Exquisite Views

September, 2018 – January 27, 2019

Exquisite Views is the inaugural exhibition in the History Center’s new gallery dedicated to displaying works from the fine art collection. Many of these works have rarely, if ever, been on public view. The artworks that comprise the exhibition are unique examples of the depth and breadth of the fine art collection, which focuses on art created in San Diego since 1880.

Highlights from the History Center’s fine art holdings include nineteenth-century prints capturing early views of San Diego, portraits of prominent San Diegans, and artwork by Theosophical Society members, as well as paintings and sculptures included in the 1915 Panama–California Exposition, landscapes by Southern California plein air artists, works made under the Works Progress Administration (WPA) in the 1930s, and post-war artwork by artists working in the 1940s and 1950s.

Collecting, conserving and exhibiting the region’s art, and celebrating our shared, vibrant cultural heritage, is at the core of the San Diego History Center’s mission. With more than 1,700 works of fine art, many of which were donated by generous San Diegans, the History Center’s fine art collection represents and celebrates the artistic and visual culture of our region.