Mingei International Museum Explores Our Connection to the Ocean in To Catch a Fish

Living in San Diego, the ocean is part of our everyday rhythm. From early morning surf checks to sunset walks along the coast, water shapes how we live. That’s exactly why Mingei International Museum’s upcoming exhibition, To Catch a Fish, feels especially meaningful for our region.

Opening this spring, the exhibition brings together more than 60 craft and art objects that explore the relationship between people and fish across cultures, centuries, and continents.

From Practical Tools to Powerful Symbolism

To Catch a Fish features handcrafted fishing tools alongside objects rich with spiritual and cultural meaning.

Expect to see:

• Handcrafted basketry fish traps, scrapers, weights, and nets
• Amulets, garments, and religious imagery
• Kites and symbolic objects tied to water lore

Fishing objects in the exhibition date back as far as 350 BC, including effigy fish scrapers from the La Tolita culture of Colombia and Ecuador, Indonesian reed shrimp traps, and exquisite Japanese glass fishing floats that once kept nets buoyant at sea.

With objects from more than 20 countries, the show presents fishing not just as survival, but as tradition, craftsmanship, and cultural identity.

Two Contemporary Installations You’ll Want to Spend Time With

The exhibition also features two standout contemporary installations that deepen the conversation around water, memory, and connection.

Artist Marianne Nicolson presents The Halibut Hooks, a large-scale light projection recreating a Kwakwaka’wakw painted house-front across the gallery wall. Hand-made halibut hooks hang from the ceiling, casting shadows that transform the space into a layered reflection on ocean life and spiritual connectedness.

Robert J. Lang’s Vertical Pond III: From the Ashes is equally powerful. The wall-mounted installation features origami koi folded from handmade paper that incorporates ashes from the artist’s studio and a previous work lost in the 2025 Los Angeles wildfires. It’s a striking meditation on loss, resilience, and renewal.

See you there!

We’ll be wandering the galleries, taking our time with the installations, and leaving with a renewed appreciation for the ocean that surrounds us every day.

📆 Saturday, May 2 – Sunday, November 1, 2026 | 10 AM – 5 PM
📍 1439 El Prado, San Diego
🎟️ Get tickets here
ℹ️ Visit their website here for more updates

See you there, San Diego!