What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 5pm Wednesday 10am - 5pm Thursday 10am - 5pm Friday 10am - 8pm Saturday 10am - 5pm Sunday 10am - 5pm

Mingei International Museum

Name: Mingei International Museum
Address: 1439 El Prado, San Diego, CA, 92101, US
Telephone: +16192390003
Price range: $

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Mingei International Museum

Mingei International Museum celebrates art of the people (mingei) from all cultures of the world and across human history.

09/01/2026

🎏 Create your own colorful Japanese carp streamer inspired by "To Catch a Fish"!

Join us for Mini Mingei as we explore the Japanese tradition of koinobori, then create one to take home. It's a morning of creativity and hands-on fun for little makers and their grown-ups.

Mini Mingei is designed for parents, grandparents, and caregivers with children ages 2–5, and this event is free for all families!

🎏 Mini Mingei
🆓 Free for all families
🗓 Friday, September 4 | 10–11am
🔗 RSVP and learn more at Mingei.org/Whats-On

08/27/2026

Tomorrow! ☕Sedna Villavicencio, Mingei Collections Fellow, joins us for Coffee & Conversations.

Swipe for a sneak peek at Sedna’s 6-week experience across the pond with the British Museum’s International Training Programme, alongside a cohort of museum professionals from around the world. She'll share what she learned, the role of Indigenous and BIPOC museum professionals, and opportunities to create meaningful change within cultural institutions today.

☕ Coffee & Conversations: From San Diego to London: Bridging Museum Best Practices with Sedna Villavicencio
🗓 Friday, August 28 | 10:30–11:30am
🎟 $12 Members / $20 Non-members
🔗 Register at Mingei.org/Whats-On

08/26/2026

recently spoke with "To Catch a Fish" exhibiting artist Robert J. Lang, a leading figure in the world of origami whose practice brings mathematics and art together through remarkably intricate folded forms.

After the 2025 Altadena wildfire destroyed his home and decades of folded-paper works, Lang began recreating designs that had been lost. Using paper made with ashes recovered from his studio, he refolded the koi fish from his piece "Vertical Pond II", transforming the remains of what was lost into a new work.

These new koi are featured in "Vertical Pond III", now on view at Mingei through November 1.

🔗 Watch Lang’s story on CBS Sunday Morning at our link in bio, then see this stunning work in person at Mingei!

08/24/2026

One of the best ways to learn more about Mingei's exhibitions is through our weekly Highlights Tour, a Docent Ambassador-led exploration of what's on view!

Every Friday, join us for a one-hour tour for a more in-depth look at our exhibitions. It's the perfect opportunity to ask questions, look closer, and discover beautiful details of handcrafted objects.

The next Highlights Tour is this Friday, August 28. Join us and go beyond the gallery labels!

💡 Docent Ambassador-Led Highlights Tours
🗓️ Every Friday | 1pm - 2pm
🎟️ Included with admission
🔗 RSVP and learn more at Mingei.org/Whats-On

08/20/2026

You might start planning your next visit before you finish reading this.

Golden masa. Crispy squash blossom. Melted queso Oaxaca. Roasted poblano salsa verde. Sweet corn, zucchini, and red onion bring all the summer flavor.
mingei new Masa Fried Stuffed Squash Blossom is crunchy, creamy, smoky, and absolutely worth obsessing over.

🌼 Now on the menu at ARTIFACT.

08/19/2026

It’s all in the details. 👀

Get up close with the dolls and figures of "Farm to Craft" and discover the intricate work craftspeople put into bringing humble materials left over from the harvest to life.

Woven, folded, tied, and shaped by hand, these small details transform natural materials like corn husks into figures filled with character and personality. These dolls from the Czech Republic were crafted to be sold at market.

Look closely, and you'll find carefully fashioned hair and clothing, dolls engaged in everyday domestic life, and even tender moments shared between loved ones.

Come see the details for yourself! Our Entry Level Gallery is always free.

🌾 "Farm to Craft: Grains in Global Folk Art"
🗓️ On view through November 15
🔗 Learn more at Mingei.org

08/17/2026

🎶 Ready to sing, move, and make music together?

Join us for a special outdoor Mini Mingei in partnership with Guitars and Ukes in the Classroom! Through interactive songs, rhythm activities, and playful musical exploration, little ones and their grown-ups will discover the joy of making music together.

Mini Mingei is designed for parents, grandparents, and caregivers with children ages 2–5, and this event is free for all families!

🎶 Mini Mingei
🆓 Free for all families
🗓 Friday, August 21 | 10–11am
🔗 RSVP and learn more at Mingei.org/Whats-On

08/16/2026

Looking for a chance to make something with your hands?

This month’s Make at Mingei welcomes Studio Ocho Cuartos for a metalsmithing workshop. Learn basic metal-forming techniques as you shape copper into your own hand-formed bowl to take home.

This is a free workshop for anyone with the desire to create!

🔨 Make at Mingei: Copper Bowls with Studio Ocho Cuartos
🗓️ Sunday, August 23 | 10am–3pm
🎟️ Free | Registration recommended
🔗 Register and learn more at Mingei.org/Whats-On

Mingei Members receive early registration access by email on Monday, August 17 at 10am. Public registration opens Tuesday, August 18 at 10am.

Make at Mingei is made possible through a generous grant from the ResMed Foundation.

08/15/2026

What can museums learn when professionals from around the world come together to exchange ideas?

Join us on Friday, August 28, for Coffee & Conversations with Mingei Collections Fellow Sedna Villavicencio as she shares insights from her experience with the British Museum’s International Training Programme. Working alongside museum professionals from more than 18 countries, Sedna visited institutions throughout the United Kingdom, exchanging knowledge and exploring new approaches to museum practice.

Hear Sedna reflect on her experience abroad, the role of Indigenous and BIPOC museum professionals, and the opportunities for creating meaningful change within cultural institutions today.

☕ Coffee & Conversations: From San Diego to London: Bridging Museum Best Practices with Sedna Villavicencio—Mignei Collections Fellow
🗓 Friday, August 28 | 10:30–11:30am
🎟️ $12 Members / $20 Non-members
🔗 Register at Mingei.org/Whats-On

08/12/2026

We were honored to welcome artist Carol Lujan and her family for a recent visit to "Clearly Indigenous: Native Visions Reimagined in Glass".

Visitors to the exhibition may recognize Carol from the larger-than-life photographs showing her at work in the hot shop, transforming molten glass into art. This time, we had the joy of capturing another special image: three generations together, celebrating Carol, her work, and the work of so many talented Indigenous artists represented throughout the exhibition.

Thank you, Carol and family, for spending the day with us!

🔥 See Carol’s work and discover the stories of other artists in "Clearly Indigenous", on view through September 20!
🔗 Plan your visit at Mingei.org/Visit

Address

1439 El Prado
San Diego, CA
92101

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 5pm
Wednesday	10am - 5pm
Thursday	10am - 5pm
Friday	10am - 8pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm
Sunday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+16192390003

Website

http://www.mingei.org/

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