Art & exhibitions in San Diego on Saturday, October 17, 2026

28 exhibitions and openings across 19 venues in San Diego County on Saturday, October 17, 2026. Updated nightly from venue calendars and ticketing sites.

Afternoon 4

1:00 PM
Black Ink Painting Art Class
Valley Center Library · Valley Center
Learn how to create art using Black Ink Painting techniques. Supplies provided.
Tickets & details
2:00 PM
Miniature Haunted House DIY
Fletcher Hills Library · El Cajon
Embrace the essence of the spooky season by crafting your very own miniature haunted house from a wooden birdhouse! Utilize paint, moss, tiny ravens, and various other materials to bring your eerie creation to life. No prior experience required! Ages 16 & up. All materials…
Tickets & details
2:00 PM
Saturday Matinee: Staff Favorites
Borrego Springs Library · Borrego Springs
Enjoy a free film on the big screen in the cool AC at the Borrego Library! Saturdays at 2 pm. This Month's Theme: Staff Favorites 10/3 – The Pursuit of Happyness 10/10 – Waking Ned Devine 10/17 _ Casino Royale 10/24 – Prairie Home Companion 10/31 - No Film - Election
Tickets & details
3:00 PM
Black Ink Painting w/Brenda
Vista Library · Vista
Sumi-E @ the Vista Library! Participants will learn how to create art using Black Ink Painting techniques. This class is intended for adults 18-55+. Registration required, as class is capped at 15 participants. No waitlist. All supplies provided.
Tickets & details

Morning 3

10:00 AM
Knitting Club
Valley Center Library · Valley Center
Join us Saturday mornings at 10:00 am and learn the art of knitting and crocheting. Bring a pair of needles and we'll help you start your project. Yarn and additional supplies provided. See how much fun and gratifying knitting can be! Open to all skill levels.
Tickets & details
10:00 AM
Creative Crafters: Knitting, Crochet & More
Borrego Springs Library · Borrego Springs
Spend the morning with fellow knitting and crochet enthusiasts! All are welcome, including beginners, although no formal instruction is provided. Opportunity to get tips and share what you are working on. Bring your own supplies.
Tickets & details
11:00 AM
DIY Adult Craft: Autumn Landscape Watercolor - Sat
Del Mar Library · Del Mar
Paint an autumn watercolor landscape! Registration required. Limited to 15 people. Sign up for one of our two opportunities to take this class! This program is made possible by the friends of the Del Mar Library.
Tickets & details

Ongoing / On view 21

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 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 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 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 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
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, 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, 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 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