Take an Art Walk
The North Bay is a hotbed of activity when it comes to the arts scene, with an abundant array of visual and performing artists in our own backyard. One of the most fun ways to discover them is by taking part in a community art walk. Many walks not only feature artists’ work, but also offer food, music, wine and more. Most set a timeframe of 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (some go later) on their scheduled dates. Here’s a rundown of some we know about.The Napa ARTwalk has regularly changing installations by local artists. Petaluma and Healdsburg both host a monthly Second Saturday Art Walk through downtown galleries. Mill Valley has a First Tuesday Art Walk. Santa Rosa’s SOFA district has a First Friday Art Walk and Wells Fargo Center for the Arts has a new sculpture garden and art walk with rotating exhibits, opening this month.
Anchored by Art Works Downtown galleries and artist studios, San Rafael’s Second Friday Art Walk links venues along downtown Fourth Street. Guerneville’s First Friday Art Walk features 20 open galleries displaying local, Bay Area and international art, as well as music, food, wine and even street artists and performers. The Novato Arts Center at Hamilton Field hosts First Sunday Open Studios (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Sebastopol Center for the Arts and Art at the Source’s annual self-guided open studio tour is happening two weekends this month (June 6 to 7 and 13 to 14), featuring more than 150 artists showing in close to 100 studios spread across western Sonoma County. You’ll find paintings (a piece by Fran Nielsen is pictured here), prints, sculpture, photography, ceramics, fiber arts, jewelry, art glass, assemblage, woodwork and mosaic as well as the opportunity to speak with the artists about their work.
Museum Expands
The Art Museum of Sonoma County opened its new galleries this April, adding 4,600 square feet of space dedicated to visual art in its renovated Conklin Bros. warehouse, located at the intersection of Seventh and B streets in downtown Santa Rosa. The light-filled, climate- and humidity-controlled space features regularly changing art exhibits and community-oriented programming for locals and visitors alike.
This month (beginning June 5 and continuing through Sept. 20), it will feature “SLANG Aesthetics! The Art of Robert Williams.” Williams is widely upheld as the godfather of the low brow and pop surrealist art movements. A self-described conceptual realist, he creates artwork designed to offer an opinion and inspire contemplation and conversation. (His “Death by Exasperation” is pictured here.) The exhibit is his first major body of work to debut in Sonoma County and will feature oil paintings, drawings and large-scale sculptures.
The museum also offers a sculpture garden that has in-ground speakers and a sound system, a lobby and gallery featuring a history museum reflective of its origins as a 1910 post office and federal building as well as multiple spaces available for meetings and events for museum members and nonprofit organizations. It’s an extremely affordable, ideal space for celebrations including retirements, weddings, anniversaries and more.
