art gallery

The University Art Gallery is open Tuesday through Friday, 11 am to 4 pm, Saturday and Sunday, 12 to 4 pm, and closed Mondays and holidays. Admission is free. The Gallery is wheelchair accessible. For more information, call (707) 664-2295 or e-mail us at art.gallery@sonoma.edu.

Founded in 1978 on the campus of Sonoma State University, the University Art Gallery is one of the oldest art institutions devoted to changing exhibitions of modern and contemporary art in the North Bay region. Located in Rohnert Park, California, approximately 55 miles north of San Francisco, the Art Gallery is part of the University's well-equipped and spacious Art Department complex. It has 2,500 square feet of professional exhibition space in two adjoining galleries, offices, and a storage facility.

The Gallery presents exhibitions, public lectures, and educational outreach programs and also publishes catalogues and brochures on contemporary artists of regional, national, and international significance. A brief list of artists whose work has been exhibited here over the years includes Terry Allen, Jennifer Bartlett, Enrique Chagoya, Squeak Carnwath, Chuck Close, Sue Coe, Viola Frey, Mineko Grimmer, The Guerrilla Girls, Mildred Howard, Robert Hudson, Mike Kelley, Andre Kertesz, Maya Lin, Hung Liu, James Luna, Manuel Ocampo, Judy Pfaff, John Roloff, Judith Shea, Joan Snyder, Richard Shaw, Bill Viola, William Wegman, and William T. Wiley, Terry Winters, among many others. Visitors can see stimulating and challenging works of art from important private and public collections as well as new work directly from the artists' studios.

In addition to programs devoted to artists from outside the University, the Art Gallery presents several exhibitions featuring the work of faculty and students. Annual exhibitions by graduating BFA (Bachelor of Fine Art) students and the Juried Student Show, which is selected by noted professionals from the art world, are presented each spring. Work by the Sonoma State University Art Department faculty is shown in the Gallery every other year. As part of its role as a teaching facility within the University, the Art Gallery provides both Art History and Art Studio students hands-on experience in the fields of museum and gallery methods and arts administration (Sonoma State also offers a minor in Arts Management). The Art Gallery hosts a variety of events, including the annual Art from the Heart fundraising art auction, which features donated works of art by emerging and nationally recognized artists from around the country and attracts visitors from all over Northern California.

The University Art Gallery is a rich cultural resource committed to serving both the campus and surrounding communities. Exhibitions and public lectures are free to all visitors. The Gallery also works with local schools and community groups, offering outreach programs that help make contemporary art more accessible to a wide range of people. It is a vital place where visitors can look at and learn about art and talk with artists from around the corner or around the world.

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