Van D.
Yelp
Another museum adventure with my boyfriend. While it is hot, we are taking advantage of date opportunities where we can enjoy AC. The Bowers Museum is located in Santa Ana, CA and their motto is "Bringing the World to You".
They have a Paid Parking Lot ($6) and they also charge for Admission ($18/adult). We are not, but if you are a resident in the city of Santa Ana, you can visit on Sundays for Free! I think that's great, especially for the students.
We were welcomed at the entrance and given a sticker as the admission ticket proof while exploring. They have public tours held daily with groups, online digital guides or an audio tour for you to explore on your own. We preferred to explore on our own.
While we were walking around the museum had friendly staff who asked if we need questions or assistance and offering fun facts. The permanent collections they have are the Ceramics of Western Mexico, California Bounty, First Californians, California Legacies, Anthony W and Sharon D Thompson Foywe, Gemstone Carvings, Spirits and Headhunters and the Ancient Arts of China. During the time of our visit, they also have the 112th Annual Gold Medal Exhibition and Ubuhle Women Beadwork of Independence, and MIAO: Master of Silver.
My favorite was definitely the Ancient arts of China collection. Being Buddhist, a memorable piece for me was this large elephant tusk with Buddha and the 18 Arhats. I don't support or condone elephants being hunted for ivory or anything, but this was a technically well crafted stunning piece of art. I also liked the Ubuhle Women Beadwork of independence where they sewn these tiny beads into big portraits... Cows were a reoccurring figure that are sacred to their people. It was stunning and you can tell it was extremely laborious. I also enjoyed the Gemstone Carvings and California related exhibits. The Spirits of the Headhunters were a bit too dark for me, but I'm really delicate.
Considering we had to pay for parking and admission, I expected the museum to be better maintained. Some parts of the museum seem old and really in need of an upgrade. Even worse, there were some COBWEBS on the statue that was quite in the center of the room. I'm not sure how they missed that. Nevertheless still a nice visit and another fun cultural museum experience with my boyfriend.