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Current Exhibitions

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January 20–April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

 

The Athenaeum is pleased to present an alchemical tale about the natural world and humanity, using stories of life, death, and the human desire to preserve, in a special exhibition of works by Peter Cochrane, on view in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery.

The exhibition will continue in the Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Gallery.

A selection of artists’ books from the Athenaeum’s Erika & Fred Torri Artists’ Books Collection will be showcased in the Max & Melissa Elliott North Reading Room.

 

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library has earned a reputation as one of the outstanding art galleries and art collectors in San Diego. The Athenaeum’s art exhibition program, begun in the 1920s, has grown tremendously in both scope and recognition, particularly in the past 20 years.

 

Exhibitions are presented in three gallery spaces: the Joseph Clayes III Gallery, the Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Gallery, and the Max & Melissa Elliott North Reading Room. Approximately eight exhibitions per year are presented in each. Exhibitions in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery focus on nationally and internationally recognized artists. The Rotunda Gallery emphasizes community partnerships or emerging regional artists. Art in both galleries are related to the Athenaeum’s other focuses, namely books or music. Works have included limited edition artists' books, drawing, painting, site-specific installations, photography, sculpture, collage, mixed media, architecture, and calligraphy.

 

The Max & Melissa Elliott North Reading Room, opened during the library’s expansion in 2007, is devoted to showcasing the Athenaeum’s Erika and Fred Torri Artists’ Books Collection. 

 

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library’s art exhibitions are on view during library hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. There is no charge for admission. Opening receptions and artists' walk-throughs are also free of charge.

 

The Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Gallery features annual collaborations with the San Diego State University Art Council and Children’s Hospital. Other community projects have included a fundraising exhibition for the Pacific Rim Parks Project.

The Athenaeum’s Annual Juried Exhibition is among the most prestigious in the San Diego area and the most sought-after by entering artists.

 

Exhibitions have given deserved recognition to San Diego 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, Teddy Cruz, Adam Belt, Jim Lee, Jay Johnson, David Adey, Ellen Salk, Gail Roberts, Sondra Sherman, and Philipp Scholz Rittermann. Artists from across the United States and around the world have included Harry Sternberg, Mauro Staccioli, Marcos Ramirez (ERRE), Nathan Gluck, William Wegman, Faith Ringgold, Ming Mur-Ray, Rolf Händler, David Teeple, and Peter Dreher.

 

Joseph Clayes III Gallery

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Peter Cochrane: The Magician Longs to See

Exhibition Dates: January 20–April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, January 20, 1 PM, free

In The Magician Longs to See, Peter Cochrane presents an alchemical tale about the natural world and humanity, using stories of life, death, and the human desire to preserve. Cochrane draws inspiration from indigenous plants in his home state of California and from the Athenaeum’s own botanical archives. Darkroom prints and abstractions of roses, pine cones, and other local plantings recreate traces of life that once lived in and around the library, including the Torrey pine that stood as a sentinel for the building’s entrance, and climbing roses proposed by Kate Sessions for a 1921 garden renovation. Cochrane’s interest in horticultural and photographic histories also considers the optical manifestation of the alchemical pursuit—the transformation of lead into gold—through which, working with analog photographic processes, metals, and translations, the artist explores the materiality of elements across humanity’s attempts at preservation. 

 

Cochrane, born in San Diego, California, depicts stories of resilience and metamorphosis through the lenses of horticulture, art history, science fiction, and autobiography. Working in materials ranging from the 8 x 10 inch film camera to digital imaging and experimental darkroom photographic techniques, the artist builds elaborate narrative set pieces that explore fundamental questions of human existence and cosmic time. Cochrane's work has appeared in Headmaster, The San Francisco Chronicle, Vast Magazine, Hyperallergic, Brink, Artslant, the MoCP lecture series, the de Young Museum, the Vermont Center for Photography, the Tokyo International Photo Awards, and others. He is a recipient of the Snider Prize and has been a finalist for many awards, including the Hopper Prize, the Fine Art Photography Award, the Exposure Award, and the Kodak Photo Film Award. In 2022, he was nominated for the Shpilman International Prize for Excellence in Photography. He has held several solo exhibitions nationally, and his work is held in public and private collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Cochrane received a BA from San Francisco State University and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 
 

The exhibition can be viewed in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037) during open hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments are not required.

 

Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Gallery

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HOME / EXHIBITIONS / CURRENT EXHIBITIONS / CAROLYN YORSTON-WELLCOME ROTUNDA GALLERY

 

Peter Cochrane: The Magician Longs to See

Exhibition Dates: January 20–April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

Gallery Walk-through: Saturday, January 20, 1 PM, free

In The Magician Longs to See, Peter Cochrane presents an alchemical tale about the natural world and humanity, using stories of life, death, and the human desire to preserve. Cochrane draws inspiration from indigenous plants in his home state of California and from the Athenaeum’s own botanical archives. Darkroom prints and abstractions of roses, pine cones, and other local plantings recreate traces of life that once lived in and around the library, including the Torrey pine that stood as a sentinel for the building’s entrance, and climbing roses proposed by Kate Sessions for a 1921 garden renovation. Cochrane’s interest in horticultural and photographic histories also considers the optical manifestation of the alchemical pursuit—the transformation of lead into gold—through which, working with analog photographic processes, metals, and translations, the artist explores the materiality of elements across humanity’s attempts at preservation. 

 

Cochrane, born in San Diego, California, depicts stories of resilience and metamorphosis through the lenses of horticulture, art history, science fiction, and autobiography. Working in materials ranging from the 8 x 10 inch film camera to digital imaging and experimental darkroom photographic techniques, the artist builds elaborate narrative set pieces that explore fundamental questions of human existence and cosmic time. Cochrane's work has appeared in Headmaster, The San Francisco Chronicle, Vast Magazine, Hyperallergic, Brink, Artslant, the MoCP lecture series, the de Young Museum, the Vermont Center for Photography, the Tokyo International Photo Awards, and others. He is a recipient of the Snider Prize and has been a finalist for many awards, including the Hopper Prize, the Fine Art Photography Award, the Exposure Award, and the Kodak Photo Film Award. In 2022, he was nominated for the Shpilman International Prize for Excellence in Photography. He has held several solo exhibitions nationally, and his work is held in public and private collections, including the Museum of Contemporary Photography. Cochrane received a BA from San Francisco State University and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. 

 
 

The exhibition can be viewed in the Carolyn Yorston-Wellcome Rotunda Gallery at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037) during open hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments are not required.

 

Max & Melissa Elliott
North Reading Room

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HOME / EXHIBITIONS / CURRENT EXHIBITIONS / MAX & MELISSA ELLIOTT NORTH READING ROOM

 

Selections from the Athenaeum’s Erika & Fred Torri Artists’ Books Collection

Exhibition Dates: January 20–April 13, 2024

Opening Reception: Friday, January 19, 6:30–8:30 PM

A selection of artists’ books from the Athenaeum’s Erika & Fred Torri Artists’ Books Collection will be showcased in the Max & Melissa Elliott North Reading Room.

About the Athenaeum’s Erika & Fred Torri Artists’ Books Collection

The Athenaeum’s artists’ books collection was initiated in 1991 when Joan & Irwin Jacobs Executive Director Emeritus Erika Torri received a generous donation from life member Hope Shipley with the advice “to use it for her dreams.” Artists’ books have been Torri’s passion for many years prior and it seemed a natural fit for the Athenaeum. She purchased Harry Sternberg’s limited edition A Life in Woodcuts, published by Brighton Press, and thus the collection was launched. The mission of the collection was established with a focus on regional artists and presses and on artists who emphasized art and/or music in their works. The collection has grown enormously through purchases, sponsored acquisitions, and generous donations—now numbering close to 2,200 books—and so has its reputation. It is sought out by artists, researchers and collectors and can be viewed by making an appointment with library staff.

 
 

The exhibition can be viewed in the Max & Melissa Elliott North Reading Room at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library (1008 Wall Street, La Jolla, CA 92037) during open hours, Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments are not required.

 

Catherine & Robert Palmer Gallery

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HOME / EXHIBITIONS / CURRENT EXHIBITIONS / CATHERINE & ROBERT PALMER GALLERY

 

Tarrah Aroonsakool: Through the Maze

Exhibition Dates/Fechas de exposición: March 2, 2023–May 3, 2024/del 2 de marzo de 2023 al 3 de mayo de 2024

Opening Reception/Recepción de apertura: Saturday, March 9, 5–8 PM/sábado, 9 de marzo, de 5 a 8 PM

Tarrah Aroonsakool is a first-generation San Diego native with Thai and Lao heritage, known for their artistic endeavors that delve into self-discovery and cultural narratives. Aroonsakool's art has been described as a journey of self-discovery, with their work reflecting a deep exploration of identity and societal dynamics. Their artistic practice encompasses various mediums, including immersive installations and claymation, through which she addresses complex issues such as the model minority myth and anti-Blackness. 

Tarrah Aroonsakool's installation invites viewers to embark on an immersive journey through interconnectedness and tension. The maze, composed of layers of white tissue paper and various found objects, reflects the erasure of traditional culture and assimilation into society. As visitors navigate the ethereal maze they will encounter familiar household items and textile pieces from Aroonsakool's childhood, prompting reflection on America's societal underpinnings. The installation is complemented by a Claymation video installation that illustrates the perpetuation of racial narratives that divide people. Aroonsakool's exploration urges viewers to confront uncomfortable truths and foster genuine solidarity. 

 

Tarrah Aroonsakool es una nativa de San Diego de primera generación con ascendencia tailandesa y laosiana, conocida por sus esfuerzos artísticos que ahondan en el autodescubrimiento y las narrativas culturales. El arte de Aroonsakool se ha descrito como un viaje de autodescubrimiento, en el que su obra refleja una profunda exploración de la identidad y la dinámica social. Su práctica artística abarca diversos medios, como las instalaciones inmersivas y la plastilina, a través de los cuales aborda cuestiones complejas como el mito de la minoría modelo y la antinegritud. 

La instalación de Tarrah Aroonsakool invita al espectador a embarcarse en un viaje inmersivo a través de la interconexión y la tensión. El laberinto, compuesto por capas de papel de seda blanco y diversos objetos encontrados, refleja el borrado de la cultura tradicional y la asimilación a la sociedad. A medida que los visitantes recorren el etéreo laberinto, se encontrarán con objetos domésticos familiares y piezas textiles de la infancia de Aroonsakool, que incitan a la reflexión sobre los fundamentos sociales de Estados Unidos. La instalación se complementa con un vídeo de plastilina que ilustra la perpetuación de las narrativas raciales que dividen a la gente. La exploración de Aroonsakool insta a los espectadores a enfrentarse a verdades incómodas y a cultivar una auténtica solidaridad. 

 

The exhibition can be viewed in the Catherine and Robert Palmer Gallery at the Athenaeum Art Center (1955 Julian Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113) during open gallery hours, Tuesdays through Saturdays, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and every second Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., during the Barrio Art Crawl, and by appointment.

La exposición se puede ver en la Galería Catherine y Robert Palmer en el Centro de Arte Athenaeum (1955 Julian Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113) durante el horario de atención de la galería, de martes a sábado, de 11 a. m. a 4 p. m., y cada segundo sábado de 5 a 8 p.m., durante el Barrio Art Crawl, y con cita previa.