Mingei International Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mingei International Museum

Mingei International Museum
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Established	1978 (1978)
Location	House of Charm Balboa Park, San Diego, California
Type	Art museum

The Mingei International Museum is a special place in Balboa Park, San Diego, California. It's a museum that collects, saves, and shows off "art of the people." This includes folk art, crafts, and designs from all over the world.

The museum first opened its doors in 1978. The word mingei comes from Japan. It means 'art of the people.' A Japanese scholar named Dr. Sōetsu Yanagi created this word. He combined the Japanese words for 'all people' (min) and 'art' (gei).

Museum History

The Mingei International Museum was started by Martha Longenecker. She was a professor of art at San Diego State University. Martha was an artist herself. She learned about pottery in Japan. There, she met the people who started the Mingei Association of Japan. With her help, the museum grew for over 27 years.

Early Beginnings

In May 1978, the museum first opened its doors. It was called the Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art. It was located at University Towne Centre in San Diego. Its very first show was called "Dolls and Folk Toys of the World."

Moving to Balboa Park

In August 1996, the museum moved to its current home. It found a new spot in the historic House of Charm. This building is in the Plaza de Panama in Balboa Park. The museum shares this central area with other famous museums. These include the San Diego Museum of Art and the Timken Museum of Art.

Expanding and Changing

In 2003, the Mingei International Museum opened a second location. This one was in downtown Escondido. Its first show there was "Niki de Saint Phalle Remembered." It featured art from the museum's own collection. It also had pieces borrowed from the Niki Charitable Art Foundation.

Over 30 years, the museum has put on 140 different shows. These shows often came with fun activities. There were talks, movies, demonstrations, and workshops. They also had music, theater, and dance. The Escondido museum galleries closed to the public on June 26, 2010.

Amazing Collections

The museum has a huge collection of objects. There are 17,500 items from 141 different countries. These items are very old and very new. Some are ancient clay pots from 300 BCE. Others are modern glass pieces from the 21st century.

The collections show art from many parts of the world.

• Mexico: You can see pottery, wood carvings, and colorful textiles. There are also religious paintings called retablos and masks.
• India: The museum has beautiful bronzes, wood carvings, and pottery. You can also find intricate textiles.
• China: Look for traditional costumes, jewelry, and wood carvings. There is also a variety of pottery.
• Japan: Discover pottery, textiles, and detailed wood carvings. You can also see lacquer ware and metal work.
• Indonesia: This collection includes old monuments and wood carvings. There are also textiles, masks, and sculptures.
• Africa: See unique pottery, head rests, and stools. There are also masks and textiles.
• Pre-Columbian: This section features pottery and textiles. These come from Central and South America before Columbus arrived.
• Middle East: Explore textiles, jewelry, and wood carvings from this region.
• United States: Find pottery from the mid-20th century. There is also modern furniture, textiles, and glass. Don't miss the beautiful Navajo weavings.

Current and Past Exhibitions

The Mingei Museum always has interesting exhibitions. Here are some of the shows that have been or are currently on display:

Images for kids

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  The outside of the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park.