SCGG in the NEWS:
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Jan 31, 2008
Destination Art: Along its byways and back roads, Sonoma County
is blessed with galleries offering quality work just a leisurely drive away
By DAN TAYLOR
By the time visitors arrive at Bodega Bay's coastline art galleries, they've already seen some beautiful landscapes, framed by the car windows.
"We drive through beauty to get here," said Dan Rohlfing, co-owner of the Bodega Heritage Gallery, just off Highway 1.
Inside his gallery, there's a different kind of scenery: desert landscapes by some of California's most respected past painters. A big man with a bigger smile, Rohlfing finds amusing irony in that.
"I tell people, 'Come out to Bodega Bay and look at the desert,' " he joked.
For anyone interested in a relatively short drive and a leisurely stay at a gallery, the scenery available is unlimited. The Sonoma County Gallery Group, made of up some 60 galleries, aptly titled its new map and brochure "Destination Art." No matter which direction you pick, you'll find good art, much of it local, often in galleries that are off the commuter corridor but still nearby.
The Graton Gallery is housed in a quaint storefront on the tiny town's central block, defined by a stop sign at either end, just off Highway 116, just north of Sebastopol.
"We're at this bend in the road on the way to Bodega Bay, so we get a lot of tourists," said painter and gallery co-owner Pam Lewis. "We're also a favorite destination for a lot of people who come up from San Francisco for the wine and stop to see art."
Run by eight partners, all artists, the gallery shows not only their work but exhibitions by others and a wide range of crafts.
The current "Invitational #2" show features paintings, prints and other work by 25 Northern California artists, including painter Craig Nelson, the director of Fine Art, Drawing and Painting at San Francisco's Academy of Art College.
"We're a hometown gallery but these are big guys," Lewis said. "We have a network of artists. We have criteria. And it's comfortable here. We make friends."
Visitors can linger awhile in the outdoor sculpture garden that runs along one side of the gallery.
"This becomes a really nice gathering place in warm weather," said Lewis, stepping outside briefly on a recent chilly morning. "It offers kind of a respite back here."
Thanks to our host Vicky Kumpfer, speakers Gretchen Giles and Bruce Robinson, and to all those who attended the Media Panel discussion!
Hey! Where’s My Listing?
Making Art News in Sonoma County
A media-focused panel discussion, presented by the Sonoma County
Gallery Group
October 25, 2007 – 7:30 to 9 pm
Cypress Room at the Finley Center, 2060 West College Ave., Santa
Rosa
You are invited to join fellow Sonoma County Gallery Group members for a media-focused panel discussion with Gretchen Giles (Editor of the North Bay Bohemian) and Bruce Robinson (News and Public Affairs Director for KRCB Public Radio and Television) on Thursday evening, October 25th at the Finley Center in Santa Rosa. Aimed at addressing a range of news media and publicity related concerns specific to gallery owners and visual arts venues, this panel discussion promises to be interesting, practical and informative.
Focusing on strategies for creating art news in Sonoma County, this interactive forum will include opportunities for questions and conversation with Gretchen and Bruce, as well as “takeaway” materials for all attendees.
Graciously hosted by SCGG member and supporter Vicky Kumpfer and Santa Rosa’s Park and Recreation Department, Hey! Where’s My Listing? Making Art News in Sonoma County is open to all Sonoma County Gallery Group members and friends. It will be held in the Cypress Room at the Finley Center, 2060 West College Ave., Santa Rosa. Doors will open at 7:00pm for mingling, and the panel discussion runs from 7:30 until 9:00pm.
Gretchen Giles is the editor of the North Bay Bohemian, a 26-year-old award-winning alternative newsweekly serving 109,000 readers in Sonoma, Marin and Napa counties. Giles has contributed in every capacity to the Bohemian for the last 14 years; she has been editor since 2002. During her tenure at the top of the masthead, the Bohemian has won five national awards for its editorial content. Giles has been a regular contributor to the San Francisco Chronicle, wrote and edited the interactive e-letter Streetmail.com and run a gallery from her living room. When she has a choice, her focus is to write about the fine arts.
Bruce Robinson, a professional journalist for over 30 years, has worked in print, radio, and television. He has been managing editor of the Sebastopol Times & News, a reporter and talk show host for KSRO, staff writer for the Sonoma County Independent, and founding editor of the Forestville Gazette. He is currently the News and Public Affairs Director for KRCB Public Radio and Television.