Fresno Art Museum reopens to members on Saturday and to the general public on Aug. 11

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Then, on Wednesday, Aug. 11, the doors will be open for all visitors at a reduced admission charge.

“We are excited,” Ellis Pracy says. “The timing feels just right. We just hope this virus won’t escalate again. We’re on pins and needles.”

Here’s a rundown:

The obstacles: The museum was battered by the pandemic, of course, just like other cultural institutions, but it also faced unique reopening challenges. Repairs to the city-owned facility’s HVAC system have taken much longer than expected, thanks to supply-chain and labor issues. And three of the museum’s major galleries — the Fig Garden, Duncan and Hallowell galleries — will remain closed temporarily while a new track-lighting system is installed thanks to the Electric Motor Shop, which gave the museum a great deal, Ellis Pracy says. (Again, supply-chain issues have plagued the installation.)

The exhibitions: Four of them will greet visitors. “Bonnie Peterson: Another Glorious Sierra Day” and “Impressions of Bohemia” are holdovers from last fall, when the museum was able to reopen briefly before COVID worsened once again. And there are two new exhibitions: “Art of the Word: Celebrating Differences” features the illustrations of Rafael Lopez based on Sonia Sotomayor’s book “Just Ask.” And “Delicious: The Art of Food from the Permanent Collection” includes an Instagram crowd-sourcing activity that asks you to submit your own favorite food.

Still to come: When the new lighting is installed, the museum will reopen ​​“Here She Stands,” featuring works of celebrated women artists from the museum’s permanent collection. The exhibition was available for a very short window of viewing last fall. (You can read my report on that brief opening, and some of my impressions of the show, here.)

COVID protocol: Masks are required, no matter your vaccination status, and will be provided for free if you need one. No reservation is needed.

Looking ahead: There’s another first coming up soon for the museum. It will hold its first in-person fundraising event on Saturday, Aug. 28, at the San Joaquin Country Club. Titled “Hukilau!,” it is a Polynesian-themed evening. Details are here.

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