There is just something about wandering through an art gallery, pausing every now and then to closely scrutinize a painting, sculpture or other displayed artwork, that can make one feel like a card-carrying, contemplative member of civilization.
Starting tomorrow, April 8, you once again can indulge in such a civilized activity by visiting the Crocker Art Museum.
In person.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays, the city’s premier art museum (216 O St.) once again will welcome visitors, albeit by online reservation only and at no more than 25 percent capacity. Anyone who has passed her or his second birthday will have to wear a face covering, including people who have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus.
“We are eager to welcome the community back to the Crocker for new joyful, thought-provoking, and engaging art experiences,” says Lial A. Jones, the museum’s director and chief executive officer. “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.”
Non-members pay $12 (there are discounts for seniors, students, veterans and young children) and members $8. Through May 31, Sunday admission is free—although again, reservations are required.
Here are four new exhibits at the esteemed and stately downtown venue:
Legends from Los Angeles: Betye, Lezley, and Alison Saar in the Crocker Collection (through Aug. 15) “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.”
Country, City, and Sea: Dutch Romantic and Hague School Paintings from the Beekhuis Gift (through May 2) features “the unique towns, landscape, and shoreline of the Netherlands, which have inspired artists for centuries.”
Spirit Lines: Helen Hardin Etchings with works by her mother Pablita Velarde, and daughter, Margarete Bagshaw (through May 16) “examines the artworks of Helen Hardin, a trailblazer for Native American women artists wishing to break free from tradition.”
The Edge of Elegance: Porcelains by Elsa Rady (through Nov. 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.”
For more information, visit the museum’s website.
