Museum of the Living Artist
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| Motto | contemporary art for Southern California and Baja Norte |
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| Founded | May 1941 by Walter W. Austin in San Diego |
| Type |
Non-profit NGO |
| Location |
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| Services | exhibition, youth art education, professional development, artist residency |
| Fields | Contemporary art |
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Key people
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See list (Lissa Corona, Interim Executive Director; Ginger Shulick Porcella, previous Executive Director; Bruce Tall, Chair, Board of Directors) |
| Website | http://www.sandiego-art.org |
San Diego Art Institute is located in San Diego, California, US. The San Diego Art Institute was initially founded in 1941 as the San Diego Business Men's Art Club. In 1950 the name was changed to the San Diego Art Institute, and three years later women were allowed membership into the organization.
SDAI became a nonprofit in 1963 and was dedicated to showcasing artists from the Southern California/Baja Norte region. In preparation for its 75th Anniversary, in 2014 under the leadership of Executive Director Ginger Shulick Porcella, the San Diego Art Institute shifted its focus. The San Diego Art Institute is now recognized as an experimental, bi-national contemporary art center with a focus on the artists of Southern California and Northern Baja.
In 1941, a group of San Diego businessmen met in the office of then Director of the Fine Arts Gallery in Balboa Park, Reginald Poland. These men were interested in forming a group, which would have as its chief objective the painting of local characteristic and historical scenes of San Diego and vicinity. Following the organizational meeting, invitations were issued to painters known to be interested in preserving the memories of the fast disappearing early landmarks of San Diego County. In May, a re-organizational meeting was held, at which time the name "San Diego Business Men’s Art Club" was adopted. The first president was Walter W. Austin, former Mayor of San Diego. The first instructor of this group was Maurice Braun, well known in all of southern California for his mellow California landscapes as well as for his unusual teaching ability. Otto Schneider, Alfred R. Mitchell and many others also acted as instructors of this enthusiastic outdoor painting group. Exhibitions of the work of club members were held at various places; the first one-man show to be held by a member of this original group was by Charles Small in Bohnen’s Studio at Fifth and Laurel Streets.
In 1942 the San Diego Business Men’s Art Club negotiated with the City for studio quarters in the Spanish Village in Balboa Park. Before this arrangement could be consummated, World War II intervened; Balboa Park was requisitioned for use in the war effort. During the war the Club was relatively inactive, except for a member exhibition in the La Jolla Art Center in June 1944. After the end of the war, interest in the project was revived and the club was reorganized at a meeting held on April 4, 1947. During this year increasing activity was generated and many fine outdoor painting sessions resulted, including one at the Pine Hills ranch of Fred Heilbron, one of the original members. Several exhibitions of paintings by old and new members were held, one of which was at the San Diego Club with an attendance of more than 140 people. During this year E. H. Pohl and Ben Vaganoff were added to the list of club instructors.
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Wikipedia