The Wende Museum was initially founded in 2002, and has been open in its current location since 2017. It’s always been in Culver City though, formerly located in an office park near Buckingham Parkway.
It’s a special place, with a source at the museum telling us that, “Embracing a spirit of continual transformation as part of its mission, the Wende aspires to reach beyond the conventional walls of a museum, placing equal value on international scholarship, community engagement, digital access, and wide-ranging experimentation. Founded in 2002, the Wende Museum holds one of the largest collections of art and artifacts from the Cold War era, which serves as a foundation for programs that illuminate political and cultural changes of the past, offer opportunities to make sense of a changing present, and inspire active participation in personal and social change for a better future.” The museum’s current exhibitions include Questionable History, Soviet Jewish Life: Bill Aron and Yevgeniy Fiks, and garden installations by Sichong Xie and Martin Roemers. “These shows are on view through March 20, 2022,” said the source. “The Wende Museum is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Admission is free, and reservations are not required but encouraged for parties of six or more. During the holiday period, the Wende Museum launched a new virtual tour, available to view at https://bit.ly/Wende-Museum-Virtual-Tour. “Presented via the 3-D platform Matterport, the tour allows for an immersive experience within the museum’s galleries and garden spaces.”
There will be new exhibitions in the spring and fall, marking the museum’s 20th anniversary. “In November, we look forward to commemorating this occasion with the Culver City community,” said the source. “2022 will also include the groundbreaking of the Creative Community Center where Culver City-based nonprofit organizations the Wende Museum, the Mayme A. Clayton Library and Museum, United States Veterans’ Artist Alliance, Upward Bound House, and the Artistic Freedom Initiative will activate this first-of-its-kind hub—which will combine cultural and educational programming—at 10858 Culver Boulevard.”
For more information, visit the website here: http://wendemuseum.org/about-us/visit.