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Visual Arts

Painting, photography, sculpture, crafts and the artists making San Diego look different.

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Aldo Cervantes
Space 4 Art
Arts & Culture
Top 5 weekend arts events in San Diego: 'Ripcord,' jazz and art at the human scale
Julia Dixon Evans
Julieta Venegas
Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Mail art, Julieta Venegas and cross-border jazz
Julia Dixon Evans
The British conceptualist, Gavin Turk often interrogates ideas of authenticity and parody, questioning fine art's value system. In the early aughts, Turk started constructing these painstakingly accurate black bags of garbage made purely out of cast bronze and mixed paint that made exhibitions look like they were a second away from being closed and cleaned out. The Museum would like to present American Bag, one of Turk's many hyperrealistic piles of trash that showcases the devolution of fine art being made from scratch only to end up tossed & discarded, while skipping the middle man completely, and just going straight to trash. (Undated photo)
The Museum Of __
Arts & Culture
The Museum Of __ challenges expectations with 'Garbage' online
Beth Accomando
A yellow Star of David bearing the German word for "Jew" is shown sewed onto a black jacket, one of the artifacts at the RUTH exhibit at downtown San Diego's Central Library on September 8, 2026.
Matthew Bowler
/
KPBS
Racial Justice and Social Equity
Central Library exhibit urges viewers to 'Remember Us'
John Carroll
Andrew Galvan and Jenessa Marquez, the founders of beloved South Bay camera store I’m Still Developing, stand for portraits at the store’s new location on Third Avenue in Chula Vista, California on September 10, 2026.
Kori Suzuki
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Beloved South Bay camera shop, I'm Still Developing, has a new home in Chula Vista
Kori Suzuki
Arts & Culture
Top 10 San Diego weekend arts events: Short films, painting and Coltrane at 100
Julia Dixon Evans
Fredo Gillis stands in front of his paintings at San Diego Made Factory on Sept. 22, 2026.
Audy McAfee
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
San Diego artist Fredo Gillis finds a new perspective after France residency
Audy McAfee
Amanda Moschella sits beside the garden she planted at Spanish Village Art Center in honor of her late dog, Shilo, on Sept. 14, 2026.
Audy McAfee
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
San Diego woman honors her dog and brings people together through art
Audy McAfee
Rebecca Rosman
/
NPR
Arts & Culture
Greetings from Edinburgh, where a cheeky tour guide makes art history hilarious
Rebecca Rosman
Rebecca Webb photograph Sept. 17-20 San Diego Weekend Arts Top Picks
Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Queer nightlife, desert landscapes and new romantasy
Julia Dixon Evans
San Diego Design Week 2025 exhibition signage is shown in an undated photo.
San Diego Design Week
Arts & Culture
15 free ways to explore San Diego Design Week 2026
Julia Dixon Evans
Bryan Ali Sanchez
Arts & Culture
San Diego weekend arts picks: Chicano Skatepark, a dance party and Indigenous art
Julia Dixon Evans

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Performers participate in halftime actives in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month during an NFL football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Arizona Cardinals, Sept. 21, 2014, in Glendale, Ariz.
Ross D. Franklin
/
AP
Arts & Culture
Where to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month
Karina Montes Pate
A woman walks towards the front exterior doors of San Diego Museum of Art, Sept. 2, 2026.
Jacob Aere
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
San Diego arts organizations cut staff due to funding struggles. Some former employees claim 'financial mismanagement'
Jacob Aere
Ingrid Hernandez
Arts & Culture
Top 10 San Diego weekend arts picks: 'Soft Power,' West African surf culture and toy pianos
Julia Dixon Evans
Hazelnuts bounce on a speaker at “Ess Whiteley: listening materials” at the Athenaeum Art Center in Logan Heights on Aug. 25, 2026.
Beth Accomando
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Artist Ess Whiteley creates sound we can see in new exhibit
Beth Accomando
"Luminescent Corals" by Marita Setas Ferro is on view at Visions Museum of Textile Art through Sept. 5, 2026.
Marita Setas Ferro
Arts & Culture
10 free visual art exhibits to see in San Diego right now
Julia Dixon Evans
Released prisoner of war Lt. Col. Robert L. Stirm is greeted by his family at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, Calif., as he returns home from the Vietnam War, March 17, 1973.
Sal Veder
/
AP
Arts & Culture
Sal Veder, Pulitzer Prize-winning AP photographer who shot iconic 'Burst of Joy,' dies at age 99
Kathleen Ronayne and Janie Har
Balboa Park visitors walk down El Prado as the sun sets behind the California Tower in this undated photo.
Sandy Huffaker for inewsource.
Politics
Iconic Balboa Park has a billion-dollar problem
Greg Moran
Diana Benavides
Julia Dixon Evans
Arts & Culture
Top 10 San Diego weekend arts picks: Mammogram sculpture, dance film and free musicals
Julia Dixon Evans
A man plays "King Kong" pinball at Stern Pinball’s Pop-Up Arcade during Comic-Con in San Diego on July 24, 2026.
Riley Arthur
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Where to play pinball in San Diego: 12 spots across the county
Riley Arthur
Moss Randy Ortega leans against a clothing rack for a portrait at Norma's Apparel in National City on Aug. 3, 2026.
Elaine Alfaro
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
Local artist and designer blends Filipino and Mexican cultures into streetwear
Elaine Alfaro
Milo Corvino, known as the Mystic M, inside San Diego Made Factory on Aug. 5, 2026.
Audy McAfee
/
KPBS
Arts & Culture
San Diego tarot reader finds community through the cards
Audy McAfee
Margaret Noble
Arts & Culture
Top 10 weekend arts events in San Diego: Queen Califia's Magical Circle at night, 'Lovers in a Park' and more
Julia Dixon Evans

Upcoming Events

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Free for everyone

San Diego Fixit Clinic at University of San Diego for SD Climate Week

Thursday, October 8, 2026 from 5 PM to 7 PM
University of San Diego
Free
Girl holding a piece of clay

Pottery Kits for Kids

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
San Diego Archaeological Center
Yōkai Community Art Exhibit

Yōkai Community Art Exhibit

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until November 8, 2026
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego
Included with Admission
Free for everyone
Color Changing Artworks in the Sculpture Garden

Color Changing Artworks in the Sculpture Garden

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until December 1, 2026
Bonita Museum & Cultural Center
Free
'Changing Terrain: Regional Artists Interpret Our Landscape'

'Changing Terrain: Regional Artists Interpret Our Landscape'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until January 1, 2027
San Diego History Center
Donation-Based Admission
Rosendo Rodriguez 'Mermaid' 20th Century Mexico Painted Clay

'To Catch A Fish'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until November 1, 2026
Mingei International Museum: Balboa Park
Included with Admission
Free for everyone
Dia de los Muertos -- La Experiencia

Fiesta de Reyes Dia de los Muertos -- La Experiencia

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until November 2, 2026
Fiesta de Reyes
Free
Pimentel, Handball Courts

'The Dean Collection Presents: Hometown Heroes'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until November 8, 2026
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego: La Jolla
'Cecil Beaton, The Second Age of Beauty is Glamour, Checked Suit' by Norman Hartnell (detail), 1947. Modern print from original colour transparency. © Condé Nast Archive UK.

'Cecil Beaton’s Fashionable World'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until January 10, 2027
Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art (MOPA @ SDMA) in Balboa Park
Included with Museum Admission
Kathy Garden

'Blood Memory'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until February 28, 2027
California Center for the Arts, Escondido Museum
0-$12
'Checkered Texture No 2' 2022

'Christine Lee: By Hand'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until October 10, 2026
Quint / 7722 Girard Ave. (formerly Quint ONE)
Free for everyone

46th International Exhibition

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
The San Diego Watercolor Society
Free
Free for everyone
'Pusher Cushion'

'Edgeless: In the Expanded Field of Painting'

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 12 PM
Ongoing until December 3, 2026
San Diego State University - University Art Gallery
Free
Free for everyone
'Becoming Heirlooms'

'Becoming Heirlooms:' A Craft Desert Exhibition

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 12 PM
Ongoing until November 7, 2026
San Diego Central Library: Judith Harris Art Gallery
Free

Portrait Drawing // After School Art Class

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 2 PM
ArtReach
$160 (6 classes)

Clay After-School Art Class

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4:30 PM
ArtReach
$180 (6 classes)
Le Petit Chef & Friends Launches 3D Dining Experience

Le Petit Chef & Friends Launches 3D Dining Experience

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 5:30 PM
Ongoing until December 31, 2026
Hilton San Diego Gaslamp Quarter
$89 - $169
Jimbo's Garden Workshop: Strawberry Banana Snake

Jimbo's Garden Workshop: Strawberry Banana Snake

Friday, October 9, 2026 from 11 AM to 12 PM
Children's Museum of Discovery
Included with Museum Admission
Free for everyone
"Luminescent Corals" by Marita Setas Ferro is on view at Visions Museum of Textile Art through Sept. 5, 2026.

'Soft Architectures of the Sea'

Friday, October 9, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until October 10, 2026
Visions Museum of Textile Art
Free
Free for everyone
'Dance of Migratory Birds' by Satoko Kase

'Quilts Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon'

Friday, October 9, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until October 10, 2026
Visions Museum of Textile Art
Free

Discover More Stories

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Books
Graphic icon of film icon
Film
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Museum a Month
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Music
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Pop Culture
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Theater

FOMO

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Check out can't-miss local events
Boo Bash Escondido Activities

Boo Bash Escondido: San Diego’s New 100,000-Square-Foot Pumpkin Patch

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 3:30 PM
Ongoing until November 1, 2026
Mershops North County Mall
$5
Top of the Hyatt Presents: A Season of Masquerade

Top of the Hyatt Presents: A Season of Masquerade

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until January 2, 2027
Top of the Hyatt, Manchester Grand Hyatt San Diego
The Touchdown

Watch Football at Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until January 14, 2027
Borrego Rooftop Kitchen + Cocktails
The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park Logo

The Haunted Trail of Balboa Park 2026

Thursday, October 8, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Ongoing until November 1, 2026
The Haunted Trail Of Balboa Park
Timed General Admission Starting at $34.99
OB2k Oktoberfest Flyer "throwing it back for 20+ years"

OB Oktoberfest 2026

Friday, October 9, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until October 10, 2026
OB Pier Parking Lot
GA Tickets Available at the Door: $20 | VIP:$75
Oktoberfest Flyer

Oktoberfest at PB AleHouse

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 12 PM to 6 PM
PB AleHouse
BlacktoberFest

BlacktoberFest

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 1 PM to 8 PM
S&S Friendly Ranch
General Admission: $45
Free for everyone
Little Saigon’s Night Market

Little Saigon’s Night Market

Saturday, October 10, 2026 from 6 PM to 10 PM
Sin Lee Food
Free
Lost Temple Tavern Pop-Up

Lost Temple Tavern Pop-Up at Margaritaville Hotel San Diego

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 7 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Landshark Bar and Grill
Free Entry
San Diego Coffee Festival

San Diego Coffee Festival

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 9 AM
Ongoing until October 11, 2026
Broadway Pier
From $25.15; varies by session
Beachside Fall Festival

Belmont Park's Annual Beachside Fall Fest

Saturday, October 10, 2026 at 11 AM
Ongoing until October 31, 2026
Belmont Park
Free for everyone
Trivia Night at The Crack Shack Pacific Beach

Trivia Night at The Crack Shack Pacific Beach

Tuesday, October 13, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Ongoing until December 29, 2026
The Crack Shack - Pacific Beach
Free
Taste of East Village

Taste of East Village

Wednesday, October 14, 2026 at 4 PM
Ongoing until October 15, 2026
East Village
Free for everyone
Sunset Savasana: Yoga on the Cliffs

Sunset Savasana: Yoga on the Cliffs

Thursday, October 15, 2026 at 6 PM
Ongoing until October 29, 2026
Osprey Point
Free
Mission Bayfest 2026

Mission Bayfest 2026

Friday, October 16, 2026 at 3 PM
Ongoing until October 18, 2026
Mariner's Point Park
Single Day Tickets From $140 | 3 Day Tickets From $280
Sammy Virji

Sammy Virji

Saturday, October 17, 2026 from 5 PM to 11 PM
Gallagher Square at Petco Park
$70-$75
Free for everyone
Treats in the Suites: Trick-or-Treating at Frontwave Arena

Treats in the Suites: Trick-or-Treating at Frontwave Arena

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 4 PM to 7 PM
Frontwave Arena
Free
One Small Step Experience event

One Small Step Experience

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 from 5 PM to 8 PM
KPBS Conrad Prebys Media Complex at Copley Center
Foster The People: 'Good Mourning Sunshine Tour'

Foster The People: 'Good Mourning Sunshine Tour'

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 at 7 PM
PETCO Park
$74.35
Candlelight® Sets the Mood for Halloween in San Diego With a Haunting Live-Music Program

Candlelight Open Air: A Haunted Evening of Halloween Classics

Friday, October 23, 2026 at 8 PM
Ongoing until October 24, 2026
Mt. Helix Park and Amphitheatre
From: $55.00
13th Annual Howl-O-Ween Mutt Run/Walk

13th Annual Howl-O-Ween Mutt Run/Walk

Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 7:30 AM to 11:30 AM
Road Runner Sports
$60 — 5K registration
Art After Dark: Costume Contest and Party

Art After Dark: Costume Contest & Party

Saturday, October 24, 2026 from 7 PM to 11 PM
Oceanside Museum of Art
Free for everyone
Trick-or-Treat on India Street

Trick-or-Treat on India Street

Sunday, October 25, 2026 from 3:30 PM to 7:30 PM
Little Italy
Free
Tour Ma Vie World Tour

Doja Cat is Coming to San Diego with Latto!

Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 6:30 PM
Viejas Arena
$125.00-$792.40
Howl-O-Ween Yappy Hour at Monkeybar

Howl-O-Ween Yappy Hour at Monkeybar

Wednesday, October 28, 2026 from 4 PM to 7 PM
Monkeybar at Town and Country Resort
Menu items pricing varies

Lila Downs: Día de Muertos

Thursday, October 29, 2026 at 7:30 PM
Balboa Theatre
$70-$112
Hard Rock Halloween: Haunted Manor

Haunted Manor at Hard Rock Hotel San Diego

Saturday, October 31, 2026 from 9 PM to 2 AM
Hard Rock Hotel San Diego
Free for everyone
Free Trivia Wednesday Nights at Le Charcuterie Bar

Free Trivia Wednesday Nights at Le Charcuterie Bar

Wednesday, November 4, 2026 at 7 PM
Ongoing until March 24, 2027
Le Charcuterie Bar
Free
PRAYERS

PRAYERS – San Diego Music Box Show

Friday, November 13, 2026 at 8:30 PM
Music Box
'Wild 'N Out' The Next Generation coming to Viejas Arena

Nick Cannon Brings: 'Wild 'N Out' The Next Generation coming to Viejas Arena

Sunday, November 15, 2026 from 6:30 PM to 8 PM
Viejas Arena
$128-$1206
Em Beihold

Em Beihold

Wednesday, November 18, 2026 at 8 PM
Music Box
$39.59-$117.61
San Diego Made Holiday Market

San Diego Made Holiday Market

Saturday, November 28, 2026 at 10 AM
Ongoing until November 29, 2026
NTC Park at Liberty Station
$5
Jo Koy: Koy Meets World Tour

Jo Koy Is Coming To San Diego!

Thursday, December 10, 2026 at 8 PM
San Diego Civic Theatre
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