San Diego Art Institute

This place offers a uniquely curated or themed exhibition by local contemporary artists through media, photography, installations, and paintings. It changes its theme and display every 4-​to-​6 weeks.
When I came, the theme was «Self-​Titled» which demonstrated how various people portrayed themselves and how they perceive others portrayed them based off of appearance. Walking in, the gift shop pops up immediately and the art room is downstairs. The art room was very spacious and all of the artwork can be seen with a single loop around the wall. I went through every thing in about 20 minutes at a casual pace.
Admission is $ 5 normally or free to locals on Free Musuem Tuesdays (usually the 2^nd Tuesday of the month). This was a decent art showcase but is far inferior to the SD Musuem of Art and the Timken Museum (which is free everyday).
The one thing that this place has going is you will never know what you’re going to get each time you walk in. You won’t find Van Gogh or Monet in here, but you may find the artwork of your child’s 3^rd grade best friend (who could be the next Van Gogh lol).

I recently read an article by NPR talking about how ppl who visit museums nowadays do so not to look at art but for the EXPERIENCE that the museum has to offer, claiming that art is under threat of indifference. People want to go to a museum, walk around, see curators dressed in a nice suit, maybe listen to a tour but don’t really take the time to marvel, analyze and fall in love with a piece. Mmm I beg to differ. Although I think it’s super cool when museums do offer exciting experiences ie culture and cocktails at SDMOA, as an active member of the museum goer populace, I’m still quite taken, quite unindifferenced towards art. That being said I had a great time at SDAI.
I can’t believe that the eldest Unilocal review of this place is from 2006. Dude are you sure you got the right place? How did I not know SDAI had a museum here? I literally just found it last Tuesday and mistakenly entered this museum instead of the Mingei. lol I even asked the girl working the front «Did y’all redo the entrance?!» So lost. But sometimes when you’re lost you discover the most amazing things. So you walk in and first thing first is the museum shop. SO CUTE! Was tempted to buy a $ 25 shirt from American Apparel that had naked ppl in front of the Zoro Garden lol! (Did you know that there used to be a nudist colony living in Balboa Park?) Lol classic. Mmm and so soft!
On exhibit was Context: Rethinking Language in Art. A bunch of words sprawled on various media throughout the walls. Unique as you weren’t so much appreciating the aesthetic of the media but the tone and the meaning of the words imprinted on it. So one piece had a bunch of canvases with fun facts on it. For example, did you know that the average baby boomer held 11.7 jobs from age 18 — 48?! Lol neither did i! But damn that’s a lot of jobs. My fave piece was a live camera that recorded still images of the person standing in front of it and projected the images on the associated tv along with personalized captions. When I walked in front of the camera it said «OPTIMISTIC» which was AWESOME! I was actually feeling real good about the world that day bc the HONY charity that I donated to the day before reached $ 2 million in a matter of a few days for a human rights activist in Pakistan! I was feeling particularly bad about the world just like two days earlier bc I went to a Holocaust museum and was pretty depressed but yeah I mean I was hella optimistic when I came here! BUT THEN! I was like ewww this is an ugly picture why do I look so moon faced rofl and immediately the «OPTIMISTIC» changed to «SELF-​CONSCIOUS». wtf?! How did it do that?! lol. No indifference here I was actually super freaked out by that and like ran away hahaha.
But anyway I enjoyed myself here at this museum and will add it to my rounds on the 3^rd Tuesday of each month. It’s different. I feel like it’s a hispter/​mom and pop museum. No big national tours but headlining local talent that’s no less engaging. They also have after hour events (I mean not gonna lie I go to museums for the experiences too) which I would love to attend some time.

As a result of the SDAI Board of Directors hiring Ginger Shulick Porcella as director, this historic art institution in San Diego is not what it used to be or why it was founded in the first place. Since taking over, the new director has closed down the San Diego Art Department, which caused people to lose their jobs and displaced studio artists. She also eliminated Art Gym and let go many gift shop vendors without any notice or forewarning — just put all their stuff in boxes and bags. She also wiped out the historical database of past exhibits and photos from the website, as if the previous artists that were involved with SDAI in the past didn’t exist or don’t matter. The current exhibits feature artists from outside San Diego County, which violates the initial mission statement of why SDAI was initially founded.

This art gallery turned out to be a nice way to kill a few hours on an unexpectedly free afternoon. It’s small, but the art is engaging enough to keep you browsing for a bit. It’s also nice that they tend to feature local and often unknown artists. The $ 3 admission is within even the leanest of budgets and the staff is readily available to answer questions about any of the pieces.

I haven’t been here for any courses, but I’ve been here for a couple of art shows to support artist friends showing their talent. Judy Pike is one. I’ve posted a few pictures from her latest collection, «White Figures» as well.
But, yes. General Admission is a reasonable $ 3. Unless you gaze 15 minutes per piece, you browse through the art pretty quickly, so glide slowly. Cheese, crackers, fruit and the like are nicely stationed for those interested. Arrive early to get a fresh pick. Beverages are available for purchase. Ha!
The setup looked nice but there were not utensils to grab the fruit, crackers and such which is gross considering the amount of people attend. Everyone went at it with their hands. Yuck! Docked a star for that.
This is a kid friendly exhibit which is great considering the location (Balboa Park).
I’ve found that most of the artwork here is either abstract, drawings, a little photography, some nudity, and painting. They had a lovely kid section displaying amazing artwork done by little pure hands! I literally smiled viewing their pieces.
Balboa Park is great for locals and tourists alike. Check out one of the exhibits here… I’m sure they have a schedule. Oh, and don’t forget to check out my girl, Judy! (
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These guys are all about the supporting the local artists and also sponsor really cool events.
Events I’ve loved last year:
1) C-​note: This is event is fun, fun, fun. So, local artists donate their art for the museum to sell for either $ 100, $ 200, or $ 300. This art is hung in the gallery for all to preview. On a saturday after the preview, the madness begins. The doors open at 4pm, but some people start lining up at 10AM because how it works is first one lining up, the first one in and you literally just start grabbing art off the walls to buy. Its a MAD rush. I wanted 3 pieces, but only managed to grab 2, because one of the 10 folks ahead of me liked the same piece. So over 100 people show up and the art fly’s off the walls (they have 100’s), and as art is taken off the walls, new pieces from the back get put up. FYI, I posted the two paintings that I bought and LOVE up on the Unilocal pics.
2) Poetry Slam: this is a quarterly event where poets compete for money. They get rated right after their poem, and highest marks gets the cash. AMAZING poets and now I’m hooked on Elevated (poetry open mic and slam 1^st and 3^rd Thursdays every month at Eveoke). Also there was a really cool DJ spinning.
3) The Gathering: its an oppurtunity for artists to share work and information. and perhaps collaborate. Everyone gets to check out each others work and talk about it.
Great job guys!

mola is like that activist band that you like for what it stands for, but not so much for it’s music. like the other reviewer said, the museum of the living artist highlights art made by the people for the people (cliché but true,) which is enough reason to support them. you will be remiss to find an oil by some stuffy italian guy who never bathed or a bronze sculpture by some obtuse german hermit. instead you’re more likely to find art from the emo kid you see waiting for the bus everyday or a sculture made of aluminum cans made by a vietnam veteran.
wholly dedicated to giving local and lesser known artists an opportunity for exposure, you can expect the art to reflect the diversity of the artists and the community. that is to say, the art’s aesthetic merits might be up for scrutiny but what the art represents most certainly is not. simply put, it’s a great way to get a reading on the creative climate of your san diego, whether you think it’s pretty or not.
they are currently in the process of accepting applications for their 50^th international award exhibition and in the spirit of their past offerings, it is open to all artists. the grand prize is $ 2000 which can buy plenty of cheap vodka and bagels, which as scientists have already confirmed through pain stkaking observation, is the natural diet of the struggling artist.

This institute sponsors the museum of the living artists, which focuses on recent art created by regional artists. In this 10,000 square foot gallery, a new art show rotates every four to six weeks. The last time I went in, I really enjoyed the artwork of Mary Coman, whose pencil drawing and painting mastery is remarkable. the art is for sale and encompasses many genres and styles. They frequently have a children art section. It is a great way to get acquainted with and support local artists