Big ch-ch-ch-changes at the Art Academy of San Diego
A portrait of Doug Simay
The Art Academy of San Diego has moved from its longtime Downtown location to North Park. I e-mailed one of the owners, Doug Simay, an art hero of mine who I wrote about in CityBeat a year or so ago, and he said the new school is much smaller and will not have room for a gallery space. Simay also said he gave up his ownership of the school and that he’s, “very ready to be retired from my long exhibition history.”
Simay, in case you didn’t click on the link to the story I wrote, is a huge supporter of the local art scene. Not only did he put together some of this city’s best and most comprehensive shows, mostly featuring local artists, young and old, but he’s also a big-time supporter and collector of local art himself. Simay’s presence in the San Diego art scene will be greatly missed, but he says he’ll keep things up on his website, www.simayspace.com, which he calls “the repository for my ramblings and any musings on art that I feel the need to post.”
“I intend to continue my “Best Picks LA” writing,” says Simay. “Those tales will be archived on Simayspace.com and for the time being, I will use the Art Academy newsletter as my first distribution mode.”
Simay’s got impeccable taste when it comes to contemporary art. Sign up for the Art Academy newsletter on the left of the hompage, and keep an eye on this guy.
