Expose Yourself to Art...In Claremont

Claremont currently provides a couple of very nice--and related--opportunities to have your senses challenged, for you to relax and perhaps see some things another way...opportunities to get your Art on.

The Claremont Museum of Art, located in the Packing House, has a terrific exhibit up through the end of the month. It is small, as befits the fairly small museum, but it is imaginative and unexpected. It is well worth a visit

The image heading this post is taken from the flyer for the exhibit: Ephemeral: Explorations in Light. The museum is located in the Packing House at 536 West First Street, Claremont. Museum hours are Tuesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is only $3, or become a member and support the enterprise. The museum store, also well worth a look if you need any small (or even large and pricey) holiday gifts, is open the same days, through 7 p.m.

The exhibit was originally planned to run through November 18, but it was extended through December 30. Take a little time to check it out, and plan to spend a little time doing it.

All in all, a very auspicious opening year for the Claremont Museum of Art and a tip of the Insider beret to the community volunteers and those who contributed to get it going.

Also in Claremont, at the Pomona College Museum of Art, is a long-running exhibit of art by James Turrell, sometimes described as one of the most important artists you've never heard of. He also works in light, and his work is unique to him. He says that in high school art class when the teacher was showing slides of great art using a slide projector, he was always more interested in the beam of light coming out of the projector than the art on the screen. This only gives the barest idea of what his work is about. If you are unfamiliar with Turrell, the experience will be unexpected.

Go see it. It's in Claremont and it's free. Besides Turrell, there is another artist on display with additional imaginative light-themed work. The museum is in the Montgomery Art Center, located at the northeast corner of Bonita and College. Hours are Tuesday through Friday, 12-5, Saturday and Sunday, 1-5, and Closed Monday. Caution: The museum is closed during winter break, December 17, 2007 through January 21, 2008. However, there is no rush on this one. The exhibit will be up through May 17, 2008, so if you don't catch it before the holidays, you can do it afterward.

Also on the Pomona College campus: Another Turrell work, Skyspace. This is an outdoor architectural installation forming an entire courtyard between the Lincoln and Edmunds buildings on the Pomona College campus. Like most of Turrell's work, it is more or less indescribable. You need to plan an hour or so near sunrise, or, more likely, sunset. Rather than attempt to give visiting information here, see this link for the details. Since this artwork is part of the Pomona College campus, it will be up indefinitely.

You will want to go back again and again. It is also without charge.