With county moving back into Purple Tier, Fresno Art Museum once again closes its doors

The Fresno Art Museum has to shut down again because of bad COVID numbers. The announcement came Monday, Nov. 16, after Fresno County (and much of the state) was pushed back into the Purple Tier, the most restrictive of COVID-19 categories.

The details: “The museum is closed for the next 21 days,” says Michele Ellis Pracy, the museum’s executive director and chief curator. On Dec. 8, museum officials will learn if the Fresno Art Museum can reopen on Dec. 10 under the less restrictive Red Tier rules (reduced capacity, timed tickets, social distancing) it has been following since it reopened Oct. 22 on a Thursdays-Sundays schedule. Patrons can call the museum at that time for updates and to make reservations (if that is possible).

The disappointment: It’s keen for museum fans, who had hoped that reopening with a pair of big, bold exhibitions would be a sign of an improving cultural outlook in the city. The closure is particularly frustrating because this coming weekend was the first time that non-members could visit the museum under the Red Tier guidelines.

The takeaway: If you get the chance to partake in culture when it’s available, jump at the opportunity. COVID giveth and COVID taketh away.