With a love of automobiles and a history in art and museum work, La Jolla resident Jacqueline Goldstein was recently appointed the San Diego Automotive Museum’s new curator.
Goldstein will lead the planning, research and execution of exhibitions, serving as a liaison among exhibitors, other cultural institutions, the public and others. She also will oversee the care and presentation of the museum’s collections.
It’s a role Goldstein said she’s ready to take on.
“I’ve been working in museums since 1998 and have always been in the art world, but cars have always been my love,” Goldstein said. “I learned to drive a stick shift with my dad when I was a kid … and it’s a dream job to be working with cars all day. And what cars we have.”
The San Diego Automotive Museum, located in Balboa Park, tells the story of the social and technological past, present and future of motorized vehicles through its collections, exhibitions and educational programs.
“A truly great museum has something for everyone,” Goldstein said. “At places like The Met [Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City], you have everything from Egyptology to Picasso to modern art. Even if someone doesn’t like something, when they come to museums and see something they might not have set out to see, they can talk about it. It creates discourse.”
The San Diego Automotive Museum “has cars from 1905 and Ford Model T’s and modern race cars. Every decade is represented here,” she said. “There is truly something for everyone. Kids can take pictures or build Lego cars, and those that might have grown up with those cars can see them again.”
Goldstein has a challenge for people who think they’re not interested in cars.
“I dare anyone [who doesn’t like cars] to come in and let me show you around,” she said with a laugh. “I love taking people through the gallery and doing curator tours. I like talking to people about everything. I also put film behind the exhibits, because when you see how fast something can go, you can really get the story. You have to show the whole picture to give people a better understanding. They learn that a car might not just be cool but it’s fast. And we can talk about why it’s fast. We can also talk about car culture and the artistry of cars and how it relates to design. If you are into art, you need to come here.”
Goldstein came to San Diego in March from the Jewish Museum of Florida in Miami Beach, where she was chief curator for more than 12 years.
She visited San Diego on vacation with her family last year and “just loved it,” she said. So when she got the offer to work here, Goldstein got in her car and drove from Miami to La Jolla to take the job.
As soon as she did, she got to work putting her stamp on the museum.
“I’ve already made a lot of changes, moving things around, bringing in new cars and taking some out,” Goldstein said. “I personally love … fast cars, so I put in a [Formula One race car] right away.”
Goldstein also is looking to bolster the museum’s IGNITE Academy, which gives young people hands-on technical training, mentorship and pathways to careers in the automotive industry.
IGNITE, which stands for Inspire, Guide, Network, Internship, Train and Educate, is “a deep dive into base learning, engine construction, shop protocols and more, with a chance to connect with those that can provide internships,” Goldstein said. “I’m a huge believer in academia … and working on cars is a lost art, so the IGNITE program is a pathway to everything automotive.”
To learn more about the San Diego Automotive Museum, visit sdautomuseum.org. ♦
