Mingei International Museum facts for kids
The Mingei International Museum is a special place in San Diego, California. It's a museum that collects and shows off amazing art, crafts, and designs made by people from all over the world. The word "Mingei" comes from Japanese and means "art of the people." It's about everyday objects that are also beautiful and useful. The museum first opened its doors in 1978.
Mingei International Museum
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| Established | 1978 |
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| Location | House of Charm Balboa Park, San Diego, California |
| Type | Art museum |
The Museum's Story
The Mingei International Museum was started by Martha Longenecker. She was an art professor who learned about pottery in Japan. There, she met people who believed in "Mingei," or "art of the people." Martha helped create and grow the museum for over 27 years.
In May 1978, the museum first opened its doors. It was located at University Towne Centre in San Diego. Its very first show was about dolls and folk toys from around the world.
Later, in August 1996, the museum moved to a new home. It found a spot in the historic House of Charm in Balboa Park. This park is a famous place in San Diego. The museum shares this central area with other art museums.
For a while, the museum had a second location. This was in Escondido, which is north of San Diego. It opened in 2003. The first exhibit there showed art by Niki de Saint Phalle. However, this second location closed in June 2010.
Over its 30-year history, the Mingei International Museum has put on many exhibitions. They have also hosted talks, movies, workshops, music, and dance shows.
What You Can See: The Collections
The museum has a huge collection of objects. There are about 17,500 items from 141 different countries! These items are very old and new, from 3rd century BCE clay pots to modern glass art.
The collections show art and crafts from many parts of the world. Here are some examples:
- Mexico: You can find pottery, wood carvings, fabrics, and masks.
- India: The museum has bronze items, wood carvings, pottery, and textiles.
- China: Look for costumes, jewelry, wood carvings, pottery, and lacquer ware.
- Japan: See pottery, textiles, wood carvings, and metal work.
- Indonesia: There are ancestral monuments, wood carvings, textiles, and masks.
- Africa: Discover pottery, head rests, stools, masks, and textiles.
- Pre-Columbian: This includes ancient pottery and textiles from Central and South America.
- Middle East: Find textiles, jewelry, and wood carvings.
- United States: The collection includes pottery from the mid-20th century. There is also modern furniture, textiles, glass, and Navajo weavings.
