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'Public destruction events' at the museum steps:Thursday, Sept. 16 from 2-5 p.m.Friday, Sept. 17 from 2-5 p.m.Be part of the "Disestablishment: John Raymond Mireles" exhibition as it overturns the traditional museum experience by inviting the public to destroy photographs of remote landscapes that have recently had their US National Monument status revoked and been opened to drilling and mining. Large-scale photographs by local San Diego artist John Raymond Mireles are now on view at the Museum showcasing the remote beauty of these sites, then on September 16 and 17, Mireles invites the public to help mark and destroy the works. The photographs will then be rehung in their tattered form. The destruction of the images question complicity by mimicking the fate that awaits the scenic sites.The public destruction events on September 16 and 17, held on the Museum steps, will invite the public to use pens and tools to mark, scratch, and rip into the works.Signed waiver required to participate. Must be 12 years or older and minors must be accompanied by an adult.Virtual artist talk: Friday, Sept. 17 at 10 a.m. Register here.About the exhibition:When the federal government slashed several National Monuments in 2017 down to just fractions of their prior size to make way for drilling and mining, local artist John Raymond Mireles traveled to Escalante-Grand Staircase and Bears Ears in southern Utah to document what remains, and what was once protected."Disestablishment," a new exhibition at the San Diego Museum of Art, is a collection of photographs from these newly unprotected lands, before the damage sets in. But Mireles won't stop there. The exhibition runs until the end of January, but in mid-September, the museum will host several "public destruction events." Visitors will be invited to cut, hammer on, tear, walk on and otherwise physically, permanently damage the art. The altered works will be then rehung on the wall.It's a way of making the future destruction of these pristine lands more tangible and visceral, and implicating the viewer along the way.Bonus: these works will be on view in the free galleries that are adjacent to Panama 66, and don't require museum admission. Further bonus: I love to see SDMA spotlighting local, living artists.Details: Exhibition information. "Disestablishment" opens at SDMA Saturday, Aug. 7, 2021 and runs through Jan. 30, 2022. Two "Public Destruction Events" will be held Sept. 16 and 17. Free.--Julia Dixon Evans, KPBSFrom the organizer:August 7, 2021–January 30, 2022Disestablishment overturns the traditional and expected museum experience. Local San Diego artist John Raymond Mireles shares photographs of remote and staggeringly beautiful sites that have recently had their US National Monument status revoked, opening the sites for mining and drilling, and invites the public to take part in destroying images of these landscapes.In 1996, Escalante-Grand Staircase and Bears Ears were designated as National Monuments to protect the especially wild and scenic regions of Southern Utah, an area so remote that it was the last in the United States to be mapped. In order to allow private companies to extract the oil and coal deposits that exist in the area, in 2017, the Federal government drastically reduced Escalante and cut it into three smaller sections. Bears Ears was shrunk to a fraction of its former size. The unprotected landscapes are now open for oil drilling and coal mining—high-impact activities that will forever damage the virgin landscapes and archeologically rich terrain of the region.John Raymond Mireles traveled to Southern Utah in 2019 to photograph lands that had previously been protected but have since been opened to drilling and mining. For this exhibition, he has printed his work on an immersive scale using solvent ink on cellulose paper.In order to create a visceral understanding about the potential damage that awaits these environments, during the course of the exhibition the artist will remove the prints from the wall and invite visitors to physically damage the works. Participants are encouraged to hammer on, cut away, stomp on, tear, and tag these prints. The destruction is an integral part of the exhibition, with public responses filmed and included in the re-installation of the altered works. These actions question complicity by mimicking the fate that awaits these areas.

From the museum: Emphasizing iconic images by some of the most famous photographers from the 20th century to the present, this exhibition presents a broad sampling from the substantial holdings of local collectors Cam and Wanda Garner. This group of pictures, diverse in subject, style, photographic medium, and chronology, presents an occasion to reflect on photography’s role in history and society, and to consider its future trajectory.RELATED: San Diego Weekend Arts Events: Photography, art, electroacoustic music, Palestininan poetry and two local-style Christmas plays (KPBS arts segment)The exhibition is grouped thematically into three sections. The first, "Reflections on Nature," presents a variety of landscapes, including work by the acclaimed Ansel Adams and Minor White, and organic aesthetics. "Things as They Are" analyzes documents of the city, society, and conflict with familiar examples from Berenice Abbott, Margaret Bourke-White, and Henri Cartier-Bresson. The final section, "Manipulating Reality," looks at expressions of abstraction and allegory in the medium from early 20th-century work by Frank Eugene and Manuel Álvarez Bravo, to the contemporary cinematic dreamscapes of Gregory Crewdson.NOTE: Originally installed in November 2020, but closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Masters of Photography: The Garner Collection is now reopening to the public November 20, 2021 – February 21, 2022.Related Links:Exhibition informationVisiting and admission informationSDMA on InstagramSDMA on Facebook

From the gallery:An art project inspired by Baja California & San Diego topography, representing the 5 topographic and climate regions: Beach(Coastal Prairie), Coastal, Inland, Mountain, and Dessert. Each zone provides flavors unique to the Baja California / SD region. The entire project is designed to go the bring experiences of our regional landscape to all our senses. The food is meant to be held, felt, smelled, and tasted. Music is made by the modules of sounds that directly simple from the climate zone. Augmented Reality is used to reflect new way of sharing food under the recent social norms.The exhibition can be viewed in the AAC Gallery at the Athenaeum Art Center (1951 Julian Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113) during opening hours, Tuesday and Thursday, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and every second Saturday from 6 to 8 p.m., during the Barrio Art Crawl, and by appointment.Performances:Friday, Dec. 10 from 6-8 p.m.Saturday, Jan. 8 from 6-8 p.m.Objective:In this special time, I hope to create an art experience that can dedicate to transcend both the physical Border Wall between Mexico & the U.S. as well as the emotion of the recent pandemic experience.The immersive art is designed to help recognize the interconnections among us.The project:The ingredients are grown/sourced locally in both Baja California & San Diego. The ingredients of native plants are included to reflect different ethnic layers of an immigration society. In a multicultural society with values of freedom of speech and mutual respect, we need each other to reconnect with direct experiences and to leave out our preconceived ideologies. Our bodies serve as basic equipment to receive information. Food-Landscape encourages us to engage our direct experience network again, which can help us build common ground.Artists:Maggie ShenMarcos FernandesClaire GuilbertHarikrishnan Varma Learn more here.Related links:Follow Athenaeum Art Center on Instagram

RELATED: Oceanside Museum of Art hosts 5th Artist Alliance Biennial (KPBS feature)From the organizer: OMA is thrilled to present their fifth biennial, continuing the tradition of elevating the voice of Southern California artists and celebrating the best work from OMA’s Artist Alliance. This exhibition represents only a small cross-section of our remarkable artist members. The competition was fierce—ultimately only 61 artworks were selected from nearly 900 entries by juror Alessandra Moctezuma, Professor of Art and Gallery Director at San Diego Mesa College. Jurying the artworks to be included in this year’s exhibition was a challenge. Juror Moctezuma adds that, “As a curator and professor of art, I really enjoyed seeing the variety of approaches, unique concepts, media manipulation, and attention to craftsmanship. It was difficult to narrow it down to a limited selection. We wanted to include as many works as possible and as I made my selections, visual connections and relationships in mood and theme clearly emerged. “The past eighteen months have been a time of uncertainty and isolation. Personally, nature has been a healthy escape, so I included pieces—both figurative and abstract—that represent that much needed connection to the beauty around us. With artists at the heart of our work, we are honored to have this opportunity to recognize excellence in creative and original expression. The exhibition will open to the public on Dec. 18, 2021, and will be available to view during the museum's operating hours (Thursday-Saturday, 11-5 and Sunday, 11-4). There will be an artist reception on Feb. 12, 2022, and the exhibition will be available to view until May 1, 2022.Dates: Dec. 18, 2021- May 1, 2022Times: Thursday-Saturday, 11-5 and Sunday, 11-4Location: Oceanside Museum of ArtsCost: $10 for adults, $5 for seniors, and free for museum members, children, students, and active duty military.For more information and ticket purchases please visit HERE!Related links:OMA on InstagramOMA on Facebook

How to visitMOPA is open Thursday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Admission is donation-based and pay-what-you-can.From '5 Works Of Art To See In San Diego In September' (KPBS): Youth Of San Diego: 'Darkest Nights, Brightest Stars' On view at MOPA through Feb. 6, 2022 There are plenty of standout works of photography in MOPA's current annual juried youth exhibition, but what struck me the most was the enormity of what modern youth are currently going through, and how profoundly well they were able to capture it in their art. Students in grades K-12 in San Diego and Tijuana submitted their work to the contest on the themes of "growing up" and "space." The themes somehow work in harmony in the selections, mostly photography and collage but there are a few video pieces. The overall effect is almost transportive, seeing dozens upon dozens of works that zoom in on the darkness of isolation, or a society in upheaval, or of growing up — or somehow all of it at the same time. I felt a mixture of tangible nostalgia, pride for their talent but also sorrow for what they're enduring. Well done/sorry, youth. Details: On view Thursday through Sunday, 11 a.m. through 4 p.m. 1649 El Prado, Balboa Park. Donation-based. --Julia Dixon Evans, KPBSFrom the museum: MOPA’s 15th Annual Juried Youth Exhibition uniquely combines imaginative artworks responding to two separate thematic calls for submissions: Growing Up and Space. Youth artists in K-12 throughout San Diego and Tijuana were invited to share their unique interpretations of these seemingly disparate themes through photography and video. Through their lenses, powerful voices and common threads emerged. The young artists rose above these unprecedented times to share compelling stories and perspectives about ambition, transformation, self identity, the earthly, and the ethereal. Finding solace and strength in art, their visions shine brightly into the future and remind us to see beyond what is present and known."Darkest Nights, Brightest Stars" is made possible by the generous financial support provided by:The Bern Schwartz Family Foundation, Farrell Family Foundation, Capdevilla Gillespie Foundation, California Arts Council, City of San Diego, Gardner Bilingual FundThe Exhibition Support Council is sustained by community leaders like: Alan and Brigit Pitcairn, Barbara Mandel, Bob and Marilyn Mackie, Diane Brockman, Elizabeth Taft, Gail and Mel Mackler, Julie Lorene Smith, Karen Kinney, Marie Tartar and Steve Eilenberg, Marion and David Knowles, Peggy Ann Wallace, The Elaine Galinson & Herbert Solomon Donor Advised Fund of the Jewish Community Foundation, and Todd and Julie Wagner

The San Diego Watercolor Society proudly presents “The New Purple is Black, an Art Exhibition,” juried by award-winning artist, Wanda Honeycutt. This watermedia exhibition runs from January 6 - 30 at our gallery in The Arts District Liberty Station. The gallery is open Thursday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Come and enjoy over 95 ready-to-hang original paintings by our very talented members. The paintings can also be viewed and purchased online. There will be an opening in the gallery Friday, January 7, from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Please visit www.sdws.org or call (619) 876-4550 for more information.

Escondido Arts Partnership Escondido Municipal Gallery has the honor of exhibiting works by internationally acclaimed artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002)The May 15, 2021 through April 2022 exhibition "Colorations" features a kaleidoscope of colorful works with a large-scale steel and glass mosaic “skinny” sculpture of a rhinoceros and gouache paintings and drawings. A rhino, frog, and monkey are depicted in bright, wondrous color, characteristic of this celebrated late French-American artist (circa 1995 – 1997). The artworks are on loan from the Niki Charitable Arts Foundation.

The Escondido Arts Partnership is pleased to announce the twelfth presentation of Wood: A Furniture Show XII, hosted by Brian Murphy of Murphy's Fine Woodworking. This exhibition will feature a gathering of some of the very best furniture makers in Southern California showing their work at the Escondido Municipal Gallery. Handcrafted furniture will be exhibited in a variety of wood mediums and techniques, including innovative contemporary, traditional and whimsical art furniture, as well as detailed veneering and marquetry works. This exhibition is presented in association with the San Diego Fine Woodworking Association. This two-month exhibition runs January 7 through February 25, 2022. The opening reception on Saturday, January 8 provides an opportunity for the public to meet the featured woodworking artists from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Awards for outstanding workmanship will be announced at 6 p.m. The Escondido Municipal Gallery's hours | Tuesday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Exhibitions are always free and open to the public. For more information, please visit escondidoarts.org or call (760) 480-4101.

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego presents "Yolanda Lopez: Portrait of the Artist." On display Saturday, Oct. 16 through Sunday, April 24, 2022 "Yolanda López: Portrait of the Artist" is the first solo museum presentation of one of the most influential Chicano artists working in California over the past five decades. The exhibition presents a compendium of López’s work from the 1970s and 1980s, when she created a vivid body of paintings, drawings, and collages that reimagine representations of women within Chicano/a/x culture and society at large. Bringing together approximately 50 works in oil pastel, charcoal, collage, photography, and paint, Portrait of the Artist centers on the artist’s celebrated Guadalupe triptych and an expansive series of related works. Located Downtown - 1100 Kettner Boulevard Free Admission. Visit mcasd.org

NUNO —which simply means “cloth” in Japanese— is headed by world-renowned textile designer Reiko Sudo, who launched the company more than 35 years ago with textile icon Jun’ichi Arai. NUNO seamlessly networks the independent spinners, dyers and mills that still survive in villages throughout Japan with a highly-developed communications infrastructure. NUNO, the Language of Textiles showcases thirty of the company’s most iconic designs in an intimate format that allows visitors to interact directly with the fabrics, experiencing the structure, texture and drape of each one up close. The first west coast NUNO exhibition in over a decade, the Inamori Pavilion at the base of the Japanese Friendship Garden, with its authentically Japanese, yet state-of-the-art, architecture, is an ideal venue for this celebration of tradition and innovation. The exhibit will take place from Friday, November 12 through Sunday, February 27 at the Japanese Friendship Garden from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Get tickets to the Japanese Friendship Garden here!Students, Seniors (65+), Military: $10Adults: $12Children ages 6 years old and under are free.Admission to NUNO, the Language of Textiles is included with admission to the Japanese Friendship Garden. A curated selection of NUNO products will be available at the Japanese Friendship Garden giftshop.