Programs: Events

Join us for Studio Arts, when OMA transforms into an artist’s studio, offering skill-building workshops led by distinguished professor and arts educator Robin Douglas.

‘’The Jackson Pollock of the 21st Century”

Mark Bradford and his multi-layered collage media and paint on canvases will inspire this studio. A mix of layered papers, collage and canvas will build up these tactile works of art. The possibilities are endless. All materials included. Drinks and light snacks provided.

A break for lunch and a relaxed discussion will occur at midday. Please bring your own bagged lunch or feel free to visit one of the restaurants close by on our provided list.

Space is limited. Register today!

 

This in-depth, professional, and constructive critique will examine 10 artworks by mid-career, full time artists. One artwork per artist will be selected for the critique by jurors James Daichendt, L Croskey, and Irene Feiks, who will also run the in-person session.

Featured artists: Deena Altman, Denise Brook, Scott Bruckner, Margaret Chiaro, Sasha Furlan, Evyn Hewett, Michelle Moore, Jens Ochlich, Julia San Roman, and Katie Stubblefield.

Art lovers and artists curious about the process of a professional critique are encouraged to attend the session for free as observers. The critique will be followed by a moderated audience Q&A session. We strongly encourage any/all artists who would normally attend the quarterly to join this one as well! Audience members will learn just as much from the feedback given by the professional jurors as those who were selected for the critique.

About Artist Alliance

OMA's Artist Alliance serves as an affiliated membership group accessible to OMA members at any tier for an extra annual fee of $20 per person. This alliance fosters interaction, visibility, and professional growth for artists within the region. OMA holds a number of events that either feature Artist Alliance members’ artwork (both on-and-off-site exhibitions), are exclusive to Artist Alliance members (i.e. Artist Alliance Biennial), or offer free or discounted admission. Learn more about Artist Alliance here.

Are you a fresh addition to our community? Come join us for our New Member Welcome! It's a fantastic chance to enjoy complimentary refreshments, meet both new and long-standing members, discover volunteer prospects, and indulge in a private docent tour of our ongoing exhibitions. If you can't make it this time, watch out for future New Member Welcome events on our calendar. Whether you've been a member for a week or a year, we're thrilled to have you join us and embrace a stronger sense of belonging.

If you have any questions, please email Katelyn Johnson, Membership Manager.

Hosted by: Lorraine Cote

Come paint the pier at the end of Pier View Way or the surrounding Oceanside beach shops and beaches. We will meet at the start of the pier at 2 and fan out from there. Free parking at the lot at the corner of Seagaze and S Cleveland drives or metered parking immediately adjacent to the pier. Public restrooms available.

FREE and open to all levels:

Whether you're a seasoned plein air painter or just starting your artistic journey, this event is for you! Beginners and experienced painters can find fresh inspiration in the urban and natural landscape.

How to Participate:

• Register for the event on the San Diego Plein Air Painters Meetup Group site: https://www.meetup.com/painter-86/
• Bring your painting supplies, easel, and canvases. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat for the California sun!

This is a non-instructional event. Paint to your heart's content and enjoy the dynamic surroundings.  

Become an Artist Alliance Member:

Join and learn more about Artist Alliance and the activities at Oceanside Museum of Art at: https://oma-online.org/membership/

Kick off your weekend with a bite-sized happy hour version of our renowned Studio Arts workshops.

Stencil Paintings

With a variety of stencils using layering of brilliant colors and expressive shapes, we will create rich mysterious images reminiscent of textiles.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. OMA provides food, drinks, and supplies; all you have to do is get yourself out of work, grab your friends, and have fun!

This exhibition will feature a dynamic, site-specific installation of "Tsikuris" or God's Eyes, sacred spiritual objects crafted from brightly colored yarn. Created over the course of workshops throughout February, the Tsikuri (meaning "the power to see and understand things unknown" in the Huichol language), are deeply significant symbols of protection and spiritual connection. Traditionally, these objects are woven by families to mark key moments in life, such as the growth of a child, with each additional color representing a year of life.

 

Join us at OMA on May 2 for Street Level x Art Walk!

Discover musicians, artists, and craftspeople from across your street to all across Southern California. 

 

This month we are featuring Alexis Joi, a powerhouse vocalist, dynamic performer, and sought-after vocal coach, known for her ability to inspire, uplift, and transform voices. We will also have a docent tour of Matt Devine’s Exhibition Walk With Me at 6pm and local artists and craftspeople selling their work on our terrace and in the OMA store. 

Bring your family, meet new friends, or roll in with your crew to create your O’riginal experience with artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs at OMA’s biggest social events of the summer.

Street Level is open to all ages and admission is FREE for all guests in partnership with Oceanside Art Walk.

Drink tickets are an additional fee. Adults 21+ who would like to purchase alcoholic beverages must show ID. 

Reserved Tables are available for sale to accommodate our music lovers. CLICK HERE to reserve yours now!

Join us for an evening of art and drinks as we celebrate the opening of our newest exhibitions:

Mary Jhun: In Losing Sleep I Painted

Art of Autism: A Different Lens

Ventana Huichola

Discover and connect with fellow artists, dedicated curators, and a vibrant community as you explore the art and stories of Southern California artists in three new exhibitions at OMA.

 

FREE | Each month OMA welcomes friends and neighbors on Free First Sundays from 12-2pm to join in Art For All, our fun hands-on art-making experience led by artists and cultural partners from our community. Whether you’re new to art or have your own creative flow, Art For All is the time to let your imagination soar. Visit our current exhibitions to spark your creativity! Explore different art-making materials through creative projects at each session while learning from local and regional artists. Check back each month to see what we’re up to next!

These informal drop-in workshops are open to all ages. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided free of charge, while supplies last.

 

Join us for Studio Arts, when OMA transforms into an artist’s studio, offering skill-building workshops led by distinguished professor and arts educator Robin Douglas.

“Flora and Floral”

Inspired by Contemporary British artist Flora Yukhonovich and her Rococo creative impulse paintings, this studio will have a joyful, colorful abstract emphasis with hints of subject matter. There is an intersection between representation and abstraction. Choose your favorite painting to abstract, enhance, and transform. All materials included. Drinks and light snacks provided.

A break for lunch and a relaxed discussion will occur at midday. Please bring your own bagged lunch or feel free to visit one of the restaurants close by on our provided list.

Space is limited. Register today!

 

Hosted by: Lorraine Cote

This is a small park with great views. There are lots of lovely mature trees, ocean vistas from the west side, playgrounds, and paths as well as plenty of shade. Parking is free and restrooms are available.

FREE and Open to All Levels!

Whether you're a seasoned plein air painter or just starting your artistic journey, this event is for you! Beginners and experienced painters can find fresh inspiration in the urban and natural landscape.

How to Participate:

1. Register for the event on the San Diego Plein Air Painters Meetup Group site: https://www.meetup.com/painter-86/
2. Bring your painting supplies, easel, and canvases. Don't forget sunscreen and a hat for the California sun!

This is a non-instructional event. Paint to your heart's content and enjoy the dynamic surroundings.

Become an Artist Alliance Member:

Join and learn more about Artist Alliance and the activities at Oceanside Museum of Art at: https://oma-online.org/membership/

Artist Alliance members, along with their guests, are welcome to engage in a group art share and critique, aimed at fostering professional growth. Not yet part of the alliance? No worries, you can join either before the event or on-site!

Kick off your weekend with a bite-sized happy hour version of our renowned Studio Arts workshops.

Collage and Collagraphs

Surprising visual results will happen by using spontaneous applications of printmaking techniques and using different textures of cardboard and exotic papers to create a rich surface.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. OMA provides food, drinks, and supplies; all you have to do is get yourself out of work, grab your friends, and have fun!

Exclusively for OMA members at the Patron, President's Circle, Founder's Circle, Millennium Club, and Director's Circle levels, please join us for some all-American burgers, hot dogs, and thirst-quenching refreshments to celebrate your loyalty and generous support and for an insider’s update from Executive Director Maria Mingalone. Attire is summer casual.

Not yet a Patron, President's Circle, Founder's Circle, Millennium Club, and Director's Circle level member? Join or upgrade today!Please RSVP by May 9, 2025.

 

Join OMA's Artist Alliance at Sparks Gallery for the reception of Elemental on Sunday, May 25, from 5–8pm. OMA’s Artist Alliance is thrilled to present 38 artworks in their third exhibition at Sparks Gallery in San Diego’s historic Gaslamp Quarter downtown. Selected by juror Sonya Sparks, many of the artworks are loosely themed to the title, Elemental, work that explores the vibrancy and vitality of the core elements—earth, air, fire, and water—that shape the world around us. The exhibition aims to evoke the raw, powerful essence of these elements, revealing their interconnectedness with life and the environment. The Elemental theme highlights how these fundamental components permeate our daily existence, inspire creativity, and foster growth, yet also have the capacity for destruction and transformation.

FREE | Each month OMA welcomes friends and neighbors on Free First Sundays from 12-2pm to join in Art For All, our fun hands-on art-making experience led by artists and cultural partners from our community. Whether you’re new to art or have your own creative flow, Art For All is the time to let your imagination soar. Visit our current exhibitions to spark your creativity! Explore different art-making materials through creative projects at each session while learning from local and regional artists. Check back each month to see what we’re up to next!

These informal drop-in workshops are open to all ages. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided free of charge, while supplies last.

 

Join us at OMA on June 6 for Street Level x Art Walk!

Discover musicians, artists, and craftspeople from across your street to all across Southern California. 

 

This month we are featuring Celeste Barbier, a singer and sound healer with a voice that blends vintage charm and modern elegance. Her background in classical music, jazz, and contemporary favorites allows her to create an atmosphere of warmth, and sophistication. 

We will also have an artist tour of Mary Jhun’s Exhibition In Losing Sleep, I Painted at 6pm and local artists and craftspeople selling their work on our terrace and in the OMA store.

Bring your family, meet new friends, or roll in with your crew to create your O’riginal experience with artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs at OMA’s biggest social events of the summer.

Street Level is open to all ages and admission is FREE for all guests in partnership with Oceanside Art Walk.

Drink tickets are an additional fee. Adults 21+ who would like to purchase alcoholic beverages must show ID. 

Reserved Tables are available for sale to accommodate our music lovers. CLICK HERE to reserve yours now!

Join us for Studio Arts, when OMA transforms into an artist’s studio, offering skill-building workshops led by distinguished professor and arts educator Robin Douglas.

“Multiple Energetic Drawing and Painting Techniques”

Spend this studio exploring wet and dry media exercises with pen, ink, charcoal, markers, and watercolors on a variety of surfaces. There will be many still-life and model options to inspire. Create final imagery utilizing your experimental drawings and paintings.

A break for lunch and a relaxed discussion will occur at midday. Please bring your own bagged lunch or feel free to visit one of the restaurants close by on our provided list.

Space is limited. Register today!

 

Kick off your weekend with a bite-sized happy hour version of our renowned Studio Arts workshops.

Printmaking Mono Printing

Create several one-of-a-kind landscapes, seascapes, cityscapes, or mindscapes with this quick, colorful, and energetic process.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. OMA provides food, drinks, and supplies; all you have to do is get yourself out of work, grab your friends, and have fun!

FREE | Each month OMA welcomes friends and neighbors on Free First Sundays from 12-2pm to join in Art For All, our fun hands-on art-making experience led by artists and cultural partners from our community. Whether you’re new to art or have your own creative flow, Art For All is the time to let your imagination soar. Visit our current exhibitions to spark your creativity! Explore different art-making materials through creative projects at each session while learning from local and regional artists. Check back each month to see what we’re up to next!

These informal drop-in workshops are open to all ages. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided free of charge, while supplies last.

 

Join us for Studio Arts, when OMA transforms into an artist’s studio, offering skill-building workshops led by distinguished professor and arts educator Robin Douglas.

“Expansive Paintings”

Using huge painting tools including brooms, mops, sponges and scrapers loose and dynamic large-format paintings will be created on the floor and table tops. Multi-layered colors will be used to create a soak-and-stain effect on loose canvases.

A break for lunch and a relaxed discussion will occur at midday. Please bring your own bagged lunch or feel free to visit one of the restaurants close by on our provided list.

Space is limited. Register today!

 

Kick off your weekend with a bite-sized happy hour version of our renowned Studio Arts workshops.

Watercolor Techniques

Combining many styles and techniques of watercolor painting on quality paper will lead to your own fluid imagery. Many images and demonstrations will be used to inspire these paintings.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. OMA provides food, drinks, and supplies; all you have to do is get yourself out of work, grab your friends, and have fun!

FABULOUS FIBER is a dazzling celebration of textile artistry, where tradition meets innovation in a vibrant display of texture, color, and creativity. This immersive exhibition brings together contemporary works crafted with both time-honored and cutting-edge techniques, from quilting and tufting to felting, embroidery, weaving, beading, crochet, basketry, and beyond. Each piece breathes new life into fiber art, transforming familiar crafts into bold, modern expressions.

 

Join us at OMA on August 1 for Street Level x Art Walk!

Discover musicians, artists, and craftspeople from across your street to all across Southern California. 

 

This month we are featuring Lea Love, a singer-songwriter whose songs range from R&B/soul to island reggae to pop and draw from her rich Hawaiian, Samoan and Japanese heritage.

We will also have a curators tour of Stories that connect us: Selections from the OMA Collection with Danielle Deery at 6pm and local artists and craftspeople selling their work on our terrace and in the OMA store. 

Bring your family, meet new friends, or roll in with your crew to create your O’riginal experience with artists, innovators, and entrepreneurs at OMA’s biggest social events of the summer.

Street Level is open to all ages and admission is FREE for all guests in partnership with Oceanside Art Walk.

Drink tickets are an additional fee. Adults 21+ who would like to purchase alcoholic beverages must show ID. 

Reserved Tables are available for sale to accommodate our music lovers. CLICK HERE to reserve yours now!

FREE | Each month OMA welcomes friends and neighbors on Free First Sundays from 12-2pm to join in Art For All, our fun hands-on art-making experience led by artists and cultural partners from our community. Whether you’re new to art or have your own creative flow, Art For All is the time to let your imagination soar. Visit our current exhibitions to spark your creativity! Explore different art-making materials through creative projects at each session while learning from local and regional artists. Check back each month to see what we’re up to next!

These informal drop-in workshops are open to all ages. Children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. All materials are provided free of charge, while supplies last.

 

Join us for Studio Arts, when OMA transforms into an artist’s studio, offering skill-building workshops led by distinguished professor and arts educator Robin Douglas.

‘’21st Century Impressionist Paintings”

After 150 years of Impressionism, artists today still use the “fleeting moment” of sensation to create spectacular painting results. We will use a broad spectrum of techniques to achieve these optic phenomena.

A break for lunch and a relaxed discussion will occur at midday. Please bring your own bagged lunch or feel free to visit one of the restaurants close by on our provided list.

Space is limited. Register today!

 

Join us for an evening of art and drinks as we celebrate the opening of our newest exhibitions:

Denja Harris: The Space Between

Fabulous Fiber

The Art of Surfing

Discover and connect with fellow artists, dedicated curators, and a vibrant community as you explore the art and stories of Southern California artists in three new exhibitions at OMA.

 

Artist Alliance members, along with their guests, are welcome to engage in a group art share and critique, aimed at fostering professional growth. Not yet part of the alliance? No worries, you can join either before the event or on-site!

Kick off your weekend with a bite-sized happy hour version of our renowned Studio Arts workshops.

Abstract Painting

Immerse yourself in loose and lively, gestural, and large expressive paintings to create a mood, dream, or emotion.

All levels of experience are encouraged to participate. OMA provides food, drinks, and supplies; all you have to do is get yourself out of work, grab your friends, and have fun!