Crocker Art Museum

125,000-Square-Foot Teel Family Pavilion Triples Museum's Size and Significantly Enhances Public Programming

A Sacramento centerpiece and first gallery of the early 1870s, the Crocker Art Museum recently completed construction of a 125,000-square-foot expansion designed by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates Architects (GSAA). As of October 10, 2010, the public will enter Teel Family Pavilion and experience triple the Museum’s current size. Crocker Art Museum expansion compliments the 125-year-old Museum’s historic integrity, which includes a Western first in a purpose-built art museum in the United States.  Extensive new galleries for temporary exhibitions and the display of the Crocker’s permanent collection, the Teel Family Pavilion will include educational and art studio space, an resource center, space for participatory arts for children and adults, an expanded library, and  new student exhibition space. The Anne and Malcolm McHenry Works on Paper Study Center will greatly improve access for visiting scholars and students studying the Crocker’s outstanding master drawings collection. New amenities, including a 260-seat auditorium, a café with indoor and outdoor seating, and a redesigned Crocker Art Museum Store, are also added. The first floor will be open to the public free of charge and free Wi-Fi will be available.

CONTINUING EXHIBITION
“Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey”
Through May 6, 2012
Edgar Payne captured the vigor of the Sierra Nevada, the Desert Southwest, the towering peaks of the Alps, and the colorful harbors of France and Italy. Nearly 100 paintings and drawings trace the artistic development of this gifted “plein-air” artist.
 
 
OPENING EXHIBITIONS
Florence and the Baroque: Paintings from the Haukohl Family Collection
THROUGH FEBRUARY 12, 2012
In the 17th century, Florentine artists created a newly reformed Baroque style characterized by the portrayal of intense emotion, saturated color, and refined brushwork, which brought drama to mythologies, biblical subjects, and devotional works. This exhibition, drawn from the largest collection of Florentine Baroque painting in the United States, features works by key artists such as Cesare Dandini, Jacopo da Empoli, and Francesco Furini. From the brooding drama of Furini’s “Poetry” to the colorful exuberance of Giovanni Domenico Ferretti’s “Harlequin and his Lady,” this exhibition reveals the many facets of Baroque Florence.
 
The Art of Disegno: Italian Prints and Drawings from the Georgia Museum of Art
THROUGH FEBRUARY 12, 2012
“Disegno,” or the ideal expression of form through line, was central to Italian art for more than three centuries. In Italian art especially, drawing formed the basis for every form of visual expression in the 16th through 18th centuries, from printmaking to painting to sculpture. This exhibition, drawn from the collections of the Georgia Museum of Art and Giuliano Ceseri, explores the variety and beauty of Italian draughtsmanship through drawings and prints by artists such as Stefano della Bella, Giambattista Piranesi, Domenico Campagnola, and Ciro Ferri.
 
Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey
FEBRUARY 11 – MAY 6, 2012
One of the most gifted of California’s early plein-air artists, Edgar Payne utilized the brushwork and colors of Impressionism, yet his powerful landscape paintings departed from the genteel refinement of most Impressionist painters. Payne’s works are imbued with an internal force and active dynamism achieved through majestic, vital landscape subjects. This exhibition of more than 80 signature paintings and drawings, as well as additional objects from the artist’s studio, traces Payne’s artistic development as he traveled the world in search of magnificent settings: the Southern and Central California coast, the Sierra, the Swiss Alps, the harbors and waterways of France and Italy, and the desert Southwest. The Crocker’s Chief Curator and Associate Director, Scott A. Shields, Ph.D., curated this exhibition, which was organized by the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and is the lead author for the exhibition catalogue.

Surveying Judy Chicago: 1970–2010
MARCH 3 – MAY 13, 2012
A seminal figure in contemporary American art, artist and feminist Judy Chicago produces thought-provoking, passionate, and at times controversial work. Unrestrained by medium, her work traverses china and acrylic painting to cast glass, printmaking, and textiles. Her most famous project, “The Dinner Party,” 1974–79, catapulted her onto the international stage. Its initial display in San Francisco in 1979 drew enormous crowds and brought the power of women’s voices to the forefront of contemporary art. Chicago‘s career-long focus on making her voice and the voices of others heard continued in the “Birth Project,” 1980–85, the “Holocaust Project: From Darkness into Light,” 1985–1993 and “Resolutions: A Stitch in Time,” 1994–00. Diverse works culled from these projects comprise this survey of Chicago’s groundbreaking career.
 
Fishing Lines: Etching and Engraving from the Gary Widman Collection
MARCH 3 – MAY 13, 2012
From anglers on Rembrandt’s riverbanks to William Wegman’s scaly creatures, fish and fishing have inspired artists for centuries. This exhibition of works from a private collection explores the subject in 60 etchings and engravings from the 16th century to the present. Angling lore, scientific study, and often humor are brought together by a variety of printmakers. Through these images, the exhibition provides a fascinating history of etching and engraving.
 
Gong Yuebin: Site 2801
MARCH 10 – APRIL 29, 2012
Rife with physical hardship and persecution, Gong Yuebin’s childhood in rural China continues to inform his artistic vision to this day. In “Site 2801,” viewers are asked to confront an incongruous and satirical juxtaposition of humanity’s past and present. Two hundred terracotta warriors based on models of those commissioned by China’s first emperor, Qin Shi Huang, are displayed rank by rank, having been “unearthed” in a site that not only includes historical warriors, but also modern combat troops and nuclear missiles. Inherent in the display is the artist’s consternation about the apparent lack of progress in thousands of years of human evolution and empire building.

Red Hot and Blown: Contemporary Glass from the Crocker’s Collection
MARCH 17 – SEPTEMBER 23, 2012
This year more than 150 museums throughout the United States will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of America’s studio-glass movement, which began in 1962 in Toledo, Ohio. Since that time, glass has emerged as a rich and diverse form of creative expression with vessels, sculptures, and everything in between being blown, cast, assembled, and even painted. The Crocker’s exhibition includes all of these techniques, ranging from Marvin Lipofsky’s blown sculptures and vases from the 1960s to Dale Chihuly’s elaborate “Macchia Seaform Group” from the 1980s, to more recently acquired sculptural works by Therman Statom and Nancy Mee.
 
Mel Ramos: 50 Years of Superheroes, Nudes, and Other Pop Delights
JUNE 2 – OCTOBER 21, 2012
A Sacramento native and Sacramento State alumnus, internationally acclaimed Mel Ramos (born 1935) is one of the city’s most celebrated artists. This is the first survey of his work in his hometown and follows his recent solo exhibition at the Albertina in Vienna, Austria. This exhibition showcases each of the artist’s creative phases, including his Abstract Expressionist early works, his comic-book heroes from the 1960s, and the commercially inspired nudes that made him famous. The latter, which he started painting in the mid-1960s and continues to produce today, feature female figures wrapped lasciviously around giant Coca-Cola bottles, popping out of candy wrappers, and lounging on fresh fruit and a host of consumer products. The exhibition also includes examples from the artist’s series of art-historical tributes, in which he combines master works with sex appeal, as well as his lesser-known paintings of the California landscape and recent figurative sculptures.
 
Brought to Light: Masterworks of Photography from the Crocker Art Museum
JUNE 16 – SEPTEMBER 2, 2012
The first photography survey of the Museum’s collection in more than a decade, the exhibition showcases the history and artistic development of contemporary photography. “Brought to Light” features 30 works from the 19th through the 21st century. New acquisitions have quietly joined the core collection, illuminating historic figures, but also pointing to the future. With images by artists ranging from Peter Henry Emerson to Chris McCaw, the beauty of the medium and its embrace of aesthetic, social, and conceptual concerns moves from the darkroom to the digital in this exhibition.
 
A Chosen Path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes
JUNE 23 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2012
For more than 60 years, Karen Karnes has been at the forefront of the studio pottery movement. Her artistic output is recognized for its understated, quietly poetic surfaces and sublime biomorphic forms. From her dramatic salt-glazed pottery of the 1960s and ‘70s, to her most recent sculptural work, Karnes consistently has challenged herself, and in doing so transformed expectations of the vessel. She remains one of the medium’s most influential working makers and a mentor to several generations of studio potters. “A Chosen Path: The Ceramic Art of Karen Karnes,” her first major retrospective, will highlight 69 masterworks from this pioneering artist.
 
The Artist’s View: Landscape Drawings from the Crocker Art Museum
SEPTEMBER 22, 2012 – JANUARY 6, 2013
Featuring works by artists as diverse as Herman van Swanevelt and Camille Corot, this exhibition celebrates the beauty of landscape drawings from the major European schools. Spanning four centuries, this exhibition traces the historical context of landscapes from Dutch and Flemish works, including fine sheets by Anthonie van Waterloo and Willem van Bemmel, through 17th-century Italian and 19th-century German and French works. Works from 18th and 19th century Germany, which represent the height of landscape drawing and are one of the collection’s major strengths, will also be highlighted.
 
The Art of Nepal: Shiva and Buddha
OCTOBER 20, 2012 – JANUARY 27, 2013
The Newar people, who have inhabited Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley for centuries, are renowned for their skill as artisans, creating both Buddhist and Hindu sculptures, paintings, and architectural carvings. While Indian art inspired early Newari art, these artists developed a unique style that influenced both Tibetan and Chinese artists. This exhibition explores Newari art through paintings, ritual objects, and stone, wood, and bronze sculptures drawn from private California collections and the collection of the Crocker Art Museum. These 40 diverse works highlight the richness of Nepalese culture. A full-color catalogue featuring an essay by Nancy Tingley, Ph.D., adjunct curator at the Crocker Art Museum, will accompany the exhibition.
 
American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell
NOVEMBER 10, 2012 – FEBRUARY 3, 2013
This exhibition celebrates the full range of Norman Rockwell’s artwork, including rarely circulated works from the collection of the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. This presentation features 50 original oil paintings of some of his most famous illustrations, drawings, and war bond posters, and more than 300 covers that Rockwell created for the “Saturday Evening Post” over nearly five decades. In addition to the artworks on view, personal correspondence and archival photographs offer insight into the life of one of the country’s most beloved illustrators.

“American Chronicles: The Art of Norman Rockwell” has been organized by the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts.

An Opening of the Field: Jess, Robert Duncan, and Their Circle
MARCH 16 – JULY 17, 2013
The artist Jess Collins, known simply as Jess, and his partner, the poet Robert Duncan, were one of the most fascinating artistic couples of the 20th century. Soon after they met in 1950, they merged their personal and artistic lives to explore their interest in cultural mythologies, transformative narrative, and the appropriation of images. This is the first exhibition to explore both the couple’s artistic production and relationship. Through more than 100 individual and collaborative works of art and personal letters drawn from private and public collections, this exhibit also looks at their influence and unique position as precursors of Postmodernism. A companion catalogue includes an essay by William Breazeale, Ph.D., curator at the Crocker Art Museum.
 
The Epic and the Intimate:  French Drawings from the John D. Reilly Collection
JUNE 22 – SEPTEMBER 29, 2013
From its founding in 1648, the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture was the center of artistic activity in France. Through 60 drawings by artists such as Simon Vouet, Antoine Watteau, Jean-Baptiste Greuze, and Edgar Degas, this exhibition from the Snite Museum of Art at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, traces the formation, triumph, and reform of the Academy, leading to the École des Beaux-Arts as it is today. At the same time, the exhibit showcases the artistic process as guided by the Academy's principles, from the artist's first thoughts through compositional studies, figure drawings, and finished compositions.
 
Jules Tavernier: Artiste and Adventurer (Title Pending)
OCTOBER 19, 2013 – JANUARY 19, 2014
This is the first museum exhibition to survey the work of early California artist Jules Tavernier (1844–1889). Born in Paris and trained in France, Tavernier adapted his native country’s Barbizon aesthetic to scenes of the American West. This exhibit surveys the artist’s entire career through 100 paintings and works on paper, from his early transcontinental illustrations for “Harper’s Weekly” and paintings of Native American subjects to scenes of the San Francisco Bay Area and Monterey Peninsula, where he founded the local art colony in 1875. Also featured are the artist’s signature paintings of erupting volcanoes, which he painted in Hawaii before his untimely death at age 45. The exhibition is accompanied by a full-color catalogue—the first to feature Tavernier exclusively—and features an essay by Scott A. Shields, Ph.D., the Crocker’s chief curator and associate director.
 
 
CONCERTS, FILMS, TOURS, & SPECIAL EVENTS
Thursday, Mar. 1, 6 p.m.
Saturday, Mar. 10, 4 p.m.
Wednesday, Mar. 21, 12 p.m.
Thursday, Mar. 22, 6 p.m.
Crocker Currents Tours
Never the same tour twice, Crocker Currents Tour dives into the latest special exhibitions. Free with Museum admission.
 
Thursday, Mar. 1, 6:30 p.m.
Film Frame: “The Forgotten Space”
(2010, 112 minutes, Not Rated)
Take a rare look at present-day harbors in this award-winning documentary. Using historic film footage and the personal narratives of port city workers, renowned photographer Allan Sekula navigates the “forgotten space” of the globalized seas. Sekula will introduce the film and discuss his work after the screening. Space is limited. $6 Museum members, $12 nonmembers. College students and youth 17 and under receive $2 off. All prices include Museum admission. Purchase tickets at crockerartmuseum.org, the Museum Admission Desk, or by calling (916) 808-1182. Film Frame is part of the program series Thursdays ‘til 9.
 
Saturdays, Mar. 3, 10, 17, 24 & 31, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Highlight Tours
Discover the essence of the Crocker’s permanent collection in this general tour of the Museum. Free with Museum admission.
 
Sunday, Mar. 4, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Tour of the Month: Worlds of Women
Explore various aspects of the Crocker’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. Free with Museum admission.
 
Tuesday, Mar. 6, 12 p.m.
Lunch & Learn
Join us for an in-depth conversation about a single work of art. Participants are encouraged to enjoy lunch at the Cafe before or after the 30-minute gallery talk. Free with Museum admission.
 
Thursday, Mar. 8, 5-9 p.m.
Art Mix: Women’s Voices/Women’s Art
Celebrate Women’s History Month and the exhibition “Surveying Judy Chicago” with a screening of the film “Woman House Movie” (NR), introduced by feminist art pioneer and CSUS Professor Vicki Hall; collage-making with Tara Stiles; a series of TED talks on women’s issues by women, and spotlight talks on works by female artists in the Crocker’s collection. Enjoy live classical music by Curtis on Tour, presented in collaboration with the Mondavi Center, UC Davis. Free with Museum admission. Art Mix is part of the program series Thursdays ‘til 9.
 
Saturday, Mar. 10, 3:30 p.m.
Icons in Conversation: Judy Chicago
Join artist Judy Chicago for the dinner party conversation of the year. Chicago will discuss her influences and creative process with art critic Mark van Proyen. Space is limited and advance tickets are encouraged. $12 Museum members, $20 nonmembers. College students and youth 17 and under receive $2 off. All prices include Museum admission. Purchase tickets at crockerartmuseum.org, the Museum Admission Desk, or by calling (916) 808-1182.
 
Sunday, Mar. 11, 3 p.m.
Classical Concert: James D’León, Piano
James D’León will perform light-hearted orchestral music to complement the works on view in the exhibition “Edgar Payne: The Scenic Journey.” D’León has performed internationally and has appeared as a soloist with the Philadelphia Orchestra and the San Francisco Symphony. He will perform classical music along with “Night on Bald Mountain,” “Sorcerer's Apprentice,” “Dance Macabre,” and other selections. Space is limited. $6 Museum members, $12 nonmembers. College students and youth 17 and under receive $2 off. All prices include Museum admission. Purchase tickets at crockerartmuseum.org, the Museum Admission Desk, or by calling (916) 808-1182.  
 
Tuesday, Mar. 13, 10 a.m-4 p.m.
ASG Evaluation Day
The Art Service Group will sponsor an antique appraisal session focusing on prints with Arthur Prisco; paintings, lithographs, and antique maps with Charles Gray; glass pottery, china, and household items with Sylvia Fitzgerald; and Asian art and artifacts with Randy Abbott. Informal appraisals or verbal approximations of value are $10 per item or $45 for five items. Appointments are required. For an appointment, call (916) 808-7752.
 
Thursday, Mar. 15, 6:30 p.m.
Playlist: Citywater
Citywater creates an engaging, entertaining, and challenging concert experience that brings the newest chamber music to all audiences. Space is limited. $6 Museum members, $12 nonmembers. College students and youth 17 and under receive $2 off. All prices include Museum admission. Space is limited. Purchase tickets at crockerartmuseum.org, the Museum Admission Desk, or by calling (916) 808-1182. Playlist is part of the program series Thursdays ‘til 9.
 
Sunday, Mar. 18, 1-3 p.m.
“Youth Art Month: Preserving the Arts” Reception
A state-wide program presented by the California Art Education Association, Youth Art Month celebrates successful art education programs in this exciting and diverse showcase of student art work. The Museum is proud to serve as a venue for Sacramento-area schools and art organizations. Free admission.
 
Thursday, Mar. 22, 6:30 p.m.
Open Art: “Hatch”
Lorelei Bayne curates an evening of contemporary dance featuring new and in-progress works by Philip “Flick” Flickinger, Leandro Damasco, Melisa V. Cervantes, and other noted choreographers. The audience is invited to a post-performance conversation with the artists. Funded in part by the Arts Stabilization Program of the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission with support from the City and County of Sacramento. Space is limited. Free with Museum admission. Open Art is part of the program series Thursdays ‘til 9.
 
Saturday, Mar. 24, 10 a.m.
Open Docent Colloquium: “Fishing Lines”
Collector Gary Widman and curator William Breazeale, Ph. D., will discuss the exhibition ”Fishing Lines: Etching and Engraving from the Gary Widman Collection.” Anglers, collectors, and art enthusiasts will all enjoy this opportunity to participate in a Crocker Docent Colloquium. Space is limited. Free for Museum members, $12 for nonmembers. College students and youth 17 and under receive $2 off. All prices include Museum admission. Purchase tickets at crockerartmuseum.org, the Museum Admission Desk, or by calling (916) 808-1182.
 
Thursday, Mar. 29, 5:30 p.m.
Open Art: Curator Exchange
Join chief curator Scott A. Shields, Ph.D., and associate curator Diana L. Daniels in the galleries for fresh perspectives and fascinating insights into two Californian artists, Edgar Payne and Judy Chicago. Free with Museum admission. Open Art is part of the series Thursdays ‘til 9.
 
 
YOUTH & FAMILY PROGRAMS
Sunday, Mar. 4, 11:30 a.m.
Kids & Company Gallery Adventure
Wildly amusing and surprisingly educational, this brief tour is the perfect way to introduce art to children ages five and older (and the adults that tag along with them) in a fun and playful manner. Free with Museum admission.
 
Wednesdays, Mar. 7, 14, 21 & 28, 11 a.m.
Wee Wednesday
Bring your little one and yourself to this gallery-based activity for children ages three to five. Space is limited and is first-come, first-served. Visitors are encouraged to arrive when sign up begins at 10 a.m. at the Museum Admission Desk. Free with Museum admission.
 
Saturday, Mar. 10, 11 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Drop, Yak, Splat! Museum Fun for Families
Each month a new work of art provides the inspiration for a memorable art-making activity for families and children ages five to 12. Sign up begins one hour before the start time at the Museum Admission Desk. Free with Museum admission.
 
Tuesday, Mar. 13, 12-2 p.m.
Homeschool Day: Lucky Streak
Presented monthly for homeschool groups and individual families, these interactive arts programs are designed to support various aspects of the state content standards. On March 13, find rainbows, wishing wells, coins, and other symbols of good fortune in the galleries. Then try your luck at a game of chance. Recommended for students in kindergarten or higher. This Homeschool Day is open to all school groups. Admission is included. $2 per student in advance, $4 at the door. One chaperone is required for every five students and receives complimentary admission. Additional chaperones are $4 per person. To register, visit crockerartmuseum.org or call (916) 808-1182.
 
Tuesday, Mar. 20, 10:30 a.m. & 1 p.m.
Baby Loves Art
Children sing, move, groove, touch, and play while building key cognitive and motor skills. This program is for children from infancy to 36 months old and their caregivers. For registration and schedule details, call (916) 808-5499. Registration begins at 9 a.m. on the first day of the month. This registration process ensures equitable access to this very popular program. Free with Museum admission.
 

The Crocker Art Museum is located at 216 O Street in Downtown Sacramento. The Museum is closed to the public for renovation from June 7 through October 9, 2010. For more information, please call (916) 808-7000 or visit www.crockerartmuseum.org.