Press Release
2025
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For Immediate Release
January 15, 2025
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338 cmcintosh1011@gmail.com
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art has announced four new exhibitions set to open in 2025. These exhibitions will explore various topics, including the art of instrument making, the intersection of language and art, and the themes of color and abstraction. Additionally, a pop-up show will showcase hundreds of local artists.
CLMA thanks all the donors whose support makes these exhibitions possible and invites the community to visit the museum regularly to discover new exhibits throughout the year. The Museum is located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street. For more information visit clmoa.org.
Sound Formations: Artist, Musician, Instrument Maker
April 5 – July 13, 2025
Sound Formations is a group exhibition showcasing beautifully handcrafted musical instruments that can also be appreciated as works of art. Claremont and its surrounding region boast a rich and unique history of musicians and instrument makers. Many artists continue to create instruments in their workshops and studios, catering to musicians who value handcrafted pieces over mass-produced items. Claremont has made a significant impact on the music world. While this exhibition focuses on instruments and their makers, it also recognizes the important contributions of the many resident musicians.
The music culture in Claremont has deep roots in significant landmarks, including the establishment of the Folk Music Center by Charles and Dorothy Chase in 1958, and the opening of the Golden Ring music café in 1965. For many years, Claremont’s live music scene thrived, largely due to the annual Folk Festival and the numerous live music venues in the area.
Sound Formations is guest curated by Mike Kotzen and Martin Maudal and will include the works of Henry Barnes, Richard Barnes, Otto D’Ambrosio, Kris Erickson, Pete Escovedo, Steve
Goode, Mike Kotzen, Martin Maudal, Jom Rivers, Victoria Rosas, Warren Shingleton and Dave Tourje.
Free for All
July 19, 2025
Local artists will take over the Museum for CLMA’s annual one-day pop-up show from 4-9 pm. With no fees to exhibit and no gatekeepers to decide who is allowed to show their work, hundreds of artists will fill the Museum’s galleries with their work. Free 4 All is a commitment to unfiltered community building.
The public is invited to celebrate the amazing cultural bounty that surrounds us with free admission to the Museum, refreshments available and live music.
Complications in Color
August 2 – November 16, 2025
Complications in Color will celebrate the beauty of abstraction while also exploring how abstract art can be more complicated than it may appear. Historically, discussion of abstraction has focused on “purity” of form and ignored psychological and political contexts. Rachel Lachowicz uses the gendered codes of materiality and appropriation to recontextualize abstract objects as catalysts for feminist thought. In this light, the historical narrative of hard-edge abstract painting, and the inherent sexism of its canonization, is made more complex.
Sculptor Terry O’Shea also expands on abstraction through his use of lozenge forms, which grow out of the formalism of the light and space movement but also connote the chemical influence of pharmaceuticals or hallucinogens. The exhibition will also include work by Florence Arnold, Karl Benjamin, and June Harwood.
She Opens the Door: Women Artists and Writers Shape Language and Space
December 6, 2025 – March 22, 2026
Curated by Poet-in-Residence Chloe Martinez, She Opens the Door is a group show of contemporary artists exploring female agency at the intersection of language and art. The exhibition will feature artists from the Claremont and San Gabriel Valley communities, as well as Southern California at large. In addition to selecting artworks, Martinez will also provide poetry and writing to supplement the exhibition and invite other creative writers to contribute.
Language is crucial for exploring female autonomy and its relationship to the structures of patriarchy. As James Baldwin stated, “…the root function of language is to control the world by describing it.” Language is the filter through which we comprehend our reality and assert our agency. Language extends beyond written words on a page. The language of visual art is
intricately linked to verbal language and plays a significant role in shaping our thoughts and existence.
CURRENTLY ON VIEW
Home in Aztlán Showcases the Garcia Collection of Chicanx Art
On view through March 23, Home in Aztlán: The Garcia Collection of Chicanx Art presents the rich Chicanx art collection of Cathy and Frank Garcia. Cathy, a mosaic artist, and Frank, a curator and organizer, have developed an art collection over decades that reflects a community-based approach to collecting. Involved in the annual exhibition Return to Aztlan at the dA Center for the Arts for many years, the Garcias, their home and collection are an integral part of the local and regional Chicanx art community.
Home in Aztlán is sponsored by Carol Holder and John Mallinckrodt; Epic Design Build Inc; Foothill Transit; Bernadette Kendall, Wheeler Steffen Sotheby’s International Realty; The Vera Law Group; and VMA Communications, Valerie Martinez. The Museum is open 12-4 pm Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Fridays are free for the whole family.
As a companion exhibition, One of Your Girls or Your Homies features recent work by Tan Jazz Mont at the intersection of autobiography, social commentary, and abstraction.
2024
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For Immediate Release
December 4, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
Art Night Out: Make a Low Rider Ornament at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art
Thursday, December 19, 6-9:00 p.m.
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, 200 W. First St., Claremont, CA
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art will host “Art Night Out: Holiday Glow, Low and Slow!” on Thursday, December 19, 6-9:00 p.m. Get into the holiday spirit with an evening of art and community. Jaqueline Valenzuela will speak about her art and the culture around low riders and lead a workshop to create and decorate low rider ornaments.
Guests will explore the new exhibition Home in Aztlán: The Garcia Collection of Chicanx Art and enjoy finger foods, wine, and beer from Claremont Craft Ales. All materials provided. This is a 21+ event. Admission is $50 or $40 for Museum members. Purchase tickets online at https://CLMOA-holidayglow.eventbrite.com.
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience art in a whole new light this holiday season. The Museum is located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street next to the Metrolink Station. For more information about the Museum visit clmoa.org.
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For Immediate Release
October 22, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art is very pleased to announce that it has been awarded a 2024 General Operating Support Grant from the Perenchio Foundation. This grant is one of the most significant grants the Museum has received since it reopened in the Claremont Depot site in 2016. The Perenchio Foundation’s General Operating Support Grants provide flexible funding to arts organizations in Los Angeles County to enhance operational resilience. With a commitment spanning multiple years, these grants aim to help arts organizations meet immediate needs, strengthen their infrastructure, plan with greater confidence and stability, and build capacity for a sustainable future in the region.
“With support from the Perenchio Foundation the Museum will enhance its ability to serve the region as an artistic and creative hub,” said Martin Betz, Claremont Lewis Museum’s Executive Director.
“Stable, multi-year funding is rare in the arts, yet it is essential for organizations to plan confidently, build capacity, and continue creating excellent work that meets the needs of their communities,” said Perenchio Foundation Chief Executive Officer Stephania Ramirez. “By offering this kind of support, we aim to help our grantees flourish while highlighting the need for more long-term investments across the sector.”
“The Museum has big ideas and dreams. We are encouraged to keep moving forward with support such as that provided by the Perenchio Foundation,” said Ryan Zimmerman, President of the Board of Directors of CLMA.
The Perenchio Foundation is a private foundation established by the late A. Jerrold “Jerry” Perenchio. The Perenchio Foundation believes that arts play an essential role in building more equitable, culturally vibrant, and inclusive communities, and is guided by a commitment to create a positive, lasting impact in the Los Angeles region through the arts. Learn more at www.perenchiofoundation.org.
In late 2015, the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art entered into a lease agreement with the City of Claremont to adaptively reuse the historic Claremont Depot as a community-based art museum. Over the past eight years, the Museum has renovated the entire interior of the historic Claremont Depot into three galleries for exhibitions and programs. Currently, CLMA presents three to four thought-provoking exhibitions each year, along with special events and educational programs. Learn more about CLMA at clmoa.org.
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For Immediate Release
October 10, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
December 7, 2024 – March 23, 2025
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, 200 W. First St., Claremont, CA
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 7, 6-9:00 p.m.
As a companion to Home in Aztlán, an exhibition of recent work by Tan Jazz Mont will be featured in the Dike Gallery. One of Your Girls or Your Homies: Tan Jazz Mont will present paintings and sculpture at the intersection of autobiography, social commentary, and abstraction.
Tan Jazz Mont, a queer artist who lives and works in the Inland Empire, harvests the rich imagery of his Hispanic heritage to speak to the irresolvable complexities of identity. Personal narratives are in constant flux, straddling the precipice between iconography and the materiality of paint. Angst and hope are tenuously held together by an appreciation of the absurd that utilizes humor without mockery. His style is intuitive and experimental while also engaging in self-conscious revision and subversion.
Mont earned an MFA from Claremont Graduate University and was awarded the AIGA Worldwide Scholarship and the CGU Merit Scholarship twice. Mont is a Visual Arts professor at San Bernardino Valley College, Mt. San Jacinto College, and Moreno Valley College.
Both exhibitions will open with a reception on Saturday, December 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m.
The Museum, located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street next to the Metrolink Station, is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free every Friday. For more information visit clmoa.org.
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For Immediate Release
October 10, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
December 7, 2024 – March 23, 2025
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, 200 W. First St., Claremont, CA
Opening Reception: Saturday, December 7, 6-9:00 p.m.
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art exhibition Home in Aztlán: The Garcia Collection of Chicanx Art will showcase artwork by some of the most important Chicanx artists of the last 50 years. The Garcia’s Claremont home is filled with a diverse range of works that reflect their commitment to supporting artists and building community. Home in Aztlán celebrates the beauty and power of Chicanx creativity in Southern California, despite the challenges posed by exclusionary forces that have sought to deny Chicanx people their rightful place in art history and in this land.
The exhibition will open with a reception on Saturday, December 7 from 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. Home in Aztlán, initially sponsored by Carol Holder and John Mallinckrodt, will remain on view through March 23, 2025.
The Museum, located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street next to the Metrolink Station, is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m. Admission is free every Friday. For more information visit clmoa.org.
Much of the Garcia Collection is rooted in the Chicano movement of East Los Angeles in the late 1960s, which spawned groundbreaking activist art and a renewed pride in Hispanic culture and heritage. The collection includes several artists from the seminal art collectives of 1970s East L.A.: Los Four and Asco.
The Chicano movement used the concept of Aztlán (the pre-colonial ancestral home of the Mexican people encompassing the American Southwest) as a symbol of cultural pride and geographic sovereignty. This movement/community has important historical ties to Claremont and the Pomona Valley throughout ancient and modern history. In addition to this region being located within Aztlán, in the twentieth century, the Mexican muralists Jose Clemente Orozco and Alfredo Ramos Martinez completed murals at the Claremont Colleges in the 1930s and 40s that have yielded global influence. Jackson Pollack regarded Orozco’s Prometheus mural at Pomona College as one of the most important works of modern art in North America.
In 1970, Hal Glicksman curated the first exhibition of Chicanx graffiti art at Pomona College, entitled Chicano Graffiti. One of the visitors to that exhibition was a young Gilbert “Magu” Lujan. Magu would go on to attend graduate school at the University of California, Irvine, where he worked with Hal Glicksman. Glicksman mentored Magu in curatorial practice, leading to Magu organizing the first Los Four exhibition in 1973 which featured work by the founding members of Los Four: Magu, Carlos Almaraz, Beto de la Rocha and Frank Romero (Judithe Hernandez became the fifth member in 1974). The exhibition traveled to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 1974.
Frank Garcia’s local legacy is strongly rooted in the annual exhibition he curated at the dA Center for the Arts in Pomona entitled Return to Aztlán. Garcia organized the first exhibition with the help of Magu and painter Margaret Garcia in 2003. For 17 years, Return to Aztlán celebrated the rich local Hispanic community of artists and proved to be tremendously popular. The exhibition featured many of the artists who make up the current Garcia collection.
Home in Aztlán will include artists such as Carlos Almaraz, Guillermo Bejaramo, David Botello, David Flury, Margaret Garcia, Sandy Garcia, Jose Lozano, Gilbert “Magu” Lujan, Glugio “Gronk” Nicandro, Frank Romero, John Valadez, Jaime “Germs” Zacarias and more.
Direct link to the web page: https://clmoa.org/exhibit/the-garcia-collection-of-chicanx-art
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For Immediate Release
September 30, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
Museum Offers Fall Speaker Series with Wendy Slatkin
October 10, 17, and 24, 6-7:00 p.m.
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, 200 W. First St., Claremont, CA
The public is invited to a series of free lectures, “Revolutions & Revelations: Avant-Garde Art of the 20th Century”, every Thursday, 6-7:00 p.m. at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art on October 10, 17, and 24.
These three lectures follow our summer series with an examination of key movements and individual artists who influenced the history of Post-World War II avant-garde art. Both men and women artists were essential to these developments. The connections between these decades and the earlier era (1900-1945) will be defined. Taken together these movements are foundational for contemporary art practice. Wendy Slatkin, Ph.D. is an art historian specializing in 20th century art.
October 10 – 1945-1959:Abstract Expressionism, Ninth Street Women, Color Field, Pop Art, Gutai, Gorky, Pollock, Krasner, Frankenthaler, Johns, Rauschenberg
October 17 – 1960s’: West-Coast Hard Edge, Assemblage, Fluxus, Minimalism, Eccentric Abstraction, Benjamin, Louis, Warhol, Kienholz, Hesse, Saint Phalle
October 24 – 1970s’: Pomona College, Earth Works, Conceptual Art, Performance, Feminism, Hamrol, Smithson, Haacke, Burden, Chicago, Mendieta, Sherman
The Museum is located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street next to the Metrolink Station. For more information about the Museum visit clmoa.org.
Direct link to the webpage is
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For Immediate Release
September 24, 2024
Press Contact: Catherine McIntosh
909 626-1386, cell 713 829-9338
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art’s Fall Gala held September 21 provided a firsthand view of the local museum’s growth, its thriving patronage by Claremont residents, and appreciation by regional artists, as more than 225 attendees flowed onto the CLMA’s front lawn at the Claremont Depot for the signature Spaggi’s dining experience, celebrating art, music, and shared support for arts education.
While the fundraising numbers are still being tallied, the Gala raised more than in previous years, exceeding estimates and providing a healthy financial springboard for the museum’s signature arts education program, Project ARTstART.
“The success we’re experiencing is a direct reflection of the high-quality exhibitions, strong community support, and expanded professionalism our museum has achieved in the last few years,” said Ryan Zimmerman, president of the CLMA Board of Directors. “Our Board and staff have leaned into growing sponsorships and creating engaging, popular exhibitions that have propelled us to the next level in the nonprofit art world. We’re very proud of the growth and are all very grateful to our small but mighty team of paid staff who are making it happen.”
The Gala theme, “Reflections,” was inspired by the work of Phil Dike, one of Claremont’s most renowned painters and influential Scripps College art teacher. Dike’s son, Woody, entertained dinner guests with personal insights into his father’s life, and Gallery 2 was named in his honor. The current exhibition Phil Dike: A Bird’s-eye View is on display through November 24.
One of the CLMA’s key programs – Project ARTstART – took center stage at this year’s event. Claremont High School and ARTstART alumnus Anthony Valencia provided a heartfelt testimonial, explaining how the ARTstART program was key to his love of the arts and pivotal in his understanding the deep needs of community service-focused nonprofits.
In 2019, he founded the nonprofit tech company, ShelterShare, an online platform launched in Claremont that now supports homeless and domestic violence shelters in major US cities across the country. He has also cultivated his art acumen, exhibited his sculptures and mixed media works in Manhattan galleries, and sold his original jewelry at boutiques throughout New York City and the Hamptons.
“My work in the nonprofit sector, still draws upon the values of leadership, community, and purpose that were nurtured in ARTstART,” said Valencia. “And as an artist, the memories, discussions, and development of my own creative process continue to inspire the material I produce today,”.
This year’s sponsors included Gala Platinum Sponsor Patricia A. Lobello of Lobello Lamb Lewis & Riley LLP; Gold Sponsors, Barbara Brown, Claremont Lincoln University, Valerie Martinez of VMA Communications Inc., Ruth & Joseph Reed Foundation; and Silver Sponsor Karen & Michael Rosenthal.
The Claremont Lewis Museum of Art, located in the historic Claremont Depot at 200 W. First Street, is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m.
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Gala Reflects on the Poetic Paintings of Phil Dike Learn More
A Fresh Perspective on the Paintings of Phil Dike Learn More
FestivArts 2024 Learn More
StART It Up! with ART in the Park Learn More
2023
Padua Hills Art Fiesta to Celebrate Creativity and Community Learn More
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Gala to Celebrate the Threads that Connect Art and Community Learn More
Ken Gonzales-Day Examines the History of Race and Representation Learn More
Martin Betz Named Executive Director of the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Learn More
Project ARTstART to Host Youth Arts Festival at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Learn More
A Pioneer in Fiber Arts Revisits her Formative Influences in Claremont Learn More
Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Seeks New Executive Director Learn More
Andrée M. Mahoney Seeks Transcendence in Color and Form Learn More
Vince Skelly Transforms Wind Ravaged Trees into Powerful Sculptures Learn More
2022
Padua Hills Art Fiesta to Celebrate Creativity and Community Learn More
Transformations in Glass: Vitreous Funk, Fantasy, and Light Learn More
New Galleries to Open with Exhibition Celebrating Claremont’s Rich Artistic Legacy Learn More
StART It Up! Celebrates Project ARTstART’s Eleventh Year at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Announces $1 Million Gift from Randall Lewis Learn More
ARTStation Returns on Free Family Day at the Claremont Museum of Art on April 3 Learn More
2021
John Frame Brings the Drama of Faust to the Claremont Museum of Art Learn More
Adrienne Luce Named Director of the Claremont Museum of Art as Part of Broader Expansion Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Gala and Online Auction Celebrate New Gallery Spaces Learn More
Padua Hills Art Fiesta Returns on November 7 Learn More
The Claremont Museum of Art Goes Beyond Beauty in Furious Garden Learn More
Elizabeth Turk brings Project “LOOK UP” to the Claremont Museum of Art Learn More
2020
Claremont Museum of Art Closed through April Learn More
2019
Helen Rae and Artists of Tierra del Sol Bring Their Unique Vision Home to Claremont Learn More
Padua Hills Art Fiesta to Feature Ceramist Paul Soldner Learn More
James Strombotne Paints All He Can Imagine Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Gets Lively with Jazz, Books and Brews for Art Walk Learn More
Andrew Wenrick Deconstructs Our Sense of Place Learn More
Students StART It Up! at the Claremont Museum of Art Learn More
Collecting Clay: A Conversation with Julie and David Armstrong Learn More
2018
LIVING WITH CLAY: The Julie and David Armstrong Collection Learn More
Art Fiesta to Exhibit Local Artists at the Historic Padua Hills Theatre Learn More
Primal Nature: Animalia by Women in Post-War Claremont Learn More
Intersecting at the Edge: Karl Benjamin, Heather Gwen Martin and Eric Zammitt Learn More
Roland Reiss: Unapologetic Flowers and Small Stories Learn More
2017
Kindred Natures: Aldo Casanova and James Fuller Learn More
Padua Hills Art Fiesta to Feature Milford Zornes Learn More
Dee Marcellus Cole to Transform the Claremont Depot into a Carnival of Color Learn More
Exhibition Speaks from Claremont’s Urban Forest Learn More
ARTStation to feature art-making activities on Free Family Day at the Claremont Museum of Art Learn More
2016
Claremont Museum of Art to Open at the Depot Learn More
StART It Up with ART in the Park Learn More
2015
Claremont Museum of Art Finds a Home at the Depot Learn More
Film Premiere Celebrates Claremont’s Unique Artistic Legacy Learn More
Student images set to appear at El Roble Learn More
2014
John Svenson: For the Love of Wood Learn More
Art Under the Olive Trees of Padua Hills Learn More
ARTstART Presents StART It Up, a Student Art Exhibition Learn More
Explore Claremont Art Studios on June 7 Learn More
ARToon Goes Public at The Packing House Learn More
Oakmont students experience the sculpture of Betty Davenport Ford with Project ARTstART Learn More
2013
Padua Hills Art Fiesta Returns Sunday, November 3, 2013 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art to Salute Phil Dike at Fall Gala Learn More
ARToon kicks off with cartoonist Lalo Alcaraz visit to El Roble Learn More
2012
Padua Hills Art Fiesta returns Sunday, November 4, 2012 Learn More
Bus Trip to Visit Albert Stewart Private Collection in Ventura on October 20 Learn More
OpenART Studio Tour 06.09.2012 Learn More
Student Exhibition highlights achievements of Project ARTstART Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art to Host Studio Tour on June 9 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art expands permanent collection Learn More
2011
CLAREMONT MODERN: The Fiesta Artists of Padua Hills, 1953-1959 Learn More
The Padua Hills Art Fiesta Returns after 52 Years Learn More
A “Damngorgeous” Evening – Celebrating the Vision of Millard Sheets to be held on September 10, 2011 Learn More
ArtX Student Art Competition Winners Announced Learn More
ArtX…the X is for excellence, eXtraordinary and X marks the spot for Claremont’s student artists! Learn More
CLAREMONT MODERN: The Artists of the GI Bill Learn More
2009
Claremont Museum of Art to Discontinue Operation in the Packing House Learn More
Museum offers free admission to Claremont residents Learn More
2008
Claremont Museum of Art Presents James Hueter: A Retrospective Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Presents Exhibitions Multiverse and The Passerby Museum Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Presents VELOCITY 2007, a Contemporary Art Auction Saturday, November 17 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Honors James Fuller and Dr. John D. Maguire at The Art Gala: 2008 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Hosts Summer Events to Complement Vexing: Female Voices from East LA Punk Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Unveils Community-Based Abstract Installation on Saturday, May 3rd Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Celebrates First Anniversary in April with series of Gallery Talks, Senior Days and Family Art Days Learn More
Vexing: Female Voice from East LA Punk May 18 to August 31, 2008 Learn More
2007
FIRST GENERATION: Art in Claremont, 1907–1957 Opens Sunday, January 27 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Brings “Photobooth” to the Community Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Extends EPHEMERAL: EXPLORATIONS IN LIGHT through December 30, 2007 Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art presents EPHEMERAL: EXPLORATIONS IN LIGHT September 16 – November 18, 2007 Learn More
LOCUS I: Art and Craft of Claremont and the Region Opens July 22 at the Claremont Museum of Art Learn More
Claremont Visionaries Turn City’s Last-Remaining Citrus Packing House Into a Cultural and Commercial Hub Learn More
Hundreds Throughout Region Attend the Claremont Museum of Art’s Opening Weekend Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art Opens This Sunday Learn More
Inspired by Claremont Museum of Art’s Inaugural Karl Benjamin Exhibit, Claremont Schoolchildren Create Masterpieces of Their Own Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art to Open April 15, 2007 Inside Renovated Citrus Packing House Learn More
2006
Claremont Museum of Art Appoints William Moreno as Executive Director Learn More
Claremont Museum of Art to Open With Exhibit by Painter Karl Benjamin Learn More