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
Through October 2, National Juried Competition
*** Opening Reception, Saturday, September 2, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
This is the Guild’s first National Juried Competition. The jurors, Donna Seager and Suzanne Gray of Seager Gray Gallery, selected the work from 370 entries.
140 East Napa Street, Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org

 

 

 

 

Calabi Gallery
Through October 14, Gallery Group Show
The Calabi Gallery Group Show features contemporary gallery artists as well as a selection of artwork from their vintage collection. On view are works by Douglas Ballou, Warren Bellows, Catherine Daley, Karen Green, Emmanuel Catarino Montoya, and Michael Ramos. Also showing work by Stuart Davis, Roy De Forest, Gronk, Charles Howard, Ray Jacobsen, Walter Kuhlman, and Robert Pearson McChesney.
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

Chroma Gallery
Through September 27, Sightings
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
September 1 through September 30, Art Trails Mini Preview Show
*** First Friday reception, September 1, from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Gallery at Corrick’s and My Daughter the Framer kick off the upcoming Art Trails Open Studios season by showcasing over 60 Art Trails artists.
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com

Gallery One
September 5 through October 22, Art Trails Preview
*** Reception Saturday, September 9, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Preview of artists participating in Art Trails Open Studios.
209 Western Avenue, Petaluma
707-778-8277
http://galleryone.webdaki.com

Graton Gallery
Through September 24, Anything Goes and Cigar Box Show
This third annual juried show features selected pieces, including work using cigar boxes.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net

Hammerfriar Gallery
September 16 through November 18, Bill Shelley and Shelley Spira Burns
*** Opening reception, Saturday, September 16, from 6 to 9 p.m.
Back from spending months in Berlin, Bill Shelley presents a collection of drawings he created while responding to this city. The drawings employ classical design conventions as well as invented interpretations and viewpoints. Also showing are sculptures by Shelley Spira Burns. An interest in geology, archeology and a background in psychology inform her work.
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.

September 22 through October 22, Art Trails Preview
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 23, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Preview of artists participating in Art Trails Open Studios.
9130 Plaza Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
www.healdsburgcenterforthearts.org

Hopscotch Gifts & Gallery
September 21 through October 9, Jordan Celso Large Scale Abstracts
*** Opening reception Saturday, September 23 from 5 to 8 p.m.
This solo show by Laytonville artist, Jordan Celso, features Celso’s large scale acrylic abstracts paintings, silk scarves, and metal prints. Celso is a member of the Laytonville Art Angels and is co-owner of Hopscotch Gifts & Gallery.
14301 Arnold Drive #2A, Glen Ellen
707-343-1931
www.hopscotchgiftsandgallery. com

 

IceHouse Gallery
Through September 4, Bill Kane–New Works; Emanations, Madonnas
The Emanation Series are contemporary works derived from traditional Buddhist deity images which are reduced into their basic component colors, blurred and stretched to 7 feet tall.

Opening in September, Adam Wolpert: Pond Series
405 East D St. Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.icehousegallery.org

Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
September 5 through January 4, Form & Color: It’s Wild Out There
*** Opening reception Saturday, September 16, from 3 to 5 p.m.
Wildlife photography by Dave Strauss.
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org

Museums of Sonoma County
Art Museum
September 17 through November 26, Unpacked: Contemporary Works From Private Collections of Northern California
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. Welcome the new Executive Director, Jeff Nathanson. Free to the public!
Unpacked features contemporary works from private collections of Northern California. The exhibit features the work of more than 20 artists who have inspired established collectors.

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
Through October 1, Sea Creatures
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 October 21, Tidal Response: Coastal Marine Environments from Above & Below
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.
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
September 6 through November 5, The 10th Anniversary Show
***opening reception on Saturday, September 9, from 5 to 9 p.m.
132 Petaluma Boulevard North, Petaluma
707-775-4278
www.riverfrontartgallery.com

 

 

 

 

Santa Rosa Junior College, Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
September 18 through October 12, Art Faculty Show
*** Reception for the artists, Thursday, September 21 from 4 to 6 p.m.
1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-527-4298
https://art-gallery.santarosa.edu/robert-f-agrella-art-gallery

Sculpturesite Gallery
Jack London Village
14301 Arnold Dr. Suite 8, Glen Ellen
707-933-1300
www.sculpturesite.com

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
September 28 through October 22, Art Trails Preview Exhibition
*** Opening Reception Thursday, September 28, from 6 to 8 p.m.
The preview exhibit features a piece of each participating artist’s work.
282 High Street, Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org

 

Sebastopol Gallery
Through September, Celebrating A Decade of Art And Community
*** Artist’s Reception Saturday, October 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.
The Gallery features work of member and guest artists each month in the windows as part of the gallery’s 10-year-anniversary celebration. For September, work by member artist James Reynolds will be in the north window. Guest artist Stacey Schuett’s work continues in the south window until September 24, when member artist Jeremy Joan Hewes displays her featured exhibit Let’s Talk About Trees.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopol-gallery.com/

 

Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
September 7 through October 15, Art Studio Faculty Exhibition
*** Opening reception, Thursday, September 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.
See what the SSU Art faculty is up to. The exhibition features the work of Emily Davis Adams, Shannon Benine; Jeremiah Barber, Clea Felien; Nathan Haenlein; Jenny Harp; Kurt Kemp; Cathy Lu; Jann Nunn; Kate Oltmann; Sasha Petrenko; Gregory Roberts; and Billie Stultz.
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
Through September 24, Laughing Matters
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

 

 

The Art Wall at Shige Sushi
September 5 through October 29. Claude Smith: Paintings and mixed media
*** Opening reception Monday, September 11, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Graton-based artist Claude Smith works in abstraction with an emphasis on mark-making, scrawling, and writing-as-drawing.
8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
707-795-9753
http://ctalcroft.wix.com/artwallatshige/

 

 

Upstairs Art Gallery
September 3 through September 30, Debbie Harding; Reason to Rejoice
*** Opening Reception Sunday, September 3, from 1:30 to 4 p.m.
306 Center St., Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net

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