Some people may think of velvet paintings and plaster statues when they hear the words "Tijuana art," but Tijuana's independent artist community creates internationally-recognized works that some say are making Tijuana one of the world's important cultural destinations.

There are a few privately-owned art galleries and some coffee houses where artists display their works, but most of the art in Tijuana is found in the public institutions such as Instituto Cultural de Baja California, Universidad Autonoma de Baja California, Centro Cultural de Tijuana, and Instituto Municipal de Arte y Cultura.