Di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art announces new series

The di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art is introducing di Rosa Projects, a new series of artist-led gallery activations.

In this series, di Rosa Projects invites contemporary artists into dialogue with the permanent collection, building bridges between the past, present and future of Northern California art.

Kicking off this series is acclaimed photographer and sculptor Michael Garlington, who will be building a site-specific sculpture, “Totem di Rosa.”

Known for monumental photo-temples that have appeared at Burning Man and museums across the country, Garlington will build the towering sculptural meditation on the art of Northern California, crafted of wood, ceramic and photography.

“Around 20 years ago I stumbled onto the di Rosa Preserve,” Garlington said in a news release. “When I went home, that day changed in fundamental ways. I made a piece of art from my true heart. ‘Totem di Rosa,” a link in the great eternal chain of art, is my gift, my poem, my song to Rene and all the artists that reside in these walls.”

Garlington has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions around the world. In 2018, he and partner Natalia Bertotti were commissioned by the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum to create the monumental “Paper Arch” as a centerpiece for the traveling exhibition “No Spectators: The Art of Burning Man.” Garlington is represented by Paul Mahder Gallery in Healdsburg, and Fahey Klein Gallery in Los Angeles.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, March 3, from 3 to 5 p.m. to celebrate the opening of Garlington’s “Totem di Rosa” in Gallery 2, located at 5200 Sonoma Highway in Sonoma. This reception is free for members and one guest, and $10 for nonmembers.

A portion of Gallery 2 at di Rosa will be under construction during the spring and summer months in order to move the collection into a permanent storage facility on site. Di Rosa projects will allow visitors to continue to view and engage with the permanent collection.

“Di Rosa Projects is different from a typical exhibition in that curatorial power is given over to the artists, allowing them to create in response to the collection,” said Twyla Ruby, curatorial associate at di Rosa, in a news release. “Our aim with this series is to build bridges and spark conversations across time and space — past, to present and future.”

Di Rosa’s extensive permanent collection includes notable works by artists with ties to the Bay Area from the mid-20th century to the early 2000s.