In Balboa Park don’t miss Mexican Modern Painting at the San Diego Museum of Art on view through February 19, 2012. This is a stunning collection of 20th-century Mexican art featuring a selection of 80 paintings dated between 1907 and 1962 from renowned artists such as Diego Rivera, David Alfaro Siqueiros, Fernando Castillo, Rufino Tamayo, and many others. At the Mingei International Museum you have all month to enjoy San Diego’s Craft Revolution. This is a remarkable exhibit of handmade objects such as furniture, doors, jewelry and ceramics created from the 1940s to the 1970s by over 60 San Diego artists that contributed to the progression of modernism in the region. Featured artists include Rhoda Lopez, Jack Hopkins, Arline Fisch, Martha Longenecker, Ellamarie and Jackson Woolley, Kay Whitcomb and James Hubbell.

 

I typically associate The Natural History Museum with dinosaurs, but their upcoming Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition opening February 10 is going to be a nice addition to T-Rex. Touching on every fascinating aspect of Titanic’s story, from construction, life on board to the tragic sinking and dramatic rescue of more than 700 people, the exhibition will feature a poignant collection of authentic artifacts and recreations of the ship’s interior. The last art museum in the Park that you should try to visit is the Museum of Photographic Art. Infinite Balance: Artists and the Environment brings together some of the most engaging photographs that deal with the subject of sustainability and the environment by some of the most noted international contemporary photographers. You don’t have much time, the exhibit closes on February 5, but on February 11 they open a new landscape photography exhibit.

 

Oceanside Museum of Art is definitely worth the drive to see their new exhibit, The Point of View: William Glen Crooks that features a collection of over 40 luminous landscape and urbanscape paintings by San Diego-based artist William Glen Crooks. With a central focus on the effects of light and atmosphere this collection is a perfect blend of romantic realism influenced by the likes of Albert Bierstadt, Edward Hopper and Mark Rothko. On view through April 22. While you are in North County visit LUX Art Institute to see their unique collection of playful, anthropomorphic furniture by Lila Jang, a young sculptor from Seoul, South Korea who has the ability to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. On view through March 3.

 

Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego has extended their historic Pacific Standard Time exhibit Phenomenal: California Light, Space, Surface at one of their MCASD Downtown locations, 1001 Kettner through March 4, 2012. Experience disorienting light and space artwork by James Turrell and Doug Wheeler that will alter your perception of the surrounding environment. Also downtown San Diego you can visit the San Diego Maritime Museum to see their popular exhibition, Three Voyages to Paradise: Cook, Melville, Gauguin that has been extended through July 31. This is one of the best collections of Paul Gauguin bronze sculptures that I have ever seen along with a small number of strong paintings and works on paper. Due to the light sensitive nature of some of the Gauguin pieces, exhibit hours will only be from 11am-3pm daily, visitors must arrive by 2pm to see all the items in the exhibit due to the shortened hours.

 

Now that you have a few exhibition recommendations to choose from, mark your calendar and make sure to pick up your museum moth pass at your local Macy’s starting February 1. Enjoy San Diego Museum Month!

 

Danielle Susalla

Director of Exhibits and Communications, Oceanside Museum of Art