This summer, seven talented youth artists from the Community ARTS program stepped into new and exciting roles as curators, exhibition designers, and art preparatory for a special exhibition at the Spanish Villiage Gallery in Balboa Park! Guided by Community ARTS Program Coordinator Anna Mia Ruiz, students began by learning the fundamentals of curation and exhibition design. Together, we explored how to decolonize artistic spaces and brainstormed the themes, stories, and messages we wanted our exhibition to communicate.

Throughout the program, students gained hands-on experience with artwork handling and accessibility practices. With the support of guest Teaching Artist Adrian Del Riego, Chief Art Preparator at UC San Diego, students helped de-install the ARTS Gallery to prepare for their upcoming show.

As we head into the final stretch before install week, students are hard at work finalizing details for their exhibition, Echoes of Blooming. Divided into collaborative teams, they are each contributing to the finishing touches of a show that represents their voices, ideas, and creative growth.

We invite you to join us for the opening of Echoes of Blooming on Saturday, July 5 from 5–7 PM at Gallery 21 in Spanish Village, Balboa Park. The exhibition will be open to the public daily from 11 AM–4 PM, July 1–14.