Phase I of the renovation at the Claremont Depot is nearing completion and the first exhibition of the Claremont Museum of Art will soon be installed.

The community is invited to join in celebrating this first big milestone in the transformation of the Claremont Depot on Sunday, November 20 from noon to 4 p.m. at the Depot, 200 W. First St. in Claremont.

The opening exhibition, “(re)Generation: Six Decades of Claremont Artists” will be on view and visitors may enjoy light refreshments and art-making activities led by Project ARTstART students.

An official ribbon cutting with the city council and the Chamber of Commerce will take place Monday, December 12 at 5:30 p.m.

Under the direction of local architect John Bohn and Bob Soderberg of Alchemy Construction the former Foothill Transit Ticket Office has been transformed with what the CMA describes as “a second ‘skin,’” so art can be installed on the new walls without harming the original structure. 

Through donations, the CMA has raised more than $150,000 to renovate and repurpose the Claremont Depot.

New gallery lights in the chandelier, new paint and repair work has been completed in the atrium. The bathrooms have also been renewed with all new fixtures, paint and new lighting.

Phase II will focus on the two most eastern rooms in the building that will require more extensive renovation and will require additional time and resources. The city of Claremont will be partnering with CMA on underwriting Phase II with special grants earmarked specifically for this project.

The opening exhibition, “(re)Generation: Six Decades of Claremont Artists,” will feature selections from the museum’s permanent collection that reflect the region’s rich artistic legacy—from the influence of Millard Sheets and artists who arrived in the 1940s to the GIs who came to study after WWII to the contemporary artists that continue to call Claremont home.

The exhibition was sponsored by Gould Asset Management LLC and will be on view through March 12, 2017.

The Claremont Museum of Art will be open Friday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m. with free admission through December. The museum will also be open from 6 to 9 p.m. the First Saturday of each month for the Art Walk.

Visit claremontmuseum.org for more information about the museum, its history and current programs.