One hundred years in, and the San Diego Museum of Art is putting it all on the table. Forging a Legacy: 15 Years of Landmark Acquisitions is the museum’s centennial exhibition, and it’s exactly what it sounds like – a deep dive into some of the most significant works added to the collection over the past decade and a half.
Every curator at SDMA had a hand in shaping what’s on display, which means this covers serious ground across every corner of the collection.
A Range You Won’t Find Anywhere Else
SDMA has always collected differently than most American art museums – broader in geography, more ambitious in scope. Old masters sit alongside contemporary work, photography, East and South Asian art, Latin American art, and pieces from the Islamic world.
Forging a Legacy reflects all of that, and the names alone are worth the trip: Picasso, Monet, Pissarro, Ribera, Hockney, Nick Cave, Hugo Crosthwaite, Alfredo Jaar, and many more.
Several works are light-sensitive pieces that have never been publicly shown before, so there’s genuinely no other time to see them.
More Than a Look Back
The 2023 merger with the Museum of Photographic Arts gave the collection a serious boost, and photography plays a strong role here alongside a contemporary section anchored by major works from Ala Ebtekar, Richard Deacon, and Nick Cave.
There’s also a forward-looking quality to the show – monumental panels by José María Sert that will eventually live in the museum’s new Foster + Partners west wing expansion are on display now, giving a real sense of where SDMA is headed next.
See you there!
A century in, and the San Diego Museum of Art is making a compelling case that the best of its collection is still being discovered.
📆 Thursday, May 21 – Sunday, September 7
📍 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego
ℹ️ Find out more
See you there, San Diego!