Fresno Art Museum
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Fresno Arts Center and Museum (until 1988)
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Former names | Fresno Arts Center (until 1985) Fresno Arts Center and Museum (until 1988) |
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| Established | 1948 |
| Location | 2233 N First St, Fresno, California, United States |
| Type | Art museum |
| Accreditation | American Association of Museums |
| Architects | David Horn |
| Website | www |
The Fresno Art Museum is an art museum in Fresno, California. The museum's collection includes contemporary art, modern art, Mexican and Mexican-American art, and Pre-Columbian sculpture.[1]
"The Fresno Art Museum offers a dynamic experience for appreciating art. The Museum welcomes, inspires, and educates a diverse regional audience through significant exhibitions, thought-provoking programs, and meaningful interactions with artists and the creative process."[2]
History
The museum traces its history back to the Fresno Art League, a group of local artists that was founded in 1948 and that gathered sufficient community support to incorporate as the Fresno Art Center in 1949.[3] The group established a permanent space to occupy in 1956. With help from Fresno Mayor Gordon Dunn, a historic three-story dwelling called the W. R. Price home was moved to city owned property called "Radio Park" north of downtown Fresno.[4] The city agreed to lease the land for $1 per year and maintains the building exterior and the grounds.[5]
The American Association of Museums granted the Art Center accreditation in 1973. The Museum has continued to maintain its accreditation, most recently being reaccredited in 2016.[2]
In 1985 the Board of Trustees changed the Center's name to Fresno Arts Center and Museum, and then again in 1988 to the Fresno Art Museum.[2] Robert Barrett, the museum's director and curator from 1980 to 1994, was the driving force behind the museum's expansion, collection growth, establishment of an endowment fund, growth in adult education through a partnership with Fresno City College, and even attempted to raise the museum and tourism in an initiative called "Arts to Zoo".[1][6]
The museum held a successful $2 million funding drive to add a 14,000 square feet (1,300 m2) outdoor gallery of sculptures. Construction began in June 2000.[7]
Permanent Collection
The Fresno Art Museum's permanent collection preserves and protects over 3,600 works. The main focus of the permanent collection and exhibitions is on modern and contemporary artworks (painting, sculpture, prints, photographs, and other media) from the 20th and 21st centuries, Mesoamerican artifacts from Mexico and the Andes, and modern and folk art of Mexican origin. The Permanent Collection includes works by Ansel Adams, Ruth Asawa, Salvador Dalí, Diego Rivera, Charles Gaines,[8] Robert Cremean,[9] Maynard Dixon, August Madrigal, Clement Renzi, Norman Rockwell, Varaz Samuelian, Andy Warhol, among others.[2]
