Art & exhibitions in San Diego on Thursday, October 1, 2026

32 exhibitions and openings across 25 venues in San Diego County on Thursday, October 1, 2026. Updated nightly from venue calendars and ticketing sites.

Afternoon 3

1:30 PM
Adult Craft
Campo-Morena Village Library · Campo
Tickets & details
4:00 PM
Teen Craft
Poway Library · Poway
This free craft program is only open for teen in 6-12 grade
Tickets & details
4:30 PM
Crochet and Knit Club
San Marcos Library · San Marcos
Do you enjoy crochet or knitting? Bring your current project and join us on Thursdays at 4:30 for an hour of crochet and knitting. All skill levels are welcome.
Tickets & details

Morning 2

10:00 AM
VCAA Open Studio
Valley Center Library · Valley Center
Weekly art classes and workshops facilitated by the Valley Center Art Association. Supplies provided.
Tickets & details
10:30 AM
Stitch Share Social
Ramona Library · Ramona
Bring your projects to work on while we chat about fiber arts and books.
Tickets & details

Ongoing / On view 27

On view · through Sun, Nov 15
Farm to Craft
Mingei International Museum · San Diego
An entry-level exhibition at the Mingei International Museum drawn from its permanent collection, exploring the global significance of grains as both a source of sustenance and an inspiration for human creativity and craft.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Nov 1
To Catch a Fish
Mingei International Museum · San Diego
An exhibition at the Mingei International Museum featuring over sixty works of craft and art related to fishing, exploring both utilitarian fishing objects and the deep cultural relationship between people and fish.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Oct 18
India Thompson: Looks Like Home
Mingei International Museum · San Diego
An exhibition at the Mingei International Museum featuring intricately woven reed sculptures by India Thompson that transform everyday domestic objects into meditations on ownership, emotional attachment, and the meaning of home in the age of renting.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Jan 10
Cecil Beaton's Fashionable World
San Diego Museum of Art · San Diego
The first exhibition dedicated to the multifaceted career of Cecil Beaton (1904–1980) — photographer, fashion illustrator, Oscar-winning costume designer, and writer — showcasing his extraordinary influence on both British and American creative scenes in the twentieth century.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sat, Oct 10
Quilts Japan: The 17th Quilt Nihon
Visions Museum of Textile Art · San Diego
A free exhibition at the Visions Museum of Textile Art showcasing Japanese quilting art from the 17th Quilt Nihon competition. The exhibit continues through October 2026.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sat, Oct 10
Soft Architectures of the Sea
Visions Museum of Textile Art · San Diego
A free textile art exhibit at the Visions Museum of Textile Art exploring ocean-inspired forms and soft sculptural works. On display through October 2026.
Tickets & details
On view · through Tue, Dec 1
Color Changing Artworks in the Sculpture Garden
Bonita Museum & Cultural Center · Bonita
An ongoing outdoor sculpture exhibit at the Bonita Museum & Cultural Center featuring color-changing artworks. The exhibit runs through December 2026 and is free to visit.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Jan 14
Doctor Who Worlds of Wonder: Where Science Meets Fiction
Comic-Con Museum · San Diego
An interactive exhibit at the Comic-Con Museum inspired by the Doctor Who universe, exploring the intersection of science fiction and real-world science. The exhibit runs from August 3, 2026 through January 14, 2027.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Dec 31
Organica: Flora to Fauna at Granger Hotel
Granger Hotel · San Diego
An ongoing art exhibit at the Granger Hotel featuring works inspired by the natural world, from flora to fauna. The exhibit runs through December 31, 2026.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Oct 4
'Sugar Rush': OMA's Artist Alliance at Sparks Gallery
Sparks Gallery · San Diego
A free art exhibit presented by OMA's Artist Alliance at Sparks Gallery, running from August 10 through October 4, 2026. The show features works from a collective of local artists.
Tickets & details
On view · through Mon, Jan 25
Material is Process – Art Exhibition
Gallery 201 · San Diego
An art exhibition exploring process-based artistic practices is on view at Gallery 201, with an opening or event window from 4pm to 8pm. The show runs through January 25, 2027.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sat, Nov 7
'Becoming Heirlooms:' A Craft Desert Exhibition
San Diego Central Library: Judith Harris Art Gallery · San Diego
A craft exhibition curated by Kerianne Quick and Adam John Manley in conjunction with Handwork 2026, a Craft in America initiative, examining the power of craft and art objects as functional heirlooms. On view through November 7, 2026, with an opening reception on September 11…
Tickets & details
On view · through Fri, Jan 1
Changing Terrain: Regional Artists Interpret Our Landscape
San Diego History Center · San Diego
A collaborative exhibition by the Oceanside Museum of Art and the San Diego History Center bringing together contemporary artists from Southern California and Baja to explore a region in constant transformation, on view through January 1, 2027.
Tickets & details
On view · through Fri, Oct 30
Love Letter to San Diego Art Exhibit-Irina Koren
Solana Beach Library · Solana Beach
Love Letter to San Diego Exhibit-Artist Irina Koren Paintings inspired by the beauty of San Diego from the coastline and changing light to people, nature, and everyday moments.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sat, Oct 10
'Christine Lee: By Hand'
Quint / 7722 Girard Ave. (formerly Quint ONE) · San Diego
This is San Diego-based artist and designer Christine Lee's first exhibition with Quint Gallery, featuring works that bridge traditional craft processes with computer technology and direct hand manipulation. The interdisciplinary show runs through October 10, 2026 at the gallery…
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Nov 8
Yōkai Community Art Exhibit
Japanese Friendship Garden San Diego · San Diego
This community art exhibit at the Japanese Friendship Garden showcases original works by local and national artists inspired by yōkai, the supernatural creatures and spirits of Japanese folklore. The exhibit is included with general admission and runs through November 8, 2026.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Nov 19
Wild San Diego
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) · San Diego
An exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum exploring San Diego's unique position at the crossroads of desert and sea, examining what makes the city a natural oasis that draws millions of visitors each year.
Tickets & details
On view · through Fri, Oct 9
Lost Wolves of Yellowstone
Fleet Science Center · San Diego
An exhibition at the Fleet Science Center uncovering one of the most daring wildlife experiments in American history — the reintroduction of wolves to Yellowstone National Park after a 50-year absence, told through long-lost 16mm archival footage.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Nov 8
The Dean Collection Presents: Hometown Heroes
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego · San Diego
This exhibition presented by The Dean Collection highlights work by local artists including MJ Pimentel, whose piece "Handball Courts" (2025) is featured. The show is on view from April 18 through November 8, 2026.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Nov 19
Ocean Paradise
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) · San Diego
An exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum that takes visitors to three untouched remote atolls thousands of miles from civilization, revealing secrets about ocean ecosystems and the human impact on our planet.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Nov 19
Back from the Brink
San Diego Natural History Museum (The Nat) · San Diego
An exhibition at the San Diego Natural History Museum telling the remarkable stories of three animal species rescued from the edge of extinction, exploring how conservationists fight to save species when time is running out.
Tickets & details
On view · through Thu, Dec 31
Posters Created by Françoise Gilot for “Symphony at Salk" Concerts 1996-2023
Del Mar Library · Del Mar
The Del Mar Branch of the San Diego County Library, the Del Mar Foundation, and the Salk Institute present: Posters Created by Internationally Known Artist Françoise Gilot for "Symphony at Salk" Concerts 1996-2023. When Françoise Gilot was a 21-year-old art student in Paris, she…
Tickets & details
On view · through Fri, Oct 9
34th Annual Juried Exhibition
Athenaeum Music & Arts Library – Joseph Clayes III Gallery · San Diego
Featuring 48 works by 42 artists selected from over 1,000 submissions, this exhibition showcases the breadth of contemporary art from the San Diego–Tijuana region. The show was juried by artist and photographer Paul Mpagi Sepuya and is on display in the Joseph Clayes III Gallery…
Tickets & details
On view · through Tue, Jun 1
Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific Exhibit
Venue not listed · San Diego
Take Me to the Water is a museum exhibition exploring histories of African American and Black communities connected to the Pacific Ocean, on display from August 11, 2026 through June 1, 2027. No specific museum or venue details were listed on the page beyond what is implied.
Tickets & details
On view · through Tue, Jun 1
Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific Exhibit
San Diego · San Diego
A museum exhibit exploring histories connected to Black communities and the Pacific region. The exhibition runs for an extended period at a San Diego venue. No further details are provided on this page.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Jan 23
Figuratively Speaking, an Art Exhibition
San Diego · San Diego
An art exhibition running through early 2028 at a San Diego venue. The page lists it as starting August 21, 2026 with no further detail beyond the title and dates.
Tickets & details
On view · through Sun, Jan 17
Visiones Nocturnas: Queer Nightlife in Contemporary Art
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego · San Diego
This exhibition at MCASD explores queer nightlife through the lens of contemporary art, featuring work by artists including Andres Payan Estrada. The show runs from September 19, 2026 through January 17, 2027.
Tickets & details