Featuring vintage art, the Newport Harbor Art Museum is the primary showcase in Newport Beach or California for that matter for the best in contemporary art. Being founded in 1962, the museum is dedicated to the collection, exhibition, and the interpretation of both contemporary and modern art.
By reflecting on the past as well as the present, the museum features the exhibitions of local, national and international scopes, and also maintains one of the most impressive and important works of California Art since the beginning and end of World War 2.
For those who don’t know much about contemporary art, the Newport Harbor Art Museum offers a broad series of programs designed in assisting the understanding and appreciation of the subject. Even though you may be new to contemporary art, the museum will show you all there is to know and love about it.
Known all over the world, the museum has a reputation for its depth of holdings in California post-war art, a collection of over 2,000 sculptures, paintings, prints, drawings, and even photography.
Those who are already familiar with contemporary art will surely appreciate everything that the museum provides. Fans of post-war art will enjoy this museum as well, as it provides the most extensive collection of California art around.
Some of the key holdings found in the Newport Harbor Art Museum include David Park, Nathan Oliveira, Joan Brown, Ed Ruscha, Larry Bell, Joe Goode, Robert Irwin, Chuck Arnoldi, and Judy Fiskin. There are also major holdings in room size works featuring Bill Viola’s Theater of Memory and even the Tale of Two Cities by Chris Burden.
Open year round, the museum hours are Tuesday – Saturday 10 AM – 5 PM and Sunday 12 PM – 5 PM, closed on Monday. Although there is small price for admission, the day to visit is Tuesday – as admission for everyone is free. If you are in the Newport area on Tuesday, you should drop by the museum as you have nothing to lose.
If your on vacation in Newport Beach, you can go to the Newport Harbor Art Museum during the day, on a side trip. The museum is a great way to spend the day looking at art. For the locals of the area, the museum is a great place to go back to time and time again to bring back memories of the post-war art and everything that contemporary California art is known for.