Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego

Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego : The Michelin guide review

Established in 1941, San Diego's premier venue for contemporary art occupies Ellen Browning Scripps' remodeled and restored home (1916). Scripps commissioned architect Irving Gill to design the structure, which, like the other Gill-designed buildings surrounding it, simultaneously harks back to the mission era while anticipating the International Style. Gill's original design was largely obscured by renovation in 1960, but subsequent work by Venturi, Scott Brown and Associates (1996) restored the original facade while adding more gallery space. A sculpture garden is arrayed on the slope to the rear of the building, overlooking the ocean.The museum, a pioneer in the exhibition of installation art, rotates selections from its growing collection of paintings, sculptures, photographs and works in video and mixed media, with strengths in Minimalist and Conceptual art. The museum also showcases works by emerging California artists; John Baldessari, Chris Burden and Bruce Nauman are among the now-famed artists who have exhibited here. Selections from the permanent collection are frequently rotated between the La Jolla location and the museum's facility at America Plaza in downtown San Diego.