Image: Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, New York
Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego says multidisciplinary artist Derrick Adams will visit the museum for its 2026 Axline Lecture in partnership with the San Diego Museum of Art. The announcement ties the talk directly to Adams’s work in MCASD’s special exhibition 'Giants', where three of his pieces are currently on view: 'Floater 74' (2018), 'Woman in Grayscale (Alicia)' (2017), and 'Man in Grayscale (Swizz)' (2017).
MCASD’s July newsletter identifies Adams as part of a packed slate of summer programming and singles out the lecture as a featured event. The museum describes 'Giants' as a special exhibition and lists it alongside 'The Dean Collection Presents: Hometown Heroes', 'Prospect 2026', and the Collection Galleries and Sculpture Garden in its Free Second Sunday programming notes. A guided 'Focused Narratives Tour: Giants' is also scheduled for July 16, signaling continued public attention to the exhibition during the month.
According to MCASD, Adams’s practice “celebrates and expands the dialogue around contemporary Black life and culture through scenes of normalcy and perseverance.” The museum also notes that, in addition to his art practice, he has held numerous teaching positions and is currently a tenured assistant professor in the School of Visual, Media and Performing Arts at CUNY Brooklyn College. The lecture announcement situates Adams not only as an exhibiting artist but also as a speaker whose career bridges studio practice and academic teaching.
The works cited by MCASD draw from his figurative vocabulary and are presented within 'Giants', an exhibition the museum’s newsletter describes as an important highlight of the season. While the source material does not provide a full exhibition checklist, it does confirm that these three works are among the pieces visible to visitors now. No additional curatorial statement was included in the verified material beyond the museum’s brief description of the show and the artist.
The Axline Lecture itself is presented through a partnership with the San Diego Museum of Art, underscoring a cross-institutional collaboration around the artist’s visit. MCASD does not give a date in the available material, but the lecture is identified as a 2026 program. The newsletter also places the announcement within a broader July schedule that includes summer camp activities inspired by 'Giants', a staff showcase in Axline Court, a community photo walk, and a jazz-night event in the museum’s Art Park.
MCASD is located at 700 Prospect St. in La Jolla, and the newsletter positions 'Giants' among the museum’s current offerings for the month. Within that context, Adams’s lecture serves as one of the exhibition’s public-facing events while his works continue to be shown in 'Giants'.
