Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (La Jolla)

Discover The Newly Renovated Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego

—Light-filled galleries
—Ocean-view restaurant
—Unique shop

The Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is the region’s foremost forum devoted to the exploration and presentation of the art of our time, presenting works across all media created since 1950. Located in the heart of downtown San Diego and in the coastal community of La Jolla, MCASD provides an unprecedented variety of exhibition spaces and experiences for the community, showcasing an internationally recognized collection and a dynamic schedule of exhibitions and public programs.

Current & Upcoming Exhibitions

An Artful Life: A Tribute to Matthew C. Strauss

On view March 20, 2025 to August 3, 2025

An Artful Life: A Tribute to Matthew C. Strauss provides a public glimpse into the private collection of Iris and Matthew Strauss, who are recognized for their exuberant and expansive holdings of contemporary art. Featuring works by many of today’s most notable artists, the Strausses have repeatedly appeared on ARTnews Top 200 Collectors list. A passionate art advocate and generous philanthropist, Matthew C. Strauss (1933-2024) built a world-class collection of contemporary art along with his wife, Iris Strauss. The two began their collecting journey alongside the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD), where Matthew served as a Trustee since 1991 and President from 2013-2016.

Yan Pei-Ming: A Burial in Shanghai

On view April 17, 2025 to January 4, 2026

Chinese-born painter Yan Pei-Ming (b. 1960) is noted for his commanding portraits and compositions that imbue conventional forms of representation with contemporary resonance. The artist alludes to traditions of Western art history and his own biography in A Burial in Shanghai. Comprised of three outsized canvases, this monumental triptych echoes Gustave Courbet’s (1819-1877) celebrated composition from two-hundred years earlier, A Burial at Ornans (1849-1850). The project, which debuted at Paris’s Musée d’Orsay in 2019, is being presented in the United States for the first time at MCASD.