Want to usher in spring with some culture? In Sonoma County, art exhibitions and gallery shows are in full bloom this month.
Fulton Crossing Open Studios, Fulton, March 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: The Fulton Crossing Artisan Center hosts an open studio show on the third Friday of every month, displaying the works of its tenants. Featured artist this month is Jaclyn Finkle, who will showcase a series of line work paintings titled “Unspoken Words.” Finkle, a San Francisco Art Institute graduate, referred to the works of Jean-Michel Basquiat when she began incorporating words into her paintings and portraits. There will be live music and complimentary wine at the event. Fulton Crossing Gallery, Fulton. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-331-4348.
Postcards from Healdsburg Art Exhibit, Healdsburg, March 14-17: Like most visitors to Wine Country, Susa Solero spent her most recent sojourn in Healdsburg taking photographs. Unlike most visitors, the German artist will exhibit her vacation snapshots at a vernissage. View the exhibition, “Postcards from Healdsburg with love, Susa,” March 14 to 17 at Chris Foley Fine Leather shop, located two blocks north of the Healdsburg Plaza. Chris Foley Fine Leather from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., March 14-17. For more information, contact the shop at 707-473-9892.
Peace, Love and Woodstock, Santa Rosa, March 17, 2019–March 8, 2020: As the Charles M. Schulz Museum wraps up its “Then Came the Dog” exhibition, which traces the origins of Snoopy back to Schulz boyhood dog Spike, another famed Peanuts character takes the stage. From March 17, museumgoers will be able to discover Woodstock, the eccentric little bird named for the iconic music festival. During spring break, March 18-22, kids can get a little extra artsy at the museum while learning cartooning and animation. Downstairs Changing Gallery at the Charles M. Schulz Museum, Santa Rosa. For more information, contact Faith Yazel at 707-579-4452.
Roshambo Juried Show, Graton, March 19-April 21; Artists’ Reception March 23: Take your rock-paper-scissors game to the next level as Graton Gallery calls on local artists to contribute works made of or on paper, cut with scissors, or made of rock or stoneware. Deliver your art work in person March 14 through March 17. The Roshambo Juried Show will take place March 19 to April 21, with an artists’ reception on Saturday, March 23, between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. Graton Gallery, Graton, gratongallery.net. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-829-8912.
Healing the Environment, Santa Rosa, through March 22: In this eco-conscious exhibition, local artists offer a commentary on climate change through photographs, sculptures and paintings. The show, hosted by the Santa Rosa Arts Center in the SOFA arts district, is modeled after a previous exhibition at the same venue, “Healing By Art: After The Fires,” which was created as a reaction to the 2017 North Bay fires. Santa Rosa Arts Center, santarosaartscenter.org. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-526-0135.
Hitchcock Celebration, “The Birds,” Bodega, March 23, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.: The towns of Bodega and Bodega Bay were both featured in Hitchcock classic The Birds, something locals like to celebrate. On March 23 (the date of this year’s Hitchcock Film Festival), 50 local artists will be showcasing pieces inspired by the film at the Artisans’ Co-Op Art Gallery. There will be artist demonstrations, ten percent discount on all art, and a grand prize raffle for a Birds-inspired birdhouse, created by artist Elita Christensen. Artisans’ Co-op Art Gallery, Bodega, artisansco-op.com. For more information, contact Francesca Scalpi at 707-876-9830.
Dream Vessels & A Murder of Crows, Healdsburg, through March 24: Painter and sculptor Marsha Connell began making collages to send to her daughter while she was living abroad at the time of the first Gulf War. Connell found the creative process of making collages healing; the resulting series of 150 “dream vessels” merges the beauty of life with the passage of time and an awareness of death. It will be exhibited at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Healdsburg, alongside Connell’s “Murder of Crows” collection of still life and landscapes. Upstairs Art Gallery, Healdsburg, upstairsartgallery.net. For more information, contact Beverly Bird at 707-799-1490.
The National Parks Plein Air Project, Petaluma, through March 23: Local artist and gallery owner Mary Fassbinder went on a three-and-a-half year, 72,000-mile journey to paint “en plain air” in all 60 National Parks. Her paintings, inspired by French impressionists, are now the centerpiece of an exhibition at the Petaluma Arts Center; Fassbinder hopes they will inspire viewers to help preserve our national natural treasures. The exhibition also includes works by Davis Perkins, a California landscape artist. Petaluma Arts Center, petalumaartscenter.org. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-762-5600.
Nest: Leather + Fiber | a Love Story, Sonoma, through March 30: In this debut solo exhibition, Santa Rosa artist Keyaira Terry unveils handwoven pieces made of leather, local wool and plant materials. A self-taught artist, Terry combines a modern aesthetic with sustainably sourced materials, creating a love letter to local nature. She sources much of her materials from Fibershed, a non-profit organization that develops “regional, regenerative fiber systems.” Terry will host a workshop on March 23, 11:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Gallery 212 at the Sonoma Community Center, Sonoma, sonomacommunitycenter.org. For more information, contact Keyaira Terry at 707-479-2144.
Re-Creation, Sebastopol, through March 30: Jewelry artist Michelle Hoting, whose latest work is on display at Sebastopol Gallery, creates unique jewelry from repurposed metals that reflect the natural world. She crafted her new pieces using an ancient Japanese mixed-metal technique called mokume gane, layering various metals to create wearable works of art with a wood-grain-like pattern. Sebastopol Gallery, sebastopol-gallery.com. For more information, contact Michelle Hoting at 707-791-4680.
Bronzes – Tapestries, Contemporary Works in Time Honored Media, Geyserville, through March 31: The Dallas A. Saunders Artisan Textiles gallery in Alexander Valley is currently displaying works by major American artists. Featured pieces include Jim Dine’s 1978 bronze sculptures, April Gornik’s natural landscape tapestries, and Chuck Close’s black and white realism tapestries. Dallas A. Saunders Artisan Textiles, weekends from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., dallasasaunders.com. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-708-9065.
Not Just Landscapes, Sebastopol, through March 31: This international group exhibition, juried by Bay Area artist Robin Dintiman, will include artwork that reflect scenery “from cityscapes to nature views.” Pulling together seemingly disparate works in a variety of media – hybrid video paintings, kinetic art, monoprints, woodcuts, and more – the exhibition displays artistic pieces that share “a concern for our earth” and “love for the natural world.” Sebastopol Center for the Arts, sebarts.org. For more information, contact the art center at 707-829-4797.
Portals: A Space for Color, Sonoma, through April 7: Phillip K Smith III creates light-based work in his Palm Desert studio to explore relationships between color, form, surface and change. His resulting Portals series is on vibrant display at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Each installation Smith crafts changes and adapts to the ambient light it is displayed in, as colors merge into pastels and shadows in sunlight, and at night, become saturated and envelope the surrounding space. Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, svma.org. For more information, contact the museum at 707-939-7862.
Richard Shaw and Wanxin Zhang, Sonoma, through April 7: Running concurrently with Portals, Bay Area artists Richard Shaw and Wanxin Zhang are presenting their avant-garde clay art in a self-titled exhibit at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Their work explores the cultural exchange between the West and China and infuses satire to reference their message of global history, popular culture and personal experience. Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, svma.org. For more information, contact the museum at 707-939-7862.
See Something, Say Something, Santa Rosa, through April 20: Bay Area artists David Huffman and Evri Kwong and Los Angeles artist Linda Vallejo currently have their socially conscious work on display at the Museum of Sonoma County in an exhibit called “See Something, Say Something.” The title is derived from the warning posted in public spaces to encourage citizens to speak up if they notice something suspicious, originating from the 9/11 terrorist attacks. However, this exhibit, with works featuring diverse cultural perspectives, expands the call to action to motivate people to point out other social injustices, such as “racism, sexism, economic disparity and climate change.” Museum of Sonoma County, museumsc.org. For more information, contact the gallery at 707-579-1500.