Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise
Unrolling Paradise explores the Persian garden as a living design tradition carried through textiles, memory, and everyday objects. Interdisciplinary artist Maryam Bayat reinterprets centuries-old carpet aesthetics through sculptural works that merge traditional Persian rugs with contemporary form and function.
Raised in Tehran in a family of rug producers and now based in North County San Diego, Bayat draws from inherited craft to create installations that reflect on place, belonging, and cultural continuity. Her woven sculptures—appearing as furniture, abstract trees, and domestic interiors—extend the symbolism of the garden into three-dimensional space, linking ideas of sanctuary to personal and collective memory.
This exhibition is curated by Sadry Hedayat and organized in collaboration with Persian Place.
The exhibition opens alongside Nowruz – Persian New Year on March 14, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM.
Maryam Bayat is an interdisciplinary artist working across painting, sculpture, and functional art. Using repurposed furniture, Persian rugs, and architectural forms, she repositions domestic materials within three-dimensional space, shifting them from utility to structure. Raised in Tehran in a family of rug producers, Bayat draws from inherited craft traditions shaped by repetition, pattern, and labor. Her work examines how cultural knowledge is carried through objects and adapted across generations, connecting ideas of home, belonging, and continuity to lived experience. Bayat lives and works in the United States.
Field Notes on Memory
Field Notes on Memory
June 6 – August 16, 2026
Field Notes on Memory brings together the work of 2025–26 Artists-in-Residence Farshid Bazmandegan, Tony M. Bingham, and Helena Westra in an exhibition exploring memory, land, and its histories through installation, sculpture, photography, and sound.
Developed through the Museum’s In Studio Artist Residency program, the exhibition approaches landscape as a site where memory takes shape through earth, architecture, domestic objects, sound, and archival research. The artists draw from family histories, overlooked narratives, ancestral practices, and experiences of migration and exile, creating environments where personal memory and collective history remain closely intertwined.
Farshid Bazmandegan’s installation reflects on displacement and collective mourning through sculptural forms, video, and references to Persian cultural traditions informed by memories of Iran. Tony M. Bingham’s work traces overlooked African American histories at the start of the Gold Rush in Julian, California, through pinhole photography, sound, found materials, and sculptural installations informed by local archives and oral histories. Working with clay, soil, and natural materials, Helena Westra draws from ancestral craft traditions and family histories connected to Okinawa.
José Hugo Sánchez: Amoxtlis
José Hugo Sánchez: Amoxtlis
June 6, 2026 – August 16, 2026
Opening Reception: Saturday, June 6, 2026 | 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM | Free Entry
Amoxtlis—the Nahuatl word for “codices”—centers Sánchez’s large-scale printmaking practice, which draws from the visual language of Mesoamerican codices while engaging the cultural and political conditions of the U.S.–Mexico border.
At the heart of the installation is Codex Tonalpohualli, a series of towering printed banners that reference the twenty day signs of the divinatory calendar of the sun. In this calendar, time unfolds through cycles of thirteen days associated with birth and renewal. Sánchez translates this structure into an immersive environment: carved wooden codices are printed in red and black ink on monumental sheets of paper measuring sixteen feet high. Suspended from ceiling to floor, the banners surround the viewer, creating a dense vertical landscape that evokes a forest of signs and symbols.
The exhibition also includes video work, eight large-scale carved wooden sculptures, and a mural created on the gallery wall during the exhibition’s run. These elements extend Sánchez’s exploration of narrative image-making across multiple forms, from print and sculpture to moving image and architectural intervention. Throughout the installation, references to popular culture intersect with mythic imagery and historical forms of knowledge transmission.
Sánchez describes his work as “pop-multiculture,” a hybrid language shaped by the movement of people, images, and ideas across borders. Working across printmaking, sculpture, drawing, performance, and graphic design, he brings together references from pre-Columbian codices, contemporary Chicano visual culture, and mass media. His imagery reflects the layered histories that connect Mexico and the United States, while addressing the political and human realities that define the border today.
Chicano Block Party
Chicano Block Party
The Chicano Block Party is an annual celebration of Chicano art, culture, and community presented by the California Center for the Arts Museum in honor of Chicano Heritage Month in California. Inspired by the exhibitions and artists featured at the Museum, the event brings together artists, musicians, lowrider clubs, community organizations, and visitors for a day of art, music, food, and cultural programming.
First launched in 2025 in conjunction with XICANA! San Diego, the Chicano Block Party continues a growing Museum tradition of celebrating the artists, histories, and communities that shape the cultural landscape of Southern California and the Californias.
This year's event is presented in conjunction with Amoxtlis, José Hugo Sánchez's immersive exhibition of monumental woodblock prints, sculpture, animation, and mural-making. The word "block" carries multiple meanings throughout the event: the city block as a place of gathering, the carved woodblock as the foundation of Sánchez's artistic practice, and the important role printmaking has played in the development of Chicano art and visual culture. Throughout the twentieth century, artists have used printmaking to share stories, circulate ideas, advocate for social change, and make art accessible within their communities. The Chicano Block Party honors this legacy by bringing together artists, makers, and organizations whose work continues to build upon these traditions today.
Throughout the day, visitors can explore a lowrider car show organized in collaboration with Lady Lowriders Car Club, an artist market featuring local printmakers, artisans, and makers, live music and performances, artist demonstrations, workshops, and activities presented in collaboration with community organizations from across the region. Inside the Museum, José Hugo Sánchez will create a woodblock-printed mural live in the gallery alongside his work in Amoxtlis, offering visitors a unique opportunity to observe his artistic process in real time.
Admission to the Museum and all Chicano Block Party activities are free.
Event Highlights
Lowrider Car Show
Presented in collaboration with Lady Lowriders Car Club, the car show celebrates the craftsmanship, creativity, and cultural traditions of lowrider culture.
Art Market & Printmaking Fair
Browse original artwork, prints, zines, books, apparel, and handmade goods from local artists, publishers, and independent vendors. The Museum Sculpture Courtyard will also feature live printmaking demonstrations and hands-on activities organized in collaboration with the San Diego Printmaking Society.
Live Music & DJs
Enjoy music throughout the day from local DJs and performers across the campus.
Artist Workshops & Demonstrations
Participate in hands-on activities and learn directly from artists, printmakers, and community organizations.
Live Mural by José Hugo Sánchez
Visit the Museum galleries to watch José Hugo Sánchez create a new mural throughout the day as part of his exhibition Amoxtlis.
Pop-Up Installations
Discover temporary artworks and creative interventions presented throughout the campus by invited artists and community collaborators.
Get Involved
The Chicano Block Party is built through community participation. We invite artists, musicians, vendors, organizations, and community members to join us.
Register for the Lowrider Car Show
We're currently accepting registrations for the Chicano Block Party Car Show. Registration and participation are free.
Become an Art Market Vendor
We're seeking artists, artisans, food and beverage vendors, and cultural organizations to participate in our art market. Space is limited. Participation is free.
Propose a Pop-up Art Installation
Artists are invited to submit proposals for temporary installations, interactive projects, or creative interventions. Projects may be visual, participatory, site-responsive, or community-focused.
Perform at the Block Party
We are currently accepting interest forms from DJs, musicians, performers, and cultural groups interested in participating. Preference will be given to projects that complement the event's focus on art, community, and Chicano culture.
Community Organizations
Interested in sharing resources, hosting an activity, leading a workshop, hosting a resource booth, or participating in another way? We'd love to hear from you.
Questions?
Contact the Museum at museum@artcenter.org or call (760)839-4120 during regular hours for additional information.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
NEW DATE: Journey of a Persian Carpet | Talk, Screening, and Family Art Activities
Persian Carpets: Talk, Short Film & Family Art Activities
As part of Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise, this free public program offers a welcoming introduction to the art and history of Persian carpets through film, conversation, and hands-on making. Families and visitors of all ages are invited to explore the journey of a Persian carpet, from design and wool preparation to dyeing and weaving, and to learn more about the skill, tradition, and imagination carried in each work.
The program features a short educational talk alongside screenings of two animated films by acclaimed Iranian artist and animator Noureddin Zarrinkelk, The Little Prince and the Magic Carpet and Amir Hamzeh.
Hands-on art activities for families and children will round out the afternoon, creating an inviting space to learn, watch, and make together in connection with the exhibition.
This program is free and open to the public.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Workshop | Amoxtlis Printmaking with José Hugo Sánchez
In this hands-on workshop, participants will become creators of their own amoxtli. Join artist José Hugo Sánchez as he opens a door into the ancient cultures of the Maya, Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec, and explore how their visual traditions can be brought into conversation with contemporary aesthetics.
Participants will create a singular amoxtli, or painted book, of their own through cutting, pasting, printing, painting, and experimentation. Sánchez will guide participants in converting their visions, dreams, and memories into works of art while igniting their flor y canto — their artistic spark.
The workshop will also include the creation of a collective mural. Participants will learn how to juxtapose techniques and styles from different periods of Mesoamerica with images from contemporary popular culture, including DC and Marvel heroes, anime, cartoons, films, magazines, advertisements, and other media.
Come prepared to have fun. The practices you learn will be enjoyable and imaginative, but also focused and intense. They require attention, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment with materials and your own imagination.
What to Bring
Participants are encouraged to bring:
Old posters and magazines of all kinds, including fashion, music, comics, anime, advertisements, or other printed materials
Three objects that are special or magical to you
Please note: these objects may be inked and printed during the workshop. The ink is water-based, and the objects will be washed, cleaned, and returned to you at the end.
The workshop on this date, July 19, is designed for adult participants.
For the version of this workshop designed for youth, please see the event page for July 18.
Youth Workshop | Amoxtlis Printmaking with José Hugo Sánchez
In this hands-on workshop, participants will become creators of their own amoxtli. Join artist José Hugo Sánchez as he opens a door into the ancient cultures of the Maya, Olmec, Toltec, and Aztec, and explore how their visual traditions can be brought into conversation with contemporary aesthetics.
Participants will create a singular amoxtli, or painted book, of their own through cutting, pasting, printing, painting, and experimentation. Sánchez will guide participants in converting their visions, dreams, and memories into works of art while igniting their flor y canto — their artistic spark.
The workshop will also include the creation of a collective mural. Participants will learn how to juxtapose techniques and styles from different periods of Mesoamerica with images from contemporary popular culture, including DC and Marvel heroes, anime, cartoons, films, magazines, advertisements, and other media.
Come prepared to have fun. The practices you learn will be enjoyable and imaginative, but also focused and intense. They require attention, curiosity, and a willingness to experiment with materials and your own imagination.
What to Bring
Participants are encouraged to bring:
Old posters and magazines of all kinds, including fashion, music, comics, anime, advertisements, or other printed materials
Three objects that are special or magical to you
Please note: these objects may be inked and printed during the workshop. The ink is water-based, and the objects will be washed, cleaned, and returned to you at the end.
This workshop is designed for youth 13 -17
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Art + Wellness: Calm and Creativity with Clay
Air-Dry Clay Handbuilding Workshop with Ellie Fonseca
Find your flow through touch and texture in this calming, hands-on workshop. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity. Materials provided.
About the Instructor
With a passion for ceramics and hands-on creativity, Ellie Fonseca has been guiding students through the art of clay in Orange County and now San Diego. Specializing in hand-building, she brings dedicated experience from teaching workshops for local community and non-profit organizations. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and artistic exploration, ensuring that every participant feels connected to the craft and empowered to create. Through engaging demonstrations and personalized guidance, Ellie Fonseca enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where creativity flourishes and clay transforms into art.
Lecture | José Hugo Sánchez on Amoxtlis
In this lecture, artist José Hugo Sánchez presents ideas surrounding his solo exhibition Amoxtlis at the California Center for the Arts Museum, a body of print-based works that draw from Mesoamerican histories, anthropological research, and contemporary image-making. Developed through site-based research in Mexico and the U.S.–Mexico border region, the works combine carving, engraving, and hand-printing techniques to produce layered visual narratives.
Opportunity for Q&A to follow.
Free and open to the public.
Workshop | Lamp Design with Maryam Bayat
Join artist Maryam Bayat for a hands-on workshop exploring decoupage and surface design through the transformation of recycled glass wine bottles into decorative objects. Drawing inspiration from the Persian-inspired motifs and materials featured in Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise, participants will work with patterned papers, layering techniques, and decorative applications to create their own finished piece.
Throughout the workshop, Bayat will introduce participants to the process of decoupage while discussing the relationship between ornament, interior design, and reuse within her artistic practice. The workshop also considers how everyday materials can be reimagined through craft and design.
Open to adults and youth ages 12 and up, this workshop is suitable for all skill levels. All materials are provided, and participants will leave with a completed work to take home.
Presented in collaboration with Persian Place.
Registration: $55 per participant
Artist Talk | Design & Furniture
Design & Furniture: From Past to Present
Discover the evolution of Persian decorative arts, furniture, and interior design—from tradition to contemporary styles with Maryam Bayat and Nicholas Bijan Pourfard.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Workshop | Painting Cypress Trees with Maryam Bayat
Join artist Maryam Bayat for a hands-on painting workshop inspired by the Cypress tree, a recurring symbol in Persian art, poetry, and garden design. Participants will paint on pre-cut Cypress tree forms using acrylic paint and surface treatments drawn from the motifs and visual language of Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise.
Bayat will guide participants through painting techniques and sanding processes that create layered textures and a weathered finish. Along the way, participants will learn more about the cultural significance of the Cypress tree and its presence within Persian visual traditions.
This workshop is open to adults, families, and youth ages 10 and up. No prior experience is needed, all materials are provided, and participants will leave with a finished artwork to take home.
Presented in collaboration with Persian Place.
Registration: $40 per participant
Art + Wellness: Calm and Creativity with Clay
Air-Dry Clay Handbuilding Workshop with Ellie Fonseca
Find your flow through touch and texture in this calming, hands-on workshop. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity. Materials provided.
About the Instructor
With a passion for ceramics and hands-on creativity, Ellie Fonseca has been guiding students through the art of clay in Orange County and now San Diego. Specializing in hand-building, she brings dedicated experience from teaching workshops for local community and non-profit organizations. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and artistic exploration, ensuring that every participant feels connected to the craft and empowered to create. Through engaging demonstrations and personalized guidance, Ellie Fonseca enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where creativity flourishes and clay transforms into art.
Art + Wellness: Calm and Creativity with Clay
Air-Dry Clay Handbuilding Workshop with Ellie Fonseca
Find your flow through touch and texture in this calming, hands-on workshop. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity. Materials provided.
About the Instructor
With a passion for ceramics and hands-on creativity, Ellie Fonseca has been guiding students through the art of clay in Orange County and now San Diego. Specializing in hand-building, she brings dedicated experience from teaching workshops for local community and non-profit organizations. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and artistic exploration, ensuring that every participant feels connected to the craft and empowered to create. Through engaging demonstrations and personalized guidance, Ellie Fonseca enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where creativity flourishes and clay transforms into art.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Persian Garden & Home | In Stitches with Maryam Bayat and Marty Ornish
Persian Garden & Home — In Stitches with Maryam Bayat and Marty Ornish
Join artists Maryam Bayat and Marty Ornish for a hands-on workshop exploring stitching as a way to reflect on memory, place, and the idea of home. Inspired by the imagery of Persian gardens and domestic spaces, participants will experiment with simple embroidery and textile techniques to create small stitched compositions where gardens bloom in thread and each mark carries a personal story.
Registration fee: $40. All materials are included.
Special Event Closure
The Museum will be closed for a special event from April 16 –April 19, reopening with regular hours on Wednesday, April 22.
During the closure, we invite families to explore at-home art activities using lesson plans inspired by works from the Museum’s collection.
Shadow Drawing & Painting workshop
Shadow Drawing & Painting workshop in celebration of World Art Day
Led by Maryam Bayat and Shirin Aghdaie
This workshop encourages participants to explore creativity through observation and hands-on making. The session begins with a garden walk, during which participants observe the unique patterns created as light filters through leaves and branches. They will sketch these forms and then use natural materials to trace and develop them into their own compositions, then using color to complete their work.
Registration fee: $40 | Payable upon arrival
All materials will be provided. No prior experience necessary.
Closing Event | Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming
Join us as we celebrate the closing weekend of Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming with an artist market, drop-in workshop, and a conversation with exhibiting artist Victor Castaneda H on Saturday, April 11, from 2:00 - 5:00 PM at the California Center for the Arts Museum.
Drawing from global cosmologies and contemporary digital practices, Designing the Infinite explores the perspectives of twelve artists from across the world building virtual environments through gaming technology to reimagine the cycles of creation, balance, and renewal that shape our realities.
2:30 - 3:00 PM: Join us in the gallery for a conversation with exhibiting artist Victor Castaneda H and learn more about his virtual reality installation, Eternal Ether. Audience Q&A to follow.
2:00 - 5:00 PM: Throughout the afternoon, spend time in the galleries with an artist market, a drop-in pixel cross-stitch workshop, and a live vinyl DJ set by Andrew Nguyen.
Don't miss your last chance to check out the exhibition, along with Kayla Mattes: Reboot > Reweave > Repeat and Lightwall, closing April 12th.
Art + Wellness: Calm and Creativity with Clay
Air-Dry Clay Handbuilding Workshop with Ellie Fonseca
Find your flow through touch and texture in this calming, hands-on workshop. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity. Materials provided.
About the Instructor
With a passion for ceramics and hands-on creativity, Ellie Fonseca has been guiding students through the art of clay in Orange County and now San Diego. Specializing in hand-building, she brings dedicated experience from teaching workshops for local community and non-profit organizations. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and artistic exploration, ensuring that every participant feels connected to the craft and empowered to create. Through engaging demonstrations and personalized guidance, Ellie Fonseca enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where creativity flourishes and clay transforms into art.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
In Studio Artist Residency: Tony M. Bingham
In Studio Artist Residency: Tony M. Bingham
March 18 — May 10, 2026
Tony M. Bingham is a multidisciplinary artist working across photography, sound, sculpture, and film. He lives and works between Birmingham, Alabama and San Diego, California. Through the use of organic, repurposed, and cast-off materials, his practice engages the legacy and spirit of his ancestors, centering African American lifeways, memory, and modes of memorialization.
Bingham’s work is grounded in a guiding question: Who will speak for my people if not the artist? His projects explore histories shaped by spirituality, celebration, trauma, and rebirth, creating spaces where shared stories and lived experience take form. His work often brings together communities through acts of witnessing, remembrance, and collective reflection.
During his residency, Bingham develops a new body of work that engages dreams and memories of the landscape through sculpture, pinhole photography, found text, and site-based audio. The project focuses on rural Eastern San Diego County, particularly the town of Julian, a site of early African American presence following the Gold Rush. Though largely absent from dominant historical narratives, traces of these communities remain in the land and its histories.
Working across multiple locations, Bingham documents these landscapes using pinhole photography, layering images with text drawn from handwritten letters and archival sources. These visual elements are paired with natural sound recordings gathered on site, including plant-based audio, forming a composite record of place.
Please note: This studio is open during special hours only. Upcoming open studio dates will be announced.
Nowruz | Persian New Year
Image courtesy of Maryam Bayat.
The California Center for the Arts, Escondido, in collaboration with Persian Place, presents Nowruz – Persian New Year, marking the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year in Persian culture. Observed for more than 3,000 years across diverse regions and communities, Nowruz remains a time of renewal, reflection, and connection.
This gathering reflects a shared commitment to honoring cultural traditions that continue to hold deep meaning for our local community. While many Persian organizations across the United States have paused public programs in response to the current situation in Iran, the Center and Persian Place believe it is important to sustain spaces where heritage, artistic expression, and community can be experienced together.
The afternoon will feature live performances, a Women’s Artisan Market, arts and crafts, a kids exhibition, food, music, and free admission to the public opening of the new exhibition, Maryam Bayat: Unrolling Paradise.
This event is free and open to all.
Event sponsored by Cosmic Solar & Roofing.
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Helena Westra is a San Diego–based sculptor and interdisciplinary artist who works with clay, soil, and other natural and found materials to create objects, installations, and performances grounded in land-based practices. Drawing on her mixed ancestry and interests in craft and storytelling, her work considers belonging, ancestral connection, and the cyclical relationship between land and body. Westra’s practice approaches making as a way of holding memory and reimagining what it means to belong. In 2025, she was awarded the Windgate–Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft to support international research into ancestral craft traditions across Okinawa, Mallorca, Friesland, and the Philippines, which she will extend into her residency at the Museum.
During her time in the studio, Westra will be developing a project that will be presented as part of the 2025–26 In Studio Artist Residency exhibition, opening June 5, 2026.
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Thursdays | 11:00 AM — 3:00 PM
Helena Westra is a San Diego–based sculptor and interdisciplinary artist who works with clay, soil, and other natural and found materials to create objects, installations, and performances grounded in land-based practices. Drawing on her mixed ancestry and interests in craft and storytelling, her work considers belonging, ancestral connection, and the cyclical relationship between land and body. Westra’s practice approaches making as a way of holding memory and reimagining what it means to belong. In 2025, she was awarded the Windgate–Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft to support international research into ancestral craft traditions across Okinawa, Mallorca, Friesland, and the Philippines, which she will extend into her residency at the Museum.
Visit Westra’s studio in the Museum galleries on Thursdays between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM to learn more about her process.
During her time in the studio, Westra will be developing a project that will be presented as part of the 2025–26 In Studio Artist Residency exhibition, opening June 5, 2026.
Public Tour | No Gods, No Mods, No Masters: Cyberfeminist Perspectives in Designing the Infinite
Public Tour | No Gods, No Mods, No Masters: Cyberfeminist Perspectives in Designing the Infinite
Saturday, February 28 | 12:00 PM | Included with Admission
This short tour, designed as an introduction to Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming, brings together cyberfeminist perspectives and historical allegory to explore how worldbuilding has long been used to critique authority, desire, and social order. Centered on Black Room and Angela’s Flood by Cassie McQuater, considered alongside Hieronymus Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Delights (1515), the tour examines how moral and cultural values are encoded within video game worlds.
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Open Studio: Helena Westra
Thursdays | 11:00 AM — 3:00 PM
Helena Westra is a San Diego–based sculptor and interdisciplinary artist who works with clay, soil, and other natural and found materials to create objects, installations, and performances grounded in land-based practices. Drawing on her mixed ancestry and interests in craft and storytelling, her work considers belonging, ancestral connection, and the cyclical relationship between land and body. Westra’s practice approaches making as a way of holding memory and reimagining what it means to belong. In 2025, she was awarded the Windgate–Lamar Fellowship from the Center for Craft to support international research into ancestral craft traditions across Okinawa, Mallorca, Friesland, and the Philippines, which she will extend into her residency at the Museum.
Visit Westra’s studio in the Museum galleries on Thursdays between 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM to learn more about her process.
During her time in the studio, Westra will be developing a project that will be presented as part of the 2025–26 In Studio Artist Residency exhibition, opening June 5, 2026.
Art + Wellness: Calm and Creativity with Clay
Air-Dry Clay Handbuilding Workshop with Ellie Fonseca
Find your flow through touch and texture in this calming, hands-on workshop. No experience necessary—just bring your curiosity. Materials provided.
About the Instructor
With a passion for ceramics and hands-on creativity, Ellie Fonseca has been guiding students through the art of clay in Orange County and now San Diego. Specializing in hand-building, she brings dedicated experience from teaching workshops for local community and non-profit organizations. Her approach emphasizes mindfulness, sensory awareness, and artistic exploration, ensuring that every participant feels connected to the craft and empowered to create. Through engaging demonstrations and personalized guidance, Ellie Fonseca enjoys fostering a welcoming environment where creativity flourishes and clay transforms into art.
Art + Wellness: Sound Meditation and Healing Movement
Join sound healer and movement practitioner Noriko Whitfield for an immersive session exploring the connection between body, mind, and art. Through guided sound meditation and gentle movement, participants will engage in practices that support emotional balance, nervous system regulation, and self-awareness.
With over 16 years of experience in sound therapy and energy healing, Whitfield creates a calming environment that invites reflection and inner stillness. This session is open to all levels. No prior experience is needed.
Please dress comfortably and bring a yoga mat. A pillow and sweater or blanket are also recommended.
Public Tour | Choose Your Player: Digital Identity in Designing the Infinite
Public Tour | Choose Your Player: Digital Identity in Designing the Infinite
Saturday, February 21 | 12:00 PM | Included with Admission
This short tour, designed as an introduction to Designing the Infinite: Virtual Worldbuilding in Art & Gaming, builds on the exhibition’s cosmological framework, focusing on how individuals move through and shape digital worlds. Through avatars and virtual bodies, it examines identity, agency, and how power is shaped through participation and self-representation.
Second Saturday
Every second Saturday of the month, the Museum offers pay-what-you-can admission for all. Visitors are invited to explore the galleries and participate in free drop-in art activities, artist-led workshops, talks, art demonstrations, and/or tours throughout the galleries and the Community Art Lab.
Join us between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM for a trinket tray making experience!
Participants will learn how to design and decorate their own unique trinket trays using air-dry clay.
No prior experience needed. All materials provided.