Nikigator by Niki de Saint Phalle
While we were recently in San Diego to participate in my brother's wedding, we had a chance to visit Balboa Park and my favorite museum there, the Mingei International Museum. If you go to Balboa Park while at NAEA next month, it is easy to find the Mingei because of the delightful and colorful artwork out front. These are two wonderful, huge sculptures by the French artist Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002).
Many of the artist's sculptures are made with mosaics.
This was taken on an earlier visit.
Mingei is a Japanese word for folk arts or arts of the people. The Museum features dynamic, changing exhibitions of folk art, craft, and design from all cultures of the world, displayed in six galleries.
Please Be Seated
Inside the Museum, there are several intriguing exhibits, including Please Be Seated, that displays over 100 objects that tell the story of seating across both cultures and times.
Of course, Niki de Saint Phalle is represented.
This artist makes furnishings for the House of Blues.
You can also access curriculum guides and search the collection here.
One of my favorites.
Don't miss this museum if you are in Balboa Park (you can take photos without flash and they have a fantastic museum store). You just might see me there!
You can also access curriculum guides and search the collection here.
Thank you! I will be in San Diego before the conference starts, and plan to spend all day Friday exploring. Balboa Park is definitely on my list (as well as a walk on beach, since I am utterly and completely tired of winter here in northern NY). I'm a HUGE fan of Niki de Saint Phalle and I've never actually seen a piece of her work other than in books and prints, so this now tops my list! Thank you thank you!!!
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