SD Practice

As California continues to re-open, the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on artists is projected to last for months, if not years. Because of the COVID-19 stay home order many artists were left with few ways to exhibit their work and or generate income through gig economy work. With that in mind the City of San Diego (City) in the spring of 2020 launched SD Practice to support local artists.

The City recently announced 100 new acquisitions by 89 local artists through the SD Practice initiative, which focused on the purchase of existing artworks from San Diego area artists. The goals of the initiative are to support local artists affected by the COVID-19 pandemic by putting badly needed money into their hands, advance the mission of the Civic Art Collection and increase the collection holdings by acquiring new works that reflect the rich diversity of artistic talent and expression in San Diego.

Acquisition of these new works is made possible through a $500,000 gift from the estate of Thomas O. Rasmussen, an avid contemporary art collector. Rasmussen, who died in 2014, desired to expand the presence of artwork in public facilities. The new acquisitions span artistic media from painting, sculpture, drawings and prints to photography, video, installations, and textiles and reveal key aspects of San Diego’s art practices, and in most cases, are the City’s first works by the respective artists. 

The acquisition effort included issuance of a request for proposals (RFPs), a process that was open to practicing artists residing in San Diego County. 552 artists responded to the RFP. The City convened a panel of five jurors who carefully considered the priorities for the SD Practice initiative in their assessment of eligible artwork applications and subsequent recommendations, which among many goals, aims to diversify the collection and underscore the City’s commitment to working artists and their important role in civic life.

The artworks acquired through SD Practice will be on view collectively during the summer of 2021 at the San Diego Art Institute and Bread & Salt. Thereafter, they will be installed in public places for San Diego residents and visitors to enjoy. Explore the collection through the  Civic Art Collection interactive map  and the  Civic Art Collection portal . Browse the feature below to learn more about the San Diego-area artists collected through SD Practice. Artworks collected through the SD Practice Initiative will appear as orange icons on the map. Check back here in the fall to see where the artworks acquired through the SD Practice are installed throughout the City.