The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) is launching six new exhibitions across its Balboa Park locations that showcase the breadth of global artistic movements and contemporary innovation.

This fall-winter season brings together major retrospectives, first-time US exhibitions, and immersive installations that position SDMA as a destination for world-class art experiences.

Alfredo Castañeda: Beyond Surrealism

This exhibition marks the first United States museum retrospective of the prolific Mexican Surrealist, featuring thirty-five paintings that explore themes of family, identity, and psychological investigation with characteristic whimsy and self-aware humor.

The exhibition includes a full-color catalogue and an educational community gallery centered around sobremesa, the practice of communing together at the end of a meal, with a dining table inviting reflection and connection.

On view: Now until March 1, 2026 at SDMA

Marianela de la Hoz and Marc Urselli: Palpitations

Mexican artist de la Hoz collaborates with Grammy Award-winning sound artist Marc Urselli in this multi-sensory experience. De la Hoz’s detailed paintings on sound cones literally pulse with vibration, each featuring a visceral human heart.

The works explore dualities of life and death, war and hope, and humanity’s relationship with artificial intelligence through synchronized sound and visual elements.

On view: Now until February 22, 2026 at SDMA

Eduardo Chillida: Convergence

The most comprehensive survey of the renowned Basque sculptor’s work in North America in nearly fifty years, coinciding with the centenary of his birth. The exhibition spans his full practice, from early iron sculptures forged from agricultural tools to massive reclaimed oak structures and translucent alabaster carvings.

Features an immersive virtual reality experience of his site-specific installation “Comb of the Wind XV,” complete with 360-degree visuals, ambient soundscapes, and scent elements.

On view: Now until February 8, 2026 at SDMA

Ken and Jacki Widder Collection: Shifting Visions

Celebrating the generosity of prominent San Diegans Ken and Jacki Widder, this exhibition showcases major crosscurrents in mid-twentieth-century American and European photography.

The selection ranges from portraiture and photojournalism to architectural views, motion studies, and works verging on abstraction, exploring photography’s many facets within modern culture.

On view: Now until January 25, 2026 at MOPA@SDMA

Mirae kh RHEE: Constellations

Berlin-based artist Mirae kh RHEE, born in Seoul, traces a personal journey through traditional Korean objects, ancient myths, and constellations once used to chart courses through the unknown.

This immersive installation explores the search for belonging within a vast universe, creating space for reflection and reclamation while illuminating strength and resilience from shared experience.

On view: Now until January 4, 2026 at MOPA@SDMA

John Gutmann & Max Yavno: California Photographers

Rediscovering two influential photographers who chronicled mid-20th-century California in all its grit and glory. Gutmann, who fled Nazi Germany, brought a unique European perspective to dynamic, often disorienting urban portrayals.

Yavno’s more sociologically driven observations capture the prevailing spirit of California residents, highlighting the state’s distinctive culture through interconnecting and sometimes conflicting photographic styles.

On view: Now until January 11, 2026 at SDMA

See you there!

Six exhibitions running simultaneously create the kind of comprehensive cultural experience that makes repeat visits worthwhile. This fall/winter season positions SDMA as essential viewing for serious art enthusiasts.

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See you there, San Diego!