The fantastical world of Clayton Bailey will transform the Crocker Art Museum for Art Mix: Funk Lab on Thursday, November 10, from 5 to 9 p.m. Inspired by Bailey’s robot sculptures and pop ray guns fashioned from discarded aluminum, the evening features a pop ray gun shooting range, dancing to sci-fi film soundtracks, a series of live-action trailers by Scavenger Theatre, and robotic inventions from the University of California, Davis, including iMobot. “Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders,” the first career-spanning retrospective featuring the work of the ceramist, sculptor, and self-proclaimed “mad scientist,” is currently on view at the Museum through January 15, 2012. Tickets for Funk

The Crocker Art Museum will embrace the eerie and capture the creepy with a specially curated night of retro horror short films inspired by the humorous and sometimes grotesque creations in “Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders.” Presented in collaboration with the Sacramento Horror Film Festival, Open Art: Monster Mashup will take place on Thursday, October 27, at 7 p.m. Horror fans will delight in unique shorts, such as “Night of the Hell Hampster,” “The Sleuth Incident,” “Cannibal Flesh Riot,” “Chainsaw Maid” and more. Festival founder and director Tim Meunier will introduce the films and lead a post-screening Q & A session. “Clayton Bailey’s World of Wonders” is the first career-spannin

Robots, created by self-proclaimed 'mad scientist' Clayton Bailey, are part of the "career spanning retrospective of 50 years of the work of contemporary sculptor Clayton Bailey". The exhibit opened Sat., October 23 and runs through January 15, 2012. Museum visitors will be delighted, tickled and surprised if yesterday's opening is an accurate indicator. Clay and metal, including his signature “exploding pots,” disarming robot sculptures, and ray guns, inspired by science fiction and fashioned from discarded aluminum, had visitors laughing and jumping as they wandered past over 150 displays. Bailey's alter-ego, Dr. George Gladstone,  showcases his pseudo-scientific discoveries, including p

The Crocker Art Museum opened the doors to a new 125,000-square foot expansion of the original museum on Oct. 10, 2010. One year later, the museum has seen record numbers in attendance and successfully brought the past and the present together in one work of architectural art. The original Victorian building that Margaret E. Crocker presented to the city of Sacramento in May 1885 has undergone numerous changes over the years, but none so dramatic as the $100 million, three-year project that visitors see now. “The original building was the high style contemporary architecture of the day when it was built,” said Lial A. Jones, executive director for the Crocker Art Museum. “So is the new a

The Brubeck Institute Jazz Quintet will bring their award-winning sound to the Crocker Art Museum on Thursday, Oct. 20. The Quintet will perform select works inspired by the exhibition “Gardens and Grandeur: Porcelains and Paintings by Franz A. Bischoff,” on view through October 23. The concert will take place in the Museum’s Setzer Foundation Auditorium at 7 p.m. The Quintet—comprised of Alec Watson, piano; Rane Roatta, tenor sax; Malachi Whitson, drums; Tree Palmedo, trumpet; and Bill Vonderhaar, bass—is the winner of numerous DownBeat awards, including the 2007, 2009, 2010, and 2011 awards for best collegiate jazz group in the country. The group has performed at the Monterey Jazz Festi

“A spiral is in every direction—it is without a beginning or an end.” – Richard Mayhew, artist   One can infer from Mayhew’s perspective that a spiral, in essence, is infinite. It knows no boundaries of time or space. It penetrates existence. However, he’s not strictly speaking about a concept found in physics, or existentialism. This is “heavy art,” a fusion of spirituality and intellect. It is an explanation of an inextricable link between art, creation and its existence. The Crocker Art Museum, in conjunction with Evolve the Gallery, featured artist Richard Mayhew for the museum’s “Icons In Conversation” program on Saturday. Mayhew was a member of the 1960s artist collective the Sp

The Art Service Group celebrated the 40th annual Art & Antiques Show & Sale, which benefits Sacramento's beautifully renovated Crocker Art Museum. Over 50 regional and national arts and antique dealers participated in the event Friday through Sunday in the historic Scottish Rite Center, which is known for its dedication to education, fellowship and charity. Dealers and volunteers from Sacramento County to Shingle Springs and Klamath Falls, Ore., join together to bond over their love of art and antiques and donate their time and efforts to participate in the three-day event. The $7 admission fee and proceeds from the silent auction will support the Crocker Art Museum. The silent auction w

The Crocker Art Museum and the Sacramento International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will co-present a screening of audience-favorite short films from past festivals at the Museum on Thursday, Oct. 6. The program will start at 7 p.m. and includes the following films: “Little Black Boot” (2003, USA, 17 min) by director Colette Burson – A modern Cinderella tale in which a high school girl dresses up as a boy for the prom and finds mutual attraction with the prom queen.   “Ryan's Life” (2004, USA, 24 min) by director Nick Wauters – Complications arise for high school student Ryan as he begins to wonder if he might be gay.   “Gódir Gestir,” or “Family Reunion,” (2006, Iceland, English subt

The Crocker Art Museum now hosts Thursdays ‘til 9. The event will feature four art experiences, Film Frame, Art Mix, Playlist and Open Art.     Open Art is the theme every fourth Thursday of the month and was the theme this past Thursday. Thursdays ‘til 9 featured “Licensing in the Digital Age,” held in the Cemo room with seventy plus attendees. Robert G. Pimm, Esq., Chief Learning Officer and Director of Legal Services at California Lawyers for the Arts led the workshop. Pimm spoke on industry standards, intellectual property rights and how these rights are bought, sold and optioned. Intellectual property copyrights are not just one right but five. They include the right to reproduce

The Crocker Art Museum and California Lawyers for the Arts will present “Licensing in the Digital Age” on Thursday, Sept. 22, at 7 p.m. Robert G. Pimm, chief learning officer and director of legal services at California Lawyers for the Arts, will discuss digital licensing and how intellectual property rights can be sold, retained, and optioned. A publishing industry specialist, Pimm has taught educational workshops for creative artists throughout California. He is the author of numerous books, chapters, and articles regarding the legal and business aspects of the creative arts, including articles regarding emerging technologies and digital industries. Pimm has earned degrees from Columbia

The Crocker Art Museum will present a French Impressionist-style Garden Party on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 5 to 9 p.m. Inspired by the exhibition “Landscapes from the Age of Impressionism,” the evening will feature Impressionist music, art activities, and more in the Museum’s picturesque E. Kendell Davis Courtyard. Guests can try their hand at “pétanque,” an outdoor game similar to horseshoes, or drawing “plein-air” style on studio easels. Artist Sarma Karsiere will lead drawing sessions and demonstrate Impressionist pastel techniques. Members of the Alliance Française de Sacramento, who are co-presenting the Garden Party, will also showcase poetry from the Impressionist era as well as ori

The Crocker Art Museum will host a screening of “Inventos: Hip Hop Cubano” on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. This documentary provides insight into the realities and politics of contemporary Cuba by following some of the pioneers of Cuban hip hop to their homes, the stage, and as they travel abroad for the first time. From 5:30-6:30 p.m., one of the film’s subjects, DJ Leydis, will perform live in Friedman Court. Tickets are $6 for Museum members and $12 for nonmembers. Presented in collaboration with Sol Collective, the film will be introduced by director Eli Jacobs-Fantauzzi, a graduate of Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, and will be followed by a Q & A. The screening is

The Crocker Art Museum will host a screening of “Sickert vs. Sargent: Britain’s Masters of Modern Art,” on Thursday, Aug. 25, at 6 p.m. A documentary profiling Walter Sickert and John Singer Sargent, this film details the fierce competition that raged between the artists and the legendary work that was created as a result of the rivalry. The film is free with Museum admission. “Sickert vs. Sargent” was written and directed by renowned British art critic Waldemar Januszczak. The film takes viewers on a journey through the life and art of two of the most influential artists in Britain, highlighting inspirational locations, and featuring their working studios. “Sickert vs. Sargent” also feat

Since 1998 “One Book” projects have connected people through literature by encouraging an entire community to read one book and share the experience through public readings and discussions. The Crocker Art Museum is expanding the idea by adding art to the mix. The Museum has selected “Strapless: John Singer Sargent and the Fall of Madame X” by Deborah Davis as the focal point of the Museum’s “One Book/Many Perspectives” project taking place this summer in conjunction with the Museum’s exhibition series “The Summer of Impressionism.” “Strapless” is the story behind John Singer Sargent’s infamous portrait of “Madame X,” in the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New Yo

  "From 2005 until the opening of the New Crocker, we (Jim and wife Karen) were preparing dozens and dozens of art works that had been either in storage or disrepair, bringing them back (to good shape) so that when the Museum opened they would have all of these pieces to display," explained Jim Alkons, art conservator, at the Crocker. "It was a very insightful thing for the Museum to do", he said. He praised the Crocker for doing a wonderful job because they anticipated the new building - the expansion, the opening - and being ready to display the many pieces they've had in storage. He says his experience has been that this foresight doesn't usually happen. It's an afterthought in lot

The Crocker Art Museum will host an outdoor screening of “The Wizard of Oz” on Thursday, Aug. 4, starting at 8 p.m. The film is $6 for Museum members and $12 for nonmembers and includes admission to the Museum. The screening will take place in the Museum’s E. Kendell Davis Courtyard, and visitors are welcome to bring lawn chairs. Filmed in Technicolor, a process known for high levels of saturated color, “The Wizard of Oz” brilliantly captured the technical and imaginative qualities of color in film in the 20th century. The screening is part of the Museum’s Thursdays ‘til 9 program series, sponsored by Bank of America. The Crocker is open every Thursday until 9 p.m. for film screenings, s

Yesterday the Crocker Art Museum installed two new outside sculptures. Placed in the courtyard is an untitled piece by Gerald Walburg. Folded Circle Cube and Disc, a fourteen-foot sculpture weighing 3,000 lbs. by artist Fletcher Benton, was Installed at the corner of O and 3rd Streets.  Benton’s work is included in the permanent collections of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C. The artist was awarded the International Sculpture Center’s award for Lifetime Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture in 2008. Folded Circle Cube and Disc was donated to the Museum by Frank and Lill Anderson

Crocker Art Museum has launched a Museum Guide and an Interactive Gallery for families. This morning Crocker Art Museum staff led kids and adults on a Story Trail. Featuring a captivating storybook, "Birdy's Museum Adventure" leads families on an adventure through the Museum to look, discuss and discover seven works of art. "Birdy's Museum Adventure" can be checked out at the Admission Desk to begin a fun exploration into the galleries with trail markers to lead the way. The kids were really engaged as we followed along. Our adventure concluded at Tot Land, a gallery devoted entirely to families. Located in the Museum's Education Center, the gallery is designed to encourage creativit

Artist Daniel Douke, whose paintings of computer boxes are so realistic they cause visitors to do double-takes, will give a talk at the Crocker Art Museum at 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 14. More than 20 of the artist’s paintings are on display in “Daniel Douke: Bytes of Reality,” which is on view at the Museum through July 17. Douke’s work involves the photorealistic depiction of manufactured packaging—merging painting with sculpture and challenging our assumptions about reality and artifice. By making these discarded boxes art, he gives them permanence and value. At first glance, Douke’s boxes appear to be simply found objects. A closer look reveals that these are paintings rendered in exq

Imagine how a rose bush might respond to the heart-racing effect of spicy food or the cleansing experience of an end-of meal “digestif,” and you will begin to understand Jonathan Keats’ “The Photosynthetic Restaurant,” a temporary art installment at the Crocker Art Museum and the topic of discussion at the museum’s most recent Lunch and Learn talk. Crocker representative Rika Nelson said that the point of Lunch and Learn, held every other Thursday at noon, is to “get people together to have a conversation about one selected work at a time” and to examine a piece’s “intricacies and details from the perspective of a visitor.” Nelson led Thursday’s 15-person group in a discussion of Keats’