The relationship between Matthew Strauss and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego in La Jolla runs deep, as he served as a trustee for more than three decades and alongside his wife, Iris, developed a vast art collection.
The philanthropist and native San Diegan died last year at age 91, but his legacy continues in the form of the Strauss Family Foundation and soon, MCASD’s new exhibition, “An Artful Life: A Tribute to Matthew C. Strauss.”
“Matt lived a vibrant and long life, but we were still heartbroken when we lost him this past year,” said Kathryn Kanjo, the museum’s chief executive. “So the timing of the exhibition is really to pay tribute to Matt himself and his relationship to this museum, not only as a collector but also as a board member.
“He’s always talked about collecting with this museum in mind and having his collection ultimately come to this museum. So this exhibition is a taste of what he’s lived with.”
For decades, the Strausses collected more than 300 art pieces from around the world, a majority of which remain in their home. Kanjo, who organized the exhibition, said she aimed to create “a portrait of Matt Strauss through his collecting” by borrowing two nearly dozen works from the family’s collection.
“An Artful Life” will feature 22 pieces — mostly paintings, as well as a few sculptures. They will be on display from Thursday, March 20, to Sunday, Aug. 3.
The collection spans from the 1970s to today, with contemporary pieces that Kanjo describes as “expressive” and “emotional.” “An Artful Life,” she added, takes guests on a journey through art history, from the end of pop and abstract art to an era of neo-expressionism, showcasing “new ways of looking at the figure.”
The eclectic group of featured artists includes Jennifer Bartlett, Takashi Murakami, Damien Hirst and Beatriz Milhazes, among many others.
“Through it, I think we see Matt having an interest in bold and exuberant works,” Kanjo said. “You’re going to see pieces that are colorful and dynamic. … He has works that are abstract, but the majority of the works are figurative in some way.”
In addition to his lengthy tenure as a trustee at MCASD, Matthew was its board president from 2013 to 2016. During that time, he laid the groundwork for the museum’s expansion, which was unveiled in 2022 with double the square footage and four times the amount of gallery space.
To honor the couple’s financial of “the beautiful, newly constructed space,” the museum named its special exhibition galleries the Iris and Matthew Strauss Galleries.
“We’ve had a relationship with [Matthew] — seeing him become educated in the art world, seeing him build his own collection and then benefiting by his volunteer leadership on the board and helping usher this institution into its next great phase,” Kanjo said.
The new exhibition got “major ” from Barbara Arledge, Sheldon Morris and Catriona Jamieson, as well as from other donors and collaborators.
More of the Strauss family’s collection eventually will be featured at UC San Diego’s Triton Center, which is set to open in 2026. Matthew and Iris donated more than 100 pieces to the university in 2023.
A gallery there, named for the Strauss family, will consist of paintings, mixed-media art and sculptures. The family also donated the property housing the collection, intending it to be sold to form the Matthew and Iris Strauss Family Foundation Endowment at UCSD.
Matthew graduated from San Diego State University in 1955 before serving as a Marine Corps officer for two years. In 1960, he formed the M.C. Strauss Co., kicking off a successful career in real estate.
In addition to his affinity for art, Matthew poured resources into cancer research. He and Iris created the Stefanie Dawn Strauss Ovarian Cancer Clinic at UC San Diego (named after one of their daughters) to aid development of early detection techniques and were the first at UCSD to fund an experimental personal cancer vaccine for their daughter Tamara.
To find out more about the exhibition, visit mcasd.org/exhibitions/an-artful-life. ♦
