2026 Arts Preview: Our top San Diego visual art picks for the coming year

Whew! That’s all we can say about the year that was. From Murals of La Jolla installing its 50th mural to the San Diego airport unveiling six commissioned artworks, 2025 was a whirlwind of visual art activity.

That is a blessing for art lovers, especially in a year that saw arts funding threatened, diminished or cut. Our visual art to-do list was long, but we aren’t complaining. It’s a good problem to have.

Can 2026 top 2025? It’s hard to predict, but we are already hearing about exhibitions and notable celebrations we’re excited about to see and experience in the visual art space in 2026.

La Jolla Historical Society: “Artist / Architect”

Lauren Lockhart, the executive director of La Jolla Historical Society, shared a sneak peek of the society’s next show: “This exhibit examines where art and architecture meet, tracing how creative practices rooted in design influence the shaping of spaces, objects and communities. Featuring a blend of historic pieces with contemporary works by local artists — including Russell Forrester, Robert Irwin, Miki Iwasaki, Irma Sofía Poeter, and others — the exhibition highlights wide-ranging interpretations of form, geometry and place. Through these varied perspectives, the exhibition uncovers the reciprocal relationship between artistic expression and architectural thinking — revealing how each discipline informs, echoes and transforms the other.” Feb. 28 through June 7. La Jolla Historical Society, 780 Prospect Street, La Jolla. Admission is always free. 858-459-5335, lajollahistory.org

Mingei International Museum: “Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass”

The Mingei International Museum beckons: “Explore how Indigenous artists fuse heritage and contemporary glassmaking to illuminate their stories, connection to nature and cultural traditions.” This summer exhibition, curated by Leticia Chambers, is described as “a first-of-its-kind, groundbreaking exhibition giving broader and overdue recognition to a wide range of contemporary Native American and Indigenous, Pacific-Rim artists working in glass.” About 120 pieces will be showcased, including work by Dale Chihuly. June 27 through Sept. 20. Mingei International Museum, 1439 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego. 619-239-0003, mingei.org

Oceanside Museum of Art: “David Adey: Sacrificial Bodies”

San Diego contemporary artist David Adey, who’s also a full-time professor at Point Loma Nazarene University, will be the focus of a spring exhibition at Oceanside Museum of Art. Curated by Mark Quint of Quint Gallery, the exhibit will showcase 25 years of Adey’s career. “Adey’s work, ranging from intimate objects to immersive environments, examines mortality, consumerism and spirituality in the digital age,” the museum says. “Together, the works reveal a deep meditation on what it means to be human in a rapidly evolving world.” April 25 through Nov. 1. Oceanside Museum of Art, 704 Pier View Way, Oceanside. 760-435-3720, oma-online.org

San Diego Automotive Museum: “Formula 1 Stories”

The San Diego Automotive Museum’s current exhibition, titled “NASCAR: Design and Innovation,” will close early next year, but it will soon be replaced by “Formula 1 Stories.” For car aficionados, this Balboa Park museum is a gift from the auto gods, with dozens of cars and motorcycles on display. “Formula 1 Stories” should rev things up just in time for the summer, when San Diego rolls out the red carpet of NASCAR, which has chosen to stage three races at the Coronado Naval Base. Opens Feb. 28. 2080 Pan American Plaza, San Diego. 619-398-0306, sdautomuseum.org

San Diego Museum of Art: Centennial celebration

It’s been a momentous first 100 years for the San Diego Museum of Art, and the Balboa Park institution is more than happy to celebrate all year, starting with “SDMA 100 Year,” which opens Jan. 24 and continues through July 26. There are a handful of exhibitions tied to the centennial, including “Cafes and Cabarets: The Spectacular Art of Toulouse-Lautrec,” which will showcase 35 pieces by Toulouse-Lautrec, all from the museum’s permanent collection. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for many because the light-sensitive pieces are rarely ever displayed. April 4 through Sept. 20. San Diego Museum of Art,  1450 El Prado, San Diego. 619-232-7931, sdmart.org

University of San Diego’s Hoehn Family Galleries: “Francisco Goya: Disasters of War”

The University of San Diego has always been a hidden visual art gem, but lately, it’s been upping its game, especially with its recent homage to Escondido print impresario Harry Stern. In 2026, The Hoehn Family Galleries will display the complete set of Francisco de Goya’s famous series of etchings, “Los Desastres de la Guerra (The Disasters of War),” which the artist produced between 1810 and 1820 and published in 1863. The Spanish artist, who died in 1828, is one of the important figures in the history of art. “This series depicts events of the Peninsular War in Spain and its aftermath. These prints — made with etching and aquatint — now serve as one of the most visually striking and influential contributions to the history of art,” the university says. March 17 through May 22. Hoehn Family Galleries, Founders Hall, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcalá Park, San Diego. Free. sandiego.edu/galleries