The Museum of Contemporary Art-La Jolla Review

A recent trip to San Deigo, California and a day in La Jolla (first the Birch Aquarium then the La Jolla Brewhouse) left us with still a little time to kill as well as a free ticket to go to the La Jolla Branch of The Contemporary Art Museum of San Diego.  Free tickets you ask? Yes, free tickets, we were using the San Diego Go Card trying to get as many things in as we could to make the purchase worth the price. 

After circling the street a few times because the GPS system wasn't speaking in English, we finally located the museum and parked on the street. A short walk up we try to find a way to enter the Contemporary Art Museum, but apparently even the entrance has to be "contemporary" and almost impossible to find. If you visit there it is hidden back behind the bushes, to the left of the bistro style outdoor seating of the restaurant. 

Entering we discover that if you are under 25 or are a student you get in free. Of course without giving my age away that doesn't apply to myself or my husband, but that's Ok, we had our go card. 

A great big atrium of sorts welcomes you, and at the back wall a giant hammer hanging from strings from the ceiling.  It was made of woolen mittens, hats, scarves and pieces.  Entering one section we encounter etchings in pencil that appear to be the same drawing over an over again - of a light bulb. 

We turn down a hallway and now here is something my husband can get excited about. A whole exhibit devoted to the labels of beer bottles. Excitement brightens his face, maybe this won't be so bad after all. 

Other exhibits included watching different types of black and white pendulums swinging back and forth, claymation video, sculptures and then my personal favorite was actual a contrast in life, with still life photography Hispanic in nature.  The pictures were striking, however, in some instances it seemed the tragic appearance was almost contrived. 

Outdoor exhibits are interesting, my personal favorite a sculpture of canoe's bound together and hoasted way up in the air and attached to a pole. 

By the way, you can't take pictures inside the museum, something that wasn't posted or told to me, until I took a picture of the giant hammer and was told very loudly through this echoing chamber that pictures were not permitted. 

The view from the second floor of the beach and ocean is phenomenal and while it may not be the type of art that interests everyone, it was fun to do as well as to expose the children to all different forms of art. 

Overall, it was fun. But if you are not a fan of contemporary art if you have seen one giant hammer made of wool, you've  seen them all.