American Art before 1945

The core collection of Californian art was assembled by Judge E. B. and Margaret Crocker in the early 1870s. The Museum continues to collect and display the work of California’s premier artists and seeks to present a comprehensive survey of art produced in and about California from statehood to contemporary times. The Museum also collects American art broadly from the 19th century to the present, especially that which provides a context for the Californian collection.