The Museum of Contemporary Art La Jolla has launched a free digital guide promising to revolutionize the visitor experience by offering unparalleled access to the museum’s vast collection and exhibitions.
Representing one of the most comprehensive guides on the platform, the Bloomberg Connects smartphone application is a digital resource designed to facilitate seamless navigation. The guide features a user-friendly way-finding component ensuring visitors can effortlessly explore MCASD La Jolla’s expansive galleries, sculpture garden, and other spaces in its La Jolla campus at 700 Prospect St.
“Rich with imagery and wayfinding, the digital guide will allow guests to chart their preferred experience through the museum, even if they are at home,” said Kathryn Kanjo, David C. Copley director and CEO of MCASD.
“It provides a trove of contextualizing material and photography that allow viewers to deepen their understanding of the work on view. The guide helps frame the vibrant narratives and transformative experiences offered by contemporary art, making it accessible to all.”
As cultural custodians, MCASD, which also has a downtown location at 1001 Kettner Blvd., recognizes the evolving role of museums in today’s communities. The museum’s commitment extends beyond preserving artworks. It encompasses fostering inclusive spaces where diverse audiences can engage deeply with art and ideas. The digital guide represents a critical step towards realizing this vision, ensuring that the vibrant narratives and transformative experiences offered by contemporary art are accessible to all.
Arturo Garcia-Sierra, MCASD marketing and communications manager, spoke about the value of the Bloomberg Connects smartphone application.
He noted noted all people have to do to use the app is first go to mcasd.org/digitalguide, the Apple Store, or Google Play to download it.
Garcia-Sierra added the museum also has auditory tools that allow guests to “hear more information about the artworks” on display, which he likened to having “a curator in your ear connecting you with more information that ties the works in that gallery together.”
The museum staffer noted the digital guide is free to use with museum general admission, and can actually be downloaded and used by people at home as well to “start exploring our collections, which is another exciting part of our program to provide (museum) access beyond our walls.”
One of the ideas behind the new museum app, said Garcia-Sierra, is the recognition that “contemporary art has the power to transform lives, that our mission goes beyond just showing artworks. It’s about creating inclusive spaces where audiences can engage with art and ideas. We want people to come in and make some type of connection with the art, for them to have that experience. This (app) adds another layer of support to the gallery. It’s like having a friend in your pocket.”
Boasting 5,600-plus works in its permanent collection spanning 1950 to the present, MCASD offers one of the most extensive collections in the region. The museum’s inaugural collection exhibition currently highlights this rich history, displaying works that have rarely been on view, including those by John Baldessari, Maren Hassinger, Larry Bell, Sam Gilliam, Yayoi Kusama, Robert Irwin, Kay Walkingstick, Helen Pashgian, Niki de Saint Phalle, and Marcos Ramírez ERRE, to name a few.
More than 200 permanent collection artworks are currently on view at MCASD La Jolla. The digital guide will serve as visitors’ dynamic companion in more than 20 permanent collection galleries, providing in-depth insights and multimedia content to enhance understanding and appreciation of contemporary art.
