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• Issue #259
• Article

The Museum of Photographic Arts

The Museum of Photographic Arts (MOPA) is merging into The San Diego Museum of Art (SDMA) and will become a unified institution, effective July 1, 2023.

For 50 years, including 40 years in Balboa Park, MOPA had assembled a major collection of photography and created an active, participatory museum offering acclaimed exhibits and programs.

With MOPA becoming a part of SDMA, these two museums will unite a diverse range of art forms and resources, allowing visitors to experience the world of visual art through multiple lenses.

Under an agreement approved by both museums' leadership and boards of directors, MOPA's collection of more than 9,000 images by 850 artists and 22,000 books and related materials will be added to SDMA's own photography collection.

MOPA's two-story, 33,000-square-foot museum space, located in the historic Casa de Balboa building just across the Plaza de Panama from SDMA, will remain open through at least 2024 to accommodate MOPA's previously announced exhibition schedule. MOPA's 18-member staff will also be retained for at least the next year. SDMA aims to be in the current MOPA location for years to come, utilizing the existing space and auditorium to showcase great art across mediums.

SDMA will now house a new department, The Museum of Photographic Arts at the San Diego Museum of Art, focused solely on photographic arts. Members of the MOPA Board of Trustees will join the SDMA Board of Trustees.

And when the merger officially occurs on July 1st, current executive director of MOPA, Deborah Klochko will become the curatorial advisor, responsible for implementing MOPA's current exhibition schedule and assisting with the transition period through December 2023. At that time she will be retiring to work on writing, art making and curatorial projects.

Beginning July 1, SDMA will offer membership reciprocity, with members of both institutions receiving admission to SDMA and MOPA, as well as a continuation of current membership benefits.

All current MOPA members will become members of SDMA effective July 1 at a comparable level for the duration of their membership cycle. MOPA members will have the opportunity to renew as members of SDMA with benefits that include both institutions.

MOPA's location will remain in the heart of Balboa Park and will be operated as another arm of SDMA. The overall photographic collections of both institutions will merge to provide a more expansive offering for guests. With MOPA becoming a part of SDMA, together, these two museums will unite a diverse range of art forms and resources, allowing visitors to experience the world of visual art through multiple lenses, while increasing donor accessibility and awareness to other forms of art, as well, within SDMA.

Current exhibitions at MOPA include: Arresting Beauty: Julia Margaret Cameron; The Water Holds Me: Photographs by Suda House; and Robert Wilson: Video Portraits.

The Fall exhibition schedule opens in September, including James Balog: Photography of the Anthropocene and MOPA's 17th Annual Youth Exhibition: Explorations. Coming in 2024, exhibitions scheduled include Storyteller: Work by Holly Roberts; and the museum's newest Lou Stouman award winner, Cara Romero.