Curator-in-Residence

Uplifting regional curator voices as they support and mentor the work of emerging visual artists and help guide the curatorial approach of Arts District Liberty Station.

Partnering with Regional Curators

The Curator-in-Residence program at Arts District Liberty Station offers a unique, invitational 18-month residency focused on curation and development of early career visual artists.

A lead curator and at times, curatorial team, from the San Diego/Northern Baja region are selected to collaborate with our Emerging Artists in Residence for visual arts to plan, prepare for, and present their end of residency exhibition at Gallery 201. The space and residency elevates local talent and creates an innovative mold of creative partnership between rising artists, curators, and arts and culture institutions, growing the reach of Arts District to new audiences and communities throughout the region.

Current Curator-in-Residence

2025-2027

Francisco Eme and The FRONT Arte y Cultura

Francisco is a music composer, multimedia artist and curator. He primarily works with sound, but diverse disciplines are integrated into his practice. Francisco is the Arts & Culture Director at Casa Familiar and Gallery Director at The FRONT Arte & Cultura, a trans-border art gallery in San Diego, US – Tijuana, MX, where he curates exhibitions, concerts, performances and all cultural programming. Awarded San Diego Art Prize 2024. His work has been presented in museums, galleries and concert halls nationally and internationally.

Francisco is the Arts & Culture Director at Casa Familiar and The FRONT gallery. A transborder community art space located in San Ysidro, CA. The FRONT is a cultural hub for artists and audience that engages in relevant conversation about our region and our time.

Curated Exhibitions: Fragmented Stories, Material is Process

Current Exhibition on View

Material is Process

Featuring Emerging Artists in Residence:

Audrey Gingras and Ana Saad

Previous Curator in Residence

2024-2026

Dinah Poellnitz and
The Hill Street Country Club

Dinah Poellnitz is the director and curator of The Hill Street Country Club (HSCC), Oceanside, CA. Since organizing the HSCC in 2012 as a co-founder, she has centered the work of under-recognized artists and communities in efforts to build a new art institution for social impact. Dinah is a cultural practitioner and has curated programs for ICA North, Museum Contemporary Art San Diego, Oceanside Museum of Art, Patricia Correia Art Gallery and more. Dinah’s curatorial practice is rooted in the relationship between the personal, communal and universal message. The Hill Street Country Club is non-profit organization dedicated to shaping the growing arts and culture scene in Oceanside and the surrounding North County San Diego region. Their mission is to encourage art beyond gallery walls to create a culture where artists and community can thrive together. They strive to create an inclusive and diverse atmosphere that reflects the socioeconomic landscape of our community.

Dinah and the whole Hill Street team’s collaborative approach to curation and this residency not only inspired but shaped the Curator-in-Residence program at Arts District.

Curated Exhibitions: How to Be Here, All the Places We Belong, Interlaced, Around the Way Girl