Nick Cave’s “Soundsuit” (2009, mixed media sculpture) will be on view during An Artful Life: A Tribute to Matthew C. Strauss at MCASD through Aug. 3. PHOTO BY JAMES PRINZ PHOTOGRAPHY, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST AND JACK SHAINMAN GALLERY NEW YORK, © NICK CAVE
An Artful Life: A Tribute to Matthew C. Strauss at MCASD
A showcase of exuberant paintings from the private collection of Iris and Matthew C. Strauss, An Artful Life takes viewers through 35 years of contemporary art inside the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD). In 2013, Matthew became MCASD’s president, spearheading the La Jolla expansion that quadrupled the museum’s size. Over the years, he and Iris curated a remarkable collection of one-of-a-kind pieces, a selection of which form this heartfelt and comprehensive exhibition. “This focused glimpse of their impressive collection is a window into a life devoted to contemporary art at the highest level,” says David C. Copley Director and CEO Kathryn Kanjo. Open to the public through Aug. 3, the exhibit invites viewers to discover 22 eminent works from the 1970s onward, including paintings from Jennifer Barlett, Takashi Murakami, Mickalene Thomas and many more.
Yan Pei-Ming: A Burial in Shanghai at MCASD
Making its U.S. debut, A Burial in Shanghai by artist Yan Pei-Ming brings three larger-than-life canvases to the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) from April 17 through early 2026. Born in China and now based in France, Pei-Ming’s deeply emotional artistry attracts a crowd across the globe. The exhibition showcases a striking monochromatic triptych—an ode to Gustave Courbet’s “A Burial at Ornans”—which first premiered at Paris’ Musée d’Orsay in 2019, that blends psychological portraits of renowned figures with close friends. Though composed of three separate paintings, the artist considers this exhibition to be one artwork—a powerful narrative best experienced in person.
Ventana Huichola at Oceanside Museum of Art is a community-based installation made up of tsikuris, a symbol of protection and spirituality. PHOTO COURTESY OF OCEANSIDE MUSEUM OF ART
Ventana Huichola at Oceanside Museum of Art
Curated by Natalie Gonzalez, Ventana Huichola is brightening up the San Diego community from April 26 to Sept. 21. The site-specific installation at Oceanside Museum of Art laces together vibrant yarn-crafted tsikuris—also known as God’s eyes—crafted during a workshop a few months prior by budding artists across the county. Historically, tsikuris are believed to symbolize protection and spiritual connection, beginning with the Huichol people, who placed the multi-layered objects in areas where they worked and traveled. A fascinating bridge between past and present, Ventana Huichola is a testament to the sanctity of tradition that is sure to resonate with the community.
“What you see is what you see”—a phrase coined by artist Frank Stella—became a defining motto of the Minimalism movement. Now through June 1, The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) delves into the masters of American Minimalism, showcasing a dynamic mix of both seen and never-before-seen works in american minimal. Expect Stella’s famed “Flin Flon VIII” (1970), striking portraits by Arnold Newman, light-filled objects inspired by the aerospace industry from artists like John McCracken and DeWain Valentine, and the meditative, repetitive markings of John Cage and Nancy Haynes. As Minimalism sought to strip art of representation, this exhibition invites you to embrace the power of pure form—where what is, simply is.
Gene Davis’ “Halifax” (1970, screenprint) is one of the works on display at american minimal at the San Diego Museum of Art. PHOTO COURTESY SAN DIEGO MUSEUM OF ART, © 2025 ESTATE OF GENE DAVIS/ARTISTS RIGHTS SOCIETY (ARS), NEW YORK
Ruud van Empel: Theatre at SDMA
Dutch photographer Ruud van Empel is moving beyond the lens. In an intriguing interspersing of reality and artifice, this exhibition showcases the artist’s intricate practice of combining images he takes himself to create a hallucinogenic collage. Since the 1990s, van Empel has explored this concept and continues to attract today’s art community with his unprecedented works, primarily based around the natural world. Like walking into a dream, Ruud van Empel: Theatre will beguile onlookers at The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) through July 27.
Artist Afra Eisma’s Hush exhibit at ICA San Diego is a kaleidoscope of colors that investigates the healing properties of breath. PHOTO BY KATHERINA HEIL
Afra Eisma: Hush at ICA San Diego
For Dutch artist Afra Eisma, the art-making process is how she channeled personal trauma to create something both otherworldly and familiar. Titled Hush, her first solo U.S. exhibition is on display at ICA San Diego through June 1 and features colorful weavings of mythological creatures that simultaneously reflect the healing properties of breath. For Eisma, “Breath is a tool in becoming more present; it’s a healing power for our nervous system, a bridge between body and mind. Breath is a bodily function that we have the power to control, or we let it take control of us.”
Discover Odilón Castillo’s “Boots” (2024, leather with a hand-tooled design, paint)—just one of the many clothing iterations of the Virgin of Guadalupe—during Fashioning an Icon at Mingei International Museum. PHOTO BY RON KERNER
Fashioning an Icon at Mingei International Museum
On view at Mingei International Museum from April 5 through Sept. 7, Fashioning an Icon offers a fascinating glimpse at the clothing and ornate accessories depicting the Virgin of Guadalupe over the years. The exhibition honors the cultural icon’s enduring influence on fashion by showcasing traditional garments from over 70 artists from Mexico alongside contemporary local interpretations. Highlights include ranch-style boots by Odilón Castillo and a striking motto jacket by Claudia Rodríguez-Biezunski, among other remarkable pieces that celebrate the Virgin’s legacy through design.
See the works of artist Ethan Chan in Heavy as Ghosts at ICA San Diego. PHOTO BY LILE KVANTALIANI
Heavy as Ghosts at ICA San Diego
The inaugural exhibition from ICA San Diego’s local artist residency program—Heavy as Ghosts—was crafted by Ethan Chan and David Peña, who were chosen by a jury of art professionals for this prestigious undertaking. With six months of studio space and a stipend, the two artists worked closely with the museum’s curatorial team to create an exhibition centered on healing. Drawing from their multicultural backgrounds, they channeled themes of isolation, loneliness and grief to craft a deeply resonant experience for the San Diego community. Blending various mediums—including sculpture, welding and performance—Chan and Peña invite visitors to explore the more vulnerable aspects of life in America through July 27.
Photography by: Katherina Heil
