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 September 30, Arts Guild Artist Members and Friends
*** Reception September 5, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Over a dozen AGS member artists are showing their latest work, along with work by invited friends.
140 E. Napa St., Sonoma
707-996-3115
www.artsguildofsonoma.org

Backstreet Gallery
September 6 through September 28, STEAM
*** Opening reception September 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The show STEAM, short for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics, features new artwork by Ken Berman and Alina Nuebel. Also on view are new characters (BOTS – Berman’s Outrageous Things) that are part of a new book Berman is writing.
Art Alley, SOFA Arts District
South A Street, Santa Rosa

Calabi Gallery
Extended through Labor Day weekend, The Visual Art of Johnny Otis
Legendary R&B and jazz musician Johnny Otis also painted, drew, sculpted, and cartooned. His creative energy was boundless and could not be limited to a single medium. The work in the show is a collection of Otis’ art consigned by the family of Terry Gould, his long-time friend and manager. Music themed artwork by a variety of other artists is also on view, including Pele de Lappe, Mike Henderson (also a great musician!), Raymond Howell, Emmanuel Catarino Montoya, David Park, and more. Also featured is a selection of vintage rock ballroom posters.
456 Tenth St., Santa Rosa
707-781-7070
www.calabigallery.com

Charles M. Schulz Museum
Through September 11, Cowabunga, Peanuts!
Featuring original Peanuts comic strip art, animation clips, vintage toys, archival photos, and more, the exhibition dives into the rise of beach culture in the 1960s and follows Snoopy and the Peanuts gang as they head to the coast for their own sun-soaked adventures. The exhibition explores the cultural moment in the years soon after when beach life became a pop culture phenomenon and “California cool” pervaded music, movies, television, fashion, and realms beyond.
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa
707-579-4452
www.schulzmuseum.org

Cloverdale Arts Alliance Gallery
Through September 20, Shift
The guest artists for this exhibit are Ever Flores, Marianna Gardenhire and Maggie Parr. Resident artists are Laura Paine Carr, Jane Gardner, Pamela Heck, Terry Holleman, Jason Taylor Morgan, Hanya Popova Parker, Clay Vajgrt and Jennifer Weiss. Pamela Heck 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 6 through October 19, Art Trails Preview Exhibit
*** First Friday Receptions, September 6 and October 4, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Showing work by Sonoma County Art Trails artists.
637 Fourth Street, Santa Rosa
707-546-2424
www.corricks.com

Fulton Crossing Art Gallery
Through December 1, The Sky is Falling
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 14 from 1 to 4 p.m.
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 September 29, Things Change
Featuring the work of Bruce Hopkins and Susan Shore, with Guest Artists Paul Korbel, Erin O’Brien, and Bobbi Lee Wilson; as well as work by Sonoma County Open Studio Artists.
9048 Graton Road, Graton
707-829-8912
www.gratongallery.net

Hammerfriar Gallery
Through September 14, ICONS by Ryan Carrington
Ryan Carrington’s multi media work pays a quiet homage to the modern-day craftsman and tradesman. His art bridges issues of labor, class, work ethic and economics with his own personal and family history.
132 Mill St, Healdsburg
707-473-9600
www.hammerfriar.com

Healdsburg Center for the Arts
Through October 6, Robert Weiss: A Retrospective
The show celebrates 60 years of creativity, dedication and commitment to Weiss’ community and the arts.
334 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-1970
healdsburgcenterforthearts.org

Hotel E
Through September 14, No Feeling is the Last
The art of Linda Loveland Reid.
37 Old Courthouse Square, Santa Rosa
707-481-3750
www.hotelesantarosa.com

IceHouse Gallery / Digital Grange
405 East D St., Petaluma
707-778-2238
www.digitalgrange.com

Laguna Foundation, Heron Hall
September 7 through December 20, Flora of the Laguna
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 7 from 3 to 5 p.m
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
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 October 6, Wild Thing
*** Artist Reception on September 14 from 2 to 4 p.m.
Work in a variety of media and genres by Sonoma County artists.
3850 Doris Murphy Court, Occidental
707-874-9392
www.occidentalcenterforthearts.org

Paul Mahder Gallery
Currently on view, 10 Year Anniversary
Celebrating 10 Years in Healdsburg. Showing work by Represented Artists over the past 10 years.
222 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg
707-473-9150
paulmahdergallery.com/

Petaluma Arts Center
September 19 through October 26, Claiming Our Space: Contemporary Art and IDD
*** Opening reception Thursday, September 19 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.
Claiming Our Space is a collective contemporary exhibition that draws art from ten bay area studios supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). It celebrates the talents of these artists, and the power of art to transcend barriers and to amplify diverse voices. “Claiming space” is the act of asserting presence, identity, and rights: taking up literal and metaphorical space to ensure that voice, needs, and existence are recognized and respected.
230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma
707-762-5600
www.petalumaartscenter.org

Ren Brown Collection Gallery
Through September 1, Paper & Porcelain
On view is work by printmaker Toru Sugita, and ceramicists Mark Goudy and Liza Riddle. 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
September 5 through October 26, Signs of the Times
*** Artists Reception Friday, September 6 from 5 to 8 p.m.
The Artwork in the show reflects or portrays the qualities and experiences that shape who we are now and how we address our modern experience.
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-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 September 22, Haven: Place of Comfort & Contemplation
Havens are spaces where we can feel comfort, engage in thoughtful contemplation, and experience a sense of security. Sanctuaries come in many forms, whether physical places, metaphysical states of mind, or places of human connection. In this show, artists express their version of Haven through various mediums and techniques.
282 South High St., Sebastopol
707-829-4797
www.sebarts.org

Sebastopol Gallery
Through September 28, Teri Sloat; Journeys of the Soul
The show includes paintings of the lush inner landscape of an imagination we all share. Also showing work by guest artist Tim Brody, whose pastel paintings are inspired by moments captured in nature.
150 N. Main St, Sebastopol
707-829-7200
www.sebastopolgallery.com

Sebastopol Library, Forum Room
Through September 7, From the Inkwell
Pen & Ink Drawings by Bill Shortridge

September 24 through November 16, Bertha Jean Schmidt; On the wall, Off the Wall
*** Reception October 27, from 2 to 4 p.m.
On view are Schmidt’s abstract acrylic paintings and Cape Verdean documentary photographs.
7140 Bodega Ave, Sebastopol
707-823-7691

Sonoma Clean Power
Through October 12, Art @ SCP
Showing 18 works by 12 local artists curated by Vicky Kumpfer.
431 E Street, Santa Rosa
855-202-2139
sonomacleanpower.org/art

Sonoma State University, University Art Gallery
September 5 through October 20, Reflections: Portraits and Self Portraits from NIAD Art Center
*** Opening Reception September 5 from 4 to 6 p.m.
NIAD works with artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities, their families, and care providers in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties. Reflections is an exhibition curated by Executive Director Amanda Eicher, and Board Member Jay Youngdahl.
1801 East Cotati Avenue, Rohnert Park
707-664-2295
artgallery.sonoma.edu

Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
Through September 8, Arthur Monroe: A Tow to Carry
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.

September 21 through January 5, Cenote de Sueños: The Art of Juana
Alicia
*** Opening Reception Saturday, September 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. Free for SVMA members, and $10 for non-members. Pre-registration is required.
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 September 22, Tidal Effects
*** Reception Saturday, September 7, from 4 to 6 p.m.
Marsha Connell presents Tidal Effects, new oil paintings from observation (en plein air) and memory, recording the connections between seen and unseen forces that shape the coasts of Northern California. Every day this landscape of water, earth and air changes, as does the artist, and the viewer. Scenes move between representation and abstraction, shifting shape, color, edges, and pattern. Meet the Artist: Connell will be hosting the Gallery August 28 and September 8, 11 am to 6 p.m. The Stairway Small Works Showcase presents Tosya Shore’s Captured Moments, a collection of watercolor and gouache paintings depicting the exciting eclectic places that captured the artist’s attention. Meet the Artist: Shore will be hosting the Gallery September 17 and 23 from 11 am to 6 p.m.
306 Center Street, Healdsburg
707-431-4214
www.Upstairsartgallery.net

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