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Tuesday 10am - 5:30pm Wednesday 10am - 8:30pm Thursday 10am - 5:30pm Friday 10am - 5:30pm Saturday 10am - 5:30pm

Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

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Athenaeum Music & Arts Library

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Nonprofit music & arts library with exhibitions, concerts, artist talks, lectures, and art classes. It truly is a feast.

The Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, located in the heart of La Jolla, California, in San Diego County, is one of only 16 nonprofit membership libraries in the United States. This rare cultural institution, an important one to the greater San Diego area, offers a depth and accessibility of resources and programs found nowhere else in the region. The library, devoted exclusively to music and art, has an outstanding and ever-expanding collection of books, periodicals, reference material, compact discs, videocassettes, DVDs, sheet music, and librettos, as well as one of the most significant collections of artists' books in Southern California. The library is open to the public five days a week; members can check out materials for a modest annual fee. The Athenaeum also presents an eclectic, year-round schedule of art exhibitions, concerts (classical, jazz, and new music), lectures, studio art classes through its School of the Arts, tours and special events. We invite you to browse through these pages, learn more about us, and participate in our activities. To quote the San Diego Union-Tribune, "There are few libraries in America as unusual as the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library."

10/15/2026

🚧 A behind-the-scenes look at bringing Habitando, I Don’t Belong Here, We Belong Everywhere to life! ✨

🌀 Every double-sided painting is suspended from the ceiling, transforming the gallery into a space where the works hover, swirl, and invite visitors to move between perspectives.

🛠️ A huge thank-you to Sylvia Fernández and our installation team for their incredible work in bringing this exhibition together!

Join us for an ARTIST TALK & OPENING RECEPTION this Friday, October 16 from 5:30 PM to 8:30 PM in LA JOLLA.

Admission to the exhibition is free and open to the public. RSVP required for ARTIST TALK: ljathenaeum.org/habitando

10/08/2026

We're excited to announce our latest exhibition at the Athenaeum Music & Arts Library—𝓢𝔂𝓵𝓿𝓲𝓪 𝓕𝓮𝓻𝓷á𝓷𝓭𝓮𝔃: 𝓗𝓪𝓫𝓲𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓸, 𝓘 𝓓𝓸𝓷’𝓽 𝓑𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓗𝓮𝓻𝓮, 𝓦𝓮 𝓑𝓮𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓰 𝓔𝓿𝓮𝓻𝔂𝔀𝓱𝓮𝓻𝓮, opening Friday, October 16 in La Jolla.

Artist Sylvia Fernández explores migration and belonging through paintings and suspended, double-sided works. Drawing on responses from women around the world, Fernández transforms their words into paintings using a palette based on the colors named in their reflections. Paintings of the women’s shadows become silhouettes throughout the exhibition, exploring presence, absence, and shared experience.

Connecting her adopted home of San Diego with her birthplace of Lima, Peru, Fernández draws on the Pacific Ocean, local landscapes, and migrating birds to consider how identity and belonging move across borders.

📅 Artist Talk and Opening Reception: Friday, October 16, 2026
Artist Talk: 5:30 PM | Opening Reception: 6:00–7:30 PM.
🏛 On view: October 17, 2026–January 9, 2027
📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla 92037
🎟️ Admission to the exhibition and opening reception is free. RSVP required for Artist Talk.

Photo credit (second slide): Jason Sullivan

10/06/2026

A conductor does much more than keep time.

For conductor Sameer Patel, the podium is a place where communication, leadership, listening, and musical interpretation come together. In The Podium and Beyond: Demystifying the Art of Conducting, Patel will offer a behind-the-scenes look at the decisions and relationships that shape an orchestral performance.

He’ll also share his perspective on mentoring young musicians and creating meaningful connections between orchestras and audiences.

📅 Tuesday, October 13, 5:30–7 PM
📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla 92037
🎟️ Tickets available now at ljathenaeum.org/patel-1013

10/05/2026

🎻Tonight at the Athenaeum: violinist Johnny Gandelsman opens the 2026–27 Chamber Concert Series with a solo recital featuring Bach alongside his own compositions and works he commissioned and premiered through his This Is America project.

A MacArthur Fellow and member of Brooklyn Rider, Gandelsman brings together contemporary voices and landmark works for an evening that reflects the adventurous spirit of this season’s chamber programming.

📅 Monday, October 5, 7:30 PM
📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla 92037
🎟️ Tickets are still available: ljathenaeum.org/events/chamber-2026-1005

10/02/2026

Join composer and sound artist Ess Whiteley for an artist talk and guided walk-through of 𝓵𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓶𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓵𝓼.

Explore sound, material, and listening as Whiteley discusses the work and invites audiences to experience the evolving sonic environment firsthand.

📅 Saturday, October 10 at 5:30 PM
📍 Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Ave.

RSVP now: ljathenaeum.org/esstalk

09/28/2026

Thank you to everyone who came out to celebrate 10 years of the Athenaeum Art Center 🖨🎉

From the Print Fair and live demos to the Secret Sale, DJs, and delicious food + drinks from , AAC 10 was a celebration of the creativity and community that make this place special .We’re grateful to the artists, instructors, students, staff, volunteers, partners, and community members who have been part of that story!

Here are a few moments from a very special day. Thank you for being part of 10 years of AAC 💚

09/26/2026

💭 What’s your favorite memory at Athenaeum Art Center? 🗣️ tell us in the comments!

09/25/2026

👀✂ Come see, make, and take home something new at the Athenaeum Art Center 10th Anniversary Print Fair!

Come explore the Print Studio, meet local artists, get hands-on with a variety of activities, and celebrate 10 years of printmaking at AAC.

• Live printing demonstrations in the AAC Print Studio
• Hands-on activities including collage and stamp making
• 20+ local printmakers selling their work
• A $3 raffle with linocut kits, a gouache kit, and a free Athenaeum art class up for grabs
• Free cold brew lemonade from Provecho for the first 100 attendees

🗓 Saturday, September 26, 11 AM–4 PM
📍Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Avenue, San Diego, CA 92113
🎟️ Free, RSVP encouraged

RSVP: ljathenaeum.org/aac10

09/24/2026

The Athenaeum Art Center’s 10 Year Anniversary celebration is almost here—and the Print Fair & Secret Sale are bringing together a special lineup of artists from our AAC community.

Swipe to see the updated list of Secret Sale participating artists → and come see what they’ve made for the Secret Sale.

The artwork is a secret until you buy it, making this a chance to discover new work, support local printmakers, and take home an original piece.

🗓️ Saturday, September 26
🖨Print Fair: 11 AM–4 PM
🎁Party & Secret Sale: 5:30–8:30 PM
📍 Athenaeum Art Center, 1955 Julian Avenue, 92113
🎟️ GET TICKETS: ljathenaeum.org/aac10

Evening tickets are $50 and include food from local restaurant Alchemy—Choose Thy Poison and one drink ticket. Additional drinks are available for purchase.
Proceeds support the Athenaeum Art Center.

Participating Artists:

herrera.art

09/22/2026

🎼 Ever wondered what a conductor is actually doing on the podium?
Join conductor Sameer Patel for The Podium and Beyond: Demystifying the Art of Conducting, a conversation about the history, practice, and evolving role of the conductor.

Patel will explore the craft of conducting, the relationship between conductor and ensemble, and the ways conductors shape musical interpretation and leadership. He’ll also discuss his work supporting the next generation of musicians and building audiences for orchestral music.

📅 Tuesday, October 13, 5:30–7 PM
📍 Athenaeum Music & Arts Library, 1008 Wall St, La Jolla 92037
🎟️ Tickets available now at ljathenaeum.org/patel-1013

Address

1008 Wall Street
San Diego, CA
92037

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 8:30pm
Thursday	10am - 5:30pm
Friday	10am - 5:30pm
Saturday	10am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+18584545872

Website

http://www.ljathenaeum.org/, https://linktr.ee/athenaeummusicandarts

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