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 December 30, Gifts of Artistry
*** Artists reception, Thursday, November 7, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Featuring beautiful and affordable one-of-a kind artwork.
140 E. Napa St., Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org
Calabi Gallery
Through December 28, Gruppo Di Quattro
Showing the work of Elio Benvenuto, Lydia Macchiarini Benvenuto, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, and Sam Provenzano. Pivotal figures of their time, these artists all played an important part in the foundation and blossoming of the arts in Post War San Francisco. The exhibition features paintings, prints, works on paper, sculptures and textile craft by these influential artists.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through January 12, 2025, Bravo, Snoopy! Peanuts and Pawpet Theater
Upstairs Changing Gallery
Through March 12, 2025, Here Come the Beagle Scouts!
Downstairs Changing Gallery
Fifty years ago, Snoopy and his loyal Beagle Scouts first embarked on their wild adventures in Peanuts, and together, they have climbed mountains, crossed lakes, navigated forests, and marched straight into the hearts of Peanuts fans around the world. A new exhibition at the Charles M. Schulz Museum celebrates the Beagle Scouts’s golden anniversary with a nostalgic journey through original Peanuts comic strip art, vintage products, animation clips, and more. Here Come the Beagle Scouts! features photo ops and surprises around each corner—no compass required!
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org
Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through November 15, Sustain
The guest artists for this exhibit are Jerry Stocker, Fine Craft/Mosaic; and Melissa Staehle, Painting. Resident artists are Laura Paine Carr, Trudi Folsom, Jane Gardner, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Jason Taylor Morgan, and Jennifer Weiss. Jason Taylor Morgan is the featured resident artist.
204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
707-894-4410
www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org
Corricks Art Trails Gallery/ My Daughter the Framer
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com
Erickson Fine Art Gallery
Through November 9, Kathleen Youngquist
Silhouettes of Abstraction, a collection of paintings.
324 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-431-7073
www.ericksonfineartgallery.com
Fulton Crossing Art Gallery
Through December 1, The Sky is Falling
The show features mixed-media paintings by Gale S. McKee that are inspired by the volcanic eruptions in Iceland, as well as world-wide, and how they can influence climate change.
1200 River Rd., Fulton
www.fultoncrossing.com/exhibitions
Graton Gallery
Through November 10, Small Works
The 13th Annual Small Works show is juried by artist, Luann Udell. Featuring small works of art from our talented community; always different, always interesting and beautiful!
November 14 through December 29, Flowers, Feathers, Fish and Fur
*** Opening Reception November 16, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Featuring paintings by Mylette Welch and ceramics by Marguerite Brennan with guest artists Jill Libnic, Kathy McNight, and Deborah Titus.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net
Hammerfriar Gallery
Through December 28, Hector & the Fog of War
Art Moura’s latest body of work was inspired by love and grief; over losing his devoted dog Hector, and the weight of the seemingly relentless ‘fog of war’ in which we seem to live. The result is a moving and poignant collection of paintings, sculpture and assemblage, somehow both timely and timeless.
132 Mill St, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com
Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through November 17, Small Wonders
November 21 through January 3, Formed In Fire!
*** Artists’ reception November 23, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Metalwork, ceramics, glass, and jewelry.
334 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
healdsburgcenterforthearts.org
IceHouse Gallery / Digital Grange
405 East D St., Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.digitalgrange.com
Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
Through December 20, Flora of the Laguna
On view is colored pencil artwork by local botanical artists, which is a culmination of a two-year project documenting the native plants of the Laguna watershed.
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org
Museum of Sonoma County
Art
Through November 24, Cruisin’ – Sonoma County Lowriders and the Art of Justin Favela
Working in collaboration with the Sonoma County Lowrider Council, an organization that supports and promotes the creative car culture which is a significant part of the Sonoma County experience, the exhibition includes custom lowrider cars, fashion, photographs, artworks, and more as a representation and celebration of lowrider culture and lifestyle. A special feature is the artwork of Justin Favela, a nationally known mixed media artist who does large-scale installation sculptures in the piñata style, including full scale lowrider cars. His work references pop culture, art history, society, and cultural commentary. Favela is particularly known for his social practice in which he engages local students and community volunteers in the process of creating his unique works.
History
November 16 through February 23, Tattooed and Tenacious: Inked Women in California’s History
From the upper-class women who started the tattoo craze to the working-class Tattooed Ladies who performed in circus sideshows, this exhibit puts the foremothers of modern tattooing in the spotlight. Through photographs and personal histories, this exhibit uncovers the fascinating and largely unknown story of women and tattoos before WWII. A show-stopping mannequin, hand-drawn by current Bay Area female tattoo artists and specially commissioned for this show, highlights how far women and tattooing have come.
Permanent Exhibition & Oral History Project, Sonoma County Stories is a permanent Sonoma County history exhibition that allows visitors to engage with the past through the power of storytelling. The exhibition captures Sonoma County’s rich history, defined by a confluence of cultures and people, and a powerful connection to the land. Featuring stories representing the many diverse histories and cultures of the county, this ambitious and innovative permanent exhibition has at its core the Oral Histories of Gaye LeBaron.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500
www.museumsc.org
Occidental Center for the Arts
Through November 17, Darkness and Light
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Paul Mahder Gallery
Through November 18, SLEEPLESS: new sculpture by Chris Beards
What are we afraid of? What keeps us up at night? That’s what this show touches upon; basic human fears, those familiar concerns about mortality, money, health, safety, love, and loss. SLEEPLESS includes eighteen new works, featuring a variety of media and techniques.
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
paulmahdergallery.com/
Pepperwood Gallery
Currently on view, The Majesty of Trees
The Majesty of Trees features sculpture, paintings, and photography by twelve well-known artists. Each artist has been selected for the exhibit because their work honors and powerfully illuminates the essential contributions that trees contribute to life on Earth. In addition to the visual messages of the art, the show presents recent scientific discoveries about trees, and also Native American ancient wisdom about the precious arboreal beings that anchor our habitats.
Pepperwood Foundation
2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road, Santa Rosa
www.pepperwoodpreserve.org
Petaluma Arts Center
November 14 through December 14, For the Love of Art
*** Opening Reception Thursday, November 14, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Closing Reception Saturday, December 14, from 12 to 4 p.m.
Annual PAC Members’ Exhibition, Art Auction and Fundraiser.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org
Ren Brown Collection Gallery
On view, Mezzotint Mania
One of the most difficult of print mediums, mezzotint almost completely died out after the invention of photography. But it is the best way to achieve velvety blacks, and meticulous detail. On display is work by six artists who specialize in the mezzotint technique. 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
Santa Rosa Arts Center
Through November 5, Art and the Vote
Featuring art that portrays the feelings, ideas and experiences associated with our nation’s tradition of democratic elections and the choices facing voters this year.
November 1 through December 28, Seasons
*** Artists Reception Friday, November 1 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Artists celebrate the many seasons of life and experience, from the spring rains to the winter solstice, from the seasons of youth to the seasons of age, from the seasons of planting through the seasons of harvest. Our little world passes colorfully through its many iterations of seasons.
SOFA Arts District
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-526-0135
santarosaartscenter.org/
Santa Rosa Junior College, Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
Through December 5, California Society of Printmakers
*** Artist Opening Reception Saturday, November 2, from 12 to 5 p.m.
This 110th Annual CSP Membership Exhibition features art from over 100 members of the California Society of Printmakers, a non-profit dedicated to preserving the art of printmaking and fostering appreciation for the medium.
1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-527-4298
art-gallery.santarosa.edu/current-exhibits
Sculpturesite Gallery, Glen Ellen
View over 30 outdoor sculptures by 15 artists throughout the beautiful grounds at Jack London Village, offering a selection of abstract and figurative sculptures, including wind activated kinetic works.
14301 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen
707-933-1300
www.sculpturesite.com
Sebastopol Center for the Arts
November 2 through December 1, The Art of Food
*** Opening reception Saturday, November 2, from 2 to 4 p.m.
This is a colorful show includes fantastic imagery and large sculpture. The Art of Food has partnered with the Redwood Food Bank for a Food Drive. Please bring any non-perishable food item to donate to be entered in a raffle to win a free ceramic class, a one-of-a-kind bowl by Robert Brent, or a print by Sally Baker!
282 South High St., Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org
Sebastopol Gallery
Through November 30, Transference – Abstract Visions
Opening reception November 9 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Paintings by Susan St.Thomas; this collection of new paintings represents a liberating shift of direction in her artwork. The beginning process is free and intuitive. A theme emerges as the painting develops and a story is implied but not explained. In addition to large acrylics on canvas, there are vibrant watercolor works on Arches paper and acrylic monotypes.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopolgallery.com
Sebastopol Library, Forum Room
Through November 16, Bertha Jean Schmidt; On the wall, Off the Wall
On view are Schmidt’s abstract acrylic paintings and Cape Verdean documentary photographs.
7140 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol
707-823-7691
Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
November 7 through December 14, Juried Student Exhibition 2024
*** Opening Reception Thursday, November 7, from 4 to 6 p.m., with karaoke from 6 to 7 p.m.
The Juried Student Exhibition features original artwork by current SSU Students in a variety of media, such as painting, sculpture, photography, printmaking, drawing, and mixed media, which reflects courses offered in the art studio program at Sonoma State as well as the students’ own individual creativity. This year’s jurors are Chris Grunder, Director of Bass & Reiner Gallery; and Jiovanny Soto, Artist and Lecturer in Art at San Francisco State University.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
artgallery.sonoma.edu
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Through January 5, Cenote de Sueños: The Art of Juana Alicia
This exhibition of works by Juana Alicia features paintings, drawings, prints, plus an original artist-created book. While she is best known for her work as a muralist, this exhibition presents her as a truly multi-disciplinary artist and includes her recent illustration project, La X’tabay: The Book of Books (2024), in collaboration with author Tirso González Araiza. Juana Alicia’s style, akin to genres of contemporary Latin American literary movements, can be characterized as magical and social realism, and addresses issues of social justice, gender equity, environmental crisis, and the power of resistance and revolution. This exhibition is guest curated by Marco Antonio Flores.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org
Upstairs Art Gallery
Through November 24, Cornucopia of Color
*** Reception Saturday, November 2, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Nancy Gray presents Cornucopia of Color, a collection of colorful acrylic paintings infused with sunlight and inspired by the vibrant palette of our local environs. Meet the Artist: Gray will host the Gallery, November 7 and 14, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Stairway Small Works Showcase presents Phyllis Rapp’s Reigning Cats & Dogs, watercolor paintings that capture the charm and spirit of our feline and canine friends, often with their humans. Meet the Artist: Rapp will host the Gallery November 9, from 11 a.m. to 6pm and November 19, from 2:30 to 6 p.m.
Second Saturday Art Walk November 9, 5:30 to 7 p.m.: The Upstairs Art Gallery is pleased to join other Healdsburg galleries in the Second Saturday Artwalk, featuring a dozen galleries surrounding the historic downtown plaza.
306 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net
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