San Diego has a rich history of art collectors and connoisseurs who have supported, molded and been an integral part of our arts community and its continued growth. These varied and noted collections are often enjoyed in the privacy of a collector’s home and at times are generously loaned to museums and galleries for public display. To delve deep into these collections, making them accessible to the public and shining a light on important and serious San Diego art collectors and their individual histories within the San Diego art scene, OMA is set to launch its newest exhibition series, the Collectors Series. On a regular basis OMA’s curatorial staff will focus on varied San Diego art collectors and their collections, covering both private and corporate collections. OMA is proud to announce the inaugural Collectors Series exhibition, Outside: Selections from the Doug Simay Collection, which focuses on a passionate collector and longtime participant and supporter of the arts in San Diego, Doug Simay. Simay has been highly active in the San Diego area art scene since the early 1980s, rotating through many facets of the art world. Simay formally launched his gallery, Simayspace, in 1982 in conjunction with Mark Quint; this gallery went on to thrive in various permutations and locations for 26 years.

In addition to Simayspace, he ran Java, a hip artist coffee shop for nine years from 1985-1994 and ABC, an equally artist friendly bookstore from 1988-1994. Finally, he helped launch and run the Art Academy of San Diego from 1998-2008. All the while Simay was avidly collecting art in both San Diego and Los Angeles. Outside allows museum guests a glimpse into the mind of Doug Simay, the personal relationships he formed throughout the last 30 years collecting art and the evolution of his purchased works and their value within the art market. Folding two initiatives together, this exhibition is not only comprised of works from Simay’s collection but also specifically focuses on work within the arena of landscape. Outside is one of the five exhibitions that make up a museum-wide discussion on landscape throughout OMA this fall. Patricia Patterson, Phillipp Scholz Ritterman, Ernest Silva, John Divola, David Fobes and 40 other prominent artists make up this incredible look at the Doug Simay collection.