San Diego and Tijuana, with their intertwined history and collaborative spirit, jointly secured the 2024 World Design Capital designation from the World Design Organization (WDO) in 2021—a pioneering achievement as the first binational selection in WDO history. This recognition serves as a global platform to showcase art and design within the San Diego-Tijuana region. Espacios & Lines features a diverse collection of works by artists from both cities, inviting viewers to ponder the intersections and divergences of the region’s design philosophies. The exhibition prompts reflection on the process and purpose of design by zooming in on the lines drawn, erased, and reimagined. Espacios & Lines offers a nuanced perspective on how artists and designers shape our understanding of space, emphasizing the convergence of artistic expression and thoughtful design.
San Diego y Tijuana, con su historia entrelazada y espíritu colaborativo, aseguraron conjuntamente la designación de Capital Mundial del Diseño 2024 por parte de la World Design Organization en 2021, siendo un logro pionero como la primera selección binacional en la historia de la WDO. Este reconocimiento sirve como una plataforma global para exhibir el arte y el diseño dentro de la región de San Diego-Tijuana. Espacios & Lines presenta una colección diversa de obras de artistas de ambas ciudades, invitando a los espectadores a reflexionar sobre las intersecciones y divergencias de las filosofías de diseño de la región. La exposición incita a la reflexión sobre el proceso y propósito del diseño al enfocarse en las líneas dibujadas, borradas y reimaginadas. Espacios & Lines ofrece una perspectiva matizada sobre cómo artistas y diseñadores moldean nuestra comprensión del espacio, haciendo hincapié en la convergencia de la expresión artística y el diseño reflexivo..
This exhibition is a designated community initiative in partnership with World Design Capital 2024. We are proud of this prestigious recognition and the ability to participate in the important conversations being had by our binational region. For more information, please visit wdc2024.org.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Carolina Betancourt, Hugo Crosthwaite, Nereida Dusten, Angelica Escoto, Sarah Garcia, Becky Guttin, Laura Lehman, Irene Monárrez, David Mont Virgen, Nikko Mueller, Tim Novara, Carla Sofía Ordonez, Francisco Palomares, Claudia Biezunski-Rodriguez, Marinta Skupin, Kelly Witmer
Our global society is accustomed to moving through each day with underlying assumptions of the way things work. We rely on and put trust in the systems that bring structure to our lives and our communities. The coronavirus pandemic led to a period of these systems being forced to address a new reality. This caused many to re-examine their relationship to self, family, work, governance, culture, and social responsibility.
A Necessary Departurepresents a collection of seventeen artists and organizations whose work create a dialogue around the personal transformations and societal reckonings that have been necessary to find a starting place to again live and connect with the world around us . Each piece holds a unique part in the conversation. They range in topics that mirror the complexities of the pandemic. This collection aims to explore boundaries, self-care, and finding a sense of individual agency to make a difference.
These works are a translation of each artists’ personal experience. By their creation, they recognize the influence that creatives had by using their natural problem-solving abilities to be a catalyst to help us through a very challenging juncture of our lives. They also share an innovative outcome that can continue to serve us as we navigate the current times and those ahead.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Alvaro Alvarez, Brandie Maddaelna, Carrie Minikel, Christopher Lloyd tucker, Cloud Club Collective, Crystal Daigle, Ismail Odetola, Jamie Franks, Kaori Fukuyama, Lori Hepner, Mark Hewko, Matthew Wilson, Nara Lee, Rebecca Webb, Rosemary Rae, San Diego MTO School, Terri Hughes-Oelrich
Home is a lens through which people explore memory, identity, and belonging in an increasingly nomadic world. More recently, in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, home became a safe haven–an all-in-one workplace, classroom and living space for millions of people around the globe. The term also took on significance as a desired destination that was not possible to reach for some, whether due to travel restrictions or health limitations.
Artists rely on the motif of home as a way to draw connections between personal histories and timely political themes including immigration, homelessness, urban planning, race, and gender. San Diego is one of the most culturally diverse regions in the country and is the point of convergence of many different communities. The transitory nature of much of our population is mirrored by the Airport’s fleeting audience and allows for the exploration of ideas around movement to and from home by refugees, immigrants, and the military, among others.
Make Yourself at Home features sixteen distinct exhibitors whose artwork and collections explore how the concept of home differs for each person and shapes our memories, identities and sense of belonging. Selected by a jury of arts professionals, the participants were chosen based on their creativity, unique use of media, and relevance to the exhibition theme.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Beliz Iristay, Cat Chiu Phillips, Cheryl Tall, Eleanor Greer, High Tech Middle, Ingrid Leyva, Jane Brucker, Judith Christensen, Katie Ruiz, Kerianne Quick, Kline Swonger, Lynn Susholtz, Marisol Rendón and Ingram Ober, Michael Chang, Nassem Navab, Outside the Lens
From Charles Reiffel and the California plein air painters, to mid-century Land Art, artists have long been drawn to San Diego’s unique natural environs as a source of inspiration. San Diego County encompasses 4,500 square miles — larger than the states of Rhode Island and Delaware combined — and encompasses four distinct geographical regions: the coast, valleys, mountains and desert. The four geographies that make up our county can be aligned to the four classical elements: the 70 miles of coastline and our vast beaches represent water, the fertile inland valleys embody earth, the mountains that tower over our urban centers provide us with clean, crisp air, and the dry, sweltering deserts whose wildflowers spark to life each spring symbolize fire.
Forces of Nature features sixteen distinct exhibitors whose artwork and collections explore the complexity, fragility, and beauty of our natural landscape. Selected by a jury of art professionals, the participants were chosen based on their creativity, unique use of media and relevance to the exhibition theme.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Adriene Hughes, Britton Neubacher, Cheryl Sorg, Gail Schneider, John Brinton Hogan, Keith Skretch, Kristina Woodruff, La Jolla Country Day School – Lissa Corona & Elizabeth Stringer, Lori Lipsman & Terri Hughes-Oelrich, Matt Rich, Perry Vasquez, Rebecca Webb, Sasha Koozel Reibstein, Timothy Murdoch, William Feeney, Scott Polach
Ludwig Wittgenstein wrote that “Language is a part of our organism, and no less complicated than it.” Embedded within one’s language – spoken, written, or communicated through gesture or sign – are specific histories, experiences and a unique understanding of the world. San Diego is home to an ethnically and culturally diverse population, where more than 100 languages are spoken. As the point of convergence of so many languages, the airport is an ideal setting to offer original perspectives on language and its influence on culture and modern life. Figure of Speech features sixteen distinct exhibitors whose artwork and collections explore the complexity, history, and beauty of language. Selected by a jury of art professionals, the participants were chosen based on their creativity, unique use of media and relevance to the exhibition theme.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Asa Mendelsohn, Barona Cultural Center and Museum, Boehm Gallery Collection – Palomar College, Brighton Press, David Fokos, Gabi Schaffzin and Zachary Kaiser, Gilbert Neri, Kevin Larsen – Veterans Art Project, Matthew Herbert, Michelle Montjoy, Nina Preisendorfer, St. Madeleine Sophie’s Center, Susan O’Malley, TML Dunn, Whitney Lynn
Space exploration and the realm beyond Earth’s atmosphere have long held a fascination for all those interested in imagining the unknown. This topic is of particular relevance to the Southern California region, which is home to innovative organizations contributing to the burgeoning private space industry. In the coming years, the growing field of space travel promises to revive notions of outer space within the collective imagination and inspire groups devoted to education and research of astronomy and related sciences.
Intergalactic Dreaming features fifteen distinct exhibitors who explore celestial phenomena and astronomy and use past, present, and speculative depictions of the cosmos and space travel as their inspiration. Selected by guest curator Ginger Shulick Porcella, the participants were chosen based on their creativity, unique use of media and relevance to the exhibition theme.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Adriene Hughes, Carolina Montejo, Collection of Edward Marsh, Don Porcella, High Tech High Chula Vista, Irène de Watteville, Joshua Krause, Lisa K. Blatt, Matthew Bradley, Melissa Walter, Michael Giancristiano, NASA/JPL – Caltech, San Diego Air & Space Museum, Sheena Rae Dowling, Southwestern College
Point of Entry is a collective exhibition inspired by the geographic, cultural, and social intricacies of borders – both real and perceived.
Fourteen distinct installations displayed throughout the airport by fourteen different artists and organizations explore the complexity of cultural identity and international exchange in a bi-national region. Where do our commonalities lie? Where do we find points of intersection, connection, and opportunities for collaboration and dialogue despite barriers that may exist between us? These are the key questions addressed through the diverse projects featured in this year-long exhibition.
The goal of this exhibition is to present meaningful and relevant displays that offer imaginative perspectives on a single theme or subject. Selected by a guest curator, the fourteen participants were chosen based on their creativity, unique use of media and relevance to the theme: Point of Entry.
Artists and organizations exhibited: Center For Community Solutions, Kate Clark, The AjA Project, Bhavna Mehta, Oscar Romo, Matthew Higgins, Ron Miriello, Cat Chiu Phillips, Carlos Bueno, Tim Conaway, Guillermo Arias, Ivan Diaz Robledo, Michael Ruiz, and Olivia Vivanco
On January 1, 1915, San Diego opened its doors to the world through the Panama-California Exposition in Balboa Park. At the time, it was the smallest city to ever attempt to host an international exposition – a testament to the determination of the leaders of the then-tiny Southwestern town. The Exposition marked the completion of the Panama Canal, and celebrated San Diego as the first American port-of-call on the Pacific Coast. The event captivated visitors from around the globe, presented a grand vision of the future through its attractions and displays, and put San Diego on the map for its stunning architecture, unparalleled landscape, and quality of life.
San Diego International Airport is proud to contribute to the year-long, city-wide celebration marking the centennial of this seminal event with a retrospective exhibition throughout the airport. As a regional economic and cultural industry leader, the airport reflects the innovative spirit that has distinguished San Diego for more than one hundred years.
Today, Balboa Park remains one of the nation’s largest urban parks – home to over 90 educational and cultural institutions. We invite you to explore the Park then and now through reproductions of historical photographs and postcards, artifacts from the Exposition, and contemporary perspectives offered by ten of the region’s most talented fine artists. The exhibition aspires to tell the story of how the Exposition served to shape San Diego, transforming it into “a city with a park for a heart.”
Artists and organizations exhibited: City of San Diego, Parks & Recreation Department, Committee of Hundred, David Marshall, AIA, The Old Globe, Regg V. Antle, MD, San Diego History Center, Sandor W. Shapery, Dominique Eichi, Guillermo Avevedo, Marisol Rendon, Cat Chiu Phillips, John Linthurst, Duke Windsor, Richard Benton, Lee Sie, Jim Gibson of Gibson & Gibson Antique Lighting, and Spreckels Organ Society.
Converg(Ing)genuities is a collective exhibition inspired by the creative intersection of art, science, and technology. Twelve different artists and organizations were selected by a guest curator based on their creativity, unique use of media and insight into innovative possibilities involving the creative processes that merge the disciplines of visual arts with the fields of science and technology. This year-long exhibition is intended to create an imaginative and interactive experience for airport passengers.
Artists and organizations exhibited: ArtReach, Biocom, James Soe Nyun, Judit Hersko, La Jolla Playhouse, Linda Nye, Rady Children’s Hospital, Max Nanis, Oceanside Museum of Art, Oscar Romo, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, Victoria Estacio Huckins
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