LECTURES
Art History, Music, & Special Lectures
Linda Blair will lecture on the Giants of Art: The Post-Impressionists, focusing on Matisse. Matisse sought to create “…an art of balance, of purity and serenity, devoid of troubling or depressing subject matter…” This master colorist’s art is rich, sensuous, opulent, and seemingly transparent…until subjected to deeper scrutiny. Matisse’s career vacillated between sculptural and decorative styles. He raised profound questions about the very nature of art, of perception, and of reality. Of his friend and archrival, Picasso said, “All things considered, there is only Matisse.”
CONCERTS
Jazz, Chamber, New Music & Acoustics
Jazz returns to the Athenaeum for our annual series of summer concerts. The summer series opens on June 11, with a special program created by celebrated Venezuelan pianist-composer-arranger Edward Simon. The series continues on June 16, with a stellar duo of vocalist Gretchen Parlato and guitarist-vocalist Lionel Loueke. Next up on July 24, brings an Athenaeum debut by the Sullivan Fortner Trio. The series concludes on July 27, with Harold López-Nussa “Timba a la Americana.”
ART CLASSES
Summer 2023 Session
School of the Arts’ Summer 2023 art classes now on sale! Explore Creative Color Mixing: A Workshop for Painters with Sharon Carol Demery in the La Jolla Art Studio. Join a Midsummer Plein Air Workshop with Pat Kelly on location. Create A Book of Ocean Cyanotype Prints with Judi Tentor in the AAC Art Studio. Discover Finding Inspiration on Zoom with Jill Badonsky online. Register today!
The Athenaeum offers a wealth of resources that are unique to this region. The library, devoted exclusively to music and art, has an outstanding and ever-expanding collection of books, periodicals, reference material, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, and librettos, as well as one of the most significant collections of artists' books in Southern California. Members have access to a wide variety of materials that range from rare, historic items to the latest in video technology.
The Athenaeum Art Center (AAC) in Logan Heights has four exhibition spaces, an event space, a fully equipped print studio, a kiln, and art studio. It offers a unique set of bilingual programming that includes the exhibition of national and international artists, music concerts showcasing the distinct sounds of our binational region, participation in community festivities, free after-school art programs, art classes, and a variety of unique experiences in collaboration with local organizations.
Exhibitions
Wendell Kling transforms the Athenaeum's gallery and windows with light, color, and cut paper silhouetted imagery to create a peaceful, contemplative retreat. Taking inspiration from temples of various belief systems, A Coruscating Sanctuary provides a platform for the activities that take place within. Also, the Athenaeum will present an exhibition of artwork by graduate and upper-division undergraduate students of the School of Art and Design at San Diego State University.
The show will be on display in the Clayes Gallery and Rotunda Gallery from May 13 to July 8.
Murals of La Jolla is a project of the Athenaeum. The mural project enhances the civic character and vitality of the community by commissioning public art projects on private property throughout La Jolla. Each work is on view for a minimum of two years. Since 2010, thirty-seven large-scale artworks have appeared in a variety of locations throughout the village of La Jolla, some prominently displayed while others are tucked away in more discreet locations.
The Athenaeum's
Erika & Fred Torri
Artists’ Books Collection
Artists' books are works of art in book form. They are published in small editions or as one-of-a-kind objects. The Athenaeum's artists' books collection has become one of the most important collections in its holdings and is a driving force in the library's development. Among its holdings, it contains the complete collection of artists' books by Ed Ruscha, Ida Applebroog, Allen Ruppersberg, John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, and other artists.
Join the Athenaeum
Becoming a member is the best way to enjoy everything that the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library—San Diego's only membership library—has to offer. For only $40 a year, members may check out materials from the library, receive exclusive discounts on our programs, and more! An Athenaeum Music & Arts Library membership supports art and music in San Diego.
The Athenaeum is supported by members like you!
