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Athenaeum Art Exhibition Program
Teddy Cruz installation, 2005 (photograph by Victor Ha)
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library's art exhibition
program - which began in the early 1920s - has since grown in
both scope and recognition, and has earned the library a reputation
as one of the outstanding venues for art in San Diego. Approximately
eight exhibitions a year are held in the Main Gallery and four
smaller ones in the Rotunda, both traditional settings that have
showcased and wonderfully accommodated art that is sometimes far
beyond traditional: limited edition artists' books, site-specific
installations, photography, sculpture, mixed media, architecture,
calligraphy, as well as imaginative and eclectic collections.
Exhibitions have given deserved recognition to local artists including
Joyce Cutler-Shaw, Patricia Patterson, Manny Farber, Italo Scanga,
Zandra Rhodes, Russell Forester, Ernest Silva, Faiya Fredman, Jean
Lowe, Viviana Lombrozo, Becky Cohen, Nina Katchadourian, Ethel Greene,
Robin Bright, Raul Guerrero, Ellen Phillips, James Hubble, Jo Ann
Tanzer, Christine Oatman, Roberto Salas, Marie Najera, Kim MacConnel,
Robin Bright and others. Of particular note were three exhibitions
of works by the internationally known artist Harry Sternberg, the
last a posthumous exhibition in 2002.  The exhibition program has explored far afield as well, with past
exhibitions including work by William Wegman, Faith Ringgold, Ming
Mur-Ray, Mauro Staccioli, Rolf Händler, David Teeple and Peter
Dreher. The Athenaeum's Annual Juried Exhibition, and the biennial Artists'
Book Juried Exhibition, are among the most prestigious in the area,
and the most sought-after by entering artists. In addition to major shows in the gallery, the library also has
a series of Rotunda Gallery Exhibitions that serve as community
outreach collaborations, with institutions including UCSD's Mandeville
Special Collections Library, San Diego State University, Children's
Hospital, and the La Jolla Historical Society. The Athenaeum is in the business of books – collecting, lending,
and publishing as well. The first Athenaeum publication was printed
in 2001 to celebrate the Tenth Annual Juried Exhibition.
Since then, seven additional publications have been produced, each
in conjunction with the current exhibition presented in the Main
Gallery, often in collaboration with the exhibiting artist. All
of the catalogues are available for sale, many of which are numbered
and signed by the artist. Click here
to see a list and description of available publications. The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library's art exhibitions are on view
during library hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30,
and Wednesdays till 8:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission.
Opening receptions, lectures and artist's walk-throughs are also
free of charge. Back to top
Details of Exhibitions:
The Athenaeum will get a jolt of pop culture with Thought to Pop: The Art of Jim Lee, Carlos D'Anda, Rich Friend, JJ Kirby, Michael Lopez, Joel Gomez, Oliver Nome and Eduardo Nuñezon view in the Main and Rotunda Galleries from June 21 to July 26.
Jim Lee, one of the most successful artists in American comics, has his studio here in La Jolla. He will be joined in the show by his fellow artists from WildStorm Productions, a company that he founded, which is now a division of DC Comics. Lee was born in Seoul, South Korea and grew up in St. Louis. He earned a medical degree from Princeton University, but then set off on a very different course. Since beginning his comics career in 1987, he has drawn much-loved characters like Superman and Batman and Robin. He was the artist and co-writer (with Chris Claremont) of X-Men #1, the best-selling comic book of all-time.
The Athenaeum has timed the exhibition to overlap with Comic-Con, which takes place July 24-27.
You never know what discoveries you will make at the Athenaeum’s Annual Juried Exhibition, one of the region’s most sought-after juried shows, open to artists who live, work or exhibit in San Diego County. Deborah Klochko of the Museum of Photographic Art and Robin Clark of the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, will make this year’s selections. Expect as many as 30 artists in this who’s-who of San Diego art.
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