FAQs

Rights and Reproduction requests for scholarly, educational or similar use, are accepted in writing by U.S. mail. Please do not send requests via fax or email. Your written request may be sent to: Rights & Reproduction, Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814. More information can be found under Terms of Use. If your interest is personal, please contact the Museum Store for authorized fine art reproductions.

The Crocker Art Museum acquires objects appropriate for its collections through gift, bequest, and purchase.

There are over 25,000 objects in the collection. Objects and collections are rotated frequently through the Museum's active exhibition program.

The Crocker Art Museum Foundation (CAMF), a subsidiary of CAMA, was established in the 1980s to manage endowment funds to provide a reasonably stable and predictable stream of income to CAMA.

The Crocker Art Museum Association (CAMA) is a private, nonprofit public benefit corporation exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. CAMA shares governance of the Crocker Art Museum with the City of Sacramento.

The Crocker is funded through a combination of public support (55 – 60%), earned income (25 – 30%), income from investments and endowment (4 – 7%), income from programs (3 – 7%), and a general fund allocation from the City of Sacramento (20 – 23%). Public support is provided through gifts from individuals; corporate, foundation, and governmental grants; Museum support groups; memberships and fundraising events. Earned income is derived from admissions, Museum Store sales, and facility use and food service revenue. Investment income is derived from a draw on earnings of the Endowment and interest on cash reserves.

The Crocker Art Museum is a public-private partnership established in May 1885 by a Deed of Gift from Margaret Crocker to the City of Sacramento. The Deed gave joint and equal control and management of the property known as the "E. B. Crocker Art Gallery" to the Mayor of the City of Sacramento and California Museum Association (today the Crocker Art Museum Association) as co-trustees.

Exhibitions organized or hosted by the Museum are typically scheduled three years in advance. Selection is based on a variety of criteria. Curators routinely review slides or CDs of work by contemporary artists. To share your work, please send materials by mail and include a self-addressed and stamped envelope, if you wish for your materials returned. Send materials and SASE to the Curatorial Assistant, Crocker Art Museum, 216 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

The Museum was known as the E. B. Crocker Art Gallery until 1978, when it was renamed the Crocker Art Museum. In late Victorian times, the word "gallery" described a series of large, public rooms in which art was displayed. In contemporary usage "gallery" generally refers to a place that sells art, or that has a small, or particularly focused collection. Currently, the word "museum" is more suited to a large, public institution where art of various periods can be experienced. So today, "museum" better expresses the mission for which the Crocker was founded.

The history and vision of the Crocker Art Museum is rooted in the lives of its founders, Judge Edwin Bryant Crocker and Margaret Rhodes Crocker. You can click on our About page to learn more about the family.

The Crocker is able to offer two guest passes or one free family pass as a donation for raffles, fundraisers, and other events. We are not able to donate membership, space rentals, or other services. To request a donation from the Museum, please fill out our Donation Request Form at crockerart.org/donations

The Curatorial Department aims to stay aware of current works being produced in and out of our region, and welcomes submissions from artists. However, due to the large volume of submissions, we often cannot respond individually. Should the curatorial staff determine that the submission is appropriate to a program or exhibition we will contact you. Suggested materials for submissions include printed or digital images of the work, an image list including title, date, medium, and dimensions, a resume or curriculum vitae, and a self-addressed stamped envelope if you wish for your materials to be returned. Email your submission to curatorial@crockerart.org, or mail your materials to the Crocker Art Museum, Curatorial Department, 216 O Street, Sacramento, CA 95814.

AskArt.com includes many of the biographies from the Museum's publication, Artists in California, 1786-1940, on their site. The Gerald Hansen Library, located in the Education Center on the first floor of the Museum, is a non-circulating library that serves as a research resource for the Museum's many collections. During select hours, visitors are welcome to browse the shelves to find information related to our permanent installations and temporary exhibitions. The librarian is available to assist you. For more information, please call 916.808.8856. Library Hours: Tuesday and Wednesday, 11 AM - 3 PM Saturdays, by appointment

The Museum does not provide conservation services. If you are interested in having a work of art appraised or conserved, we suggest that you consult a reputable art dealer, appraiser, auction house or conservator. Click here for a suggested list of appraisers and conservators.

The Crocker is not currently booking events or photoshoots. We hope to bring back this offering in the future. Unscheduled photoshoots are not permitted. Visitors conducting formal photography or with professional photo equipment in the building may be asked to leave. Flash photography as well as the use of tripods and video equipment is not permitted without approval from the Museum's Marketing Department.

Guest passes can be redeemed at the door, but entry times are not guaranteed. To guarantee an entry time, please contact us three business days in advance of your visit at customerservice@crockerart.org.

The Crocker Café and Museum Store are open to the public. You may access either location on the first floor without purchasing admission but must check in at the admission desk.

Yes, you may request one upon entry.

The Crocker loves photography! With some exceptions, personal photography of artwork in the Museum’s permanent collection is allowed; however, flash, tripods, or video equipment are not permitted without permission from our Marketing Department. Due to the sensitive nature of the art, photography of works on paper is not permitted. Photography of special exhibits or loaned works of art is sometimes not allowed due to copyright restrictions. In those instances, posted signs will let you know that photography is not allowed. It is best to ask a security officer or visitors services representative at the admission desk about which works may be photographed. Professional photographers or those with professional equipment must receive approval prior to photography in or around the Crocker Art Museum, and must be accompanied by a member of the Museum staff. Photoshoots, including those for weddings, formal dances, and families, are allowed only when scheduled in advance and attended by a Museum staff member. The Museum is not scheduling new photoshoots at this time. Printed or electronic images for either publication (including electronic publication) or commercial use must be approved by the Museum prior to photography.

To help us keep the art safe, we ask that you keep food, drinks, gum, umbrellas, backpacks (including backpack baby carriers) and ink pens out of the galleries. A self-serve, coin-operated coat and parcel check is located on the first floor. Strollers, chest-carried baby packs, and pencils are permitted.

Private events are currently suspended.