Mingei International Museum

Exhibits here can be really hit or miss. Make sure to do some research to make sure it’s something worth seeing to you before paying the pricey entrance fee.

The Mingei is the best kept secret in Balboa Park, one of the lesser known museums that contains crafts and handiwork. When I went there was an exhibit on walking sticks — I really didn’t expect to get excited about walking sticks — but the displays are beautifully simple, and the work outstanding. Upstairs there was a collaboration of what makes each of the 50 states special. I spent about an hour there, but could easily have spent two. The art is unique and interesting, and the docents are knowledgable.

One of the wonderful things about Balboa Park, (among so, so many things) are the museums.
The plethora of these extraordinary displays on 2 floors of different cultures, our USA’s past, or technology personified is memorizing, and the links above I hope you Unilocalers will find helpful when descending upon them.
Also, the first Tuesday of every month offer up free museum days to San Diego residents

I never have a problem getting in for free since Marty is a resident of San Diego, and I just tell them I just moved here, haven’t gotten my new license & make light enough gab that they just wave me in; not sure if they just want to get me out of their face, or just being kind.
Yet, either way, I get to go & experience the best of the best at selected museums-​for free!
This particular museum had (as my photos reflect) a very well organized, aesthetically pleasing, authentic ambiance & information that had us inside for over 2 hours.
The Mingei International Museum staff too are very helpful, & are packed with information and too, there is always something for the kids to touch & climb on; hey, they get bored, so it’s nice to have that deterrent that they are able to utilize, without pulling the arm of a mummy!
So treat yourself & yours to a visit, my last visit was the Automotive Museum (review coming soon) as a surprise from Marty, I love classic cars like my Father, so that was a treat.
Yet this, was exceptional & I highly recommend a visit if it is free or not.
Avoid them during the summer, spawn is abundantly everywhere, either on a field trip, or from visitors.
So much so, that moving about, taking photos & attempting to enjoy them is virtually impossible.
I swear, some parents need a condom machine in their bedrooms, and I feel for the scholastic staff too for the field trips they must endure as I notice more & more the lack of interest in museums falling as kids would rather be playing a video game or the like (overheard many times when we visit)-pretty sad.
Now, it may not be as eclectic as this, but then again, you never know!

What I like about the Mingei Museum is the open space on both exhibit floors. At any one time there are about five exhibitions and these vary quite a bit, so there is always something interesting on display. Recently there have been exhibitions on self taught artists, Black Dolls, Walking Sticks, Surfboard, Masks, Quilts an much more. The museum is usually very quiet which I like and they have helpful docents. Certainly aways worth a visit, especially if you have The Balboa Park Pass. The lighting in the museum could be better. There are some areas that are rather dark. The Museum Shop could also be better. There seems to be little turn over in merchandise. Some of the books have been there for years.

This museum was really fun to go to. I liked that blue flying lady! She was fun to look at, just like an aerialist. I also liked that they had the fifty state exhibits. There was some cool leather bound cowboy boots that spelled out T E X A S. Also there was a saddle and a wooden chair for the state of California, where my Hubbs was born and raised. Then there was Michigan, some greatly designed full wooden chairs and a quill woven basket. I thought it was really fun to be able to vote on your favorite item or the best state. Also there was this doll and old toy exhibit that portion kind of freaked me out because I don’t like dolls. However I do think that doll collectors would very much enjoy this. I enjoyed looking at the different walking staffs; one had the Lord’s Prayer inscribed on it. What time and talent that would have taken. All in all, I had a really great time; I will visit again… next year hopefully!

I so enjoy this museum and have a passion for multi culture and creativity From their beautiful wood table and chairs to the displays of fabrics by Ms Zander or Chinese waving cats to eccentric paper bag hats– these are a few of the temporary exhibits that have been on display Charming and so creative-​there is no place like this. The gift store is not to be missed!

Customer service is really bad! We went in, paid for the ticket and we were told that a part of the museum was under construction which was fine. So we (my husband and I) walked in and as we walked and looked around for about 5 minutes we noticed that a security guard was following us. We continued to look around and decided to go upstairs in the elevator which is the ONLY way to go up and down because of the construction, he got in the elevator with us and followed us upstairs. So we decided to stop out of his sight and as soon as he couldn’t see us he started to walk in our direction. So we walked towards him and apparently he wasn’t expecting it because he stutter, didn’t know know what to do and turned around, walked the opposite side and kept walking. This is unbelievable! That a place like this would do this. We were dressed appropriately for the park and the museums, the other museums we went to the same day did not treated us like this. It’s really embarrassing that a place like this acts this way being in one of the most beautiful places in San Diego. Thanks for the great time you provided for two educated people.

Very interesting museum that focuses on American folk art. Great exhibition space, well curated, and almost «interactive» in the way the gallery is setup. Instead of it being linear and «cold» or boring, the museum encourages you to wander around haphazardly and cross between foot traffic, giving the floorspace a dynamic, alive feel. It is an inviting two-​story space with a strange, eclectic, educational collection. Rotating gallery when I visited was «black dolls,» which displayed hundreds of black cloth dolls stitched by black American mothers for their children in the 1800s I believe. It was both terrifying and eye-​opening. Perhaps I’ve watched too many horror movies. Entrance fee was free for SD residents on Tuesdays I believe, so make sure you take advantage of that if you are a local.

I wound up with extra time during my San Diego trip and decided to check out this museum. They were in the middle of transitioning some of their displays so admission was half priced, but there was still plenty to see. The docents were very informative and personable and I found myself more interested in architecture and design then I thought I was. This will definitely be on my to do list for my next visit.

Impressive.
This is an excellent example of use of space, placement, and light.
I instantly felt the vibe of openness & it’s clean lines and contemporary design fosters calm anticipation.
The Surf Craft Exhibit was amazing. One doesn’t need to be a surfer or understand surf culture to appreciate this exhibit of functional art.
Appreciation is just one of the things I left this exhibit feeling.
The exhibit is shown in a unique perspective: in the context of Soetsu Yanagi’s mingei (Japanese folk art movement) philosophy of the importance of craft.
The gift store is cool as well. The $ 12 fee is well worth it.
Highly suggested.

Meh.
We wanted to check the place out but the place is really pricey and the exhibition (currently surfboards) would not have kept me or my daughter occupied or interested at all so we didn’t step in. I think hubby will be going back on his own or perhaps we will wait til it’s a free museum entry day.

Where you discover how everyday home items can also be fine art! Great exhibits and fantastic gift shop!

I may be biased since I work in Balboa Park, but this museum is amazing. They have beautiful exhibits, wonderful docents, and a to-​die-​for store.
You will love it.

The Collector’s Gallery is an elegant way to call a gift shop. Why? Because in reality, people shopping there are not just buying things, trinkets and objects to get or give. They normally believe in the artists and crafsmen and women behind each piece. I really like that in such a small place you get a glimpse of the folk art (in many cases handmade) that is so wearable, useful and beautiful, such as scarves made in India or Mexican dia de los muertos types of crafts as other SoCal adornments like car plates showing loving messages. This is a very classy store. My favorite part is all the silver jewelry, I think the gallery is very well curated, which makes me go very often to check what is new. Also from time to time they have one of those weekends with special sales or promotional items. Who says you can not be a collector for yourself?

I really like the Mingei. It is a small museum but I love constantly changing exhibits.
The idea is that this is supposed to craft, folk art, and art that is handmade and used by people. Whatever that means, the exhibits are fascinating, the scale is human, and the museum is beautiful.
I was there today and their are exhibits on musical instruments from around the world, animals as portrayed in folk art around the world (I love elephants done by people who have never seen an elephant), and cutting edge crafts.

Being the 3^rd Tuesday of the month, I came here today for resident free Tuesday. The space at this museum is a lot more wide open than the other museums in Balboa Park, which has somewhat of a more calming effect on me. It’s not so barricaded with different exhibits that force you in a particular direction. Although that essentially means it has less to showcase, I do like it here because I feel like the space is inviting and it allows me to take my time when I’m wandering on through and I don’t feel rushed to get onto the next collection. Anyway, it’s a beautiful museum. When you walk in you’ll see a great big Chihuly glass chandelier on top of the grand staircase (Chihuly being the artist who as my bff Christine D. taught me was the one who designed the flower ceiling at the Bellagio)
The exhibits they currently have on display are worth checking out. On the second floor they have, what I would describe as CUTE artifacts! lol. one exhibit is the Menagerie which is a collection of pieces of animals like sculptures and paintings and what not, many of which are almost whimsical and enchanted looking. And then the other upstairs exhibit is on making music with some ‘noisemakers’ from around the world.
Now the main exhibit downstairs is going to need background attention BEFORE you check it out. bc if you just go and immediately walk through, you’d be like what the heck is this it looks like a 6 year old who was transitioning from stick figures to 2-​d drawings drew pictures on cardboard and stuck them all over the walls. lol! you need to learn about the artist as a man and you’ll come to appreciate his work. story is of bill taylor, who was born into slavery, worked on the plantation even after acquiring freedom, and then moved to alabama in his 80’s when he could not longer do physical labor and made meager money drawing autobiographical pictures. of course like most great artists his work didn’t receive the attention it should have until the 1970’s on. and now he’s an inspiration as a self-​taught, keen for art illustrator. interestingly, i was struck at how colorful some of his pieces were i thought they’d be a bit more dreary since you know. he was a slave. but many of the pictures depicted well to do african-​americans who he saw walking around alabama or pictures of them dancing and MANY pictures of them drinking with big ol’ flasks. so kind of fun. he did many pictures on animals too (again super primitive looking like my niece drew them but endearing non the less) and pictures of events in a home. i did see a couple that were menacing but i guess for much of his collection he chose to focus on the positives currently around him, rather than the pain from his past. which is a wonderful message, one we all should take note of.

I’m definitely not one to be a judge of art, since I don’t know anything, but I truly enjoy this museum.
They always have a variety of exhibits and it’s nice to walk around, seeing all of the different work.

Strictly for grown ups except for their beautiful mosiac dragon outside. Which is tons of fun for all ages.
Visited during The Big Exchange with about 15 other institutions in San Diego county. I really enjoyed the True Blue exhibit and learning how other cultures make fabric color last for hundreds of years … with COMPOST!
Also appreciated A Place for Wednesday — kinda creepy but so unique and amazing. The next day my five year old woke up and started making little cut out people … it was a first. So thank you for giving us the opportunity to explore outside of the madness of FREE Tuesday.

A crafty museum? Really? My expectations were low – especially when I found out that the permanent exhibit included hats. Hats?
But I really liked the Mingei. The current Japanese sculpture exhibit is wonderful – really well laid out, great to look at and also nice to geek out to from a historical perspective. The docent on staff last Saturday was extremely helpful as well.
They also had this cobalt/​lapis section accompanied by two nice videos. We took a nice winding staircase to get there are loved how the upper section had an identity unto its own.
The admission fees were also quite reasonable. I’d go back again for sure.

The Mingei, like all of the museums that are lined up in Balboa Park, is frustratingly small. It was quite refreshing, though, to see a wonderful exhibit on Mexican folk art: trees of life, day of the dead figures, pottery, clay and ceramic pieces, and rugs. The creative quality of each piece is superb and offers a nice snapshot into the cultural life of Mexico.
Take the stairs up to the second level and experience a curatorial tour de force: Sonabai, Another Way of Seeing. The story of Sonabai Rajawar, an Indian artist who overcame dramatic obstacles to breathe artistic life into her community, is told through her art, photos, sound and a room of shimmering and translucent hanging screens. Her ability to transcend her utter desolation and affect the lives of so many in her country is worth the visit. It’s an incredible story told very, very well by the staff at the Mingei.