Curated Exhibition, Craft in the Valley – Opens in Gallery 212
Sonoma Community Center to host an exhibition of local craftpeople
Sonoma, California. Craft in the Valley, a curated exhibition by Simon Blattner and Barbara Wells, opens January 9, 2026. The show features works by 24 local artists and celebrates the creativity, mastery, and meaning of handmade craft in all its forms. This show honors the role of craft as both functional art and a vessel for personal, cultural, and community expression.
The opening reception is January 9th from 5:00-7:00 pm with a talk by the curators, light refreshments, and will feature entertainment from duo Tim Curley and Gary Halter. The exhibit will run through February 19th in the Sonoma Community Center’s Gallery 212. It is free to attend
The works represent a variety of disciplines including, woodworking, ceramics, fiber arts, glass arts, printmaking, artist bookmaking, wearable art, metalsmithing, mosaic, assemblage and more. The artists were chosen for the craftsmanship and the way that they manipulate materials using a variety of techniques and processes.
Barbara Wells, exhibition curator says, “This exhibition showcases a very small number of the many incredible artists and makers in our community. It is my hope that guests will be both impressed by the art and inspired to take a class at the Community Center and start or expand their artistic journey.”
The show features artists Lexi Bakkar, Chas Blackford, Lauren Brenner, Kristen Garneau, Terri Hamilton-Gahart, Steve Kyle, Ellen LaBruce, Eva Leonard, , Ann Miller, Shannon Moore, Stephanie Moore, Michael Palace, Bettina Pauly, Camden Richards, Kate Rogers, Nora Russo, Mary Lee Rybar, Connie Schlelein, Jim Simpson, Dana Simpson-Stokes, Kala Stein, Bob Yates, Jill Sabel Valavanis, and Anne Ziemienski.
Blattner shared, “We were not surprised by the amazing craft and art that we saw in the Valley. What was amazing was the willingness and enthusiasm of artists to participate with us in this groundbreaking effort. You will enjoy this show no matter how old you are or where you’re from.”
The show is the first in a series of exhibitions curated by Blatter and Wells coming to the Center. Blattner has curated several exhibitions for the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, including “Rebound: A Survey of Contemporary California Artist Books” (2011) and “The Art of Handmade Paper” (2012). Wells assisted him with the curation of “Libros de Artista: Artists’ Books from Mexico and the Mexican Diaspora” (2018). Most recently in early 2025 Blattner and Wells co-curated “Book Becoming Art” together with artist Maki Aizawa.
Kate Eilertsen, Executive Director & Chief Curator of Di Rosa and Blattner, will be discussing the meaning of Craft and its relationship to the artistic world on January 15, 2026 from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm followed by Q&A in the Center’s room 110.
The Center is offering several workshops and classes associated with Craft in the Valley. The programs include several categories of crafts such as bookmaking, beading, basketry, braiding, and stitching. Participants will explore specific techniques like peyote stitch bead weaving, twining, four-strand flat braiding, and sashiko. All are open to the public and require no prior experience. Please check the Center’s website for further information.
Community – Innovation – Creativity – Inclusion – Leadership
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Media Contact:
Vanessa Rognlien
Executive Director, Sonoma Community Center
[email protected]
707-888-2155
SonomaCommunityCenter.org
