Things to do / Travel Guide
Address:1001 Kettner Blvd.
San Diego, California
Tel:
(619) 234-1001
Literally attached to the historic Santa Fe Train Depot, this state-of-the-art museum has a permanent collection much younger than its old time neighbor, with more than 4,000 works created after 1950. Though you'll find a range of medias and genres exhibited here, from painting, sculpture, and works on paper, to photography, film, and installation, the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego (MCASD) is best known for its minimalism and 1960s and 70s pop art, as well as conceptual art from the 60s. Its installation art, Latin American art, and art from California and the San Diego/Tijuana region of today are also quite impressive.
Visitors will have plenty to keep them busy here. Join one of the free tours are given on Thursday at 6pm, and weekends at 2pm, or stop by the Garden Gallery which is filled with sculptures and art installations. As you wander around, be sure to don your sunglasses to shield your eyes from the white stucco, which can be blinding when the sun is shining. The museum offers lectures and special events for adults and children, and the first Thursday evening of every month is a blast, with a music and arts program that's a blend of cocktail party, concert, and gallery opening.
The Museum Store has unusual gifts and books, great for souvenirs, or perhaps a friend's birthday, and the Café is the perfect place to refuel with a deli sandwich or a relaxing cappuccino. The MCASD Downtown is accessible via the San Diego Trolley's Blue and Orange lines, and by most Metro bus routes.
From Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Downtown - California:
The permanent collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, includes more than 3,000 works created after 1950, representing all media and genres: painting, sculpture, works on paper, photography, video, film, and installation. MCASD is known for collecting works by promising emerging artists and under-recognized mid-career artists, as well as by major figures in contemporary art. Among the greatest strengths of the MCASD Collection are minimalism and Pop art of the 1960s and 70s, conceptual art from the 1960s to the present, installation art, Latin American art, and art from California and the San Diego/Tijuana region. Many works in the collection are the result of artists' residencies or works commissioned for MCASD exhibitions. The Museum continually seeks to enhance its strengths and to expand the representation of artistic trends in its Collection in response to new developments in art locally, nationally, and internationally. At the same time, MCASD preserves, presents, documents, and interprets its holdings for current and future audiences.