Art in Sonoma County: Current Gallery and Museum Exhibitions in August 2017

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.

Arts Guild of Sonoma
August 2 through August 28, August Exhibition
*** Opening Reception; Saturday, August 5, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Featuring new guild members; Janie Coltrin, Cathleen Francisco, Andrea Leland, Suzanne Phillips, Julia Pozsgai, Julee Richardson, and Vasily Spirin. Also on view is the “William’s Pond” series, acrylic mixed-media paintings by Jenny Whitfield.
140 East Napa Street, Sonoma
(707) 996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org

Calabi Gallery
Through August 19, 40 Years of Sonoma Valley Artist, Ray Jacobsen
Featuring oil paintings and watercolors by Ray Jacobsen (1938-2007).
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through September 10, It Was A Dark And Stormy Night
Charles Schulz brought his love of literature to his art, especially with his depiction of Snoopy as the “World Famous Author” sitting atop his doghouse using a typewriter. This exhibition explores Schulz’s love of literature, and highlights many Peanuts comic strips where books and writing appear in the lives of his characters.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org

Christie Marks Fine Art Gallery
312 South A Street, Suite #7, Santa Rosa
707-695-1011
christiemarksfineart.com

Nepali Doors with Chickens by Stella Monday

Chroma Gallery
August 4 through September 27, Sightings
*** Artists Reception Friday, August 4 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Juried photography show. Photographs that reveal the gorgeous or fascinating, but not often noticed, details of our world. Juror: Stella Monday.
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-293-6051
www.chromagallery.net

 

Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through September 15, Tapas
Showing the work of Laura Paine Carr, Jane Gardner, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Paul Maurer, Hanya Popova Parker, with featured artist Sharon Kozel, and guest artists Branka Harris and Claude Smith.
204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
707-894-4410
www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org

Cloverdale and Geyserville
Through May 2018, SculptureTrail
The Trail is an exhibit of sculptures on the main streets in of Geyserville and Cloverdale in the Sonoma County Wine Country. The Sculpture Trail is a year-round exhibit with sculptures changing every 12 months. You can download a map for your visit at www.101SculptureTrail.com.

Corricks Art Trails Gallery
August 4 through August 31, Mostly Metal: 4 Sculptors
*** Artists Reception Friday, August 4 from 5 to 7 p.m.
This is a unique art show, featuring four local sculptors: Susandra Spicer, Jan Schultz, Mike Laflin, and Rick Butler.
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com

Gallery One
Through September 3, Small Works Invitational
Artists include; Donna DeLaBriandais, Lynn Davis, Joyce Kelly, Judy Klausenstock, and Joanne Tepper.
209 Western Avenue, Petaluma
707-778-8277
galleryone.webdaki.com

Graton Gallery
Through August 20, Stormy Weather….Resist!
Featuring the paintings of Mylette Welch, and the sculptures of the late Richard Benbrook, as well as guest artists, Char Wood, Ron Sumner, Joanie Springer, and Kathryn Boggs.

August 22 through September 24, Anything Goes and Cigar Box Show
*** Opening Reception Saturday, August 26 from 2 to 5 p.m.
This third annual juried show features selected pieces, including work using cigar boxes.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net

by Lily Simonson

Hammerfriar Gallery
Through August 16, Beneath The Sea Ice
Paintings from Antarctica by Lily Simonson. The artist creates immersive large-scale paintings of arcane organisms in their otherworldly habitats. Simonson spent three months scuba diving and camping in Antarctica as the 2014-15 National Science Foundation Antarctic Artists and Writers Awardee.
132 Mill Street, Ste.101, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com

Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through September 17, Harvester
Photographs by Erik Castro.
9130 Plaza Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.org

IceHouse Gallery
405 East D St. Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.icehousegallery.org

Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
Through August 29, FAUNA Paintings and Mosaics by Stacey Schuett
Schuett is drawn to using animals and insects as subjects for their form, grace and contrast, and makes pieces about local wildlife.
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org

Installation view.

Museums of Sonoma County
Art Museum
Through August 27, Eye Fruit: The Art of Franklin Williams
Viewed in its entirety, Williams’s oeuvre appears to have evolved out of a slow, accretionary process by way of intense introspection and meticulous technique. Curated by Susan Landauer.

History Museum
Through November 5, Equine Epochs: The History of Horses in Sonoma County
Equine Epochs recounts the role of the horse in Sonoma County. From the plow horse to the champion racer, explore the history and ongoing legacy of the horse in Sonoma County in this exhibition.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500
www.museumsc.org

Occidental Center for the Arts
August 4 through October 1, Sea Creatures
*** Opening Reception Saturday, August 5, from 4 to 7 p.m.
Juried show of Sea Creatures, real and imagined.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Paul Mahder Gallery
Through September 17, Words Matter
The Bay Area premiere of new paintings by Wosene Kosrof. Born in 1950 in the Arat Kilo district of Addis Ababa, Kosrof uses the script forms of his native Amharic as a core element in his paintings and sculptures, creating a new visual language that draws upon the artist’s Ethiopian heritage, while incorporating his experiences of living in the U.S.
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
www.paulmahdergallery.com

Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture
Outdoor sculpture meadows.
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa
707-528-9463
www.prwinery.com

Petaluma Arts Center
Through August 5, Face of Petaluma: Portraits of our Town
A contemporary photographic portrayal of current Petaluma residents. The exhibition is in conjunction with the Portraits of Petaluma Pioneers at the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum.

By Holly Sumner

August 19 through October 21, Tidal Response: Coastal Marine Environments from Above & Below
*** Opening Reception Saturday, August 19, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Tidal Response explores the intersection of art and science through a series of responses to coastal environments, with particular emphasis on Sonoma County. Artists included are Peter Connors, Chris Dewees, Courtney Mattison, Richard and Judith Selby Lang, Julia Edith Rigby, and Holly Sumner. See website for related programs and workshops.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org

Petaluma Historical Museum & Library
Through September 25, Portraits of Petaluma Pioneers
Showcasing personal images and public stories of a California Rivertown. The exhibition is in conjunction with the Face of Petaluma at the Petaluma Arts Center.
20 Fourth Street, Petaluma (Corner of 4th and B Street)
707-778-4398
www.petalumamuseum.com

Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Through September 4, Close to Nature
Woodfired ceramics by two new artists—Jonathan Stewart of Pasadena, California and Katsuura Aki of Shigaraki, Japan, and new work by Mitch Iburg, Kelly Farley, and Bill Geisinger. 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
Through September 3, Showin’ On The River
The gallery’s largest juried show to date, with 61 pieces on display.
132 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma
707-775-4278
www.riverfrontartgallery.com

Santa Rosa Junior College, Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-527-4298
art-gallery.santarosa.edu/robert-f-agrella-art-gallery

Sculpturesite Gallery
Currently on view; Steel Sculptor Richard Starks
Sculpturesite presents five outdoor sculptures by artist Richard Starks, who creates flowing abstract forms from sheets of metal.
Jack London Village
14301 Arnold Dr. Suite 8, Glen Ellen
707-933-1300
www.sculpturesite.com

Fire in the Mountain, by Stephanie Hoppe

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Through September 3, Fiber Art VIII and Korean Voices in Fiber
Main Gallery: Fiber Art VIII, International Fiber Arts Exhibition.
Biennial Juried fiber art exhibition. Jurors: Wendy Lugg, Jason Pollen, and Eszter Bornemisza.

Gallery III; Korean Voices in Fiber: Translating Tradition into Contemporary Art. Curated by Mirka Knaster and Misik Kim, this show highlights the ancient heritage of fiber art in Korea as well as its vibrant modern transformation of both traditional and unexpected techniques and materials. See website for related events and workshops.
282 High Street, Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org

Keeping Watch, by Teri Sloat

Sebastopol Gallery
Through August, Ten-Year Anniversary Celebration
Featured this month is work by Teri Sloat and Stacey Schuett. Teri Sloat creates beautiful pastel landscapes, and Stacey Schuett’s paintings and mosaics are a rich, textured illumination of the natural world.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopol-gallery.com/

 

Kristen Throop

SOFA Arts District
August 5 and 6, SOFA Artwalk
*** From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day is the SOFA art neighborhood’s annual open studio event. Artwalk has 24 participating artists as well as restaurants and cafes, all within easy walking distance. This year includes: a tin-type photographer, a French pastry chef, a jewelry maker, assemblage artists, painters and sculptors.
South A Street, Santa Rosa

 

 

 

 

Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
www.sonoma.edu/artgallery

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Through October 1, Albert Paley: Thresholds
Albert Paley is an American modernist metal sculptor. This exhibition features Paley’s large-scale sculptures, drawings, and maquettes, and explores his process. In addition to the museum exhibition, the City of Sonoma will witness a summer-long display of several of Paley’s larger-scale works in Sonoma Plaza, Depot Park, at the Sonoma Community Center, and adjacent to the museum.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org

Studio Gallery
August 18 through September 24, Laughing Matters
*** Opening reception Friday, August 18, from 6 to 8 p.m.
We could all use a little humor and this artwork will make us smile or even burst into laughter! In addition to visual artworks, the show includes literary works such as poems, short stories and comics. All works are by Sonoma County artists. Curated by Christie Marks, and presented by the Wine Country Arts Council in cooperation with the 6th Street Playhouse.
52 6th Street, Santa Rosa, next to the 6th Street Playhouse.
www.winecountryartscouncil.com

Bob Nugent, Fragmentos de Paisagem 9

The Art Wall at Shige Sushi
Through September 3, Bob Nugent: Dialogues with Nature
A selection of paintings inspired by natural forms observed in the Amazon River Basin by internationally-renowned artist Bob Nugent.
8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
707-795-9753
ctalcroft.wix.com/artwallatshige/

 

 

 

By Lenona Winter

Upstairs Art Gallery
August 5 through August 27, Sonoma Impressions
*** Opening Reception Saturday, August 5, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Sonoma Impressions, oil paintings by Lenona Winter. A passionate plein-air painter, Winter frequently hikes the county’s hills, coastline, or rural backroads with her portable easel and backpack in search of inspiring scenes. Her oil paintings are known for their sumptuous color and sense of place.
306 Center St., Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net

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About Satri Pencak

Independent Curator, art writer
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