dition to hosting individual shows that highlight practitioners of various art forms , the museum maintains a permanent collection that pays homage to everything from the old masters to pop art and impressionism , among others . Its contemporary artists include Wayne Thiebaud — whose work was featured in a recent show that celebrated his career and 100th birthday — and Roland Petersen , as well as the late Richard Diebenkorn , Joan Brown and Mel Ramos . Amanda Austin ( 1859-1917 ), one of Sacramento ’ s earliest notable painters , is featured , as are California landscape master Norton Bush ( 1834-1894 ) and the abstract expressionist Elmer Bischoff ( 1916-1991 ).
Lial Jones , director and CEO of the museum , says the Crockers compiled their collection “ from their love of art , not for profit and not to show off . They certainly didn ’ t need the money .” E . B . Crocker was already a successful attorney and had been a state Supreme Court justice ( 1863-64 ) when he was recruited by the Central Pacific Railroad to not only serve as its house counsel but , because of his civil engineering background and political skills , “ to pretty much run the whole business ,” says Jones . When illness prompted Crocker to retire in 1869 , Jones says Central Pacific gave him $ 1.8 million in
“ There were literally thousands of acquisitions made by the Crockers themselves — actually , 2,482 . They were often purchasing work by contemporary artists , both abroad and then in California .”
SCOTT A . SHIELDS Associate director and chief curator Crocker Art Museum
severance , the equivalent of more than $ 35 million today .
“ The Crockers wanted their museum to be a gathering place for California ’ s many communities ,” says Jones . “ When it opened , people came from all over the state to see it but also from all around the country .” President Ulysses S . Grant and Irish writer Oscar Wilde were among those who visited , Jones says .
Among the myths that swirl about the Crocker Art Museum is that the facility began as an addition to the Crockers ’ majestic home at Third and O streets , which was completed in 1872 . Contributing to this myth is the fact that the museum entrance Sacramentans were most familiar with on O Street — until the building ’ s extensive renovation , completed 11 years ago , moved the entrance — looked like the massive front doors of a Victorian mansion , much like the front doors of the home on Third Street .
That renovation , underwritten in large part by Mort and Marcy Friedman , tripled the museum ’ s size and added a 100,000-square-foot building that was designed by architect Charles Gwathmey . Gwathmey died before its completion , but his memory is kept alive by a group of former Crocker Art Museum Association board members , including Marcy Friedman , Linda Merksamer and Michael Dunlavey , who get together
In 1885 , Margaret Crocker donated the family home and gallery to the City of Sacramento , and the E . B . Crocker Gallery opened to the public . PHOTO COURTESY OF THE CROCKER ART MUSEUM
regularly to visit artists and exhibits throughout the region . They christened themselves the Gwathmey Gang .
The original museum ’ s Italianate design , in vogue at the time , was by Seth Babson ( 1830-1908 ), the Sacramento architect , who designed the Crocker family home . Babson also designed the family ’ s previous home , now known as the Leland Stanford Mansion , at Eighth and N streets . In 1978 , the Crocker won approval from the City of Sacramento to change its name from the E . B . Crocker Art Gallery to the Crocker Art Museum , “ which organizations like ours were doing across the country ,” Jones says . ( The Crocker is one of only 1,087 of the country ’ s estimated 33,000 museums that are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums .)
“ The word ‘ museum ’ reflects the fact that we exhibit art , we don ’ t sell it ,” says Shields . He laughs . “ If we could sell the works we have on even one floor of this place , we ’ d never have to accept a single donation again .”
Ed Goldman is a Sacramento writer . He wrote the Working Lunch column for Comstock ’ s for 15 years and a daily column for the Sacramento Business Journal for eight years . His thrice-weekly column , The Goldman State , is online at goldmanstate . com .
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