Disappointed art lovers stared at the closed doors of the museum Thursday. Some are regulars, but one family drove two hours from Manteca.
"First we went to the Met," said Liz Garriss Ewing. "But we found out it was closed down and a gal sent us this direction and now we found out this is closed down."
Inside the museum, it's obvious why they're not allowed in. A leaky, old roof made its mark with water stains and creeping puddles.
First, a few galleries closed, then last week, the entire museum. And it couldn't have come at a worse time, as memberships had climbed 36% in the months before the roof trouble.
"We were building some momentum and this really has been a blow to that momentum," said the Fresno Art Museum's interim director Eva Torres. "It's really come to almost a screeching halt."
The City of Fresno owns the building, so it's responsible to fix the roof, but museum directors asked for help for several years and got a series of patch jobs.
"This contribution from the city is long overdue," said museum regular Connie Pitt. "What's been keeping them back?"
Painters are already inside the building, trying to erase the ugly water stains on the ceiling, and they've remade the damaged galleries.
On Thursday, the walls were empty, but by Saturday, the Joan Tanner "as is" installation should be on display, ready for a visit from a national art publication. After the attention dies down, the museum hopes it can keep the general public interested.
"Hang in there with us," said Torres. "Keep supporting us and we will be open just as soon as we possibly can."
That reopening could happen next week, but it's a wait and see situation. Weekend rain will let them know if the latest patch job will hold up.
