Planning to visit soon?
Here is a comprehensive list of the various ways you can enjoy the transformed Mingei – from viewing commissioned artworks and newly renovated public spaces to sharing your experiences with us on social media.
Discover New Artworks and Iconic Mingei Objects
The Museum’s reopening arrives with two new exhibitions: GLOBAL SPIRIT – Folk Art from the Ted Cohen Collection and HUMBLE SPIRIT / PRICELESS ART. Each exhibition uniquely represents Mingei’s mission to celebrate craftspeople from diverse cultures as well as the profound creativity we can discover in our daily lives.
The Museum commissioned eight new pieces by six visionary women artists. Each contributes a key element of Mingei’s transformation.
Sessions by Petra Blaisse – A billowing, acoustic curtain that stretches along the entire length of the 40-foot retractable glass wall in the Theater
Truth & Beauty in Black by Claudy Jongstra – A 30-foot felted mural that hangs above the bar as a sound-dampening textile within the new Bistro
sugi/kuruminoki and liquid2solid by Christina Kim:
sugi/kuruminoki – A pair of light, cut paper window screens to be installed in the Founders’ Gallery, home to the Museum’s iconic Nakashima table
liquid2solid – A series of flowing, hand-sewn temporary curtains to be used in the galleries, each made from off-cut waste of Dyneema®, a technological fabric
- Hedgerow and Suspended Refrain by Jennifer Luce:
- Hedgerow – A sculptural fence defining the new public courtyard
- Suspended Refrain – A perforated stainless steel canopy found on the interior public plaza and stretching the length of Shop Mingei and Café Mingei
- Two thousand seven hundred twenty-two miles Hand in Hand by Sharon Stampfer – A custom sculpted door-handle for the Founders’ Gallery door
EAST | WEST by Billie Tsien – Mingei’s official gallery bench – one of three new benches that will be available for public use in the main galleries
Fan favorites from the Museum’s permanent collection are also on view – including the Mingei International Museum Chandelier by Dale Chihuly, A Palace for Wednesday by Alice Hudson, The Poet and His Muse by Niki de Saint Phalle and many more.
Explore Mingei’s New Public Areas
In collaboration with LUCE et studio and its architect, Jennifer Luce, Mingei’s transformational construction project prioritizes openness, with the plan to become Balboa Park’s living room.
The Commons Level (main floor) of the Museum is accessible from two main entrances, Plaza de Panama and Alcazar Garden, and will be open and free to the public at all times. On this level you'll find:
- Shop Mingei – a chic shopping destination that features handmade and thoughtfully designed items from local and international creatives.
- CRAFT CAFÉ – where you can grab a coffee, tea and even some avocado and toast.
- An outdoor Courtyard with ample gathering space and a warm welcome for visitors.
- ARTIFACT Mingei’s full-service restaurant open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday from 11:30am to 2:30pm with the bar staying open until 5pm.
The upstairs Gallery level features newly configured, flexible spaces with sculpted plaster ceilings referencing origami. This level is also home to the Frances Hamilton White Art Reference Library and Founders Gallery.
And for the first time in decades, the two upper-level terraces are open to the public. By reclaiming lost spaces within a static footprint, visitors now have an opportunity to experience the full size and history of the building while enjoying views of Balboa Park.
