Art exhibits, museums have much to offer

By ALLISON BETHUREM

Not big on the typical college scene? Fresno has some alternate forms of entertainment in Fresno.

The Fresno Metropolitan Museum is one of the top museums in Fresno.

The Met offers art seekers the chance to see pieces that have been placed in some of the most famous museums throughout the world.

With three levels of various exhibits, the best thing to do is grab a map and make the most of a day at the museum.

The Fresno Met has a few permanent exhibits.

One of the most well-known is an area dedicated to writer William Saroyan, who was born and raised in Fresno.

room features Saroyan’s original typewriter and an Academy Award he won for writing the movie “The Human Comedy.”

Two major exhibits showcased at the Met, which will be leaving shortly, are collections of Georgia O’ Keeffe and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec.

The Met has more than 30 paintings and a few drawings in Visions of the Sublime, artwork created by O’Keeffe.

Her captivating paintings capture the beauty and life of flowers and landscapes throughout Texas and New Mexico.

Her artwork is filled with visual symbols and has created a way for everyone to look closer at their surroundings and see the hidden beauty.

Toulouse-Lautrec: Artist of Montmartre is an exhibit that has more than 40 works by Toulouse-Lautrec.

Toulouse-Lautrec is best known for his prints and lithograph posters, which were shown throughout Paris in the late 1800s.

Moulin Rouge-La Goulue is one of his most famous pieces, and was the inspiration for the various films made about his life and the Moulin Rouge he visited so often.

The Fresno Metropolitan Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Admission is $7 for general and $5 for seniors and students.

The museum is a part of Fresno’s Art Hop, and admission is free on the first Thursday of every month from 5-8 p.m.

Arte Americas is another local museum rich with culture and brings out the life and creativity of Latinos.

“Our main focus is the art of the Americas,” said Nancy Marquez, program director. “We have pieces that represent Mexico, Latin America, the Southeast and some of California.”

The museum is filled with visual art ranging from folk art to photography.

Current exhibits include a folk exhibit detailing Día de Los Muertos, or Day of the Dead.

“This is a very strong and traditional exhibit,” Marquez said. “We brought in some local artists and some touring pieces.”

The Arte Americas museum has four galleries that change every two months. With such a rapid change, it is best to see the exhibits as soon as possible, before they move to the next museum.

This museum offers classes and workshops throughout the year to get everyone’s creative energy flowing.

An additional highlight are concerts held at the museum on Friday nights from May to October, where Mexican musicians from the area perform. Tickets for the concerts range from $5 to $7.

Arte Americas is open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.

Admission is $3 for adults and $2 for seniors and students.

Admission is free for the Art Hop, held on the first Thursday of every month from 5p.m. to 8p.m.

The Fresno Art Museum is a place to go to see new art work, frequently.

The museum changes its exhibits five times a year and every exhibit is changed at the same time.

“We go through about 22 to 26 artists a year,” said Carlos Martinez, executive director. “About 25 percent of them are local, and the rest are from throughout California and range from modern to contemporary art.”

Currently showcased at the museum is Botanical Intervention, a group of work by Olga Seem.

This exhibit shows observation of the botanical world and Seem’s fascination with the beauty in certain plant species.

Another exhibit is filled with mixed media creations by Christopher Fields.

He uses layers of crayons to create one-of-a-kind art work. He rubs, scrapes and scratches the layers to form translucent images.

Art Under the Stars is an event the museum hosts every two months from 6:30 p.m. to 11 p.m.

This event features music, dance and poetry performances and turns the museum into a social event for the youth.

“The art under the stars is more appealing to the younger crowds,” Martinez said. “We give tours of the galleries, there are the performances, and in one part of the museum we have a DJ.”

The Fresno Art Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The museum is open until 8 p.m. on Thursdays and is a part of the Art Hop. Admission is $4 for general and $2 for students and seniors.

The Art Under the Stars admission fee is $10 for non-members and $5 for members.

When a class is unexpectedly canceled and the rain is pouring down, a nice place to stay warm and dry are the three galleries on campus.

The Phebe Conley Gallery in the Art Building, the president’s gallery in the Thomas Administration Building and the dean’s gallery in the Music Building are galleries that showcase artwork by students and professors.

The Art Building always flourishes with imagination and creativity, and the Phebe Conley gallery gives students on campus a chance to see the work of their fellow students.

From November to December, the gallery will host graduate exhibitions. The gallery is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

In the Thomas Administration Building, paintings, drawings and various types of other artwork line the walls leading to various offices. This is the president’s gallery.

It is not one of the largest galleries, however size does not matter, especially when it comes to art.

Every month this gallery is changed to show new pieces by a new artist, sometimes even Fresno State professors who paint and draw as a hobby.

Finally, placed at the end of a hallway in the Music Building is the dean’s gallery.

Framed artwork can be seen from the distance, though the music pouring out from each classroom can be a distraction.

Take a few minutes after class and stop in. November will showcase student painting and December will have student prints.

Show support for classmates and professors and look at their artistic expressions, for free. The dean’s gallery and the president’s gallery are open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.