STEM & Arts programs in our K-12 public schools. Vanguard Culture is proud to announce the Susan McAllister Swap Emerging Visionaries Fellowship , a new program supporting early-career artists with bold, future-facing ideas. It is designed to provide not only financial support, but space, community, and visibility at a pivotal moment in an artist’s career. This includes a $750 stipend and opportunity to serve as an Artist-in-Residence. Deadline April 10 th. More info: Susanna Peredo 619-829-7561 San Diego Art Directory is making a call for artist for the exhibition Space to Exhale at Hera Hub Carlsbad. The show is curated by Galina Semenova with a submission Deadline of March 1. Artists retain 90% of artwork sales. The California wide Arts in the Parks 2026-27 grant cycle marks the final year of the program’s three-year pilot initiative. For this cycle, only grant proposals for implementation projects will be accepted. The program is expected to award up to $2.5 million to support projects across the state. Applications for the Arts in California Parks grants are due on Friday, March 13, at 5 p.m. PT. The City of Carlsbad invites schools and arts organizations to apply for Community Arts Grants from Feb. 13 through March 27. The Community Arts Grants program supports projects and activities that provide quality arts and cultural programming for the Carlsbad community. This year, more than $117,000 will be awarded. Artists, be very aware of the Artists Count project coming in April. All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. So, keep your eyes peeled! The curators at the Bonita Museum of Art, Culture, and History are now accepting submissions for concrete poetry, visual poetry, and mathematical visual poetry. Works accepted will be shown on the wal. or in a slideshow display. Submit one image per work (or follow-up with multiple works in separate emails—whichever you prefer). Send submissions or get more info: 14.BIS.Submissions@gmail.com . Remember: Applications still opened for Carlsbad’s Art in the Village 2026 on Sun June 29 presented by the Carlsbad Village Association Call for Artists. This is Carlsbad’s signature summer art festival with juried fine art and thousands of attendees. It is a one-day, open-air event featuring 150 local and regional artists.at Carlsbad Village on Sun, June 28, 2026. Applications are accepted until the show is sold out. The dates are now set for ArtWalks in 2026: Carlsbad September 19 & 20. Click the links to apply before they fill up. And just a heads up, the ArtWalk team is helping The Carlsbad Village Association to present 28th Annual Art in the Village and hey love their volunteers , so consider signing up. All the other dates are now set for ArtWalks in 2026: Mission Fed in Little ItalyApril 25 & 26, Liberty Station July 31, August 1 & 2, Click the links to apply before they fill up. We hear from Kevin Inman , Vice President, San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild of a new community gallery in Ocean Beach on Newport Avenue. Members of SDMAAG can exhibit there for 3 months with only a 20% commission. A good reason to join the Guild if you are not yet a member. Contact exhibitions@sdmaag.org Arts District Liberty Station is hiring a new Director of the Liberty School . The Director of Liberty School will be responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the Liberty School program. The Director will play a significant role in cultivating relationships with Teaching Artists, Classroom Teachers, School Administrators and Liberty School staff and volunteers. This is a part-time staff position and is a hybrid role with on-site work requirements. More info Tina Medina : 619.573.9300 Sustainable Creations Exhibition curated by Renee Richetts, San Diego County Art and Culture Commissionerat the Fallbrook Center for the Arts will runs May 2 - June 13. Enter your upcycled art by March 16 th. Two of The Studio Door’s most anticipated 2026 calls for artists PROUD+ 2026 : 9th Annual National Exhibition deadline May 9 for exhibition June 19 to July 21. Teachers, for a limited time, thanks to the Linda Brandes Foundation, the Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA), and ArtsBusXpress , have partnered to offer teachers at Title I schools a free field trip plus bus transportation to participate in the Explore + Make program at either the ICA Balboa Park or the Encinitas campus. Both the program and the bus transportation are included in this opportunity.
Art Reports by or about SDVAN A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer: A Day in the Life of Patricia Frischer (as might be reported by Dorothy Parker, if she had AI) Our banner this month is in support of California for the Arts: April as Arts, Cultural and Creativity Month has the theme this year is Joy, Action and Power . We interpret this to mean that the Visual and Performing Arts comes from joy and that creates action that builds power in our communities. April Arts Culture and Creativity Month for San Diego will happen on April 2. An official regional launch at 8:30 a.m. to 10:30 am. at the Chicano Park Museum & Cultural Center featuring community leaders. San Diego’s Arts, Culture & Creativity Month continues on April 2 from 3–4:30 p.m. with Arts & Intersections / Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, San Diego ART Matters, CA for the Arts, CA Arts Advocates, and Americans for the Arts, featuring a timely moderated discussion at The Soap Factory in Logan Heights. Instructions for Unrest: Art Against Complacency opens at Space 4 Art @ Art Produce Gallery in North Park from April 18 to May 14. This is a grouping of contemporary protest art reflecting some of the angst of our current political state. More info: 619. 500-ARTS. Golly, gee whiz, Patricia Frischer is in this show! We now know that April 17, 3-4:30 p.m. is the date set for In Community Art and Culture Conversation scheduled in County District 2 and held in the Community Center of the Ramona County Library. (1275 Main Street, Ramona, CA 92065.) FREE but RSVP: https://bit.ly/InCommunityEvent_April17_District2 This is a great event to networks and meet your commissioners Sharlene O’Keefe and Renée Richetts as well as the new county admin for the arts Christine Jones. The In Community event in Encinitas at the ICA was well attended. Both Jay Bell (arts commission for District 3) and Christine Jones gave very impassioned speech emphasizing how we really have the resources we need to make things happen and we need to start thinking more globally since SD County is the fifth largest county in the United States! We are delighted to report a new sculpture at ICA San Diego / North . Graft (2023) by Edra Soto , is a reimagined version of the geometrically patterned rejas and quiebrasoles of Puerto Rican homes, transplanted into new landscapes. Sparks Gallery will exhibit Under One Sky until May 3, a powerful celebration of Indigenous art from across the United States. This exhibition brings together contemporary works that honor the survival, resilience, and living traditions of Indigenous peoples, while reflecting the deep-rooted relationship between art, culture, and knowledge. Curated by Sonya Sparks, Owner and Chief Curator of Sparks Gallery (San Diego Cherokees), and Alessandra Moctezuma, Gallery Director and Professor of Art at San Diego Mesa College it will include work by Michelle Kurtis Cole, Daniel Marquez, Samantha Hill amongst others. More info Sonya Sparks 619-696-1416 Read our report: Under One Sky and Daniel Ketelhut: Shifting Realities at Sparks GalleryPicked RAW Peeledby Patricia Frischer Oceanside Museum of Art unveiled plans for a major campus expansion designed by San Diego firm Safdie Rabines Architects , of a $10 million Campaign for Expansion. This will add two new galleries, outdoor sculpture garden, café and permanent collection facilities, creating a full city block museum campus. Construction to begin in early 2027, with completion in spring 2028. David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies will be showing at the Oceanside Museum of Art from April 25 – November 1 with a reception on May 2. This is the first comprehensive mid-career survey of San Diego artist David Adey who was a SD Art Prize recipient in 2010. The exhibition will trace more than 25 years of a creative practice. Union Hall Gallery in Golden Hill is hosting Gossip , a provocative group exhibition challenging the boundaries of authenticity, vulnerability, and creative expression from April 4th to 26 th. This show reframes gossip as a space for women—and, by extension, all creatives—to share their truths without fear or filter. It features the diverse talents of seven San Diego-based female artists. Exquisite Potential: Surviving the 21st Century through Surreal Metamorphosis is on view until May 9 at The FRONT Arte y Cultura in San Ysidro. This is their 19th Annual Día de la Mujer exhibition this year curated by Ariana Torres, It draws inspiration from the Surrealist movement of the 1920s-30s where artists and writers explored metamorphosis as a process of collective mythmaking in order to push back against oppression, which included the rise of European fascism and the effects of Western imperialism. The exhibition features work from over 20 international and local BIPOC women and non-binary artists from both sides of the border. Read our report: Exquisite Potential: Surviving the 21st Century through Surreal Metamorphosis at The FRONT Arte CulturaPicked RAW Peeled by Patricia Frischer Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise is now open until Aug 16 at CCAE Museum. This exhibitionexplores the Persian garden through textiles, memory, and everyday objects as the artist reinterprets traditional Persian rugs as sculptural works that merge heritage craft with contemporary form. Curated by Sadry Hedayat in collaboration with Persian Place. The Escondido Arts Partnership is having their annual fundraiser Panache, an art auction of fine artworks donated by regional artists as well as a signed lithograph Noah's Animals (1996) by Niki de Saint Phalle. The gala event on March 28 th from 5:30 to 8 pm will have both a silent and live art auctions with appetizers, mocktails, hosted bar, and unique entertainment. $50 More info: Katie Werner ArtReach asked you to save the date for Golden Hour: Made in SD, a community celebration of youth creativity fundraiser on May 7. It will unveil a youth art exhibition, immersive installations, and a newly transformed community backlot in Hillcrest. alchemy + light will be on view from March 27 through Aug. 23 at the Willian D. Cannon Gallery . The artists of True North Photo Society explore this subject in their newest collection of photographic works. This exhibit highlights their innovative approaches to transforming moments into luminous visual experiences. Artist reception April 18, 3 to 5 p.m. Yes, it is Arts Alive time of year again at the San Diego Museum of Art. It returns with a stunning array of colorful floral interpretations this April 24–April 26. Talented floral designers will fill the galleries with fragrant arrangements inspired by the Museum collection, offering a brilliantly colored backdrop for a weekend of beloved traditions and art-inspired activities. More info: info@sdmart.org 619.232.7931 On April 30 th at 6 pm Vanguard Culture and UC San Diego Craft Center collaborate on Art Garden at Park and Market. This gathering of visual art, storytelling, dance, and community care marks the national launch of the Jimi Appleseed Initiative (JAI), a cultural storytelling movement rooted in creativity, sustainability, and shared humanity. Launching from San Diego, the event will be streamed with interactive participation from 8–12 communities across the United States. Make a $15 donation to receive a beautiful, handmade ceramic bowl created by artists at the UC San Diego Craft Center. Proceeds directly support the San Diego Rescue Mission. Tickets $46.34 More info: Susanna H. Peredo 619-829-7561 You have only until April 12 to see Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming at CCAE Museum highlighting how artists use game engines, virtual environments, and digital storytelling to build immersive new worlds. You have only until April 12 to see Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming at CCAE Museum highlighting how artists use game engines, virtual environments, and digital storytelling to build immersive new worlds. On view until April 18 at Techne Art Center in Oceanside Francesca Hummler in the exhibition East Meets West. Across works that juxtapose Eastern philosophy with Western expression, the exhibition treats photography as a living language — a space where cultural boundaries blur, merge, and generate new forms of visual understanding. Cartographies of Loss: Parallel Cities: Photographs and Sculptures by Mónica Arreola and Jackie Castillo is on view at Mesa College Gallery from March 23 – April 25. These artists examine the history of urban development in Southern California, on women in Los Angeles and the other in Tijuana. It is very brave to put on the first 2026 Makers Arcade Spring Fair , on Easter weekend at Balboa Park April 4–5, 10am–5pm. You can enjoy two vibrant days of creative vendors, unique experiences, and everything that makes our local maker community so special. Parking for city residence has expanded for free. The very small $5 goes to the non-profit San Diego Made. Roman de Salvo’s ELECTROSPECTRUM will be on view at Quint Gallery La Jolla until May 23. Spanning from 1991 to 2026, the works in the exhibition exemplify de Salvo’s longstanding engagement with material dualities: the ornate and the utilitarian, the handcrafted and the mechanical, and elements of nature which are both unruly and standardized. Across the past three decades, his sculptures transform everyday systems into sites of curiosity, play, and formal invention.de Slavo is a San Diego Art Prize recipient. You can also see the work of Anya Gallaccio at the same time. She is mentioned in our report: Bread and Salt - Five at a time: Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio, Insite Erratic Fields, Annie Alarcon, ERRE, Anya Gallaccio Picked RAW Peeled by Patricia Frischer Gabrielle Wyrick , Chief Curator and Director of Art + Engagement at The New Children’s Museum announced a new exhibition opening on Fri, June 5. Woodswoman: Earthseed , an immersive installation by artist Saya Woolfalk is the final installment of their Science Fiction Creates the Future exploration. This highly anticipated exhibition invites families into a vibrant environment shaped by imagination, exploration, and discovery.
OPPORTUNITIES (please list of all current opportunities on SDVAN) Grant applications are now available Individual Artist Fellowships in San Diego and Imperial Counties for unrestricted grants from $5,000 to $50,000, providing flexible funding to support your vision, practice, and growth. The City of San Diego is administering these grants for the California Arts Council (CAC)’s Individual Artists Fellowship program Funding if for Aug 1, 2026 to Aug 31 2027. Guidelines and applications are now available and due April 30. There are lots of workshops for this all over the county! Another local grant opportunity that is ongoing for individual artist is from the William Male Foundation which are usually from $1K to $5K. Check out the site and email info@WilliamMaleFoundation.org for more info. Artists, be very aware of the Artists Count project coming on April 14. All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. So, keep your eyes peeled! There is a launch event in National City on April 14 th from 9:30 to 11am. If you have a project that could involve MiraCosta College staff or professors, you should get in touch with them for a small grant opportunity due April 10 th. These are two internal grants: Foundation Board Grants ($500-$5k) and the Hatoff Tapestries Grant . ($2.5K to $7.5K). April 17 is the deadline for the latest Prebys Grant: Rooted and Rising, Youth Leaders Up to $150k for programs that: Prepares middle and high school-aged youth, Offers experiential learning tied to real community issues , Builds supportive networks and most importantly elevate youth voice through storytelling, content creation, and visible leadership roles. Programs must contribute to community solutions. They must be diverse and already existing as a non-profit. This initiative seeks to ensures that young people across San Diego see themselves as stakeholders — and are prepared to lead positive change. The California Arts Council has opened applications for its 2026 state arts grant programs, launching a new season of statewide funding as the agency celebrates 50 years of supporting artists, cultural organizations, and creative communities across California. Applications are open now and must be submitted by May 12.General Operating Support - Up to $30,000, Arts and Youth - Up to $25,000, Impact Projects - Up to $25,000 for systemically under-resourced communities. There is a workshop Monday, April 13, 5:00 p.m. at the Encinitas Public Library—Community Room. Click here to register To teach programs at San Diego County Library (SDCL) branches, you must register as a vendor through the County of San Diego's Department of Purchasing and Contracting , as they require an approved contract. The application process, known as a Request for Statement of Qualifications (RFSQ), is currently open on BuyNet until March 31, 2026. In support of local young artists in district 77, Assembly member Tasha Boerner is hosting another youth art contest in celebration of 2026 Earth Day. This year's art contest theme is Green Choices, Bright Futures to spotlight sustainable practices and healthier lives. Contest winners will receive a California State Assembly Certificate, and have their artwork framed and exhibited in the State Capitol office. The deadline is April 3. The City of Encinitas Cultural Arts Division is seeking local artists to create a unique, handmade award for the annual 2026 City of Encinitas Environmental Award. The selected artist will be paid $1000 to create 4 works of art. You must be 16 years and above who live in San Diego County. Applications due Sunday, June 21. More info: Luciana Fernandes 7606332746 The Magnified Moments at Twenty-20 Gallery in Oceanside calls for artists with entries until March 27th. Whenthe camera moves closer, the ordinary transforms. Texture becomes landscape. Light reveals nuance. Everyday objects, natural forms, and carefully composed arrangements take on new meaning through attention and intention. Call for artists for the 20th Annual LeucadiART Walk This is a juried art show and all applicants (even returning artists) must apply More info: leucadia101.com or email L101 Application due by July 25 th. This year's theme at the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar is Once Upon A Fair. To submit to the International Photo and Digital Arts Exhibition the deadline is April 7 th. Outside The Lens is calling all young (8-25) photographers, artists, and media makers to participate in VoiceOut , their second annual juried art show that celebrates the voices and stories of young local artists. They believe in the power of youth voices to transform narratives and create meaningful change in our community. Work will be shown May 15 at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego and May 16 at San Diego Central Library. Submissions due March 27th. Here is your chance to put gift items in the Fallbrook Art Center shop. The deadline is May 11 for the display from June 27, Aug 29. The Find, Magnified —a vibrant gift show featuring the work of exceptional local and regional artists. Oceanside Museum of Art is making a call for art for More Than Words an OMA Artist Alliance exhibition at Front Porch Gallery. Front Porch Program Director and juror Andrea Woolley tell us this exhibition is not strictly themed, but artists are encouraged to submit work that represents your interpretation of the title. Submission due April 13 and showing May 30-July 26 with reception June 13. More info: (760) 435-3720 info@oma-online.org Remember: The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild is seeking art at the edge and beyond the traditional for an exhibition titled the Art of Now.: Pushing Boundaries The exhibition will be at the Union Hall Gallery on Boardway in SD. The juror is Max Presneill, Director/ Head Curator of The Torrance Art Museum. The deadline for submissions is May 8 th for a showing June 5-28. More info Leslie Pierce 760.623.6453 Vanguard Culture is proud to announce the Susan McAllister Swap Emerging Visionaries Fellowship , a new program supporting early-career artists with bold, future-facing ideas. It is designed to provide not only financial support, but space, community, and visibility at a pivotal moment in an artist’s career. This includes a $750 stipend and opportunity to serve as an Artist-in-Residence. Deadline April 10 th. More info: Susanna Peredo 619-829-7561 The City of Carlsbad invites schools and arts organizations to apply for Community Arts Grants from Feb. 13 through March 27. The Community Arts Grants program supports projects and activities that provide quality arts and cultural programming for the Carlsbad community. This year, more than $117,000 will be awarded. The curators at the Bonita Museum of Art, Culture, and History are now accepting submissions for an exhibition 14.BIS for concrete poetry, visual poetry, and mathematical visual poetry. Works accepted will be shown on the wall or in a slideshow display. Submit one image per work (or follow-up with multiple works in separate emails—whichever you prefer). Send submissions or get more info: 14.BIS.Submissions@gmail.com . Applications still opened for Carlsbad’s Art in the Village 2026 on Sun June 29 presented by the Carlsbad Village Association Call for Artists. This is Carlsbad’s signature summer art festival with juried fine art and thousands of attendees. It is a one-day, open-air event featuring 150 local and regional artists.at Carlsbad Village on Sun, June 28, 2026. Applications are accepted until the show is sold out. The dates are now set for ArtWalks in 2026: Carlsbad September 19 & 20. Click the links to apply before they fill up. And just a heads up, the ArtWalk team is helping The Carlsbad Village Association to present 28th Annual Art in the Village and hey love their volunteers , so consider signing up. All the other dates are now set for ArtWalks in 2026: Mission Fed in Little ItalyApril 25 & 26, Liberty Station July 31, August 1 & 2, Click the links to apply before they fill up. The Studio Door’s most anticipated 2026 calls for artists PROUD+ 2026 : 9th Annual National Exhibition deadline May 9 for exhibition June 19 to July 21.
April is Art, Culture & Creativity Month in Vista and they were one of the first cities in the county to announce the proclamation at the Vista Civic Center Council Chambers on March 24. This is a collaboration with the Vista Public Arts Commission. The proclamation kicked off a month dedicated to the artists, performers, makers, storytellers, and creative leaders who shape Vista’s identity and strengthens their community. Another Arts, Culture and Creativity proclamation was made at the Community Art and Culture Conversation for County District 2 held in the Community Center of the Ramona County Library on April 17. Art Reports by or about SDVAN A+ Art Blog by Patricia Frischer: National History Museum vs. Science Museum vs. Museum of Art CALL TO ACTION: SHOW UP FOR City of SAN DIEGO ARTS & CULTURE. The city has not lower its funding ,it has eliminated it!!! Join a public press conference calling attention to this crisis and the decision that threatens $11.8 million in support for organizations, jobs, and community programming across our region. Civic Center Plaza (1200 Third Avenue, San Diego, CA) Monday, April 20, Noon for 12:30 p.m.Hosted by San Diego ART Matters, Arts+Culture: San Diego, and regional arts leaders.RSVPand Parking reimbursement is available. Signs welcome in the outdoor plaza (may not be allowed in Council Chambers). Hand-held signs are best (any handles must be wooden and less than 1/4" by 2"). Then Stay and take action at the 2:00 p.m. City Council session to speak directly to decision-makers. If you are an artist, take an online survey to show how these cuts will hurt you through the Artists Count . All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. Oceanside Museum of Art will present Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind) , an exhibition that draws on imagery of the seasonal bloom to explore one of the most pervasive conditions of modern life: collective exhaustion and burnout. May 2–September 27. Bread & Salt Gallery invites you to an evening with Tatiana Ortiz-Rubio on May 9 at 6 pm as she reflects on her debut solo exhibition, Noncompliant. Through newly developed works and a site-responsive mural, Ortiz-Rubio considers the tension between lived experience and the structures that attempt to contain it. The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego returns with its second Avant GardeBall Larger Than Life on Saturday, May 2, 2026, from 8PM to 12AM. A new theme this year is inspired by "Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys" exhibition. The Natural History Museum in Balboa Park will open on May 22 with Washed Ashore: Art to Save the Sea . This art works combines community art and conservation efforts to remind viewers about the effects of plastic pollution on our delicate marine ecosystems. The exhibition features whimsical sculptures of sea creatures like Finn the mako shark and Dexter the Dungeness crab, made from debris like flip-flops, sand toys, lighters, and toothbrushes. Come see Luminous Wave by artist Deanne Sabeck across from the Cardiff by the Sea Library on Newcastle Ave. Luminous Wave is a kinetic glass sculpture that rotates and refracts light, creating oceanic colors on the ground during sunny days. The sculpture is designed to reflect the coastal environment and, from certain angles, resembles a surfing barrel. $10,000 is left to raise to ensure that the Luminous Waves stays in Cardiff where Art meets the Ocean. Contact Naimeh Tanha Woodward or go to the Encinitas Friends of the Art website to make a donation. Bonnie Dominguez was featured at the end of March and Kathie Ruiz in April in the GLAM series as part of Art Matters’Doing the Work which highlights women working across San Diego’s GLAM community — galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. Each woman reflects on the work that drives her, the challenges shaping her field, and the responsibility of carrying stories forward. Together, their voices offer a look at the visible and invisible labor —— that sustains San Diego’s cultural landscape. Congratulation to Vanguard Culture and their 10 th anniversary as a non-profit. They are presenting a Nonprofit Arts Leadership Summit including Nonprofit 101, Meet the Funders and an Executive Director Roundtable on Aug 27 from 9 to 4. At the MCASD in La Jolla. Designed for creatives across all disciplines including film, theatre, dance, visual arts, fashion, music, and more. Project [BLANK]’s annual exhibition will be a festival of innovative local art and music on May 28 from 6 to 9. This year’s WORKING TITLE at St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral with bold visual art, multimedia installations, performance art, and live experimental music from a diverse group of transborder artists. the theme is Sanctuary. There is a major new work by San Diego composer Michelle Lou and the exhibition is curated by sculptor Diana Benavídez and Artistic Director Leslie Ann Leytham, and artist submissions will be reviewed by a panel of artists: Alessandra Moctezuma , Alvaro Díaz , Cat Gunn , and Luisa Martínez . BEST PRACTICE is pleased to present RUINS: PERFORMING QUEER HISTORY, curated by Nathan Storey.RUINS is an iterative exhibition of interdisciplinary artists reckoning with queer histories, archives, and loss within their own contemporary studio practices. The artists in RUINS unearth LGBTQ+ histories, search for the fragmentary pieces, and reimagine our queer constellations. From May 2 (opening 5 to 8pm) until June 13, 2026 In Balboa Park for the first time ArtSpectrum 2026 presents twelve of the region’s most accomplished LGBTQ visual artists at Gallery 21. Produced by The Studio Door in collaboration with the Village Arts and Education Foundation, the exhibition runs May 5 through June 1, 2026, with an opening reception on Saturday, May 9 from 1–4PM. Curated by RD Riccoboni, the exhibition reflects a community that is not emerging but established, influential, and actively shaping the cultural dialogue. Madison Gallery in Solana Beach presents Hunt Slonem. May 2 to June 27 with an reception May 16 th from 5-7pm, A Decade of Wonder is the 10th solo exhibition that brings together a dynamic selection of new works that continue Slonem’s signature exploration of repetition, color, and spiritual symbolism through iconic imagery — from tropical birds and butterflies to his beloved bunnies. India Thompson: Looks Like Home at the Mingei invites us to reconsider the objects that quietly shape our daily lives. Through handwoven, true-to-scale domestic forms, objects become vessels for memory, attachment, and care. Showing May 16 to Oct 18 th. Before that To Catch a Fish presents over sixty works of craft and art that are either used in fishing or that illuminate the relationship between people and fish. Showing May 2 to Nov 1 st. Gear up for FIVE new exhibitions at Oceanside Museum of Art in May the . Exhibition Celebration (May 2 from 5–7: pm) ; Matrix Multiplied: Hybrid Approaches to Printmaking, Aaron Kramer: Sense of Wonder, Brothers in Arts: James Hubbell and Bert Hubbell, David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies, and Kate Tova: A Place to Rest (My Tired Mind). With the collective Protest Ink San Diego (PISSED) led by master printer Chris Lahti,Alessandra Moctezuma and her team printed 400 silk-screened original political posters with 13 designs by students, staff and professors from Grossmont, Miramar and Mira Costa community colleges. On No King's Day, they were thronged by folks wanting the posters. By 10 am they were gone! The mission… take the streets and use different strategies to bring attention, organize and catalyze change. Over 40,000 people came out! If you want to be involved in the next one contact Alessandra ArtsBusXpress was named as one of the four non-profits to be selected for this quarter at Jimbo’s Groceries Stores. If you use your own shopping bags you can deposit a Wooden Nickel which means a donation to this worthy cause. We already have a Save the Date for San Diego Design Week 2026: September 15 – 20. It returns this fall—bringing together our region’s design community through immersive, hands-on, and accessible programming across disciplines. This year, they will be expanding how design shows up across the city, with programming designed for both professionals and the broader community—inviting more people to experience how design shapes everyday life. Make sure and join their email list to get updated info by emailing them at info@sddesignweek.org We are delighted that both the City of San Diego Office of Cultural Affairs with their San Diego Arts and Culture Club newsletter and Art Matters with their extended Arts Advocates newsletter sent out by Bob Lehman are both ramping up to let more people know what is going on in the artist community. Make sure you are on both email lists. Just in from U.S. News & World Report : The Department of Visual Arts at UC San Diego rose two spots, now tied with Stanford and Rutgers universities and ranked #8. The MFA program prepares students to pursue a career in the contemporary art field, including all aspects of art making, criticism, theory and curating. Murals of La Jolla jumps on the emerging artist bandwagon and the first of these murals is spectacular. Lizzie Zelter’ s Southeast Exchange , is a reimagined retail discount store (E & E Trading in Texas). During a grant-funded trip along the U.S.-Mexico border, Zelter noted the city’s parallels to San Diego. The mural is on the southeast-facing wall of 7540 Fay Avenue. The Art Glass Guild will be hosting their 2026 Spring Patio Show and Sale on Saturday, May 9th and Sunday, May 10th. This show is the largest Art Glass show in Southern California and is focused on showcasing art created by local San Diego Glass Artists. As always, the show is held at Spanish Village Art Center in Balboa Park. David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies opens on April 25 and is on view until Nov 1. This is a survey exhibition and Monograph release and is curated by Mark Quint at the Oceanside Museum of Art. There will be a celebration and book release party on Sat. May 2 from 5 to 7 pm. David Adey is a SD Art Prize recipient. OPPORTUNITIES (click to see a list of all current opportunities listed on SDVAN) Fallbrook School of Art /Art Center is looking for an Exhibition and Membership Manager. This position is responsible for increasing revenue through fundraising efforts through membership and artist engagement to support the organization’s financial growth and sustainability. This role is critical for the organization because it interfaces with current and potential members, as well as with current and potential artists who exhibit or sell their work in our gallery and gift shop. More info: Karen Trapane 760-402-3482 The ICA is looking for an Education Manager ($60K) and a part time Summer Camp Instructor. ($35 an hour). The call for entries for the Athenaeum’s 34th Annual Juried Exhibition is open now to June 30, 2026. Artists may enter up to three different works for the exhibition showing August 1–October 10 with an opening reception is Friday, July 31, 5:30–7:30 PM. The juror is Paul Mpagi Sepuya, a Los Angeles-based artist working in photography and related zine and ephemera. Entry fee per artist is $15 for members and $20 for nonmembers. Blush & Brut is the theme of the 12th Anniversary Show for the Ashton Gallery at Art on 30 th. Keith Roberti, the interior designer, is the juror. Submissions are due by Fri. Sept 24 at 4 pm and the show opens and runs from May 2 to June 5 th. Sparks Gallery is making a call for artists for their Pop Art Exhibition . They want bold, contemporary works inspired by popular culture and modern life. Submissions should reflect Pop Art’s playful, colorful, or critical style, exploring themes like consumerism, celebrity culture, comics, and nostalgia. Up to 3 images per artwork. Entry fee: $20 (+ $10 additional media fee). Entry Deadline: June 15. Exhibition: Aug 1 – Oct 4. Opening: Aug 15. More info: Natalie Gonzales 619-696-1416 The City of Carlsbad invites artists to apply for the Carlsbad Beach Chairs public art project. Four artists will be selected—three to design one chair each, and one to design a paired set—for installation at sites throughout the city. Selected artists will also lead two one-hour public art activities connected to their design within three months of installation. Artists not selected will be considered for future opportunities. Deadline to submit is May 10. San Diego Museum of Art Guild Artists are invited to submit small to medium‑sized artworks (for display at the San Pasqual Winery Tasting Room & Gallery in La Mesa. The exhibition is May 1 to July 1 with a Sunday wine reception to celebrate participating artists. Please send two images of available works, along with the title, price, and date created to exhibitions@sdmaag.org with the subject line SAN PASQUAL. Wall-mounted works are preferred. Remember: Artists, be very aware that the Artists Count is now active. All artist should sign up and those of you looking for funding, there are $50k grants for 42 artists. Grant applications are now available Individual Artist Fellowships in San Diego and Imperial Counties for unrestricted grants from $5,000 to $50,000, providing flexible funding to support your vision, practice, and growth. The City of San Diego is administering these grants for the California Arts Council (CAC)’s Individual Artists Fellowship program Funding if for Aug 1, 2026 to Aug 31 2027. Guidelines and applications are now available and due April 30. There are lots of workshops for this all over the county! Another local grant opportunity that is ongoing for individual artist is from the William Male Foundation which are usually from $1K to $5K. Check out the site and email info@WilliamMaleFoundation.org for more info. The City of Encinitas Cultural Arts Division is seeking local artists to create a unique, handmade award for the annual 2026 City of Encinitas Environmental Award. The selected artist will be paid $1000 to create 4 works of art. You must be 16 years and above who live in San Diego County. Applications due Sunday, June 21. More info: Luciana Fernandes 7606332746 Call for artists for the 20th Annual LeucadiART Walk This is a juried art show and all applicants (even returning artists) must apply More info: leucadia101.com or email L101 Application due by July 25 th. Here is your chance to put gift items in the Fallbrook Art Center shop. The deadline is May 11 for the display from June 27, Aug 29. The Find, Magnified —a vibrant gift show featuring the work of exceptional local and regional artists. The San Diego Museum of Art Artists Guild is seeking art at the edge and beyond the traditional for an exhibition titled the Art of Now: Pushing Boundaries The exhibition will be at the Union Hall Gallery on Boardway in SD. The juror is Max Presneill, Director/ Head Curator of The Torrance Art Museum. The deadline for submissions is May 8 th for a showing June 5-28. More info Leslie Pierce 760.623.6453 The curators at the Bonita Museum of Art, Culture, and History are now accepting submissions for an exhibition 14.BIS for concrete poetry, visual poetry, and mathematical visual poetry. Works accepted will be shown on the wall or in a slideshow display. Submit one image per work (or follow-up with multiple works in separate emails—whichever you prefer). Send submissions or get more info: 14.BIS.Submissions@gmail.com . Applications still opened for Carlsbad’s Art in the Village 2026 on Sun June 29 presented by the Carlsbad Village Association Call for Artists. This is Carlsbad’s signature summer art festival with juried fine art and thousands of attendees. It is a one-day, open-air event featuring 150 local and regional artists.at Carlsbad Village on Sun, June 28, 2026. Applications are accepted until the show is sold out. Remember: ArtWalks in 2026: Carlsbad September 19 & 20. Click the links to apply before they fill up. And just a heads up, the ArtWalk team is helping The Carlsbad Village Association to present 28th Annual Art in the Village June 28and hey love their volunteers , so consider signing up. All the other dates are now set, Liberty Station July 31, August 1 & 2, Bella Vita Fest , October 17 & 18, Click the links to apply before they fill up. The Studio Door’s most anticipated 2026 calls for artists PROUD+ 2026 : 9th Annual National Exhibition deadline May 9 for exhibition June 19 to July 21. .
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