Sonoma library to host six art exhibitions in 2020

Michael Acker is up first, with an artist reception on Jan. 3.|

For the third year running, the Sonoma Valley Library will be hosting six exhibitions by local artists during 2020.

The artists were asked to participate by a selection committee headed by Sonoma Valley artist Chas Blackford.

Patrick McMurtry and Richard Silver created the exhibit series in 2018 to help promote local artists through McMurtry’s organization, Artist Access, and McMurtry and Gael Menze organized the series in 2019.

The January 2020 exhibit will feature Michael Acker’s photo-collages. The exhibit of Acker’s art opens with a free reception from 4 to 6 p.m. on Friday, Jan. 3.

“We are fortunate to have so many talented and creative artists at work here in the Valley so naturally we are pleased to see this series continue in 2020,” said Blackford in the press materials announcing the exhibit calendar. “Exhibition venues such as the library series offer the community an excellent opportunity to see, meet and support local art and artists.”

The artists will have their work displayed in the library’s community room for a month, during which time the public is invited to come and view the artist’s work.

Here are a few notes on the artists as submitted by exhibition officials:

Michael Acker, although born in New York City, has lived on the West Coast since childhood. His photo-collage art is concerned with his physical environment: its visual qualities and its natural and human history. His art is also grounded in the act of making both images and objects. Acker is the recipient of two Pollock-Krasner grants and holds an MFA in sculpture from San Francisco State University.

March features Barbara White Perry’s ink and charcoal drawings.

Barbara Crow will be April’s featured artist showing her abstract acrylic paintings.

Stephanie Arnow, whose wildlife photography raises awareness of conservation challenges worldwide, is the featured artist in September.

In October, Mary Lee Rybar will show her paintings, prints and sculptures.

In December, a group show of Valley artists known as the Art Farm Sonoma (artfarmsonoma.org) will display artwork in a wide variety of media and styles. Each of the six exhibits opens with a reception on the first Friday of the month.

The events are free. The library is located at 755 W. Napa St.

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