For the past few years the San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) has packed its summer months with a great program called the Summer Salon Series; perhaps you have attended. The approximately 11-week series happened every Friday night and the roster of events scheduled to happen throughout the museum’s galleries all had themes that loosely intersected with a major piece of art on display. Last year it was the magnificent Pastrana Tapestries. Crucially, the Summer Salon Series was designed to attract a different, perhaps younger, local and more contemporary set of artists and art lovers to the large, central space in Balboa Park.
Some things change while other things remain the same. SDMA has re-booted its summer programming (tightening the length and changing the name) but it is still committed to the presentation of local, cutting edge art. Taking its cue from the Summer Salon Series, the museum’s new Summer Break program explores themes present in Masterclass, an exhibition of photographs by Arnold Newman, which lasts until Sept. 8.
Newman’s strategy of making photographs based in the context of the sitter’s environment and co-opting the specific style of visual artists to construct a portrait of them – a double portrait, is at the root of all the additional programming. Thus, Summer Break features curated projects exploring this authentic and reverential theme of pastiche as well as the construction of fame and infamy.
In particular, works included in this summer’s programming explore ways artists have used frameworks of pastiche to structure their work; strategies devised to subvert fame, or create infamy; ideas about how the constructions of fame affects and is affected by artists and strategies for creating environmental portraits.
So, beginning Aug. 1, enjoy 10 continuous days of art, music, lectures, films, readings, workshops and performances. The slate of events and activities looks truly interesting and very diverse. Something for everyone!
Check out the full schedule at sdmart.org and make a special note of the location as this summer’s activities will take place at the Museum and offsite at Helmuth Projects in Bankers Hill.
