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 September 30, Art in an Age of Anxiety
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 1 from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
A National Juried Exhibition, judged by nationally recognized artist, Chester Arnold.
140 East Napa Street, Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org
Atelier One Open Studios | HANDS on ART
Saturday & Sunday, September 29 & 30, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Open Studios at Atelier One will once again be held on the final weekend of September. Join us for art, music & conversation, featuring 17 participating studios with new and long-time artist tenants in the building.
2860 Bowen St, Graton
Blasted Art Gallery
Through September 7, Chris Beards / Bill Shelley
*** Closing Reception with the Artists Friday, September 7, from 5 to 8 p.m.
New mixed media sculpture by Chris Beards and works on paper by Bill Shelley, the cofounders of Blasted Art Gallery. Beards’ sculptures explore the themes of loss, love, and remembrance. Shelley’s drawings feature highways as symbols of shared meaning and personal significance.
Art Alley, South A Street
SOFA Arts District, Santa Rosa
707-888-1026
www.blastedartgallery.com
Calabi Gallery
Through October 6, The Fantastic Vision of Alejandro Salazar
Born and raised in Colima, Mexico, Salazar has been widely exhibited throughout the United States and Mexico and now maintains a studio in Santa Rosa, California. “Looking at modern artists and studying their paintings, I wanted to achieve their power and feeling rather than replicating their visual effects. I am more interested in expressing feelings and emotions rather than the surface appearance of things.”
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through September 16, My Favorite Peanuts: Reflections of Family and Friends
All Peanuts fans have a favorite character, storyline, or drawing. In this exhibition, Charles Schulz’s wife, Jean, along with some of his family members and close friends share their favorite strips and the stories behind them.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org
Chroma Gallery / Santa Rosa Arts Center
Through September 22, The Controlled Accident
Showing Intuitive Abstract Artwork in all media that expresses a harmonious relationship of artist and nature which is created spontaneously when the artist doesn’t try to dominate the medium but leaves the result open to surprise and chance.
SOFA Arts District
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-293-6051
www.chromagallery.net
Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
September 15 to November 16, Nurture
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 15, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
Guest artists for this exhibit are sculptor Caro Pemberton and painter Aldo Longo. Resident artists include Laura Paine Carr, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Paul Maurer and Hanya Popova Parker. Ceramicist Jane Gardner is the featured resident artist.
204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
707-894-4410
www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org
Corricks Art Trails Gallery / My Daughter the Framer
September 7 through October 5, Art Trails Preview
*** First Friday Meet the Artists reception, September 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Corrick’s and My Daughter the Framer once again begin the Sonoma County Art Trails season by featuring the work of dozens of local artists at the 2018 Art Trails Preview Show!
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com
Fulton Crossing Gallery
1200 River Rd, Fulton
www.fultoncrossing.com
Gallery ThreeHundred
Contemporary Paintings by Jennifer Hirshfield, Terry Sauve and Lisa Thorpe. Functional art by Alejandro Salazar, Amy Smith and Ron Macken.
6780 McKinley, Suite 130, in The Barlow, Sebastopol
707-332-1212
www.gallery-300.com
Graton Gallery
Through September 23, Anything Goes Juried & Cigar Box Show
Juror; Catherine Devriese.
September 25 through October 28, Abstractions, Distractions, Reactions
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 29, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Featuring Bruce Hopkins and Susan Shore; Guest Artists: Judy Bianchi, Katie Kruzic, Cathy Locke & Phil Wright.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net
Hammerfriar Gallery
132 Mill Street, Ste.101, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com
Healdsburg Center for the Arts
September 8 through October 21, Figure Study
*** Opening reception Saturday, September 8, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Jurors; Chris Blum, Janet Howell, and Vesna Breznikar. In this exhibit the human figure is portrayed realistically, abstractly or symbolically. The narrative possibilities are vast and universal as forty-two artists present their “Figure Study”.
130 Plaza Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
https://healdsburgcenterforthearts.org
Hopscotch Gifts & Gallery
September 7 through October 14, Spirits Rising
*** Artist reception Saturday, September 8, from 4 to 8 p.m.
Spirits Rising is a celebration of our collective healing and positive spirits after the 2017 Firestorm. Thirty artists will be showing work in fiber, glass, jewelry, painting, photography, sculpture, ceramics, mixed media, wood, and metal.
126 Matheson, Healdsburg
707-431-8861
www.hopscotchgiftsandgallery.com
IceHouse Gallery
Through September 8, Work by Susan Hersey and Robert Hersey
The Petaluma Arts Center in collaboration with the IceHouse Gallery, present a special pop-up exhibition of mixed media work by Susan Hersey, and recent works by Robert Hersey.
405 East D St., Petaluma
(707) 778-2238
www.icehousegallery.org
Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org
Museums of Sonoma County
Art Museum
Through September 23, Time & Place
An exhibition about the natural and built environments, human impact, and how a place changes over time. From major hurricanes to the firestorms and housing crisis in Sonoma County, Time & Place places natural disasters and human made challenges in a larger global context. Artists include Kim Anno, Donna Brookman, Lewis deSoto, and Andrew Moore. Curated by Jeff Nathanson.
History Museum
Through September 16, Lost Santa Rosa
Looking at moments of truly transformative change, Lost Santa Rosa explores those elements of the city that have been lost over the years. With disasters such as the 2017 firestorms and the 1906 earthquake, losses can be sudden and breathtaking. Other changes come about over time as the result of demographic shifts, conscious decisions or even neglect. Curated by Eric Stanley.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500
www.museumsc.org
Occidental Center for the Arts
September 1 through 30, Pointless Sisters’ Art Quilts
*** Opening Reception Sunday, September 2, from 2 to 5 p.m.
The Pointless Sisters are a group of local quilters who use a variety of traditional and non-traditional quilting techniques to produce unique, and innovative fiber arts. This year the Pointless Sisters display their newest contemporary quilts.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Paul Mahder Gallery
Through September 14, Of Water And Sand
New charcoal and acrylic paintings by Carlos Gomez Mojica. What is the true function of our exterior, that is, of our skin? “The pigments in our skin have been such a powerful topic for me that I have taken it as the basis of my artistic career; I explore and use my art to extract what overwhelms me, to say what I would not otherwise know, and to question what my predecessors never asked.”
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
www.paulmahdergallery.com
Paradise Ridge Winery Sculpture
During the devastating Tubbs Fire the winery buildings were destroyed, but the vineyards and most of the sculptures remain unharmed. While rebuilding takes place the three-acre sculpture garden, which includes the two-story-tall LOVE sculpture, has reopened to the public, and Marijke’s Grove sculpture garden will be open on weekends from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through October 28.
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Santa Rosa
707-528-9463
www.prwinery.com
Petaluma Arts Center
Through September 8, Work by Susan Hersey and Robert Hersey
The Petaluma Arts Center in collaboration with the IceHouse Gallery, present a special pop-up exhibition of mixed media work by Susan Hersey, and recent works by Robert Hersey. Susan and Robert have amassed a large collection of work from a lifetime as working artists. This exhibition offers an opportunity to experience a selection of their work.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org
Pie Eyed Open Studio
*** Saturday and Sunday, September 15 and 16, from 12 to 4 p.m. each day.
Weeds, Wild Grasses and Wonder of Trees features black and white photography by Howard Hardie, and paintings and pastels by Diana Majumdar, Susan Ball, and Daniele Todaro. Pie Eyed Open Studio serves up exciting art, scintillating conversation and fresh pie for your enjoyment.
Located at 2371 Gravenstein Hwy. South, Sebastopol
Look for the ART + PIE sign and turn at the Giant Yellow Duck!
Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Through September 30, Kyoto Skies
Kyoto Skies showcases paperworks, aquatints and watercolor paintings by Kyoto artist Sarah Brayer. 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 5 through November 4, Eleventh Anniversary Show
*** Opening Reception and Art Walk Saturday, September 8, from 5 to 8 p.m.
Presenting the work of seven featured artists in a variety of media.
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
https://art-gallery.santarosa.edu/robert-f-agrella-art-gallery
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Through September 9, Green
In the Main Gallery, Green, a national juried exhibition, showcases artwork that reflects on the color and concept of “green”.
In Gallery II Nature’s Will by Robin Dintiman evokes a deep connection to nature.
Gallery III presents a creative collaboration by two artists, Jill Keller-Peters and Nishi Marcus. Color Beyond Profusion: an Unexpected Collaborative Surprise celebrates their individual passion for color.
September 28 through October 21, Art Trails Preview Exhibition
*** Preview Reception Friday, September 28, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Art Trails is a juried, self-guided open studio event, devoted to educating the public about visual arts in Sonoma County. This program showcases the art, creative processes and the working environments of 145 professional Sonoma County artists.
282 High Street, Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org
Sebastopol Gallery
Through September 29, New Landscape Paintings
James Reynolds is the Featured Artist in August and September. Reynolds uses pastels, acrylics and oils to create his landscape paintings. Also showing are assemblages by member Rebeca Trevino in the north window.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopol-gallery.com
Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
September 6 through October 14, The Tyranny of Objects
*** Opening Reception Thursday, September 6, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Napa-based multi-disciplinary artist Stephen Whisler investigates issues related to surveillance, military weaponry, and the frightening power of nuclear bombs. The exhibition features a life-size sculpture of Fat Man—the atomic bomb detonated over Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945—suspended from the Gallery’s ceiling. Also on view are numerous woodblock prints and pastel drawings of military drones and rockets. Whisler’s work is a rare combination of aesthetic beauty and the disturbing feelings associated with such sinister objects.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
www.sonoma.edu/artgallery
Sonoma State University, Library Gallery
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
http://library.sonoma.edu
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Through September 16, Private Landscapes and Public Territories: Botanicals, Archives and Libraries in the Work of Amalia Mesa-Bains
In this exhibition, Amalia Mesa-Bains focuses on the importance of place and memory through botanical prints, mapping images, landscape shadow boxes, altars, folding books and installations.
September 29 through January 6, 2019, From Fire, Love Rises: Stories Shared from the Artist Community and 20 Sonoma Collectors: Celebrating SVMA’s 20th Year
*** Opening reception Saturday, September 29 from 6 to 8 p.m.
From Fire, Love Rises commemorates artists who were impacted by the October 2017 fires in Sonoma and Napa Counties. The exhibition features 14 artists and 19 writers who work in bronze, photography, ceramics, printmaking, new media, poetry, and prose to express their countless stories of loss, gratitude, and resiliency that have emerged in the year since the fires.
20 Sonoma Collectors brings the story of 20 art enthusiasts and their collections to SVMA. The exhibition provides a unique opportunity to view contemporary art from important Sonoma collections, including works by Squeak Carnwath, Shepard Fairey, Roy De Forest, Tom Friedman, Jacob Hashimoto, David Hockney, Robert Mapplethorpe, Claes Oldenburg, Kiki Smith, and Andy Warhol, among others.
Through October 21, Natural Affinity: California Women Sculptors in the Landscape
Public art in Sonoma Plaza with works by Gwynn Murrill, Lisa Reinertson, and Alison Saar. Each of these women sculptors play an important role in evolving the canon of California art and in the craft of sculpture.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org
The Art Wall at Shige Sushi
September 4 through October 28, Suzanne Edminster—Salt Mind
*** Opening reception Monday, October 1, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Paintings and mixed media work by Santa Rosa artist Suzanne Edminster, who has an interest in the history of alchemy and salt in particular. Edminster draws on history, a distinctive sense of color, and an intuitive, layered creative process to make art of substance. A vibrant palette and dynamic brushwork give her paintings immediate appeal.
8235 Old Redwood Highway, Cotati
707-795-9753
http://ctalcroft.wix.com/artwallatshige/
Upstairs Art Gallery
September 3 through September 30, Small Works on Paper by Willow LaLand-Yeilding
*** Artist Reception Sunday, September 9, from 2 to 5 p.m.
Willow LaLand-Yeilding is exhibiting etchings and other works on Paper. Additionally, Bill Gittins, a consummate and prolific oil painter of Sonoma County, is showing paintings of vineyards and places of quiet beauty.
306 Center St., Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net
If you would like to receive these posts in your e-mail each month, please sign up to follow my blog. This post also appears on my Facebook page; Satri’s Best Bets in the Visual Arts.