SDMA X MOPA@SDMA New Photo Exhibits
The San Diego Museum of Art and MOPA@SDMA have two exciting new photography exhibitions opening, as well as two new programming opportunities for photography enthusiasts debuting in the fall.
Shifting Visions: Photographs from the Collection of Ken and Jacki Widder
August 2, 2025–January 25, 2026 | MOPA@SDMA: Nash Gallery
A new exhibition drawn from the Ken and Jacki Widder Collection, offering a comprehensive survey of mid-20th-century American photography. This significant collection provides insight into photography’s varied roles within modern culture, encompassing photojournalism, architectural studies, and works approaching abstraction. Featuring in-depth explorations of individual artists’ careers and thematic considerations of urban environments and “environmental” portraiture, the exhibition illuminates how photographers shaped perception.
John Gutmann & Max Yavno: California Photographers
August 9, 2025–January 11, 2026 | SDMA Gallery
Explore the works of John Gutmann and Max Yavno, two influential photographers who chronicled mid-20th-century California in all its grit and glory. Gutmann, who fled Germany, brought a unique European perspective to his dynamic, often disorienting portrayals of urban life. Conversely, Yavno’s more direct and sociologically driven observations captured the prevailing spirit of American photography during the same period. Together, their distinct approaches highlight the interconnecting and sometimes conflicting photographic styles that flourished in California.
