Fresno Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Fresno museums supplies classes

We are all about to dive deep into everything about art in Fresno and our opening section will fully cover the best art galleries and museums near you.

Up next we will discuss a variety of other topics like local art supply stores, events, festivals, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures and statues, art classes, studios for rent, and the top frame shops in your area.

If you are searching for any specific section you can jump straight to it by using the table of contents on the left and there will also be a Fresno art map with all of the various venues we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

We have written quite a few other posts on where to see all kinds of creative works in the Pacific Northwest that you can check out at that link if interested.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Fresno

If you want to visit the best art galleries and museums in Fresno you can go to:

The Fresno Art Museum is open from noon to 5pm on Thursday and Friday and from 10am to 5pm on weekends with over 3,600 works that are preserved and protected in the permanent collection. Modern and contemporary artworks including paintings, sculptures, prints, photographs, and other media from the 20th and 21st centuries, Pre-Columbian pieces from Mesoamerica and the Andes, and modern and folk art of Mexican origin are the main emphasis of the permanent collection and exhibitions. Ansel Adams, Ruth Asawa, Salvador Dali, Maynard Dixon, Patty Handley, August Madrigal, Robin Gay McCline, Robert Ogata, Pablo Picasso, and others are among the creators represented.

The Armenian Museum of Fresno opens at 10am on weekdays and was founded in 2003 as a non-profit organization by the Armenian Technology Group and is located in the University of California Center in Fresno (ATG). It hosts workshops, symposiums, shows, and rotating fine art exhibitions while also serving as a venue for the visual and performing arts including music and literature.

One of California’s major non-profit Latin cultural centers is Arte Américas which has been doing its thing since 1987. It is supported by The Fresno Arts Council which provides a wide range of cultural arts organizations, individual creators, regional initiatives, and diverse communities with financial support, services, and arts programming.

Spectrum Art Gallery is a charitable organization that works to advance photography as an art form through exhibitions and teaching but be warned they are only open Thursday through Sunday.

Studio 74 is an art gallery that is open from 1pm to 6pm Tuesday through Friday and until 4pm on Saturday and that is dedicated to providing a venue for rising artists to exhibit and sell their work. They have been showcasing local artists’ work for the past 15 years with one new piece added each month in addition to the gallery artists and craftspeople.

Housed in the Conley Art Building at California State University The Phebe Conley Art Gallery serves as a platform for students to display their creativity and you can check them out from 10am to 4pm Monday through Friday. There are four major exhibitions held each year as well as frequent displays by students earning master’s degrees in art and design in your area.

The Art Space Gallery is the City College’s principal art exhibition facility as well as an educational space for the fine arts program and a way to reach out to students and the wider community. They open at 10am Monday through Thursday and every year Art Space hosts a variety of exhibitions including shows by internationally and nationally recognized creators, local and rising artists, FCC teachers, and students.

Door Art Gallery is open from 10am to 2pm Saturday exhibiting works by local and regional artists. Pat Hunter and Janice Stevens who are co-owners of Gallery II live there and Pat’s paintings and art studio were showcased in the gallery’s early days.

Sorensen Studio And Galleries is open from 9am to 11:30am and 1pm to 4pm on weekdays and from 9am to noon on Saturdays as a collective of 60 creators working in a variety of media that share approximately 40,000 square feet of studio and exhibition space. Each year they also curate 10 open-juried events bringing together some of Fresno’s best artists and host the popular Art Hop.

Materials & Supplies Near You

These art stores in your area are good places to buy new supplies or materials:

Allard’s Art is a family-owned business that sells art and drafting supplies and equipment while also providing custom picture framing, fine writing instruments, science fair and presentation supplies, sign supplies, children’s supplies, art how to and coloring books, and much more.

Formed in 1946 by Erma Duncan who was a skilled artist Duncan Ceramics has been a leader in the field.

You probably already know what chain stores like the Michaels, Joann, and the Hobby Lobby near you have to offer.

Shows & Events

There are some fun art shows, events, and festivals here like:

The Bizare Art Festival is an annual HipHop event conducted in January to honor Lord Bizare’s life and passion as well as all other artists.

For a multi-day annual event in that is fashioned after the Bay Area’s and other large cities Fringe Festivals check out Rogue Fest.

The Student Art Show is presented at the Fresno Art College’s Art Space Gallery every spring when professional artists judge the student’s work and Allard’s Supply Store gives out awards.

ArtHop is presented by the local Arts Council and is a culture-focused event fueled by the city’s enthusiasm for and expanding interest in all varieties of creative media.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

If you want to add a new piece to your collection or see how much something you own is worth these art dealers and appraisers can assist:

The Fig Tree Gallery is the oldest artist group in your area and ver twenty artists are represented in the gallery with works ranging from sculpture to painting, drawing, mixed media, performance, and illustration.

A Sense of Place is a fine art gallery in the North Tower District that features works from Central California creators.

Quality Georgian antiques, fine art, and 20th and 21st century design are the specialty of Chappell & McCullar.

Walking Tours

We don’t know of anything we would deem as a local art walking tour but if you go to the Mural District to the North of Chukchansi Park you will see lots of cool stuff. Using our area map at the end to come up with your own unique tour wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Other options would be the sculptures near you we are about to mention, and of course any time one of the festivals is going on you will have a great option.

Sculptures & Statues

Framing art supply stores Fresno lessons near you studios

Another fun thing to do on a sunny day would be to check out some of these statues and sculptures in your area:

  • Aquarius Ovoid at 1232 Fulton St
  • Ellipsoid VI at 2021-2003 Kern St
  • Clock Tower at 1060 Fulton St
  • Orion at 931 Fulton St
  • Sweet Sixteen at 5245 N Backer Ave
  • Trisem at 1240 Fulton St

Water is represented by Aquarius and Ovoid is an oval shape so this artwork is a fountain with water flowing through an oval.

On the Fulton Mall at Kern Street you will find “Ellipsoid VI” which is a brass fountain set in a circular concrete pool.

The Clock Tower was the only piece of art included in the Fulton Mall’s overall building budget.

Orion is a geometric sculpture in downtown inspired by Greek mythology.

Sweet Sixteen gets its name from the fact that several of its dimensions are multiples of 16 and the shapes are horizontally twisted 16 degrees away from zero degrees. The artist Greg O’Halloran who was a 1974 M.A. graduate of Fresno State gave the monument to the university as a gift.

You will find a three-column sculpture created of natural San Joaquin Valley river by sculptor T. Newton Russell when you visit Trisem.

Fresno Art Classes

Some of you might be after private lessons or group classes for kids, teens, or adults and the best Fresno art schools should have options for you:

The Roosevelt School of the Arts is the Unified School District’s second magnet high school program that debuted in September 1984 and this performing and visual arts school has highly skilled instructors who are also working artists.

Located north of the Tower District between Fresno High and the Big Red Church Ma Ly’s Studio offers art classes for all levels.

Ar Workshop Fresno is a small DIY workshop where you may learn how to make personalized home decor from the ground up! Signs made of wood, canvas pillows, and more creative things will be possible.

Color Me Mine is a paint-your-own-pottery studio with walk-ins, workshops, and parties available.

Studios For Rent Near You

Local art studios for rent can be found at:

Built in 1950 Studio 64 has been rejuvenated and updated to its current eclectic and modern state. The diverse all-studio complex is a terrific opportunity to experience the downtown lifestyle as it is located just across the street from Iron Bird Lofts and Fulton 55 and is within walking distance to many of the area’s business agencies, local entertainment venues, and art studios.

Vagabond Lofts provides a secure guarded environment to let you feel at ease. The modern architecture is a unique and urban combination of modern and industrial facilities that are all located in the center of downtown Fresno’s Mural District.

Framing

When you need to find Fresno art and picture framing head to:

Customized attention and great workmanship for all types of picture framing are what you get from The Framery shop where custom framing, ready-made framing, mirror framing, matting, and picture framing are among the services offered.

Since 1995 Rollf’s Gallery has been in operation and the proprietor Tarry Rollf has around 40 years of expertise in the field.

Batican uses time-tested materials to create some of the highest-quality photo frames on the market.

Another option for picture framing can be found at Allard’s Art from our best supply stores near you list.

By the way we have also discussed the scene in:

Have Fun Enjoying The Fresno Art Scene

Hopefully we did a fair enough job of covering the full art scene in your area. We listed the best galleries, local museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers near you.

Those of you that made it all the way to the end then probably love art as much as we do. You can let us know about any of your own tips and tricks in the comments at the end of the post, or please also let us know if we got anything wrong or if anything we posted has become dated.

Have fun going to the galleries, museums, buying supplies, or doing anything that has to do with art in Fresno!

Related Posts:

Author Avatar

This post and all of the posts on our site are edited by Dan Soloman who has been a huge fan of art since he was a little kid. His mother was a good local artist, and she taught him the trade from a very early age. He studied art and its history in both high school and college, has worked at multiple galleries, and recently has begun creating and editing online content for this site and some other online media platforms.

FacebookPinterest

Leave a Comment