Salvador Dali in San Diego

Salvador Dalí's "The Ascension of Christ"

While you may want to plan a vacay to San Diego to hit the beaches this summer, there's another reason to go, and one that provides air-conditioning: It's the only U.S. stop for the exhibition "El Greco to Dalí: The Great Spanish Masters from the Pérez Simón Collection" Head to the San Diego Museum of Art for your only chance to see 64 famous artworks from such masters as Picasso and Dalí.
The exhibit, which opens July 9, features the work that covers the history of Spanish art over the last 500 years. You'll see oil paintings, sculptures and drawings at the Balboa Park museum.
Art aficionados will be pumped to see various facets of of Catholic Reformation art from the 16th to 18th centuries through the works of El Greco, José de Ribera and Bartolomé Esteban Murillo. Goya and Sanchez Coello go the royal route and offer court portraits of Spanish monarchs, balancing the portrayal of power with realistic representations.
The exhibit also includes 10 works by Joaquin Sorolla, the master of capturing simple pleasures and known for vivid, bright, strong canvasses. Sorolla's work highlights the strong national identity that characterizes Spanish art of the 19th century. The exhibition finishes with a dialogue between Cubism and Surrealism by the artists who revolutionized western art and are now household names: Pablo Picasso, Joan Miro, and Salvador Dalí.
If you want to check out the Spanish masters' works, the exhibit runs through to October 3. Admission is $12 for adults and $4.50 for ages seven to 17.