With over 4,700 works dating from 1950 to present day, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego is one of the largest celebrations of the arts of our time. The museum is spread across two venues — one in the Core-Columbia District in Downtown San Diego in the baggage building of the historic Santa Fe Depot and one in scenic La Jolla — and provides an unparalleled interactive art experience for the community.
Though exhibitions are always changing, MCASD visitors can always expect to find a dynamic program of both solo and collective exhibitions from artists that specialize in a variety of media, including painting, photography, sculpture, drawing, video, mixed media and more.
MCASD has an honorable reputation of commissioning works by local artists and later acquiring them as a part of its permanent collection. It doesn’t discriminate in its commissioning, either, and collects works from promising emerging artists, mid-career artists, under-recognized artists and major players in contemporary art alike.
Though the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego always strives to represent past, present and emerging artistic trends, its particular strength lies in its collection of minimalist and Pop Art from the 1960s and 1970s. It also boasts a strong collection of Latin American art and art from the San Diego and Tijuana regions.
MCASD has an ongoing acquisition program supported by donation, gift and purchase. Most acquisitions are done to augment the museum’s permanent collection, though some are purely in support of particular sects of art, including Latin American art and emerging artists.