An Afternoon at Haggin Museum

It is a source of amazement and pride that Stockton has a museum that is in possession of works by artists like Renoir and Gaugin. Seriously! Stockton!

It's true, my friends. Stockton's Haggin Museum has this and more. I visited yesterday, as it had been a year since my previous visit, and I was as impressed as I was the first time.

I went because, let's face it, I'm already sick and tired of the monotony of unemployment (even though the scrapbooking is fun), and I need cheap or free things to do to keep me from going insane. Haggin Museum charges only five dollars (I know! Unheard of!) admission, and it has some great exhibitions.

Before I went inside, I took some pictures of the museum and the surrounding park, Victory Park. It was a lovely day and there were quite a few people sitting in the shade of the old trees, and using the playground.

From the street, where I parked, a view of Victory Park and the museum building.

 

A little rose garden off to the side of the museum.

Looking back out at Pershing Way, across Victory Park.

Yesterday, I was excited to see California Impressionism, Bustles and Ballustrades, and the work of J.C. Leyendecker--much of which is actually owned by the museum.

The Impressionism exhibit, on loan from Irvine Museum, was nice, but it didn't really hold my interest the way French Impressionism does (I'm a Degas and Renoir girl, now and forever). However, I loved some of the work of J.C. Leyendecker, and took a few pictures--sorry for the quality of some--I didn't want to use my flash, so whatever the museum's lighting did to the pictures is what we get in my photos.

I didn't take any other pictures inside, but you can follow the links I posted above to see what the other exhibits were about.

What I love about the Haggin is that it is so lovingly tended to by its staff and volunteers. The hours it is open to the public are limited, but it is available for school field trips, and volunteer docents show kids around. It has a marvelous area devoted to the history of Stockton and the San Joaquin Valley, including a whole area devoted to Benjamin Holt, the man behind the Caterpillar tractor. That name has some significance, as I live on a very long street called Benjamin Holt Drive.

It was a nice little outing. The best part was watching a young man--maybe in his twenties?--pushing his grandmother around in a wheelchair, talking with her about the various exhibits. They appeared to be having a lovely time, and it was heart-warming. If Grandma Bean had lived longer (she was 80 when she died; I was 15), I'm sure I would have enjoyed spending time with her.