In 1869, banker and landowner Edwin Bryant Crocker and his wife Margaret Crocker began collecting paintings during a long trip to Europe. In 1885, as a widow, Margaret Crocker donated the family collection, whose value at the time was estimated at more to the city of Sacramento and the California Museum Association.

The museum was originally housed in the Edwin Crocker Mansion, which was built by local architect Seth Babson (1830-1908). He carried out special work to create a gallery in it, which was completed in 1872. This building is considered one of Babson’s finest works. Over the course of its existence, the museum has been rebuilt and added to. In 1989, it was thoroughly modernized. A major renovation of the museum by Gwathmey Siegel & Associates began in 2000 and ended in 2002. The finally renovated museum was opened on October 10, 2010. It included a new 125,000 square foot (11600 m²) building with a new education center with four art studios, faculty space, an expanded library, exhibition gallery, and auditorium, greatly expanding the functionality of the museum.

The post Crocker Art Museum appeared first on The Curator Gallery.