Area Exhibitions
Sonoma County is home to a dynamic range of museum exhibitions and special displays that highlight the region’s history, art, and cultural heritage. Throughout the year, museums and cultural organizations across the county present rotating and long-term exhibitions that explore local stories, notable figures, community traditions, and regional themes. Below is a selection of current and upcoming exhibitions, offering visitors and residents an easy way to discover what is on view and plan visits to museums throughout Sonoma County.
Museum of Sonoma County
425 Seventh Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
https://museumsc.org/exhibitions/
36th Annual Artistry in Wood
December 13, 2025 — May 24, 2026
Artistry in Wood is the Museum’s annual showcase of fine woodwork, created in collaboration with the Sonoma County Woodworkers Association. Now in its 36th year, Artistry is one of the most respected juried shows of woodwork in the state, and a perennial favorite for visitors.
Take Me to the Water: Histories of the Black Pacific
November 15, 2025 — March 22, 2026
Most accounts of the United States’ maritime enterprises are disproportionately populated by white seafarers. The Museum of Sonoma County is pleased to present an exhibition that expands that narrative to include the many Black whalers, commercial mariners, fishers, explorers, soldiers, and sailors who traveled along the Pacific Coast and traversed the high seas from the 16th century to the present day. Special attention is paid to the WWII shipyard workers who moved to Sonoma County.
Take Me to the Water is curated by Dr. Caroline Collins of UC San Diego, toured by Exhibit Envoy, and supported by California Humanities and the National Endowment for the Humanities.
The Sonoma County Survivor Project
December 13, 2025 — May 24, 2026
Listening for a Change’s Sonoma County Survivor Project began in 1988 as a photographic and oral history project, documenting stories of community groups who had suffered the loss of human rights. In the mid-1980s, three California ballot propositions sought to quarantine people infected with HIV/AIDS. The disturbing discourse around quarantining AIDS sufferers inspired photographer, Phyllis Rosenfield and interviewer, Lisa Slater Nicholls, to document the experiences of Sonoma County neighbors who, at some point, had experienced internment or concentration camps. While the reasons for their internment differed, all had shared experiences: forced departure from their homes; little to no warning; no knowledge of where they were being sent; and only being able to bring what they could carry.
These photographs show people’s daily lives here in Sonoma County and include some recovered pre-war photos. Accompanying the local photos are oral history excerpts from interviews. Each unique story offers insights into the experiences of desperate and inhuman circumstances.
Light, Clay, and Copper: Mid-Century Arts and Crafts in Sonoma County
September 9, 2023 — Ongoing
The photographs of Hansel Mieth and Otto Hagel, the pottery of Marguerite Wildenhain, and the metalwork of Harry Dixon make up three important collections under the Museum’s care. Each was a master of their artform and all were contemporaries that shared ideals and influences. Light, Clay, and Copper explores the connections and shared experiences of these four remarkable artists.
Sonoma County Stories
September 9, 2023 — Ongoing
Sonoma County Stories is a permanent Sonoma County history exhibition that allows visitors to engage with the past in a brand-new way: through the power of storytelling. The exhibition, captures Sonoma County’s rich history, defined by a confluence of cultures and people, and a powerful connection to the land. Featuring stories representing the many diverse histories and cultures of the county, this ambitious and innovative permanent exhibition has at its core the Oral Histories of Gaye LeBaron.
Healdsburg Museum
221 Matheson St., Healdsburg, CA
www.healdsburgmuseum.org
Many Paths to Healdsburg
August 9, 2025 — August 16, 2026
“Many Paths to Healdsburg,” is a new long-term exhibition that serves as a comprehensive introduction to the Healdsburg area. Co-curated by Holly Hoods and Experiential Designer Noah Jeppson, “Many Paths” offers a deep dive into the rich tapestry of Northern Sonoma County’s history and cultural geography from the past to the present through stories, photographs, artwork and objects. Visitors can explore the evolution of the region through thematic displays focusing on agriculture, commerce, architecture, transportation, and recreation. Special emphasis is placed on the dynamic natural landscapes, from the Russian River to the Geysers. The exhibition is designed for high visitor engagement with features like listening stations for recorded stories and videos and interactive artifact displays. By adding layers of sound and video imagery, multimedia artist Hugh Livingston helped create an immersive, living exhibition, designed to change and evolve. Information is presented in both English and Spanish, enhancing the experience for a diverse audience.
West County Museum
261 S Main St, Sebastopol, CA 95472
www.wschs.org/museum/
SO…. WHAT’S IN THE BOXCAR
Our current exhibit at the West County Museum is called: “SO…. WHAT’S IN THE BOXCAR?”. Visitors who come to our museum often ask this very question. Inspired by their curiosity, we decided: let’s show people that the boxcar is actually the Museum Archives! And what’s in the Archives? Think of the Boxcar as Sebastopol’s Attic.
We are opening the boxcar to show off all the bits and pieces that we’ve collected over the years from our town’s folk. Each donation, whether large or small, is a memory. All of it tells a story about our town.
Petaluma Historical Library and Museum
20 Fourth Street Petaluma, CA 94952
https://www.petalumamuseum.com/2025-26-upcoming-exhibits/
Toys Through Time: From Machine Age to Space Age
December 6, 2025 — February 1, 2026
Featuring antique mechanical toys from a Petaluma collector and vintage Star Wars toys from Rancho Obi-Wan, the exhibition traces a journey from clockwork ingenuity to cinematic imagination, revealing how curiosity and creativity have propelled generations from gears to galaxies.
A Century of Black History Commemorations
February 13, 2026 — March 29, 2026
Presented by Petaluma Blacks for Community Development, this exhibit celebrates the 100th anniversary of Black History commemorations and explores their impact in transforming the status of Black peoples in the modern world.
Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
https://schulzmuseum.org/explore/exhibits/
HA! HA! HA! HA! 75 Years of Humor in Peanuts
September 20, 2025 — March 18, 2026
Why does Peanuts make us laugh? For the 75th anniversary of Peanuts, explore the element that brings together all of Charles Schulz’s 17,897 Peanuts comic strips: his humor. Take a closer look at original Peanuts comic strip art to discover how Schulz’s sense of humor evolved and the comedic elements he used to create a legacy of laughter.
Peanuts Evolution: The 1980s
November 5, 2025 — May 4, 2026
In the 1980s, Charles M. Schulz renewed his experimentation in Peanuts, deepening the surprising characters, like Snoopy’s desert-dwelling brother, Spike, and using new graphic art techniques and tools. Discover this fascinating decade in Peanuts through original comic strip art and artifacts.
Santa Rosa Junior College Multicultural Museum
Bussman Hall, 1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA
https://museum.santarosa.edu
Diaspora In Beads: African and African American Beadwork Traditions in Focus
January 13, 2026 — February 2, 2026
This exhibit is collaboratively curated by the SRJC Museum’s student employees and dedicated volunteers using items from the museum’s collections.
Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
431 South Main St., Ukiah, CA
www.gracehudsonmuseum.org
Mission Gráfica: Reflecting a Community in Print
November 1, 2025 — February 1, 2026
As a community print center of diversity and cultural ferment, Mission Gráfica in San Francisco has produced challenging, aesthetically outstanding artwork of social and political relevance for over four decades. Created in 1982 as part of the Mission Cultural Center, it has attracted important artists from the Bay Area and international solidarity movements, partnering with both rock stars and guerrilla activists. During the 1990s, Mission Gráfica was reformulated to emphasize community projects and classes, creating a more open workshop that serves artists exploring personal visions as well as those involved in local struggles from gentrification to homelessness.
The exhibition is comprised of 42 screenprints, and reflects an enormous variety of styles, approaches and sensibilities. The artists range from non-professional and emerging artists to well-known figures such as Jesus Barraza, Harry Fonseca, Juan R. Fuentes, Rupert Garcia, Carmen Lomas Garza, Ester Hernandez, Nancy Hom, Mildred Howard, Jean La Marr, Favianna Rodriguez, Michael Roman, and the San Francisco Print Collective.
Providing some local flavor, the presentation of this exhibition at the Grace Hudson Museum will also be supported by work from accomplished book artist Felicia Rice of Mendocino, whose themes center around visual arts, politics, and popular culture. One of her most recent creations, Heavy Lifting, a collaboration with Ukiah poet Theresa Whitehill, will be featured.
Momim Wene: Medicine Water
February 14, 2026 — May 10, 2026
Contemporary Northern California Native artists reflect on the importance of water and waterways in their own cultures. This project was initiated by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians and further developed by the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians Exhibits and Collections Center.