Recently in Napa Valley Open Studios Category

By Deirdre Bourdet

Five years ago, no one would have come to the city of Napa for its fine arts.  2010 marks the dawn of a new era for Napa's art scene, with no fewer than three downtown Napa galleries open to the public, a new month-long celebration of the arts this fall, and--for the first time in its 23-year history--an Open Studios event organized and planned by the artists themselves.  This autumn is the ideal time to visit Napa Valley and experience the artistic renaissance that is beginning to take shape.

A Free, Self Guided Fine Art Discovery Tour


Every fall, when trucks bearing tons of grapes appear on the roads of Napa Valley, the sun-drenched trees begin to show their fall colors, and the hottest days of the year roll through the gorgeous valley, it's the season for artists to throw open their studio doors and welcome friends, neighbors, and visitors into their creative workspaces for the annual Open Studios tour. 

Arts Council Napa Valley's Open Studios is a free, self-guided fine art discovery tour that runs during the last two weekends of September.  The 2009 Open Studios Honorary Co-Chairs, Eleanor Coppola and Kathryn Hall, invite patrons to experience this year's tour, featuring 88 of the finest artists and craftspeople in the Napa Valley. 

Whether you are an avid collector or just curious about art, Open Studios is an incredible opportunity to peer into the creative spaces of Napa Valley painters, metal and stone sculptors, mosaicists, photographers, ceramists, printmakers, fiber artists, jewelry makers, glass artists and other fine craftspeople, and to buy local art right from the source.

Napa Valley Open Studios

Sherrell Harper is a Napa Valley watercolor and acrylic artist known for intense color and strong highlights and specializes in still life featuring wine glasses, pairings, and food, exhibiting the essence of Napa.  Her passion for art started late in life after a career in technology and Napa has supported her adventure. She is deeply involved in the arts community and appreciates the gift of living and working in the Valley.

Napa Valley Open Studios

Karen Winograde is a longtime Napa Valley artist whose beautiful pottery is functional for the home and garden.  Her love of the land of Napa Valley extends to more than just the landscape.  "I love earth, dirt, getting dirty, love making things... and my love for it grows and grows and never gets old." 

Winograde first fell in love with pottery in the 60's when she watched clay being made, wedged, formed into pots and fired in a dung fired beehive kiln in Mexico.  "I said... I want to do that!"