The Studio Door

05/31/2026

As ArtSpectrum 2026 enters its final day, we're reminded how important LGBTQ+ artists are to San Diego's cultural landscape. The exhibition's success makes it the perfect bridge to PROUD+, which has become a San Diego Tradition.

PROUD+ 2026 returns for its 9th year, bringing together 56 LGBTQ+ artists from 13 states in a national exhibition celebrating contemporary q***r art in the heart of Hillcrest, our city's LGBTQ+ Cultural District.

This year, the exhibition will shine a light on local artist Drub. Known for mature themes in his work that are fearless, provocative and unmistakably his own. Drub brings an authentic voice that speaks directly from the leather community rather than about it.

PROUD+ 2026 opens June 19 at The Studio Door! Expanded from one month to six weeks for this year's Pride Season.

56 artists. 13 states. One community.

05/30/2026

Artist Lynda Bunnell
Lyndabunnellart

Layers of paint become layers of memory in the work of Lynda Bunnell. Drawing from years of exploration in weaving, mixed media and painting, she creates richly textured compositions.

Inspired by weathered surfaces and ancient places, her work balances abstraction with hidden stories that lay just beneath the surface. An invitation to look deeper.

Experience the work of artist Lynda Bunnell at The Studio Door and discover why collectors continue to be drawn to her layered visual language.

05/29/2026

🚪 OPEN DOORS 🚪

What happens behind the gallery walls?

Find out Saturday, June 6.

Step inside the working studios of 17 San Diego artists. Watch demonstrations. Meet the artists. Explore works in progress. Bid on original artwork in our special artist auction.

One afternoon. One chance to experience The Studio Door from the inside out.

🗓 June 6 | 1–4 PM
📍 The Studio Door, Hillcrest

Free admission. Bring a friend. Leave inspired. 🎨✨

05/28/2026

Artist and Curator RD Riccoboni
Rd Riccoboni

RD Riccoboni presents a new body of work using Godzilla as both symbol and warning. The iconic monster becomes a stand-in for cultural anxiety, political instability and the growing sense that society is stumbling toward self-created destruction. Even with the underlying tension, the paintings retain the theatrical energy and visual command that have long defined Riccoboni’s work.

As curator of ArtSpectrum 2026, RD also shaped one of the region’s strongest LGBTQ visual arts exhibitions of the year.

The exhibition enters its final days through Monday, June 1 at Gallery 21. Experience the exhibition before San Diego’s Pride season begins.

05/28/2026

ArtSpectrum 2026 is more than an exhibition. It’s a collaboration with Village Arts and Education Foundation, one of the most vibrant creative communities in Balboa Park. A true cultural cornerstone built on working artists, public engagement and access.

Take a deeper look at what makes this community so essential in Patric Stillman's article for The WORD SD News from last August (that hints about this year's ArtSpectrum, which closes Monday).

👉 Village Visionaries: A Cultural Cornerstone in the Heart of Balboa Park.
https://thewordsd.news/village-visionaries-a-cultural.../

Thank you to the everyone behind the Village Arts and Education Foundation for giving the LGBTQ Community the opportunity to shine in Gallery 21.

By Patric Stillman

05/28/2026

Artist Patric Stillman

Patric Stillman presents a body of work that feels like a culmination of themes explored over the past two decades. Memory, childhood ritual and pop culture continue to shape the imagery, yet the paintings now carry a stronger awareness of time passing and what remains with us. The work arrives at a moment of transition as the artist begins looking beyond the present and toward questions of legacy.

Patric is currently featured in ArtSpectrum 2026 at Gallery 21.

The exhibition enters its final days through Monday, June 1. Experience one of San Diego’s strongest LGBTQ visual arts exhibits of the year before Pride season begins.

05/27/2026

Artist Tommy Diethert
Tommy Diethert

Tommy Diethert is known for figurative work that captures playful men at play in reimagined settings. For ArtSpectrum 2026, however, he introduces a creative shift toward florals. A bold creative move in his studio work.These paintings of blooming forms are wonderfully loose. An interesting shift that will be interesting to see play out in his continuing body of work.

Tommy is currently featured at Gallery 21.

The exhibition enters its final days through Monday, June 1. Experience one of San Diego’s strongest LGBTQ visual arts exhibits of the year before Pride season begins.

05/27/2026

Artist Trevor Copenhaver

Trevor Copenhaver paints landscapes that invite viewers to disappear into them. His scenes feel dense with familiarity. Light filters through the paintings slowly, giving the work a dreamlike pull that has made his landscapes especially popular with collectors.

Trevor is currently featured in ArtSpectrum 2026 at Gallery 21.
The exhibition enters its final days through Monday, June 1.

Experience one of San Diego’s strongest LGBTQ visual arts exhibits of the year before Pride season begins.

05/26/2026

Artist Don Grant

Don Grant creates ceramics rooted in the enduring appeal of mid-century design. The influence of mid-century modernism is unmistakable, yet the work never feels frozen in the past. His pieces have the kind of presence that collectors instinctively know how to live with. Each work makes a strong statement when placed in a home setting.

Don is currently featured in ArtSpectrum 2026 at Gallery 21.
The exhibition enters its final days through Monday, June 1. Experience one of San Diego’s strongest LGBTQ visual arts exhibits of the year before we enter Pride season.

05/25/2026

WORKING ARTIST STUDIO AVAILABLE

The Studio Door has seventeen working artists studios that surround the gallery offering a great opportunity for artists and patrons to directly interact. The Studio Door is seeking mid-career and professional artists looking for a studio practice that can demonstrate their dedication to their career with a body of work, an exhibition history and able to articulate their creative direction. Full details on the process visit our website under 'For Artists'