Stockton & Modesto Art Galleries, Museums, Supplies & More

Best art galleries Stockton museums your area supplies classes Modesto

We are all about to dive deep into everything about art in Stockton and Modesto 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 we will also be sharing a Stockton and Modesto art map with all of the various venues we mention throughout the post pinned on it.

You can find more of our posts on art around the Pacific Northwest at that link.

Best Art Galleries & Museums In Stockton & Modesto

If you want to check out the best art galleries and museums in Stockton and Modesto you can head to:

At the Haggin Museum which is open in the afternoon Wednesday through Sunday you will see works of art from 19th and 20th-century masters as well as from “Golden Age” illustrator J.C. Leyendecker. They also feature a collection of panoramas of Yosemite Valley by Albert Bierstadt and on the 2nd Saturday of each month they hold hands on events for families with children ages 5-12.

The LH Horton Jr Art Gallery opens at 11am Tuesday through Friday offering excellent exhibition opportunities to local, regional, and national artists, lenders, and guest curators.

The Mexican Heritage Center is open from 7am to 2pm Monday through Friday as a pioneer in bringing Mexican visual and performing arts to the Stockton community while their Day of the Dead events are certainly something you won’t want to miss.

There are free artist demonstrations program in your area to help you learn about processes and concepts that are presented by professional and emerging artists at the Stockton Art League Goodwin Gallery which opens at noon Thursday through Saturday. They also offer a youth art program which provides educational classes to students ages 6-17.

Mistlin Gallery is open from 11:30am to 5pm Tuesday through Friday and noon to 4pm on Saturday as a space for local artists to exhibit and sell their work as well as where cancer patients and survivors can engage in art therapy. They also host an annual Autumn Art Festival in October in addition to offering art classes for the public from preschool aged kids to adults of all skill levels.

Artworks of all kinds can be found in a wide variety of numerous types of media including paintings, ceramics, glass work, photography, metalwork, handcrafted jewelry, and more at Chartreuse Muse from 11am to 6pm Tuesday through Saturday. Their art school provides a wide range of classes for students of all ages and skill levels and has a fully equipped pottery studio where students can take pottery classes as well as studio spaces that are available for rent.

The Modesto Junior College Art Gallery is open from 10am to 6pm Monday through Thursday with a wide variety of art exhibitions featuring students’ artistic accomplishments, teachers, and other artists working in California and abroad. Admission is completely free plus they encourage the general public to engage in dialogue with the exhibiting artists.

Materials & Supplies Near You

The best local stores to buy art supplies and materials are:

In addition to selling art equipment both Michaels and Hobby lobby also do custom framing.

Dollar Tree is a good place to buy cheap art supplies near you.

Shows & Events

Framing art supply stores Stockton lessons near you studios

Some of the top art shows and events in your area would be:

Artsplash is Stockton’s downtown artwalk held every second Friday in the summer and early fall.

Stockton Arts Week is a huge event held every October.

In November remember to check out the San Joaquin Potters Guild Fine Arts Festival.

We mentioned it before but the Mexican Heritage Centers Day of the Dead events in October are also great.

Domo Walls is a mural festival in Modesto that takes place in October and showcases world class murals in the downtown area featuring regional and international artists.

The Central California Art Association hosts the Autumn Art Festival at the Mistlin Gallery showcasing some of the region’s best artists and their work. Over $2,000 in cash and prizes are up for grabs in this members-only juried art show.

Modesto Art Walk is a free casual event that takes place every third Thursday of the month featuring art galleries, businesses, and organizations that display pieces for the evening as they work together to showcase the best of their creative minds. You will have the opportunity to listen to live musicians, enjoy food and beverages from one of your favorite downtown restaurants, and view works for purchase at local art galleries and shops.

Art Dealers & Appraisers

Cece’s Art Studio at 2324 Grand Canal Blvd would be where you need to go to get an appraisal or find a dealer.

Stockton Art League and Image Connection from our list of best art galleries near you also sell works.

If you want to buy some art in Modesto you can visit Mistlin Gallery and Chartreuse Muse who we linked you to earlier.

Walking Tours

The Artsplash art walk is filled with visual and performing arts in Downtown held every second Friday from May – October. Look for venues with blue streamers and signs as you walk around town.

Stockton Arts Week is almost like an art walk in your area of it’s own but is only for one week in October.

Don’t forget about the Modesto Art Walk that we linked you to earlier in the events section.

Sculptures & Statues

There are some really nice sculptures and statues around town like:

  • Anchored at 105 N El Dorado St
  • Wat Dhammararam at 3732 Carpenter Rd
  • Blythe Spirit at 5151 Pacific Ave
  • George Lucas Statue at 900 17th St, Modesto
  • Modesto Bee Newsboy at 1421 I St, Modesto
  • Chief Estanislao at 1107 I St, Modesto

Anchored was created by Diana Pumpelly Bates and Steve Petrushka and was put up in 2016 at the DeCarli Plaza downtown.

Wat Dhammararam is Buddhist Temple containing almost 100 statues including an enormous 50-foot-long reclining Buddha which is a must see near Pixie Woods amusement park.

Blythe Spirit is at San Joaquin Delta College Performing Arts Complex near the entrance of Athenton Auditorium.

The George Lucas Statue is also called American Graffiti and is located at the intersections of Downey, 17th McHenry, and J Streets. This bronze statue was sculpted in 1997 by Betty Saletta as a tribute to Modesto’s favorite son, director, and producer George Lucas.

Created in 1995 by artist Betty Saletta Modesto Bee Newsboy was a commission for The Bee. The bronze statue of a boy and a dog is set on a sidewalk corner alongside a small public park on the Northwest corner of I and 15th St.

The statue of Chief Estanislao stands outside of the downtown courthouse and was donated to the residents of Stanislaus County by Tony Mistlin and Family in 2001 and sculpted by Betty Saletta whose name seems to keep popping up.

Stockton & Modesto Art Classes

Whether you need lessons for kids or are an adult who wants to grow his skills you have some options. Some of the best Stockton and Modesto art schools and classes near you can be found at:

Millie’s Art Korner has painting parties or classes for children, teens, and adults as well as a fun summer art camp.

Regina Rose Studio provides art class for kids and adults.

Mowzilicia offers beginner’s traditional art lessons in your area.

Life drawing workshops, workshops for autistic youth, and private events take place at The Catalyst.

For those interested in learning about the basics of drawing, painting, or sculpture the Modesto Art Academy is a great option and they offer after school classes and academic lectures of all kinds that are available in private and group formats.

Dragonfly Art for Life has classes for all ages including drawing, painting, summer camps, and weekly workshops where participants can learn new skills together. On top of that private parties, birthday parties, and team-building events can be arranged upon request plus they also have a local art studio available to rent if you need a place to express your creativity.

As you can tell by the name Pottery Magic Modesto is offering pottery lessons for all ages. They also host private parties and have deals where the studio fee is free on Monday and 50% off on Friday.

Nicole Slater Art and The Artist’s Loft offers group and private lessons for kids and teens including a summer art workshop for children from 5 to 17 years old. They also provide an art studio for rent, sell paintings, and do family paint sessions.

Don’t forget about the pottery classes at Chartreuse Muse from our main list.

Studios For Rent Near You

Some places we have mentioned throughout the post that sometimes have studio space to rent include Stockton Art League Goodwin Gallery, Dragonfly Art for Life, Nicole Slater Art, and The Artist’s Loft.

Framing

Some of the best places for art framing in Stockton and Modesto are:

Iframe has been designated the record’s best of San Joaquin seven times.

The professional framing of custom artwork, photographs, and memorabilia is a specialty of Dawn’s Picture Framing which works directly with customers to help them plan their projects and sort through the numerous molding, fabric, and mat board possibilities.

Aaron Brothers is a frame shop chain and one of the world’s largest custom framing manufacturers.

Hobby Lobby and Michaels from the local art supplies list also do framing.

You may also want to check out some of our other posts on:

Have Fun Enjoying The Stockton & Modesto Art Scene

We just listed the best local galleries, museums, events, shows, supply stores, dealers, appraisers, walking tours, sculptures, classes, studios, and framers in your area that you may want to check out. Hopefully that was enough to satisfy you.

Please do us a favor and use the comments to share your own tips or to let us know if you think we got anything wrong. We hope you enjoy your time at the best Stockton and Modesto art galleries, museums, supply stores, or doing whatever else you plan to do with the info.

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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.

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