2015 2016
OUR MISSION The mission of the Museum of Photographic Arts is to inspire, educate and engage the broadest possible audience through the presentation, collection, and preservation of photography, film and video. ABOUT The Museum of Photographic Arts is a vibrant center for visual learning. Founded in 1983, the museum consistently addresses cultural, historical, and social issues through its exhibitions and educational programs. MOPA is one of three independent photography museums in the United States and is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. Museums should engage in three types of expansion: physical, virtual and intellectual. Deborah Klochko, MOPA Executive Director
SENIORS MOPA's SEPIA Program brings creative and socially engaging photography programs to seniors across San Diego County from San Ysidro to Encinitas including those with Alzheimer s and dementia. SEPIA responds to the exponential growth in the senior population and is rooted in promising studies that report improvements in cognitive function and quality of life for older adults who engage in the arts. Programs serve 500-600 seniors annually and are implemented through an extensive network of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, and community centers. Programs are designed to be inclusive of seniors who are traditionally underserved due to limited mobility, transportation, Alzheimer s, dementia, and/or Parkinson s disease. AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS National grant awards from the National Endowment for the Arts, Institute of Museum and Library Services, Metlife Foundation, James Irvine Foundation, and the May and Stanley Smith Charitable Trust. The only program in Southern California selected for inclusion in the Director of Creative Aging Programs in America. There is need in San Diego for dignified and novel outreach to seniors. MOPA is truly an innovative leader in their programs to underserved populations. Lisa Snyder, Director of Quality of Life Programs, Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer s Disease Research Center
SCHOOL OUTREACH Our school outreach programs introduce over 5,000 K-12 students annually to art-making, visual literacy, and the museum experience. Community Impact: Free Admission and Tours for School Groups: MOPA welcomes more than 4,500 students and educators annually as part of school group tours. Outreach to Title I Schools: MOPA provides intensive, multi-session arts education at Title I schools to ignite student learning and creativity through photography. Annual Youth Exhibition: Since 2006, MOPA has held an annual juried exhibition showcasing the photographic talents of San Diego youth. We feature more than 100 young artists each year. Youth Voice Collaborative: A teen engagement program in partnership with San Diego High School and Media Arts Center San Diego. Teens design and test new ideas to improve the museum experience for visitors while gaining valuable leadership and critical thinking skills. These programs help to inspire San Diego s next generation of artists, thinkers, and innovators. Jesse McIntyre, School and Teacher Programs Coordinator
PAY WHAT YOU WISH Our hope is to show the positive benefits of Pay What You Wish and to offer it in the future to make the museum a more inclusive place for the people of San Diego. Joaquin Ortiz, MOPA Director of Education & Innovation In 2015 MOPA became the first museum in San Diego to offer a "Pay What You Wish" admissions policy. Every Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday visitors choose the admission price with a voluntary contribution. Pay What You Wish is designed to increase attendance, attract new audiences, and make the museum experience accessible to all.
EXHIBITIONS MOPA s world-class exhibitions draw visitors and cultural tourists to San Diego from around the globe. Community Impact: 100,000 annual visitors to MOPA 160,000 combined online visitors and social media followers 55% of visitors are from outside San Diego Regional, national and international press FY16 Season Highlights Seeing is Believing? Opened Feb. 21, 2015 Did you know that some early photographs were known as the mirror with a memory? That the first photograph of the moon was made more than 160 years ago? Discover the answers to these questions and more in MOPA s new Diane Photo Credit: Unknown, Mug shot (detail from photo album page), 1912-1915. Collection of the Museum of Photographic Arts; Gift of Tom Jacobsoon Dammeyer Gallery where you ll explore the origins of photography, and its impact on how we view the world around us and ourselves. The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White Oct. 20, 2015 Jan. 31, 2016 The Time Between: The Sequences of Minor White is an original exhibition and publication dedicated to the work and legacy of Minor White (American, 1908-1976). This exhibition marks the first major museum Photo Credit: Minor White, Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco, 1959, Courtesy of Princeton University Art Museum examination focusing on White s sequences: a unique style of presentation he refined throughout his career. www.mopa.org/exhibitions
10th Annual Youth Exhibition Oct. 3 Jan. 24, 2016 MOPA invites students in grades K-12 from San Diego County and Tijuana to enter photographic artwork in its Annual Juried Youth Exhibition. For the 10th Anniversary, participants share their views on self identity through a variety of diverse voices and perspectives. Flor Garduño: Trilogía Feb. 6 May 15, 2016 Photo Credit: Flor Garduño, La mujer que sueña, 1991 In Trilogía, Flor Garduño presents a tour of the principal themes from her career of photographic work within three groups: Bestiarium, Mujeres fantásticas and Naturalezas silenciosas. A renowned Mexican photographer, Garduño is internationally recognized for her black and white photography. Beauty and the Beast: The Animal in Photography May 21 Sept. 25, 2016 Beauty and the Beast presents an examination of animals in photography in celebration of the San Diego Zoo Centennial. Showcasing a diverse Photo Credit: Lee Deigaard, They'll Tease You, 2011 range of photographers, the exhibition highlights the many ways animals are featured from portraits to supporting subjects. MOPA officially updated its photo policy in fall 2014 to allow photography in the galleries. Unless noted beside specific artwork, visitors are encouraged to take pictures and share their experience at the museum. This might be one of the only museums I ve visited where they encourage people to take photos and share it on social media. Julia B., Yelp Elite reviewer
FILMS MOPA strives to present films that capture stories and qualities of life often underrepresented in mainstream cinema. In the last year, more than 6,000 viewers saw a range of films in our Joan & Irwin Jacobs Theater, including global documentaries, a Taiwanese cinema retrospective and a Fall Film Festival showcasing local San Diego filmmakers. In order to increase the experience for MOPA s partners and audience, the theater underwent a renovation that included technological and aesthetic upgrades: New Christie Solaria One digital cinema projector LED stage lighting New carpet and reupholstered seats The environmentally responsible aspects of the renovation earned MOPA a 2014 Balboa Park Sustainability Award. Festivals Hosted at MOPA include: Human Rights Watch Film Festival Films from Spain SD Horrible Imaginings Film Festival San Diego Italian Film Fest Taiwan Cinema Spotlight San Diego Film Consortium It's the diversity in our film program and the charm of our theater that has earned us the reputation of being one of the best independent cinema spaces in San Diego. - Paolo Zuniga, MOPA Film Programs & Digital Media Coordinator Photo Credit: Nicole Espina www.mopa.org/film
CONTACT For additional information, including requests for high-resolution images or interviews, please contact MOPA Marketing & Communications Manager, Raya Greenbaum. To subscribe to press correspondences or view press releases, please visit: www.mopa.org/press RAYA GREENBAUM MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER E GREENBAUM@MOPA.ORG P 619.238.7559 x227 Follow us @MOPASD Unless noted otherwise, all images photo credit: Stacy Keck www.mopa.org