The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego’s hotly anticipated new exhibition, “Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys,” arrived April 17 with a preview party at the museum in La Jolla.
The three-hour event included a red-carpet walk, remarks from Kasseem Dean (also known as Swizz Beatz) and Keys and an early look at the new show. The party then continued late into the night at Lou Lou’s Jungle Room at The Lafayette Hotel in San Diego.
During her remarks, Keys shared her excitement about debuting “Giants” in San Diego — “the most beautiful, special jewel of a city.”
“I’ve never been to a museum right on the beach,” she said.
The exhibit, which runs through Aug. 9, includes more than 130 large-scale art pieces —paintings, portraits, sculptures and installations — from the collection of Dean and Keys, who are married musical artists. It is the first display of Dean Collection artwork in the San Diego area.
“Giants” was organized by the Brooklyn Museum in 2024 and features the work of 37 Black artists from the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean.
Associate curator Amy Crum called the event “a dream come true.”
“I could not have imagined all these things would coalesce,” she said. “Bringing this amazing exhibition here feels like such a gift.”
‘Giants: Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys’
When: Through Sunday, Aug. 9. Hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays.
Where: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, 700 Prospect St., La Jolla
Tickets: $15-$25
Information: mcasd.org/exhibitions/giants ♦