Staci DumoskiOn Dec. 3, The Hilbert Museum of California Art will close temporarily, as renovations begin that will nearly triple the museum’s square footage. The expansion will augment the museum’s gallery space and increase its capacity to serve Chapman University students and the community.
“We look forward to tripling our exhibition space and adding indoor and outdoor event space, a research library, a museum café and much more,” says Hilbert Museum director Mary Platt.
During the renovation, which is expected to take about one year, selections from the museum’s collection of California scene paintings will be on display at a temporary location in Old Towne Orange. The new site is located at 216 E. Chapman, just one block east of the Orange Plaza, in a building formerly occupied by U.S. Bank. The temporary location is expected to open on Dec. 17.
The opening exhibition is titled “All Aboard: The Romance of California’s Railroad” and will feature a curated selection of train and railroad paintings by acclaimed California artists from The Hilbert Collection.
Admission will still be free, but visits should be booked in advance, or patrons may register at the front desk upon arrival and will be admitted as space allows. Visiting hours at the temporary location will remain the same: Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Learn more about The Hilbert Museum, or follow the museum on Facebook and Instagram to see highlights from the collection and to keep up-to-date about renovation progress.
