Closed for more than a year, the cultural institution is entering the final phase of construction.
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Jennifer Van Grove
December 4, 2019
In the middle of a major transformation, Balboa Park’s currently closed Mingei International Museum is now set to reopen early in 2021, as delays and project additions have boosted the budget and doubled the construction time frame.
Wednesday, Rob Sidner, the institution’s executive director, announced at a press conference that the museum’s board of trustees had approved moving forward with the final phase of construction. To date, he said, Mingei has secured 70 percent of funds for the now $52 million project — or more than $37.5 million — from over 300 donors, including lead gifts from Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies and Frances Hamilton White.
“Today we are here to mark a milestone in our museum’s transformation,” Sidner said. “This physical renovation will allows the museum to carry out its mission in meaningful new ways. Since its founding over 40 years ago, Mingei has always shared and celebrated art of the people. soon it will have a newly designed space for all of the people.”
In September 2018, the institution shut its doors for what was supposed to be a yearlong makeover, temporarily moving its coffee bar and shop to Liberty Station. The Balboa Park space has since been gutted in preparation for the Mingei’s next chapter as a partially free gathering place for people of all ages and interests.
Read the full article at The San Diego Union-Tribune.
