The de Saisset Museum houses an extensive collection numbering more than 12,500 objects. The museum's Art collection includes painting and sculpture, works on paper and photography, new media, and decorative arts. The History collection is divided into two main areas: California History and Mission-era liturgical vestments. Since its founding in 1955, the museum has developed large and encyclopedic holdings, covering a wide range of art historical periods and styles. Although the museum is committed to caring for every piece in its collection, current collecting activity is predominantly focused on works by contemporary California artists.
The de Saisset Museum is happy to provide access to the collection for scholarly and research purposes. We are also glad to consider loan requests from other museums and arts organizations. We are actively building our collection through gifts of art. Potential gifts are reviewed by the museum's Collections Committee to ensure that each object fits our collecting goals.
Val Britton's Reverberation 21 (2014) and Reverberation 22 (2014) acquired as part of an integrated education acquisitions project.
Inez Storer, Home Quilt (2003) acquired as a gift of the artist in 2004.
Fletcher Benton, Going Around the Corner with X (2008) acquired as a gift from the artist in 2013.
Three of nearly fifty decorative beer steins given between 1955 and 1965 by E.V. D'Berger.
A segment of our collection of Mission-era liturgical vestments.
Everything in the de Saisset's collection is stored in a secure, environmentally-controlled storage vault.