'Blue Gold: The Art and Science of Indigo'
Sunday: 10 AM
Tuesday: 10 AM
Wednesday: 10 AM
Thursday: 10 AM
Friday: 10 AM
Saturday: 10 AM
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Indigo—a varied plant family that grows worldwide and the deep, blue dye it produces—has a long and multifaceted history of cultivation, production, and distribution. "Blue Gold" combines science, craft, and history to explore this color’s complex past and present. Indigo’s beauty and ubiquity have eclipsed the unpleasant realities of its growth and manufacture, including hard labor and pollution, and its association with colonialism and slavery. As a pigment, indigo has been assigned protective properties, healing powers, and dangerous qualities that have shaped its uses in craft and the arts.
The exhibition highlights the roles of botany, chemistry, medicine, ecology, and economics in indigo cultivation. Contemporary craftspeople and artists working with indigo, such as Laura Kina and Porfirio Gutierrez, address questions about the sustainability of indigo, its problematic legacies, and technological alternatives to manual processing.
Closed Mondays / Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, & Sunday from 10 to 5 p.m. / Fridays from 10 to 8 p.m.
Mingei International Museum: Balboa Park
Visit Mingei International Museum near Downtown San Diego in historic Balboa Park, the nation's largest urban cultural park. Located in the heart of the park on the Plaza de Panama, the Museum has six spacious galleries featuring dynamic, changing exhibitions of folk art, craft and design. The Museum also houses a multi-media education center, a theater, visitor kiosks for collection overview, an Art Reference Library and The Collectors' Gallery, Mingei International's popular museum store. Plan your visit - view current and future exhibitions, and browse the calendar of programs and events. Enjoy a self-guided tour, join a daily docent tour or schedule a group tour. Residents' Free Tuesday is Third Tuesday of Each Month In appreciation of support from San Diego County residents, Mingei International Museum is participating in Residents Free Tuesday. Free admission is available for all San Diego County residents including: Students at local colleges and universities (must show ID), active duty military (must show ID) and part-time residents / vacation home owners (does not include time share owners) Mingei International is set in lush surroundings near 17 other museums. Obtain information about Balboa Park and other cultural attractions by visiting the Balboa Park website. Admission $10.00 - Adults $7.00 – Seniors (age 62+), youth (6-17), students with ID and military with ID $7.00 - Group Tour Rates (10 or more) Free - Members and children under 6
