Closing Reception: Saturday, May 4, 4–6 PM

March 2–May 3, 2024

Tarrah Aroonsakool, a first-generation San Diego native with Thai and Lao heritage, embarked on a journey of self-discovery through art. Aroonsakool’s creative path led them to New Orleans, where they found a supportive community and showcased their work globally after her first show in 2013. Motivated by a desire to foster a creative community in their hometown, Aroonsakool returned to San Diego, where they continue to push boundaries and transform their art, incorporating everyday objects and found materials into the work.

April 20–July 13, 2024

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, April 20, 2 PM

Unconscious Research features paintings and sculpture in which Takal explores exterior and interior expressions of the self. Predominantly working with oil on canvas, the paintings represent a shift in her work as she fully embraces the elemental language of abstraction, while her sculptural works showcase a collection of more linear and legible subjects. A Rolodex piece will be included in homage to the Athenaeum’s card catalogs, inviting visitors to peruse lists of personal feelings, collected from Takal’s friends and colleagues over the COVID-19 pandemic. Takal’s interests in the dissonance between our inner and outer consciousnesses and our human attempts to organize ourselves within that space are highlighted in this showcase of collective emotions and the inner workings of her artistic practice.

April 20–July 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, April 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

Unconscious Research features paintings and sculpture in which Takal explores exterior and interior expressions of the self. Predominantly working with oil on canvas, the paintings represent a shift in her work as she fully embraces the elemental language of abstraction, while her sculptural works showcase a collection of more linear and legible subjects. A Rolodex piece will be included in homage to the Athenaeum’s card catalogs, inviting visitors to peruse lists of personal feelings, collected from Takal’s friends and colleagues over the COVID-19 pandemic. Takal’s interests in the dissonance between our inner and outer consciousnesses and our human attempts to organize ourselves within that space are highlighted in this showcase of collective emotions and the inner workings of her artistic practice.

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, April 13, 7 PM (during the Barrio Art Crawl)

March 2–May 3, 2024

Join us on April 13 and dive into Through the Maze with a special Q&A and guided walk-through led by artist Tarrah Aroonsakool. Starting at 7 p.m., Aroonsakool will guide small groups through the immersive maze, sharing insights and answering your questions. Don't miss this unique opportunity to connect with the artist! The Barrio Art Crawl runs from 5 to 8 p.m.—the perfect Saturday plan to explore galleries and experience art in a new way. See you there! 

Opening Reception: Saturday, March 9, 5–8 PM (during the Barrio Art Crawl)

March 2–May 3, 2024

Tarrah Aroonsakool, a first-generation San Diego native with Thai and Lao heritage, embarked on a journey of self-discovery through art. Aroonsakool’s creative path led them to New Orleans, where they found a supportive community and showcased their work globally after her first show in 2013. Motivated by a desire to foster a creative community in their hometown, Aroonsakool returned to San Diego, where they continue to push boundaries and transform their art, incorporating everyday objects and found materials into the work.

Monday, February 19, 2024
7 PM

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library and San Diego Books Arts present two International Artists for an evening gathering of conversations on fine bindings, as well as precision tool making. Sol Rébora and Juan Gross Diseño will share some of their work and processes as we enjoy one another's company.

Gallery Walk-through: Friday, February 16, 6:30–8 PM

December 9, 2023–February 23, 2024

Join us for an artist walk-through with Evan Apodaca, where he delves into his ongoing research for The Secret City, currently showcased at Athenaeum Art Center. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., with the walk-through commencing at 7 p.m. Free admission.

Sunday, January 28, 5–7 PM

December 9, 2023–February 23, 2024

Join Evan Apodaca and Project YANO for a discussion and presentation on the history, the present, and the future of resistance to militarism in San Diego. Apodaca and Project YANO will be discussing local defense contractors’ involvement in the current conflict in Israel and Gaza, the militarization of the border, the environmental impact of naval shipyards on historically Chicano neighborhoods, and other related topics. Audience participation is welcomed for this open forum. This event is part of Enero Zapatista, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the Zapatista uprising. Free admission.

January 20–April 13, 2024

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, January 20, 1 PM, free

In The Magician Longs to See, Peter Cochrane presents an alchemical tale about the natural world and humanity, using stories of life, death, and the human desire to preserve. Cochrane draws inspiration from indigenous plants in his home state of California and from the Athenaeum’s own botanical archives. Darkroom prints and abstractions of roses, pine cones, and other local plantings recreate traces of life that once lived in and around the library, including the Torrey pine that stood as a sentinel for the building’s entrance, and climbing roses proposed by Kate Sessions for a 1921 garden renovation. Cochrane’s interest in horticultural and photographic histories also considers the optical manifestation of the alchemical pursuit—the transformation of lead into gold—through which, working with analog photographic processes, metals, and translations, the artist explores the materiality of elements across humanity’s attempts at preservation. 

January 20–April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

In The Magician Longs to See, Peter Cochrane presents an alchemical tale about the natural world and humanity, using stories of life, death, and the human desire to preserve. Cochrane draws inspiration from indigenous plants in his home state of California and from the Athenaeum’s own botanical archives. Darkroom prints and abstractions of roses, pine cones, and other local plantings recreate traces of life that once lived in and around the library, including the Torrey pine that stood as a sentinel for the building’s entrance, and climbing roses proposed by Kate Sessions for a 1921 garden renovation. Cochrane’s interest in horticultural and photographic histories also considers the optical manifestation of the alchemical pursuit—the transformation of lead into gold—through which, working with analog photographic processes, metals, and translations, the artist explores the materiality of elements across humanity’s attempts at preservation. 

Saturday, January 13, 2024
11 AM; Free

Inspired by the blue cast of twilight, Anne Labovitz will present illuminated pieces, sculptural artists' books, and colorful, immersive works to interact with visitors, exploring a state of calmness, emergent energy, and feeling. Her work responds to today’s world by challenging isolation, loneliness and disconnection through activating color and light in large-scale works. Local context and creating connections with others is embodied in the artist's creative process and public interventions.

Thursday, December 14,2024
6 PM Reception; 6:30 PM Lecture

Inspired by the blue cast of twilight, Anne Labovitz will present illuminated pieces, sculptural artists' books, and colorful, immersive works to interact with visitors, exploring a state of calmness, emergent energy, and feeling. Her work responds to today’s world by challenging isolation, loneliness and disconnection through activating color and light in large-scale works. Local context and creating connections with others is embodied in the artist's creative process and public interventions.

Opening Reception: Saturday, December 9, 5–8 PM (during the Barrio Art Crawl)

December 9, 2023–February 23, 2024

Since 2017, Evan Apodaca’s work has aimed to confront the hyper-militarization of San Diego and its global implications. His video installation Monumental Interventions creates illusory worlds where toppled statues come to life, addressing San Diego’s complicity in US hegemony in Latin America and the Pacific, all while examining the militarization of the US-Mexico border. With anonymous community participation, Apodaca’s work delves into the saturation of patriotism within San Diego’s socially and physically constructed landscape while shedding light on the environmental injustices experienced in Barrio Logan due to pollution from nearby naval shipyards. The artist’s series of drawings entitled Reruns and documentary films Oceanside 69 and Del Mar 72 collectively provide an intimate window into San Diego’s tumultuous antiwar era from 1969 to 1972.

Saturday, November 18, 2024
4:30 PM; Free

Inspired by the blue cast of twilight, Anne Labovitz will present illuminated pieces, sculptural artists' books, and colorful, immersive works to interact with visitors, exploring a state of calmness, emergent energy, and feeling. Her work responds to today’s world by challenging isolation, loneliness and disconnection through activating color and light in large-scale works. Local context and creating connections with others is embodied in the artist's creative process and public interventions.

November 18, 2023–January 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, November 17, 6:30–8:30 PM

Inspired by the blue cast of twilight, Anne Labovitz will present illuminated pieces, sculptural artists' books, and colorful, immersive works to interact with visitors, exploring a state of calmness, emergent energy, and feeling. Her work responds to today’s world by challenging isolation, loneliness and disconnection through activating color and light in large-scale works. Local context and creating connections with others is embodied in the artist's creative process and public interventions.

September 16–November 11, 2023

Closing Reception: Friday, November 3, 6:30–8:30 PM

Join the Athenaeum for a closing reception for our special exhibition of works by late French artist Françoise Gilot, featuring many never-before-exhibited lithographs.

September 16–November 11, 2023

Opening Reception: Friday, September 15, 6:30–8:30 PM

The Athenaeum is pleased to present a special exhibition of works by late French artist Françoise Gilot, featuring many never-before-exhibited lithographs.

Opening Reception: Saturday, August 12, 5 PM (during the Barrio Art Crawl)

August 12–November 25, 2023

There’s Never Just One is an exhibition by Anna O’Cain, who considers everyday observations, events, and vernacular speech potent sources of inspiration. She collects images, fragments of conversation, children’s science books, objects, and maps. In this exhibition, O’Cain delves into diverse subjects and disparate materials ranging from the history of the apple, the adverse role of CO2 in climate change, to collage, and sculptural, photographic sets. Soap boxes placed in front of fragmented photographs, a string of keys spilling onto a table, a collage honoring a friend, and a cloth transcription of artists’ zoom meetings during the pandemic are included in There’s Never Just One. Additionally, her installations often feature performative elements inspired by dreams and domestic activities, such as sewing surrender flags, creating felt book covers, mending clothes, and baking pies. From a broken table to a family letter, a note found on the street, or building a bookshelf, O’Cain’s creative process embraces unexpected starting points with quirky ideas about learning, recollection, and organization found in daily experience.

July 15–September 9, 2023

Opening Reception: Friday, July 14, 6:30–8:30 PM

One of the most prestigious juried shows in San Diego, the Athenaeum’s 31st Annual Juried Exhibition will be on view this summer, July 15 through September 9, 2023. Nearly 300 artists entered 900 works for consideration. Juror Isabel Casso, Assistant Curator, Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, selected the final 25 artists and 35 works to exhibit. Prizewinners, including the recipient of the Leslie Von Kolb Memorial Award, will be announced at the opening reception.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Artist Talk: Thursday, June 15, 6:30 PM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, June 3, 11 AM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Musical Performance: Friday, June 2, 6 PM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Poetry and Contrabass: Saturday, May 27, 2 PM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Poetry Reading: Friday, May 19, 6 PM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

May 13–July 8, 2023

Open House: Saturday, May 13, 4–5 PM

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. Since 2002, the SDSU Art Council has awarded scholarships to a select number of students who, in addition to the Council's financial support, receive the opportunity to present their artwork in the Athenaeum's Rotunda Gallery.

Saturday, May 13, 2023
12 NOON–8 PM
Gallery Open: 12 NOON–8 PM
Opening Reception: 4–8 PM
Mariachi Music: 5–7 PM

This Mother's Day weekend, we invite you to a special pop-up art show that celebrates the wisdom and words passed down by our mothers. Submissions for the show are open to a ready to show range of art inspired by the invaluable lessons and advice that mothers have shared with their children through different cultures. We aim to honor the power of maternal guidance and to highlight the importance of bilingual communication and connection. ¡Los esperamos! We look forward to seeing you there!

May 13–July 8, 2023

Opening Reception: Friday, May 12, 6:30–8:30 PM

Using light, color and silhouetted imagery, Wendell Kling will transform the Athenaeum’s gallery into a peaceful, contemplative space. Window treatments and sculptural furnishings will be animated through simple lights and mechanical devices.

Scholarship recipients of the San Diego State University School of Art and Design will present an exhibition with selections from their portfolios.

March 11–May 6, 2023

Sunrise Viewing: Saturday, May 6, 6 AM

Join the artist for a coffee and sunrise viewing of the exhibition Turning Pages. Free admission.

March 11–May 6, 2023

Artist Talk: Tuesday, April 11, 6 PM

Andrew Alcasid will present a special lecture giving an in-depth look into his artistic trajectory, process, and recent work.