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
May 1 through May 27, Expressions
*** Opening reception Thursday, May 2 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Showing the work of 27 artists.
140 E. Napa St., Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org
Backstreet Studios
May 3 through May 26, Love’s Illusions
*** Opening Friday, May 3 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Featuring 30 small oil paintings by Kristen Throop depicting love in film. On view most weekends in May from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Artist talks: Saturday May 11 and 18 at 1 p.m.
SOFA Arts neighborhood
Backstreet Galleries, Studio C
Art Alley off South A Street, Santa Rosa
707 478-4739
www.kristenthroop.com
Calabi Gallery
Through June 8, Nature as Muse
The exhibition explores numerous approaches to nature, from traditional landscapes to contemporary visions of natural phenomena, to non-objective abstractions inspired by nature.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com
Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through July 14, 2024, Snoopy in Orbit
Into space with Apollo 10, aboard the International Space Station, and now around the Moon during the Artemis I mission—Snoopy is the first beagle on the Moon! See Snoopy, who served as the zero-gravity indicator for the Artemis I mission, now safely home to Earth, alongside more never-before-exhibited space-flown Peanuts artifacts!
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org
Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through May 17, Transition
The guest artists for this exhibit are Sharon Eisley: Oil Paintings on Wood, and Tom Ballard: Pedestal & Free Standing Sculpture, Corten Steel Wall Sculpture. Resident artists are Laura Paine Carr, Jane Gardner, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Jason Taylor Morgan, Clay Vajgrt and Jennifer Weiss. Laura Paine Carr is the featured resident artist.
204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale
707-894-4410
www.cloverdaleartsalliance.org
Corricks Art Trails Gallery/ My Daughter the Framer
May 3 through June 29, Art at the Source Preview Exhibit
*** Artists reception First Friday, May 3, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Celebrating the artists of Art at the Source, more than 50 local artists are featured!
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com
Fulton Crossing Gallery
Through May, Cynthia Sumner
New and recent paintings are featured in this body of work which reflects aspects of both a personal and universal nature through richly abstracted textures.
1200 River Rd., Fulton
www.fultoncrossing.com/exhibitions
Graton Gallery
Through May 26, Roshambo
Juried Show, Anything made of or made on paper. Anything cut by scissors. Anything made of rock or stone or stoneware. Images of rock or paper or scissors.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net
Hammerfriar Gallery
Through May 9, Paper’s Edge: Mixed Media & Collage
Featuring the work of Deborah Salomon, Colin Talcroft, and Molly Perez.
132 Mill St, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com
Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through May 19, Renewal Celebrate Spring
Opening Reception, Saturday April 13, from 5 to 7 p.m.
334 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
healdsburgcenterforthearts.org
IceHouse Gallery / Digital Grange
May 3 through May 31, Ephemera – Contemporary Monoprints
*** Opening reception Saturday, May 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Three person show of contemporary monoprints by Kris Ekstrand, Harry Frank and Kate Rogers. ‘Ephemera’ alludes to the transient nature of the monoprinting process as each image is printed only once and then disappears once the plate is wiped clean.
405 East D St., Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.digitalgrange.com
Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
May 4 through August 30, The Last Coho
*** Opening Reception Saturday, May 4 from 3 to 5 p.m.
Photography by Kaare Iverson combining large-scale portraiture of endangered salmon with editorial excerpts that collectively illustrate the incredible effort to rehabilitate Coho in the Russian River Watershed. Many of the portraits were shot on large format film using an heirloom land camera which the photographer inherited through a connection to Ansel Adams.
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org
Museum of Sonoma County
Art
Through May 26, A Question of Balance
This juried exhibition of work by Pacific Rim Sculptors features sculpture that explores the varied and multiple meanings and interpretations of “balance” which is commonly defined as a state of equilibrium or equipoise; equal distribution of weight or amount, or something used to produce equilibrium.
History
Through September 1, On Tap: Sonoma County Hops & The Beer Revolution
In 1977, using discarded dairy tanks and other cast-off equipment, New Albion Brewery started making beer in the town of Sonoma, launching the first modern microbrewery in the United States. Today, we take microbreweries and world-class beer for granted. Every year, thousands of people descend on Sonoma County for the release of internationally renowned beers. The exhibition explores the revolutionary beginnings of the county’s microbreweries, and the rich legacy of local hop culture that dates back to the 19th century.
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 June 2, Imaginative Eye: Theatrical Puppets
*** Reception May 18, from 1 to 3 p.m. The artists will talk about making the puppets and demonstrate their performance.
This special gallery exhibit celebrates the lifelong work of Conrad Bishop and Elizabeth Fuller and their incredible theatrical puppets! For over fifty years, Elizabeth Fuller and Conrad Bishop have presented stage performances of Shakespeare and other plays performed by their unique, nearly life-sized puppets. They have generously donated part of their puppet collection to OCA. The puppets will be displayed and sold in the gallery and lobby throughout the month of May.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org
Oli Gallery
16215 Main Street, Guerneville
https://www.oligallery.com
Paul Mahder Gallery
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
paulmahdergallery.com/
Petaluma Arts Center
May 9 through June 22, The Art of Materials and Tools As Art
*** Opening Reception Thursday, May 9, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
This exhibition brings together artists who are working with paper, fabric, industrial felt, metal, steel, cement, clay, plastic, cork, and wood. The Art of Materials exhibition asks two major questions: why an artist chooses the material used in their artwork; and how the selection of that material reflects what the artist wants to say. Featuring work by Mari Andrews, David Duskin, Sofia Gonzalez, Brooke Holve, C.K.Itamura, Byron B. Kim, Lisa Kokin, Bebe Kuhr, Rachel Leibman, Jann Nunn, Shoji Uemura, Jonah Ward, and Susan Wolsborn.
The Art of Materials Panel Discussion; Sunday, June 9, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. in the PAC main gallery. Lisa Lightman, co-curator of the exhibition, will moderate the discussion, with ample time for questions from the audience. $10 PAC members, $15 non-members.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org
Ren Brown Collection Gallery
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 June 1, Transformations: Recycled Art
Annual exhibit of work by Bay Area and Northern California artists who created sculptures, assemblages and collages made by reusing materials which have satisfied their original use. The show promotes conservation of our planet’s limited resources, educating us to new, original uses for so-called disposable objects.
May 3 through June 30, Collages
*** Artists Reception Friday, May 3 from 5 to 8 p.m.
In the Small Works Gallery.
SOFA Arts District
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-526-0135
santarosaartscenter.org/
Santa Rosa Junior College, Robert F. Agrella Art Gallery
Through May 15, Student Art Show 2024
This exhibit showcases the enormous talent of our SRJC art students, and offers the opportunity to share their works with the SRJC student body and the college community.
1501 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa
707-527-4298
art-gallery.santarosa.edu/current-exhibits-0
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
Through May 5, Pulp: Book & Paper Arts
Juried by Donna Seager, owner of Seager Gray Gallery in Mill Valley.
May 11 through June 9, Art at the Source Preview Exhibition
*** Opening reception May 11, from 2 to 4 p.m.
Showing the work of all 137 Open Studio participants.
Other Preview Exhibits:
Corrick’s/My Daughter the Framer: May 3 – June 29
Gallery One, Petaluma: May 1 – June 9
Bodega Art Gallery: May 3 – June 10
Open Studios: Two Weekends: June 1-2 and 8-9, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
www.artatthesource.org/
282 South High St., Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org
Sebastopol Gallery
Through June 2, Elemental: Air, Water and Earth
Painter Katy Boggs draws inspiration from the ancient Greek philosophical concept of the Elements to illuminate the complexity of Nature. Her collection of cloudscapes, landscapes, and seascapes offer an understated yet impactful exploration of the elemental forces shaping Sonoma County.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopolgallery.com
Sebastopol Library, Forum Room
May 30 through July 20, Fluid and Imaginative
*** Reception Saturday, June 15, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Paintings and Collage by Emily Florence and Babette Kemler.
7140 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol
707-823-7691
Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
Through May 18, 2024 BFA Exhibition
This annual Exhibition highlights the accomplishments of students graduating from the Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) program at SSU. This year the featured students are Margaret Avhenainen, Ash Gregorio, Owen Martinez-Alejandre, Sophia Ann Miller, and Andrew Olson.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
artgallery.sonoma.edu/
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
May 11 through September 8, Arthur Monroe: A Tow to Carry
*** Opening Reception Saturday, May 18 at 5 p.m.
This retrospective of the late Oakland-based artist Arthur Monroe draws from a seven-decade span from 1958 to 2011 and features more than 25 works. Monroe’s works reflect his traverses within several of the major cultural movements of the mid-century—the New York School of Abstract Expressionism; the literary scene of New York’s East Village; and the modern Jazz and Beat circle in New York and the SF Bay Area.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org
Upstairs Art Gallery
Through May 26, For the Love of Nature
*** Reception Saturday, May 4 from 2 to 5 p.m.
Ron Sumner presents For the Love of Nature, a collection of paintings that highlight the phenomenal flora and fauna found in nature. From the glory of Yosemite to the majestic “king of the jungle,” these paintings elicit a sense of awe. Meet the Artist: Sumner will be hosting the Gallery May 11, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and May 19 and 24, 2:30 to 6 p.m.
The Stairway Small Works Showcase presents Willow LaLand’s A Taste of Wine Country, a collection of paintings that highlight the vineyard carpeted landscape and the luxuriant tones of the elegant wines, themselves. Meet the Artist: LaLand will be hosting the Gallery May 12 and 26, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
306 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net
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