December art events, gallery + exhibit openings

Art events in December around San Diego include C. Fodoreanu: street smart, James Verbicky: Lost Where I Belong and Artist Alliance 2019 Biennial.

12.1-3.1: Duke Windsor: Radiance / A Solo Show

An exhibition of new work by artist Duke Windsor, featuring pieces with gold leaf and its power to stir up feelings of wanderlust on San Diego’s roads less traveled.

Sparks Gallery, downtown, sparksgallery.com

12.4-6: Fall 2019 Pop-Up Student Art Exhibition

Students in the fine arts studio classes and fashion at San Diego Mesa College will display 100 works of art, ranging from jewelry to ceramics, painting to photography, sculpture to digital media in this exhibition where pieces were selected to demonstrate a mastered technique.

Mesa College Art Gallery, Linda Vista, sdmesa.edu

12.6-31: Lollipop Sea

Ride a wave of whimsy as artist June Rubin brings her Lollipop Sea show to the holiday season, featuring paisley designs with gems and abstract watercolor seascapes with glitter.

June Rubin Art Studio/Gallery, Liberty Station, junerubin.com

Through 12.22: C. Fodoreanu: street smart

This collection of black-and-white photos is part of an ongoing project by the artist to document at-risk youth in Southern California in their “majestic, towering beauty.”

Cornel/Henry Art, Barracks 14, Liberty Station, cornelhenryart.com

12.21-5.31: Artist Alliance 2019 Biennial

In support of local and regional artists, the Oceanside Museum of Art presents this juried exhibition with a cross-section of outstanding artwork from members of the museum’s Artist Alliance, juried by Bob Pincus and Maria Mingalone.

Oceanside Museum of Art, Oceanside, oma-online.org

Through 12.8: Ellis Luu: Hope It Matters

Artist Ellis Luu is a freelance illustrator who studied at San Diego State University, earning a broad background in painting, sculpture, drawing and design with specializations in ceramics, illustration, electronic media and more.

Thumbprint Gallery, La Jolla, thumbprintgallerysd.com

Through 12.8: Aaron Moore: Thank You Please

Artist Aaron Moore presents a new and experimental body of work, exploring the depth and nuances of human mortality, using watercolor and older acrylic and mixed media pieces. The pieces were created during different periods of a severe alcoholic life, and later, after receiving a liver transplant.

Thumbprint Gallery, La Jolla, thumbprintgallerysd.com

Through 1.3: James Verbicky: Lost Where I Belong

Get a closer look at artist James Verbicky’s creative progression in his 10th solo exhibition, where he’s used vintage media, advertisements and other materials that trace his work from his sculptural mixed media paintings to his new Citta Samtana: REBIRTH series on canvas.

Madison Gallery, Solana Beach, madisongalleries.com

Through 1.4: C-Note Annual Art Sale

Ashton Gallery sent out the call, and artists responded with affordable pieces between $100 and $300, for this regular and very popular, annual art sale.

Ashton Gallery, North Park, ashtonartgallery.com

Through 3.15: Nancy Lupo: Scripts for the Pageant

In her first solo exhibition, artist Nancy Lupo presents a new sculpture, Open Mouth, serving as a conversation between the architecture of the MCASD Downtown Farrell Gallery and the sculpture, which is an arrangement of 16 cast iron, aluminum and bronze benches.

Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, downtown, mcasd.org

Through 12.2020: Insects Face to Face

Get close, face-to-face close, with various insects photographed using macro photography and taken by researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey Bee Inventory Monitoring Lab. More than 30 large-scale photos illustrate crawly creatures like honeybees, cockroaches and lace bugs.

San Diego Natural History Museum, Balboa Park, sdnhm.org