Expanded Crocker Art Museum boasts contemporary architecture and more art

Posted by Sarah on Oct 6, 2010

125 years after its founding, Sacramento’s Crocker Art Museum is opening an expansion that triples its size and will allow "blockbuster" exhibitions to visit the state capital. A grand opening celebration takes place October 10.

The classic contemporary architecture of the new two-story atrium, courtyard and cafe, expanded temporary exhibition space, and state-of-the-art auditorium is designed to both highlight and contrast the museum’s centerpiece — the original 1872 gallery that has housed Crocker collections for more than a century.

One of the "finest examples of Victorian Italianate architecture in the United States," the original structure was, in its own time, equally classic and contemporary. The Sacramento Hostel, located one mile from the museum and built in 1885, features the same architectural style.

When the new Crocker opens October 10, it will display a much larger portion (20 percent compared to 4 percent) of its permanent holdings, which include a premier collection of California art, a world-renowned collection of master drawings, and growing collections of Asian art and ceramics from around the world.

In addition, three special exhibits will open:

Tomorrow’s Legacies: Gifts Celebrating the Next 125 Years
October 10 - January 9, 2011

During the museum’s 125th year, after opening a 125,000-square-foot expansion, this exhibit features 125 promised works of art that will someday become part of the Crocker permanent collection. The gifts include works that are historic, contemporary, traditional, and cutting edge — and give insight into the Crocker Art Museum’s next 125 years.

Wayne Thiebaud: Homecoming
October 10 - November 28

Sacramento’s most famous artist, Wayne Theibaud began his career in 1951 with a single-artist exhibit at the Crocker Art Museum. Now 90 years old, Theibaud returns to the museum with an exhibition spanning his career, featuring 75 drawings and paintings that showcase his skill in rendering the human form and California landscapes.

A Pioneering Collection: Master Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum
October 10 - February 6, 2011

The Crocker Art Museum claims to have the country’s "finest early collection of master drawings," and will feature 56 of them in this special exhibit. Featured works include artists Albrecht Durer, Fra Bartolommeo, Anthonie van Dyck, and Jean-Honore Fragonard.

Future exhibits and information on the museum’s expansion are detailed on the Crocker website.