Fresno Art Museum

Fresno reminds me of San Diego in the 70's. Driving into town I noticed lots of new housing replacing the farms. Traffic on the freeways looks like it's getting bad during rush hour.As we pulled into the museum parking lot I noticed some cool artworks outside. Inside there are several rooms and each has a different exhibit. I was excited to see The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Hokusai. It was lovely and there were a few other prints by Hokusai. In the room there were works by other artists from that period. The other exhibit I loved was the John Willheim exhibit.I liked how the exhibits were curated. Out in the inner courtyard were more artworks.The gift shop was nice but I wish they had t-shirts as that is my favorite souvenir when I go on trips. I did get a Great Wave magnet.

Entering the building we were greeted warmly by the person behind the counter. The air conditioner was working wonderfully. Putting a spring in my step.This Museum is filled with a variety of exhibitions sure to please people from all walks of life. A gift shop is located in the lobby.A well spent afternoon soaking in detailed descriptions, stories and art forms.

One of my favorite things that I get to do at work is facilitate an Expressions through Art Class once a week so all concepts of art interests me. I have passed by Radio Park many times, but have never stepped foot in Fresno Art Museum which is an absolute gem in Fresno's own backyard and for only $10 for adults and $7 for children or you can get a $75 yearly membership for your family. Owner let me know they change exhibits every 5 months. I am sad I missed the Andy Warhol Exhibit last year.I actually got interested in this museum from seeing my friend, Chiquita who I melt through Yelp, write a review on Yelp and post photos. Warning: It is right in Radio Park on First and Clinton so you have some transients around it. We also saw a car packed with items with a large note around it blaming a certain race for the cost of living. Maurice Sendak Exhibit- 5/5 When I worked on the children's department at my work, one of my favorite books to read to the children were Where The Wild Things Are. The entrance with the backdrop was neat. Every illustration had a story. I loved the 8 panels of Macbeth and the end where Maurice Sendak thought a child eating his card was the highest compliment. The boat and tree with Max's Wild Thing cut out was cool. The Magic and Flair of Mary Blair Exhibit- 5/5 I have been to Disneyland many times and I honestly don't remember Mary Blair. However, my husband was elated that there was a Mary Blair Exhibit. Mary Blair illustrated the concepts of Its A Small World, The Headless Horseman, Peter Pan, Dumbo, Alice in Wonderland and Cinderella. It's a must see. Growing An Artist by John Parra 5/5- We did not spend as much time here, but the illustrations were about a child growing up helping his dad with landscaping jobs in the central coast was neat. We got there at 3 and they closed at 4 so we missed the Martha Casanave photos, especially of Father Frost and the Snow Maidens. It's definitely a cool place to take your children or go on a date if you're looking for a calm and chill night that includes an educational purpose.

Time to Support local art and culture in Fresno! I was invited to attend the Opening Reception to view Wendy Maruyama's THE TAG PROJECT that was Executive Order 9066! She made the personal decision to really look at this sorry chapter in America history as a Japanese American! And as a fellow Japanese American (Sansei) I wanted to support this event that is not talked about or many fellow Americans even know about the sacrifices that Japanese Americans had to endure in the relocation camps!The New Exhibitions Opening on 7/27/2024 featured: Wendy Maruyama a second generation Japanese-American who has been making innovative woodwork for over 40 years.Charles Gaines who celebrated his 80th birthday and was a Professor of Arts at California State University, Fresno from 1969 to 1990 before moving on to become a faculty member at the California Institute of the Arts in Santa Clarita.Grace Lin and her illustrations,Byzantine Icons from the A.P. Stefanopoulos Collection celebrating 100 years of St. George Greek Orthodox Church of Fresno.This was a great exhibition of different artists and history of art! Please come support a local museum!!

Do yourself a favor and get on the mailing list to receive upcoming events and exhibits postcards/emails. Always at least one artist with a connection to Fresno and the greater Central Valley region. Wide range of materials (nature, metal, plastics), forms (books, murals, sculptures, paintings, digital) and time (BCE Americas to contemporary). Multiple exhibition rooms, hallways and outdoor areas have well lit displays and easy to read description cards. Outdoor park has cobblestone, dirt walkways, tables and benches. Find items from exhibits plus interesting toys, books, food and more in the gift shop.

This museum is pretty small compared to bigger cities. You can walk through in about an hour or less. They are always putting new art pieces up and switching out the exhibits. Right now they have really cool art work by Maurice Sendak. They also had some photography pics too. Definitely a great place for the family to visit.

Really enjoyed the Fresno Art Museum. Each little wing was for a different artist, and we saw a nice mix on display. I enjoyed the focus on the different people, different media types, and the lovely courtyard as well.It was a little chilly, which I understand helps with the art preservation but still - bring a jacket. It somehow felt a little empty, like the rooms were large but could have been fuller, but maybe the individual pieces were just a little small for the walls. It was still well worth it.The employees were delightful, and they were even serving cookies and cider in the main area for free. It was very nice art museum!

Do not waste your money coming here guys. This museum is tiny and it is garbage Don't waste your money trust me do not come here junk The artwork is just some dudes printing out pictures and then slapping it on the wall literally you'll be done in less than 15 minutes. It's dark and it's not worth the money do not bring your family it's a total waste of money. This museum is garbage it should be free or it should be only $2 admission at most. It's absolute junk don't waste any of your hard-earned money coming here. To add more to my experience the exhibitions are hot garbage. One of it is a children's book literally looks like somebody just ripped pages from children's book and slapped it on the wall. The other one is photos from the war and there is so little quantity of photos that it doesn't make any significance at all to the experience. The other exhibit is Japanese wood block art which was decent. Again this museum is totally a rip off. Do not come here people! Unless you're a senior citizen and you can get in for free. Also they're always seems to be a group of homeless people hanging out front on the side of the building.

We needed to kill some time before heading to our B&B so decided to stop at this art museum. It's small and you can go through it in about an hour. I enjoyed some of the dresses and some of the artwork.

Pleasantly surprised by the Museum. Just the right size for a 1-hour or so visit.The 4 small exhibits complemented each other is some aspect. Intentional? if so great idea. If not, great serendipity.The Mary Blair exhibit was a discovery of the colourful and creative work of a woman artist. Overall, the lighting in all the galleries open to the public was good, very little glare on the glass.Looking forward to new displays in 2024.