Museum Exhibitions to Visit this Fall
Bahar Motarjemi
As a San Diego native, I have grown up going to almost all of the artistic and cultural museums this city has to offer. As such, I am a firm believer that visiting museums is invaluable for broadening one’s educational horizons. By just being around the various artworks and exhibitions, one can learn so much about history, culture, and more. This fall, consider attending one of these local exhibitions and expand your knowledge of the world.
Eduardo Chillida: Convergence (San Diego Museum of Art)
This immersive exhibition invites viewers to inspect the relationships between Spanish sculpturalist Eduardo Chillida’s environment and cultural roots as shown through his craft. Chillida (1924-2002) created numerous pieces of art throughout his lifetime, ranging from drawings to clay objects. His abstract sculptures are heavily inspired by Spain’s Basque Country. To me, his sculptures effortlessly implement creative designs on geometric figures.
I would also suggest trying the virtual reality component of the exhibition, which can be booked in advance. The VR offers visitors a glimpse of one of Chillida’s installments in San Sebastián, Spain. This exhibition will be open through February 8, 2026.
Layered Narratives (Mingei International Museum)
I always find myself drawn to historical exhibitions at museums, especially ones like this that offer different perspectives into commonly-known events in history. The gallery is composed of decorated quilts which were made to celebrate the United States’s first 100 years of independence and displayed at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876. The exhibition specifically brings light to the black voices who were excluded during the exposition, and who were consequently unrepresented in the quilts presented.
The 1876 Exposition was said to have influences from American colonialism and from the desire to expand the U.S. at the expense of minority groups. This exhibition also touches on the role of women in politics at the time, as well as visually demonstrates the impact of racist behaviors on American society. I think this is such an important topic to learn about, and this exhibition does an amazing job of showing the complicated nature of U.S. history as a whole. This exhibition will be displayed through November 16, 2025.
Mirae kh RHEE: Constellations (Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art)
From now through January 4, 2026, visitors can experience an innovative installation complete with glowing lights and impressive artistry at the Museum of Photographic Arts, part of the San Diego Museum of Art. RHEE, who was born in Seoul, channels her cultural ties through her implementation of bamboo-like objects to resemble jukbuin, items which were used as pillows in ancient Asian civilizations and which, in the installation, symbolize a part of RHEE’s personal identity.
It is so helpful when museums have larger-than-life objects among other forms of art; I think it provides museum goers with a variety of themes and concepts to understand. The “bamboo” objects are strategically arranged to form the Pleiades constellation, adding a mythological aspect to this artwork. This captivating installation involves themes of collective experiences as well as the individual traits of a person. In my opinion, this exhibition is the perfect blend of cultural background and individuality, a combination that is relatable to all types of people.
Bahar Motarjemi is a sophomore at Canyon Crest Academy in San Diego. She is passionate about writing and looks forward to continuing her journey.
Bahar is an ISSD graduate.
