CONCERTS
Jazz, Chamber, New Music & Acoustics
The Farrell Family Athenaeum Jazz series opens with a local debut by the Rodriguez Brothers Quintet. In this tribute in honor of Miles Davis’s 100th birthday, they will reinterpret the legend’s iconic works through today’s Afro-Cuban jazz language—blending Havana’s rhythmic fire with Davis’s spirit of innovation. The series continues with a local debut by the duo of Latin Grammy–winner and six-time Grammy nominee, Argentina-born and New York–based pianist Emilio Solla and Antonio Lizana, Spanish flamenco-jazz vocalist and saxophonist.
LECTURES
Art History, Music & Artist Talks
Join art historian Linda Blair as she dives into The Age of Baroque. We shall explore this dynamic era through the lens of its greatest artists, such as Velázquez. Called one of the premier artists of the Baroque Age, paradoxically Velázquez was not a Baroque painter. He was the only artist permitted to paint the king, but his finest, most deeply felt canvases portray the poor and marginalized of society. A Spaniard in the land of the Inquisition, he rarely paints religious subjects. We will analyze his magisterial canvas, Las Meninas, to understand how radical it was.
ART CLASSES & LITERARY CLASSES
Summer 2026 & Youth Art Camps
Summer art classes are available now! Create LEGO Letterpress with Gloria Kondrup, learn Home Is Where the Story Begins with Judith Christensen, and explore Drum-Leaf Binding with Judi Tentor in the AAC Print Room. Join the School of the Arts Book Club with Anna DiMartino in the library. Discover Simmons House En Plein-Air on location with Kevin Inman. Also, register your child for a Summer youth class, such as Teen Fine Art Workshop: Painting (Ages 13–19) with Susan Walters!
The Athenaeum offers a wealth of resources that are unique to this region. The library, devoted exclusively to music and art, has an outstanding and ever-expanding collection of books, periodicals, reference material, CDs, DVDs, sheet music, and librettos, as well as one of the most significant collections of artists' books in Southern California. Members have access to a wide variety of materials that range from rare, historic items to the latest in video technology.
Explore the concerts and lectures the Athenaeum has to offer. Enjoy intimate jazz, chamber, and new music concerts, as well as artists’ talks, art history lectures, and music lectures.
The Athenaeum Art Center (AAC) in Logan Heights has four exhibition spaces, an event space, a fully equipped print studio, a kiln, and art studio. It offers a unique set of bilingual programming that includes the exhibition of national and international artists, music concerts showcasing the distinct sounds of our binational region, participation in community festivities, free after-school art programs, art classes, and a variety of unique experiences in collaboration with local organizations.
Exhibitions
The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library is pleased to present Within the Context of Time, a two-person exhibition bringing together new and recent works by May-ling Martinez and Coralys Carter. The exhibition explores memory, time, and family history through two distinct yet deeply resonant artistic practices.
The show will be on display in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery from May 2 through July 25, 2026.
Murals of La Jolla is a project of the Athenaeum. The mural project enhances the civic character and vitality of the community by commissioning public art projects on private property throughout La Jolla. Each work is on view for a minimum of two years. Since 2010, thirty-seven large-scale artworks have appeared in a variety of locations throughout the village of La Jolla, some prominently displayed while others are tucked away in more discreet locations.
The Athenaeum's
Erika & Fred Torri
Artists’ Books Collection
Artists' books are works of art in book form. They are published in small editions or as one-of-a-kind objects. The Athenaeum's artists' books collection has become one of the most important collections in its holdings and is a driving force in the library's development. Among its holdings, it contains the complete collection of artists' books by Ed Ruscha, Ida Applebroog, Allen Ruppersberg, John Baldessari, Bruce Nauman, and other artists.
Becoming a member is the best way to enjoy everything that the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library—San Diego's only membership library—has to offer. For only $50 a year, members may check out materials from the library, receive exclusive discounts on our programs, and more! An Athenaeum Music & Arts Library membership supports art and music in San Diego.
The Athenaeum is supported by members like you!
