SAN DIEGO, CA.- On March 30, Centro Cultural Tijuana (CECUT) will open the largest exhibition to date of Mingei International Museum’s permanent collection. Titled MINGEI – The Beauty of Use, the exhibition will feature 500 objects installed in the El Cubo International Gallery at CECUT, on view until July 22nd.

“This exhibition showcases objects that are among the highest expressions of human creativity arising from daily life in cultures around the world,” said Mingei director Rob Sidner, who is also the curator of the exhibition. “We have partnered with CECUT to bring Mexican artwork here to Mingei, and now we are honored to have the opportunity to mount a truly international exhibition across the border.”

MINGEI – The Beauty of Use will capture and present the essence of the Museum’s collection, which now includes over 21,000 objects from 141 countries. Visitors will begin the experience seeing objects both old and contemporary from the U.S., followed by objects from Mexico and Central and South America. The exhibition then covers Europe and the nations of Africa. Objects from the Middle East and Central Asia follow, many of which are expressive of the dominant Islamic cultures of these regions. Hindu culture influences several of the highlights from India, followed by Buddhist inspired objects from Tibet. Treasures from China and Korea ensue, and the exhibition moves out to Indonesia and Oceania before ending with Japan, where the word and movement that is mingei (art of the people) took root.

Mingei and CECUT previously partnered on the 2010 Mingei exhibition Viva Mexico - Heroes and Artisans, which featured a selection of artwork from CECUT’s permanent collection. This new exhibition is part of the celebration festivities planned to commemorate CECUT’s 30th Anniversary. MINGEI – The Beauty of Use is the first international exhibition of items from Mingei’s permanent collection.