Area Exhibitions and Lectures
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/
Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Running Fence at 50 Years
June 27, 2026 — November 8, 2026
This landmark exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s monumental Running Fence, the temporary art installation that stretched 24.5 miles through Sonoma and Marin Counties. The project became world famous, and is an iconic part of North Bay culture and history.
Through immersive design, powerful visuals, and firsthand accounts, the exhibit invites visitors to experience the magic and beauty that was the Running Fence – white fabric flowing across fields and cresting over hills to vanish into the Pacific Ocean – and to discover the remarkable 4-year odyssey that brought it to fruition.
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.
Disturbing the Peace: Sonoma County’s Early Punk Underground
April 18, 2026 — August 23, 2026
This landmark exhibition celebrates the 50th anniversary of Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s monumental Running Fence, the temporary art installation that stretched 24.5 miles through Sonoma and Marin Counties. The project became world famous, and is an iconic part of North Bay culture and history.
Through immersive design, powerful visuals, and firsthand accounts, the exhibit invites visitors to experience the magic and beauty that was the Running Fence – white fabric flowing across fields and cresting over hills to vanish into the Pacific Ocean – and to discover the remarkable 4-year odyssey that brought it to fruition.
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
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 95448
www.healdsburgmuseum.org
Healdsburg in the 1970s
February 21, 2026 — October 25, 2026
Marking the Healdsburg Museum’s 50th anniversary, “Healdsburg in the 1970s” pairs bright 1970s nostalgia with community-sourced artifacts and thoughtful stories about rights, belonging, land, and how the decade reshaped Healdsburg.
Many Paths to Healdsburg
August 9, 2025 — December 29, 2030
“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/
Basket Full of History
A Look at Sebastopol’s Grocery Markets from 1890 to the present day. Markets have been a major part of our local history, with many local folks owning, shopping, or working the stores. One market has been here since 1925, another has a 60+ year history in one location. Take a trip down memory lane with photographs, vintage product containers, and current packing boxes. Local markets have loaned us everything from a large 8’ street sign to counter top scales. Open weekends from 11-2pm.
Petaluma Historical Library and Museum
20 Fourth Street Petaluma, CA 94952
https://www.petalumamuseum.com/2025-26-upcoming-exhibits/
The Fabric of Democracy: Quilts and the Power of the People
June 18, 2026 — August 2, 2026
Explore how quilts—made across more than 250 years—have carried powerful messages about freedom, justice, and community in America. Through bold historic and contemporary works, the exhibition reveals how artists and everyday makers have stitched their hopes, protests, and visions for a more inclusive future into cloth.
Charles M. Schulz Museum & Research Center
2301 Hardies Lane, Santa Rosa, CA 95403
https://schulzmuseum.org/explore/exhibits/
Snoopy’s Family
March 28, 2026 — September 16, 2026
Snoopy once claimed to be an “only dog,” but we know that’s not true! Enjoy an in-depth look at Snoopy’s family with original Peanuts art by Charles M. Schulz, animation cels, and products. Learn about Daisy Hill Farm, Snoopy’s parents, his siblings, and how they became a part of Peanuts.
Peanuts Evolution: The 1990s
May 6, 2026 — November 9, 2026
The 1990s are an underappreciated decade in Peanuts. Charles M. Schulz’s final decade of producing Peanuts was one of innovation and creativity. Schulz pushed old characters into new areas, embraced change, and even seemed to consider an end he knew was inevitable. Readers will find references firmly set in that decade, like rollerblades and fax machines, and may be surprised by other things that only rose in popularity afterward. Charlie Brown even has some “wins” (which are always snatched away). See over 50 original Peanuts comic strips from the Schulz Museum’s collection and discover what makes this decade unique in Peanuts.
SRJC Multicultural Museum and Doyle Library
1501 Mendocino Ave., Santa Rosa, CA 95401
https://museum.santarosa.edu
https://libraries.santarosa.edu
The museum will be closed for maintenance through August 16th, 2026.
The Rediscovery of George “Nash” Walker: The Price of Stardom in Jim Crow America
Thursday, September 10, 2026, 12:00pm – 3:30pm
The first biography of George Walker, a uniquely Afro-American tale of
innovation and triumph despite the odds; the story of an underdog with a
bite! The Rediscovery of George “Nash” Walker is the first biography dedicated
to the life and cultural contributions of George Walker, an actor, writer, and
producer who revolutionized Black American theatre in the early twentieth
century. Drawing on archival resources, newspaper accounts, memoirs, oral
histories, and writings by Walker himself, Daniel E. Atkinson traces Walker’s rise
from a medicine show performer to a leading figure in American popular culture.
Dr. Atkinson is an independent scholar and the Assistant Director of the August
Wilson estate. He earned his doctorate in ethnomusicology from the University
of Washington, where he specialized in Afro-American music and culture.
Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House
431 South Main St., Ukiah, CA 95482
www.gracehudsonmuseum.org
Look Again: Portraits of Daring Women
May 23, 2026 — August 16, 2026
Have you ever heard of fearless tiger trainer, Mabel Stark or pioneering African American journalist Ida B. Wells? The New York Times Overlooked series shares the stories of remarkable people, like Mabel and Ida, who were often forgotten. Many of these stories inspired artist Julie Lapping Rivera to create woodcut and collage portraits of women from Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Bollywood legend Madhubala.
Look Again is a is a traveling exhibition from Exhibit Envoy. For our presentation at the Grace Hudson Museum, you will also find portraits of notable women from over 15 Mendocino artists. They’ve drawn, quilted, painted, printed, and photographed their own family members and local women of note, along with historical and popular figures.