Napa Valley’s 10 Stunning Contemporary Art Galleries
Known for the beauty of its panoramic hills, and fabulous restaurants and wines, the Napa Valley also nurtures a sophisticated cultural scene, with art galleries housed in the vineyards that nestle high up on the hillside. Art lovers can accompany a gallery tour with a glass of wine, or else they can head to the independent galleries of the small towns, which showcase an impressive range of local and international talent from contemporary artists.
I. Wolk
Not all galleries in the Valley have an intrinsic connection to the wineries of the region, and the I. Wolk Gallery in St. Helena was the very first of these independent galleries to be set up, back in 1990. The bold move by the late owner, Ira Wolk, certainly paid off, since the I. Wolk gallery has had more than its share of famed and elite patrons over the years, including Oprah Winfrey and the Queen of Jordan. Specialising specifically in fine contemporary art, the gallery showcases from prolific talents to emerging artists, including classic sculptures alongside pop art paintings, all of the highest quality. New work is always promoted through monthly exhibitions, and the scope of the artistic genres displayed caters to all art enthusiasts.
I. Wolk Gallery, 1354 Main St, St Helena, CA, USA, +1 707-963-8800
di Rosa
Museum, Art Gallery
Jessel Gallery
Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley
Under the curation and directorship of the same group as I. Wolk gallery, the Ma(i)sonry Napa Gallery nonetheless creates a very different experience. Self-described as a ‘living gallery’, it concentrates not on contemporary art per se but rather on a ‘life aesthetic’, combining art, design, social interaction and wine tasting, against a stylised scene of contemporary sculptures and architectural pieces on the lawn of the winery. The stone building itself is 111 years old, and now houses a collection of furnishings and artwork ranging from 16th century European craftsmanship to work from the very best contemporary artists and designers. The exhibitions in the quaint historic house are rotated each season through a series of Bay area and internationally renowned artists, and all the pieces are available for purchase, or simply to admire over successive glasses of Napa wine.
Ma(i)sonry Napa Valley, 6711 Washington St, Yountville, CA, USA, +1 707-944-0889
The Hess Collection
Winery
Hay Barn Gallery: Gordon Huether Studio
Peju Art Gallery and the Christopher Hill Gallery
Art Gallery, Winery
Clos Pegase
The art at Clos Pegase is built into the winery itself; the imposing ‘temple to art and wine’ is an iconic feat of modernist architecture, designed by Michael Graves, who uses bright and warm colours, clean lines and towering structures to evoke something like a Mediterranean castle of the future. Sculptures and installations litter the grounds and the gardens, with surrealist sculpted wall hangings dangling over the wine barrels, Henry Moore’s striking Mother Earth statue welcoming guests into the courtyard, and Cesar Baldaccini’s Pouce sculpture of a thumb rising from the ground in front of the vineyard saplings. As evening descends, a sparkling light glows from long windows and the arched entrance, producing a monument on the hilltop even more awe-inspiring at dusk than the impression it leaves on daytime guests.
Clos Pegase, 1060 Dunaweal Ln, Calistoga, CA, USA, +1 707-942-4981
Mumm Napa
An underappreciated fact about Mumm Napa wines is that its estate is also home to a collection of fine art photography, both in permanent and temporary exhibitions. The permanent collection belongs to Ansel Adams’ family, and is a series of black and white prints by the famous American photographer and environmentalist himself, ranging across inspirational landscapes, architectural studies and human portraits. The main gallery hosts temporary exhibits including the Serenity, Wonder, and Spirit series by Jeffrey A. Davis and a recent show entitled The Golden Decade Photography at the California School of Fine Arts, 1945-1955. The photographs are neatly placed on the walls of long corridors inside the winery, constituting an essential part of the tour of this unique estate.
Mumm Napa, 8445 Silverado Trail, Napa, CA, USA, +1 707 967 7730
Caldwell Snyder
Having recently celebrated 30 years in business, the Caldwell Snyder Contemporary Art Gallery in downtown St. Helena has much to be proud of, not least their gorgeous 12,000-square-foot exhibition space in a listed historic building, and the vast collection of drawings, paintings and sculptures on show therein. The gallery’s novelty is that it represents not just Californian artists, as many of its peers also do, but also European and Latin American artists, numbering over 50 in total. Popular exhibitions have included Bobbie Burgers’ series of paintings, Suspended Between Sweetness and Sorrow, Julie Spiedel’s Hermus sculptures, and John Gibson’s and Nicholas Wilton’s joint series of paintings exploring space, perception and illusion.
Caldwell Snyder, 1328 Main St, St Helena, CA, USA, +1 707-200-5050