Best Art Events In North Bay

The North Bay has long had a vibrant visual arts community, and summer is always a great time to check out new festivals, events and exhibits throughout the area. These venues, galleries and artists are doing and presenting some of the most innovative art in the region. Whether you're a North Bay resident or visiting from other parts of the Bay Area or farther afield, these art exhibits, galleries and festivals are worth visiting.

Hugh Livingston, Sonoma Oaks: Points of View
Sonoma County Museum
425 7th St
Santa Rosa, CA 95401
(707) 579-1500
sonomacountymuseum.org
Through September 9

Hugh Livingston is an artist looking to create something different. A composer and multimedia artist, his upcoming show at the Sonoma County Museum will include his sound installations about the habitat and ecology of California oaks. The show is part of his examination of the Sonoma County landscape and its changes over time. The Livingston exhibit will be at the Sonoma County Museum through September 9.

Related: Best Photography Galleries In North Bay

Art Festivals
Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival
Old Mill Park
Throckmorton Ave and Cascade Drive
Mill Valley, CA 94941
mvfaf.org
September 15-16

Sausalito Art Festival
Marinship Park
Marinship Way
Sausalito, CA, 94965
sausalitoartfestival.org
September 1-2

Two nationally-known art fairs will take place in the North Bay this fall. Now in its 60th year, the Sausalito Art Festival will be hosted on the first weekend in September and the 56th annual Mill Valley Fall Arts Festival happens two weekends later. Both festivals use a juried selection process to select all artists and craftspeople for the show, resulting in a high-quality level of artisans. For more on the location, schedule and final artist roster for each festival, visit each festival's website.

Art Jams at Art Explosion Gallery
821 Texas St
Fairfield, CA 94533
(707) 428-0400
fairfieldvisualarts.or
First Friday of every month

At Art Explosion Gallery and Artists' Studios in Fairfield, the Fairfield Visual Arts Association provides studio space and and a gallery for its members. Art lovers are able to browse the gallery of members' works. The FVAA also sponsors a juried art show each year, art fairs and events for the public, including the popular Art Jam events, which are held the first Friday of every month to celebrate art and music. Each Art Jam event has a different theme, and artists and their guests are encouraged to come in costume. The annual Artoberfest is held in October at the Ledgewood Creek winery in Suisun Valley.

Cross Pollination: The Art of Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Sonoma Valley Museum of Art
551 Broadway
Sonoma, CA 95476
(707) 939-7862
smva.org
Through September 23

Through September 23, the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art presents an exhibition of the artwork of noted Beat poet, visual artist and San Francisco icon Lawrence Ferlinghetti, "Cross Pollination." Ferlinghetti, the founder of San Francisco's famed bookstore City Lights Books, served as San Francisco's poet laureate and in recent decades, has developed a reputation as a painter and artist. The four themes of the exhibit will illustrate Ferlinghetti's inspiration and creativity over the decades of his work as a writer and artist.

Related: Best Art Galleries On The Peninsula

Laura Tarwater-Scharp is a freelance writer, editor and historian. Originally from the Midwest, she has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for over a decade. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.