Headed to the Golden State this fall? No matter where in California you find yourself—from the Oregon border to San Diego—you will discover art. California has a full calendar of must-see museum exhibits, exclusive gallery shows, and one-of-a-kind festivals this fall. Make sure to consult our curated list before planning your trip.
Royal Hawaiian Featherwork: N Hulu Ali‘i
Aug. 29, 2015 – Feb. 28, 2016
De Young Museum, San Francisco
The mainland’s first exhibition of Hawaiian featherwork—presented in San Francisco, the gateway to the Pacific—will showcase capes, cloaks, royal staffs, and feather leis, as well as related paintings and works on paper.
Rain Forest Visions: Amazonian Ceramics from Ecuador, the Melza and Ted Barr Collection
Sept. 19, 2015 – Feb. 14, 2016
Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento
Melza and Ted Barr acquired this collection of Amazonian vessels and sculpture while living in Quito, Ecuador, in the late 1980s and on subsequent trips to the region in the early ’90s.
Fresno Art Museum Council of 100—Distinguished Woman Artist 2015: Margaret Lazzari
Sept. 25, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016
Fresno Art Museum, Fresno
A professor at the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Fine Arts since 1986, Lazzari gains her inspiration from the natural world, and her work has often appeared in public locations, such as parks and train stations.
The Art of Music
Sept. 26, 2015 – Jan. 5, 2016
San Diego Museum of Art, San Diego
This exhibit combines work from the San Diego Museum of Art’s permanent collection and loans from other museums and private collections to explore the dynamic intersection between art and music.
Off the Beaten Path: Views from Yosemite
Sept. 29 – Nov. 15
The G2 Gallery, Venice
This open-submission exhibition features more than a dozen artists, each seeking to represent and celebrate the magnificence of Yosemite National Park during its 125th anniversary.
Art of the Brick
Sept. 29 – Dec. 20
Bedford Gallery at the Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek
This exhibit features large LEGO® sculptures by artist Nathan Sawaya, as well as photography by Dean West. On Oct. 23, the museum will host a LEGO-themed Halloween party for children.
California Wine Country: Impressions in Oil by Erin Hanson
Oct. 1–25
Studios on the Park, Paso Robles
Hanson, a University of California, Berkeley grad with a degree in biochemistry, finds inspiration in the landscapes of the West. This exhibit showcases her wine-country paintings, which she assembles with dramatic colors and a knack for capturing natural beauty.
Self Reflection: 10th Annual Juried Youth Exhibition
Oct. 3, 2015 – Jan. 24, 2016
Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego
Kindergarten through 12th-grade students from San Diego and Tijuana explore self-identity through their photographs.
Boyd Gavin
Oct. 7–31
John Natsoulas Gallery, Davis
Gavin’s paintings capture the unique character of California and construct landscapes and objects in a palette of bold colors.
Hsin-Yao Tseng Exhibition
Starts Oct. 10
Waterhouse Gallery, Santa Barbara
Though only 28, Taiwan native Hsin-Yao Tseng has created a prolific portfolio of landscapes, portraits, cityscapes, still lifes, and drawings, each rendered in his unique style.
Seeing the Light: Illuminating Objects
Oct. 10, 2015 – Jan. 3, 2016
Palm Springs Art Museum Architecture and Design Center, Palm Springs
The creators of the art in this show ponder how light affects art in all media—from pottery to mirrored surfaces.
Beverly Hills artSHOW
Oct. 17–18
Beverly Gardens Park, Beverly Hills
Encompassing four blocks of Beverly Hills, this twice-annual, free-to-the-public, outdoor show features 240 artists working in a variety of media.
David Ligare: California Classicist
Oct. 18, 2015 – Jan. 17, 2016
Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach
Ligare reaches a poetic level of perfection in his paintings, which take inspiration from the ancient Greek and Roman philosophers and artists and often feature elements of Central California’s coastal landscape.
Sandow Birk
Oct. 24 – Dec. 23
Catharine Clark Gallery, San Francisco
This exhibition includes art from Birk’s “Imaginary Monuments” series, including unique large-scale ink drawings on paper and the debut of a new etching.
Robert Kinmont
Oct. 31, 2015 – Jan. 24, 2016
Di Rosa, Napa
Kinmont’s conceptual sculptures examine the connection between man and nature. This exhibition features some of his early work from the ’60s and ’70s, as well as some of his more recent creations.
Art San Diego
Nov. 2–5
Balboa Park Activity Center, San Diego
Taking place in San Diego’s beautiful Balboa Park during the park’s event-filled centennial celebration, this exhibition features 80 international exhibitors, art talks, panel discussions, parties, and more.
Floy Zittin
Nov. 3–28
Viewpoints Gallery, Los Altos
Zittin’s watercolors capture the varied beauty and personality of birds with the hope that her work will introduce people to the underappreciated avian world.
Herb Kornfeld
Nov. 4–18
FM Fine Art Gallery, Los Angeles
Herb Kornfeld, who died in 2001, began painting when he was young. His work spanned eight decades, and his oil paintings best communicate his rare talent and skill. This exhibit, in the year he would have turned 100, showcases some pieces never before exhibited publicly.
D Hill: T R A N S
Nov. 14 – Dec. 28
Culver Center of the Arts, Riverside
Artist D Hill explores the influence of the hypersexualized media of the 1980s on performance, masculinity, and femininity, with an emphasis on female trans sexuality.
The Nature of William S. Rice: Arts and Crafts Painter and Printmaker
Nov. 15, 2015 – April 3, 2016
Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena
Inspired by Japanese block prints, Rice (1873–1963) presents California scenery as you’ve never seen it before. The exhibit also features some of the artist’s watercolors and sketches.
23rd Annual Arroyo Arts Collective Discovery Tour
Nov. 22, 2015
Neighborhoods of Northeast Los Angeles
The best of Northeast Los Angeles’ art community is on display in this tour of artists’ homes and studios, as well as local museums and galleries. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 on the exhibition day.
