Welcome Back Sundays with free admission through May 31

(Sacramento, CA, March 25, 2021) – The Crocker Art Museum is delighted to announce its public reopening on Thursday, April 8. The Crocker first closed on March 17, 2020, and was briefly open October 16 - November 14.

“We are eager to welcome the community back to the Crocker for new joyful, thought-provoking, and engaging art experiences. I believe now more than ever that art has an enduring ability to bring comfort, respite, joy, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and one another,” said Lial A. Jones, the Museum’s Mort and Marcy Friedman Director & CEO. “The safety of our staff and visitors remains our greatest concern, and we are exercising caution through new health protocols and visitor limits, ensuring a safe environment for all.”

The 150,000 square-foot museum will be open four days a week, Thursday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. To help ensure health and comfort, entry will be by timed ticket. Tickets are available at crockerart.org or by calling 916.808.1184.

Each Sunday, beginning April 11 through May 31, is Welcome Back Sundays with free admission, sponsored by Western Health Advantage. Reservations are required. Visitor entry will be by timed ticket. Tickets are available here or by calling 916.808.1184.

The Museum has developed new protocols and safety procedures for its staff and visitors, following guidelines issued by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the State of California, and Sacramento County. Measures include:

  • Limiting the number of visitors to 25 percent of the Museum’s maximum capacity
  • Implementing advance ticket reservations
  • Enhancing cleaning procedures
  • Requiring visitors and staff to wear face coverings

As advised by the CDC, masks are required for all guests over the age of two, including those who are fully or partially vaccinated.

Visitors can download the Museum’s map before visiting, as printed materials will be limited. A complete list of guidelines plus ticket reservations is available on the Crocker’s website (crockerart.org).

When the Museum opens, four new exhibitions will be unveiled:

Legends from Los Angeles: Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar in the Crocker Collection (through August 15), the exhibition explores transformation, empowerment, and the reuse of historical objects which characterize Betye Saar's work as well as her two daughters, Lezley Saar and Alison Saar. Each artist has a distinct style and works in different media, yet they are concerned with similar subject matter: race, grief, disaster, mythology, hope, and family.

Country, City, and Sea: Dutch Romantic and Hague School Paintings from the Beekhuis Gift, (through May 2) an exhibition featuring the unique towns, landscape, and shoreline of the Netherlands, which have inspired artists for centuries. Dutch artists including Jacob Maris, Hendrik Mesdag, and Jozef Israels, all admired by Vincent Van Gough, are just a few of the featured 19th century artists in the exhibition who were inspired by the by the techniques and subjects of the Dutch Golden Age, giving way in the 1860s to a direct, tonal style that was nature-based and favored by the Hague School.

Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchings with works by her mother Pablita Velarde, and daughter, Margarete Bagshaw (through May 16). This exhibition examines the artworks of Helen Hardin, a trailblazer for Native American women artists wishing to break free from tradition. Accompanied by the work of her mother, Pablita Velarde, who also departed from convention (pottery-making) to paint narratives of pueblo life, and her daughter Margarete Bagshaw whose vibrant, abstract paintings feature Native American iconography and push beyond the limits of previous generations to create art recognizably her own.

The Edge of Elegance: Porcelains by Elsa Rady (through November 1) is an introduction to Rady and a focused look at the evolution of her work, exploring her transition from creating functional objects to the elegant, nonfunctional pieces she is best known for today. Rady’s insistence on the refinement of color, shape, and surface pushes the boundaries of what is craft and what is sculpture, which in turn has made her porcelains icons of design.

The Museum will continue robust virtual offerings on its website, and social media channels; new socially distant, in-person programs, events, and activities will be introduced in the coming weeks. A continually updated schedule of programs and events is available on the Museum’s website.

MEDIA CONTACT
Kat Haro
nterim Director of Communications, Crocker Art Museum
(916) 808-1963
communications@crockerart.org

NOTE: Due to COVID-19, we have made temporary changes to our operating hours. For the most up-to-date information click HERE.

About the Crocker
The Crocker brings people together and connects them in unexpected ways with art, ideas, each other and the world around them. Founded as a public/private partnership in 1885, the Crocker features the world’s foremost display of California art and is renowned for its holdings of master drawings and international ceramics, as well as European, Asian, African, and Oceanic art. The Crocker serves as the primary regional resource for the study and appreciation of fine art and offers a diverse spectrum of exhibitions, events, and programs to deepen visitor’s understanding of art, including films, concerts, studio classes, lectures, and an array of activities for families and children. More information about exhibits and programs can be found at crockerart.org