Art in Sonoma County

by Satri Pencak

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.
Please check with the venues for current status of health protocols, hours, events and exhibitions.

*** Designates an Opening Reception.

Arts Guild of Sonoma
Through August 25, August Exhibition 2025
*** Opening Reception Thursday, August 7, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.
The Arts Guild of Sonoma turns up the heat this August with a vibrant summer exhibit celebrating the depth and diversity of our local art scene. Featuring paintings, sculpture, jewelry, ceramics, cards, reproductions, and unique gift items — all created by artists from Sonoma and surrounding regions — the exhibit is a lively, ever-changing celebration of handmade beauty and creative spirit.
140 E. Napa St., Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org

Calabi Gallery
Through August 30, Fresh and Juicy!
The show features local contemporary artists working in a variety of styles and media. Many of these works were created recently, thus “fresh,” and all are rich and compelling, thus “juicy.” As usual, some selections from the gallery’s inventory of vintage art will also be shown. Some of the artists include; Douglas Ballou, Robyn Beattie, Warren Bellows, Catherine Daley, Christine DeMeo, Robin Dintiman, Holly Downing, Easton, Molly Eckler, Pamela Glasscock, James Ford Grant, Tim Haworth, Ester Hernandez, Iva Hladis, Evri Kwong, Jill London, Carolyn Lord, Sherrie Lovler, Michael McMillan, Emmanuel Catarino Montoya, Carol Peek, Isabelle Proust, Michael Ramos, Alejandro Salazar, Stephanie Sanchez, Gary Spratt, Inna Talantova, Colin Talcroft, and Bambi Waterman.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through September 10, Paperback Peanuts
Downstairs Changing Gallery
The first Peanuts paperback came out in 1952, and it was followed by many, many more. The affordable, pocket-sized books were easy gifts to give, share, and collect and brought joy in good times and solace in bad for many fans. Discover the history of these beloved treasures and learn how it all started with someone who didn’t read comics at all!

Through January 11, 60 Years of A Charlie Brown Christmas
The holidays arrive early this year at the Schulz Museum with 60 Years of A Charlie Brown Christmas, which celebrates the 60th anniversary of A Charlie Brown Christmas. The new exhibition draws from the Schulz Museum’s vast collection, including never-before-displayed items, to become one of the most enduring and celebrated holiday programs ever. This is the story about how the very first Peanuts animated special was created.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org




Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through September 26, Sisters
The guest artist for this exhibit is Rosalie Paine. Community Annex Artists are: Jared Burton and Gullliver Perry. Resident artists are Laura Paine Carr, Trudi Folsom, Jane Gardner, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Will McCoy, Jason Taylor Morgan, 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
August 1 through end of August, Summer’s Bounty
*** Opening reception, Friday, August 1, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Lucious cherries and sunny sunflowers take center stage, along with unexpected journeys, twists, and turns; showcasing the talent of 50 artists whose works explore the themes of summer.
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com

Fulton Crossing Art Gallery
1200 River Rd., Fulton
www.fultoncrossing.com/exhibitions

Graton Gallery
Through September 7, Paint & Ink
*** Artists Reception Saturday, August 2, from 1 to 4 p.m.
Paintings by Sandra Rubin and Prints by Rik Olson; with Guest Artists Barbara Lawson, Jay O’Neil, and Niko Preovolos.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net

Hammerfriar Gallery
132 Mill St, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com

Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through August 24, Artist Extravaganza
Enjoy a special summer exhibition showcasing the work by our amazing artists. Painting, Photography, Printmaking, Glass, Woodwork, Ceramics, Jewelry, and more is on view.
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 August 29, Adam Wolpert; The Great Oak Series
This exhibition features a special selection of large-scale giclée prints (4′ x 6′) of paintings by Wolpert. The work showcases seven stunning oak tree portraits, capturing their beauty, individuality, and seasonal transformations.
900 Sanford Road, Santa Rosa
707-527-9277
www.lagunafoundation.org

Museum of Sonoma County
Art
Through November 30, Bruce Johnson: Sculptor
Bruce Johnson: Sculptor, a landmark exhibition celebrating the life, vision, and legacy of one of Sonoma County’s most revered artists. The exhibition marks the first major museum survey of Johnson’s work since his sudden passing in 2023.

History
Through September 7, It’s in the Mail! Sonoma County’s Postal History
Communication wasn’t always easy . . . or fast. A huge advance happened right here in Sonoma County when the world’s FIRST airmail delivery was made between Petaluma and Santa Rosa in 1911. The airplane that made that delivery was built right here in Sonoma County too – by a local race car driver and mechanic named Fred Wiseman. A replica of that airplane is a centerpiece for the show, which is only appropriate since the Post Office building that received that first airmail delivery is now the Museum of Sonoma County.
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa
707-579-1500
www.museumsc.org

Occidental Center for the Arts
Through August 3, Resilience
This exhibition seeks to explore the strength of the human spirit, the power of endurance, and the beauty that emerges from struggle.

August 9 through September 14: Pointless Sisters-Quilts
*** Artist Reception August 23.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Paradise Ridge Winery
June 15-ongoing, Return to Paradise
Paradise Ridge Winery and the Voigt Family Sculpture Foundation are pleased to announce Return to Paradise – a sculpture exhibition celebrating Walter Byck and Marijke Byck-Hoenselaars’ thirty year legacy of visionary leadership and community engagement through art and sculpture at Paradise Ridge. Curated by Jeff Nathanson (former director of the Museum of Sonoma County), the exhibition will showcase more than a dozen local artists, each with a unique and rich history of exhibiting at Paradise Ridge. In recognition of Walter Byck and Marijke Byck-Hoenselaars’ enduring dedication to supporting local artists and to bringing sculpture to Sonoma County, the exhibition will serve as a celebratory return for the participating artists.
Paradise Ridge Winery; in Marijke’s Grove
4545 Thomas Lake Harris Drive, Fountaingrove, Santa Rosa
www.prwinery.com

Paul Mahder Gallery
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
www.paulmahdergallery.com

Pepperwood Gallery
On view, Sacred Habitat: the Visions of Ian Nelson
An exhibit of work by renowned local photographer and cinematographer Ian Nelson, presenting a captivating mixed-media event which showcases breathtaking visuals from around the globe, featuring not only stunning photographs but also thought-provoking short nature documentary films.
2130 Pepperwood Preserve Road, Santa Rosa
www.pepperwoodpreserve.org

Petaluma Arts Center
Through August 23, My World in Blue
This juried exhibition gathers visual works from 56 Bay Area artists that explore the layered meanings of blue. Through painting, photography, collage, and mixed media, artists delve into the emotional and symbolic range of this multifaceted hue.

Also on view:
Place-Making Through Public Art; A Survey of Petaluma’s Public Art
The City of Petaluma offers a trove of public art linking parks, waterways, municipal sites and even the city’s back alleys. From classically inspired sculptures to contemporary murals, unknown artists to globally acclaimed creators, Petaluma’s public art collection has something for everyone. Find out where these pieces live and learn the names of the artists behind the artwork.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org

Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Currently on view, Summer Fun
As the busy season launches, the gallery highlights artwork in the upstairs gallery with an exhibit celebrating the great memories of summer.
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 August 30, Through the Window
Looking out or looking in…the window to the world or the window into our soul.

August 1 through September 27, Patterns & Repetition
Patterns offer strength in numbers; the more there are, the more powerful their impression. Humans se patterns for both structural and decorative purposes. Patterns might be seen in the alignment of colors, the veins of a leaf, or the corrugations of a textured surface, but also in the portrayal of subjects (and objects) that involve and sustain the repetitive anchors of a culture or society such as the morning coffee, or the rising sun.
SOFA Arts District
312 South A Street, Santa Rosa
707-526-0135
santarosaartscenter.org/

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

Sebastopol Center for the Arts
Through August 3, International Fiber Arts XII
International Fiber Arts XII is a juried exhibition celebrating innovative, forward thinking and traditional and nontraditional fiber techniques with 90 outstanding artworks from around the world.

August 9 through September 7, Art of Play
*** Opening Reception August 9, from 2 to 4 p.m.
From playful explorations of abstract concepts to representations of how play fuels creativity; through experimentation with color, materials, and ideas, or through reflections on toys, playgrounds, and the role of play in child development, this exhibition explores diverse and imaginative responses to the art of play.
282 South High St., Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org




Sebastopol Gallery
August 4 through September 28, Windows; New Works by Diana Majumdar
*** Artist Reception Sunday, August 17, from 3 to 5 p.m.
In this mixed-media series, Diana layers architectural elements from her travels and from places close to home in Sonoma County with found objects and papers, creating complex paintings using encaustics. The windows serve as symbolic thresholds, framing the quiet presence of birds in moments of stillness or conversation. Each piece reflects a fascination with place, memory, and the natural world all around us.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopolgallery.com

Sebastopol Library, Forum Room
Through September 19, Bill Cutler; The Art of Still Life
*** Artist Reception Sunday, August 10, at 2 p.m.
Paintings of objects with luminous depth, as if they can be picked up from the canvas.
7140 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol
707-823-7691

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

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Through September 7, Nancy Genn: The Nature of Being
This retrospective exhibition of work by Berkeley-based artist, Nancy Genn, explores a long career rooted in the history of post-war American art in the fields of gestural abstraction and abstract expressionism. She is known for working in various media, including paintings, bronze sculpture, printmaking, and notably, handmade paper based on the Japanese washi papermaking tradition. Influenced by her extensive travels, Asian craft aesthetics, and spiritual traditions, her work features nature’s effects of light, landscape, and water, along with the human presence represented by architectural motifs and functional objects.
551 Broadway, Sonoma
707-939-7862
www.svma.org

Upstairs Art Gallery
Through August 31, Classical Elegance; by Luba Stolper
Artists Reception August 2, from 3 to 6 p.m.
Classical Elegance by Luba Stolper showcases intricately detailed still life oil paintings reminiscent of the Old Masters. Stolper is a true perfectionist in capturing the finest details and surface qualities of fabrics, porcelain, and reflective metals. Meet the Artist: Luba Stolper will be hosting the Gallery on August 11 and 30 from 11 am to 6 pm.

California Dreamin’ by Linda Barretta is a collection of vibrant impressionistic small works celebrating the captivating natural beauty of California. Barretta works in the colorist tradition and is inspired by the light as it falls upon the landscape. Meet the Artist: Linda Barretta will be hosting the Gallery on August 4, 15, 25 from 2:30 to 6 pm and August 28 from 11 to 2:30 p.m.
306 Center Street, 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 on www.satripencak.com. This post also appears on my Facebook page; Satri’s Best Bets in the Visual Arts.
You can now hear Satri On-The-Air with KRCB, at random times during the day, or on the KRCB website / ArtBeat.