Closing Reception in Gallery 212 for Drawing Sonoma by Barbara White Perry- FREE open to the public

On View March 1 - 27, 2025

Gallery 212
Second Floor

Local artist and author Barbara White Perry will exhibit in Gallery 212

Closing Reception - March 27
5-7 PM in Gallery 212
at the Sonoma Community Center

Free to the Public.
Open daily
Monday - Friday, 9 am to 5 pm.
Open Sunday, March 23 from 4:30 - 7:30 PM

For this event only, the entire collection of hand-touched ink and charcoal images will be for sale, $60 each
Drawing Sonoma books available $20. Cash or check.

A collection of 60 historical drawings from local artist Barbara White Perry is currently on display in Gallery 212 at the Sonoma Community Center. The exhibit is called Drawing Sonoma and is open daily, Monday through Friday, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The public is invited to a "Last Call" closing reception in the gallery on Thursday, March 27th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. The artist will be present, and light refreshments will be served.

"I began ink and vine-charcoal illustrations in 1999 when asked if I would draw a friend's barn," Perry said. "I saw the old barn laden with wisteria, backlit by the morning sun and sadly neglected. I drew it and continued to create more- there seems no end to the history and splendor of this Valley."

Perry was encouraged to create a book of her illustrations after displaying those drawings in Gallery 212 at the Sonoma Community Center in March 2015. At that time, 42 images would become Drawing Sonoma's first release. Now in its third and final edition, the book contains 73 illustrations, the culmination of 26 years of documenting the Valley.

Barbara White Perry's exhibit, Drawing Sonoma, in Gallery 212 houses 60 framed and matted illustrations on display. Each print is hand-touched by the artist, meaning there are applications of ink plus vine-charcoal, which gives them a much richer finish than the originals.

"This is such a special show," added Mary Catherine Cutcliff, Development Director for the Center. "I wander the gallery learning about the historic buildings while listening to gallery guests talking about their memories of the valley."

The exhibit is displayed in four segments: Sonoma/Petaluma State Historic Parks, City of Sonoma, Sonoma Valley, and "Gone, but Not Forgotten." The latter contains a series of drawings documenting structures and vistas in Sonoma Valley that are forever lost due to neglect, time, development, or fire. An example of one of those properties is the Circle W Chinchilla Ranch, which is now the subdivision known as Madera Park.

"When we see the artistry and level of craft displayed in Drawing Sonoma, we simply have to catch our collective breath," said Simon Blattner, Patron of the Arts. "The collection of images and stories satisfies the 'out of towner' and the 'homie' and gives both comfort."

Drawing Sonoma will close with a reception on Thursday, March 27th, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. in Gallery 212 at the Center. Each framed piece sells for $60, and Perry's book Drawing Sonoma (3rd Edition) will be available for $20. A portion of the proceeds benefit the Center. Sonoma Community Center is located at 276 East Napa Street in Sonoma. Visit SonomaCommunityCenter.org for more information.