Sonoma County has been a magnet for artists and art connoisseurs for many decades, and continues to attract sophisticated artists and art collectors, along with casual art lovers. Combined with the sheer natural beauty, and general creative ambience, the area readily entices visitors, as well as long-time residents, to explore the many and varied fine art offerings. With the addition of great food, drink, and outdoor activities, it’s easy to spend a day, a week, or a lifetime traversing through the vineyards, forests, and rolling hills, along the scenic coast, and through the welcoming towns of Sonoma County.

The following is a partial list of local art exhibitions. Many eateries, wineries, and civic buildings also present changing art shows in their spaces.

*** Designates an Opening Reception.

Artescape
Through September 24, Whimsical Wonderland Show
Exhibiting Artists, Jenn Alexander, Jamie Azevedo, Xzavier Edward Carter, Barbara Crow, Denise Deleray, Luisa Renay Diaz, Traci Edwards, Brittany Ellis, Barbra Fortier, Brent Gibb, Kepi, Teeda Lo Codo, Gayle Manfre, Kate Ortolano, Taurey Overturf, Brian Shepard, Thena Trygstad, and Students from Summer Art Camps
17474 Hwy. 12, Boyes Hot Springs in Sonoma
707-938-5551
artescapesonoma.com

Arts Guild of Sonoma
September 3 through 28, September Show
*** Opening reception Saturday September 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Members Exhibiting in September are Patricia Akay, Barbara Aliza, Anji Bartholf, George Dawney, Dee Dushkes, Irene Ehret, Zaza Fetterly, Yvonne Giambroni-Martin, Christine Gonzalves, Susan Heering-Pieper, Kirk Hinshaw, Jackie Lee, Nancy Martin, Loran May, Helen Mehl, Andrea Patri, Ellie Portner, Bev Prevost, Lyn Swan, Thena Trygstad, and Jennifer Whitfield.
140 East Napa Street, Sonoma
707-996-3115
artsguildofsonoma.org

By Kristen Troop.

Backstreet Gallery
September 5 through 27, The Lion-for-real, New work by Kristen Throop
*** Opening reception Saturday, September 5, 6 to 9 p.m.
Inspired by a love of old Technicolor movies, this new series features gouache paintings in cyan (blue), magenta, and yellow, digitally layered to mimic the iconic motion picture process. “The lion-for-real”, titled after an Allen Ginsberg poem by the same name, features a dozen original sketches and limited edition Duratrans prints mounted in light boxes. Artist talks: Sundays, September 13, 20 & 27 at 2 pm. Closing reception: Saturday, September 26 at sundown we will be screening the Technicolor masterpiece, The Red Shoes (1948).
Located on Art Alley off of South A Street, near Sebastopol Ave., Santa Rosa
707-478-4739
For more information go to kristenthroop.com

By Michael Ramos.

Calabi Gallery
September 15 through October 31, Other Worlds
*** Opening reception Wednesday, September 16, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Other Worlds features recent paintings by Michael Ramos and prints by Tim Haworth. Michael’s paintings are pure expressions of the subconscious. Tim’s ethereal monotypes are created in a unique process of his own invention. Also showing is a selection of 20th-century work from the gallery collection that explores the deeper reaches of the human psyche or imaginary realms inspired by the natural world, including works by Paul Beattie, Morris Graves, Robert Howard, Ynez Johnston, Sutter Marin, Robert McChesney, and Elisabeth Vellacott.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through October 18, 2015, Animating Comics
The 1965 debut of A Charlie Brown Christmas brought Charlie Brown and the Peanuts Gang home to more than 15 million television viewers and enjoyed immediate acclaim. Earning an Emmy for Best Network Animated Special and a Peabody Broadcasting Award, this 30-minute production and the Peanuts films that followed have become treasured additions to our collective culture.
This exhibition celebrates the art of animating comics and features rarely displayed production cells from award-winning animations, including Peanuts, Batman, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org

Christie Marks Fine Art Gallery
Through September 5, Mi Valle (My Valley), a California Journey
*** Santa Rosa Arts District First Friday Art Walk! Friday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The show features photographs by former Modesto Bee staff photographer, Adrian Mendoza. Mendoza’s work is informed by a life spent largely in California’s Central Valley, having grown up along the Tuolumne River where his father was a laborer for the short line railroad. The exhibition centers around two themes; Salt of the Earth and The Delta, and celebrates the grand re-opening for the Christie Marks Fine Art Gallery.
312 South A Street, Suite #7, Santa Rosa
707-695-1011
 christiemarksfineart.com

Chroma Gallery
Through September 13, Like Nothing Seen Before
*** Santa Rosa Arts District First Friday Art Walk! Friday, Sept. 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Like Nothing Seen Before features mixed-media artwork made from virtually any object with the potential to inspire the creative mind such as photos, books, bicycles, Tarot cards, esoterica and ephemera. By cutting, painting and assembling, the Sonoma County and Bay Area artists have made art that is original, fresh, transgressive and challenging.
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-293-6051
www.chromagallery.net

Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through September 17, Serenade
The featured resident artist is Drew Jackson. Guests Artists for are Diana Majumdar and Rive Nestor. Other resident artists included in this exhibition are Laura Paine Carr, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Sharon Kozel, Paul Maurer, and Hanya Popova Parker.

September 18 through November 19, Nocturne
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, September 19, 5 to 8 p.m.
Showing work by resident gallery artists and guest artists.
204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
707-894-4410
www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org

Finley Community Center
Through September 10, On Your Own Time
This group show features Sonoma County artists whose work explores the concept of Time. Artists: Kirk Hinshaw, Kathryn Kelsey, Bea Endert, Linda Semple, Mark Brudzinski, Paula Strother, Taunee Callahan, Jessica Ramussen, Cliff Strother, and Rebeca Trevino.
2060 West College Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-543-3737
http://srcity.org/departments/recreationandparks/programs/artsandculture/exhibitions/

By Mylette Welch.

Graton Gallery
Through September 20, Mylette Welch—Souvenirs, and The Cigar Box Show
Also showing Guest Artists Barbara Goodman, Carolyn Wilson, Angel Fabela, and Jan Thomas.

September 22 through November 1, 2 Susans
*** Artists’ Reception Saturday, September 26, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Showing Plein Air paintings by Susan R. Ball, and Abstracts by Susan Proehl, with guest artists, Don Van Amerongen, Peter Fronk, Jennifer Holmes, and Rosemary Ward.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net

Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through October 4, Pairings: Collaborative Works
A juried exhibition featuring diverse works made by two or more artists. Closing Tea, Sunday, October 4, 2 to 4 p.m.
9130 Plaza Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.com

Ice House Gallery
Through September 27, All That Glitters
A collaborative exhibition with the Petaluma Arts Center that features 50 years of the contemporary studio glass movement in the Bay Area.
405 East D Street, Studio B, Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.icehousegallery.org

Museums of Sonoma County
Art Museum
Through September 20, SLANG Aesthetics! The Art of Robert Williams
A true maverick, Robert Williams sought to create vital work that channeled the shifting energies and immediacy of counterculture, from the 60s onward, Williams’ paintings invoked a return to craftsmanship, figuration and demotic imagery that rejected the elitist tenets of conceptual minimalism.
511 B Street, Santa Rosa

History Museum
September 11 through October 18, Artistry in Wood
*** Opening reception, Friday, September 11, 6 to 8 p.m.
Also on view Dia de los Muertos, through November 1.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500
www.sonomacountymuseum.org

Tony King, Adam Wolpert, Bill Wheeler.

Occidental Center for the Arts
September 4 through November 1, New Paintings by Tony King, Bill Wheeler, and Adam Wolpert
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, September 12, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Three long-time friends, nationally-known, master painters, Tony King, Bill Wheeler and Adam Wolpert, showcase their newest paintings. Each of the painters has a unique and deep connection to Sonoma County that is reflected in their landscapes, which are the subject of the show. Although all three have different styles and approaches to painting outdoors, they all share a profound love and respect for the land and for a practice that has engaged them for most of their lives.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture
Through April 2016, Conversations in Sculpture
The exhibition of large outdoor sculpture combines outstanding art with a beautiful and natural setting. Eleven artists explore the theme of Conversations—defined as an exchange of ideas. Participating artists are Terry Berlier, Welat Najeeb, Dee Briggs, Joey Enos, Linda Fleming, Jin Lee, JP Long, Nathan Lynch, Mark Malmberg, Gregory Pagel, and Sabine Reckewell.
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa
www.celebratesculpture.com or www.prwinery.com

Petaluma Arts Center
Through September 27, All That Glitters
A collaborative exhibition with the IceHouse Gallery that features 50 years of the contemporary studio glass movement in the Bay Area. Check their website for a list of events and workshops.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org

By Seiko Tachibana.

Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Through October 25, Seiko Tachibana: Elements
The exhibition highlights recent paintings and intaglio prints by Seiko Tachibana. Her new themes are often drawn from nature, with titles such as Fern Butterfly Effect or Origin-Spores. Housed in a refurbished building with shoji and a small, serene Japanese garden, the gallery shows contemporary art by Japanese and regional Northern California artists.
1781 Coast Highway One, Bodega Bay
707-875-2922
www.renbrown.com

Riverfront Art Gallery
September 9 through November 8, Beyond The Usual
*** Opening and Art Walk Reception, Saturday, September 12, 5 to 9 p.m.
Cathy Thomas, Karen Spratt, Jerrie Jerné, and Sharon Feissel challenge themselves by creating artwork using something other than their usual medium.
132 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma
707-775-4278
www.riverfrontartgallery.com

Santa Rosa Junior College, Santa Rosa Campus
Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
September 10 through October 8, SRJC 2015 Art Faculty Show
*** Opening Reception Thursday, September 10, from 4 to 6 p.m.
This exhibition showcases recent work by SRJC art studio faculty and provides insight to the art department’s creative output.
1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-527-4298
www.santarosa.edu/art-gallery

Santa Rosa Junior College, Petaluma Campus
Mahoney Library Gallery
Through September 30, Amazonia: The History of Nature
*** Artist’s Reception, Thursday, September 17, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Selected Collaborative works by Bob and Lynda Nugent. Each artist reflects on the same subject matter and creates individual works. Lecture with Bob Nugent, Amazonia: The History of Nature, September 14, 12 to 1 p.m.
680 Sonoma Mountain Parkway, Petaluma
www.santarosa.edu/library/art/Mahoney

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Through September 13, Chairs
This juried exhibition showcases artistic presentations of Chairs, which are redefined, reconfigured, and reinterpreted and include the stationary to interactive, with variable form and scale. Also showing in Gallery II is The Face of Water. Artists Maash Pascal’s oil paintings and Patti Wessman’s large glass assemblages were inspired by the inherent aesthetic beauty and structure of water. In Gallery III is Conceal, Reveal by Martha Wade, and features a series of figurative paintings in oil, many of which incorporate masks, costumes or other elements to disguise or enhance the private self.

September 25 through October 18, Art Trails Preview Exhibition
*** Opening Reception Friday, September 25, 6 to 8 p.m.
The preview exhibition features a piece of artwork by each participating artist.
282 High Street, in the Veterans’ Memorial Bldg., Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org

Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
September 3 through October 25, Focus on Photography
*** Opening reception, Thursday, September 3, 5 to 7 p.m.
The exhibition features 59 photographs from the Gallus Sweet Collection. The selection of photographs spans much of the history of photography, from Carleton Watkins’ lyrical 1883 image Multnomah Falls in Oregon to Annie Leibovitz’s powerful rendering of Niagara Falls in Canada. The exhibition also presents the work from other artists including Ansel Adams, Robert Mapplethorpe, and Carrie Mae Weems. A Conversation with Richard Sweet and Martin Weinstein; Thursday, October 22, 7 to 9 p.m.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
www.sonoma.edu/artgallery

Young Kara Girl, by Jane Baldwin.

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
September 12 through December 6, Jane Baldwin: Kara Women Speak
Through portraiture and film, Sonoma Valley photographer Jane Baldwin gives voice to the women of the Omo River Valley of Southwestern Ethiopia and Northern Kenya.

Also showing; An Accomplishment in Creativity: The Egyptian Children’s Tapestries
Prior to formal schooling, children between the ages of 5 and 10 in the small Coptic Christian village of Harrania, were selected to weave images created entirely in their mind’s eye.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org

The Art Wall at Shige Sushi
Through October 4, On the Edge of the Animate: Photography by Barbara Elliott
Elliott photographs old dolls weathered by time, mannequins missing limbs, or live female models wrapped in spiraling cellophane. Her work captures a somewhat macabre humor but always with an understated elegance.
8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
707-795-9753
ctalcroft.wix.com/artwallatshige/

The Spinster Sisters
Through October 4, Colin Talcroft: Recent Work—Abstract Photography and Monoprint Collage
The work focuses on recent art from his “Museum Shadow Series” of photographs and a selection of recent collage work.
401 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-528-7100

The Wine Emporium
Through September 7, Women in Myth and Fairytale
Featured artist, Chamisa Kellogg, explores the role of archetypal female characters, from goddesses to little girls. Most of these stories center around themes like human desire, love, jealousy, vengeance, and longing.
125 N. Main St., Sebastopol
707-823-5200
www.the-wine-emporium.com/slideshow

By Dee Andreini.

Upstairs Art Gallery
September 5 through 30, Sonoma County Colors: Paintings by Dee Andreini
*** Artist’s reception, Saturday, September 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Inspired by the diversity and richness of the Sonoma County landscape, Dee Andreini‘s colorful oil and acrylic paintings depict the golden hills, redwoods, rivers, vineyards, and orchards of her lifelong home.
306 Center St., Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.upstairsartgallerysite.com

Photon, 2009, by Bruce Johnson.

Wells Fargo Center for the Arts, Sculpture Garden
June 2015 through 2017, Root 101
On view in the new Sculpture Garden is the inaugural exhibition of recent work by Bruce Johnson. The work is comprised of colossal wood sculptures made from salvaged old growth redwood, which he has been working with for over 50 years.
50 Mark West Springs Road, Santa Rosa
http://wellsfargocenterarts.org or http://formandenergy.com/new/root101/

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