Celebrate the Arts

At Petaluma Arts Center, we pride ourselves on creating diverse and engaging events that celebrate the arts and foster community. From exhibition openings to conversational series and creative workshops, there's something for everyone to enjoy. Whether you're an artist, an art lover, or simply curious about the creative world, the Petaluma Arts Center invites you to explore, engage, and be inspired by our vibrant community of events and classes. Scroll down to see our calendar of current and upcoming events and exhibitions as well as past events and exhibitions.

Current & Upcoming
Exhibitions & Events

Featured
Cyanotype Printing – Create with the Power of the Sun
Sep 6
Cyanotype Printing – Create with the Power of the Sun

Discover the magic of one of the oldest photographic printing processes in this hands-on 2-hour cyanotype printing workshop.

From Mess to Masterpiece
Sep 7
From Mess to Masterpiece

Pull that overworked painting out of the closet and bring it to an interactive workshop on fixing any artwork.

Art Connection
Sep 16
Art Connection

On the third Tuesday of every month, local artists gather to share and discuss their work.

Xicano Community Narratives Exhibit
Sep 18
Xicano Community Narratives Exhibit

Xicano Community Narratives—an exhibit of Chicano/Latino/a/x artwork by Bay Area residents.

Past Exhibitions & Events
2023 – 2025

Featured
Community Art Studio: “My World in Color”
Aug 23
Community Art Studio: “My World in Color”

Join the fun at a guided Open Studio event to create your own color-themed work. Bring a friend or the whole family, open to all ages and abilities.

Art Connection
Aug 19
Art Connection

On the third Tuesday of every month, local artists gather to share and discuss their work.

Public Art Speaker Panel
Aug 14
Public Art Speaker Panel

As part of the ‘Placemaking through Public Art’ exhibit, the Petaluma Public Art Committee (PPAC) is excited to host an artist speaker panel to discuss the importance of public art through the eyes of the artist.

Egyptian Blue: An Eternal Color Made for the Divine
Aug 10
Egyptian Blue: An Eternal Color Made for the Divine

A Related Presentation to My World in Blue Exhibition:
Join us for a lecture on the origin of the world’s first synthetic pigment.

Polaroid Emulsion Lifts: Peeling Back the Magic
Jul 26
Polaroid Emulsion Lifts: Peeling Back the Magic

Dive into the dreamy, hands-on world of Polaroid emulsion lifts in this two-hour creative workshop.

My World in Blue Exhibition
Jul 17
My World in Blue Exhibition

A New Juried Exhibition Featuring Works in Blue

Place-Making Through Public Art Exhibition
Jul 17
Place-Making Through Public Art Exhibition

A Survey of Petaluma's Public Art in our North Gallery

Idea Lounge: David Jenkins and Jim Liebich
May 28
Idea Lounge: David Jenkins and Jim Liebich

The Idea Lounge pairs two speakers who may have never met. One speaker is from the arts and the other is not.

Queer Time Capsule Exhibition
Apr 17
Queer Time Capsule Exhibition

Queer Time Capsule is a living archive—an evolving record of queer life today.

Figure As Story Exhibition
Apr 17
Figure As Story Exhibition

A juried exhibition featuring 51 artists from 9 Bay Area counties. Image by Jordan Hayes

Forest Unseen
Jan 16
Forest Unseen

Artists celebrate our precious forests.

Photojournalism in a Changing Media Landscape
Jan 10
Photojournalism in a Changing Media Landscape

Erik Castro, an award-winning photojournalist, will present his early and most recent multi-media work including a discussion about working in the industry today.

For the Love of Art Opening
Nov 14
For the Love of Art Opening

For the Love of Art Exhibition Opening + Art Auction and Fundraiser + Wine Tasting

For the Love of Art
Nov 14
For the Love of Art

It’s a wrap! Join us for the year’s final exhibition and celebration with our annual Members’ Exhibition. 

Claiming Our Space: Contemporary Art and IDD
Sep 19
Claiming Our Space: Contemporary Art and IDD

A collective contemporary exhibition that draws art from ten bay area studios supporting artists with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Black Artists of Northern California
Aug 18
Black Artists of Northern California

Black artists of northern California

The Art of Materials and Tools as Art
May 9
The Art of Materials and Tools as Art

This exhibition brings together artists who are working with paper, fabric, industrial felt, metal, steel, cement, clay, plastic, cork, and wood. 

ART Connects Us: Youth Arts Exhibit 2024
Mar 14
ART Connects Us: Youth Arts Exhibit 2024

Every March, the Petaluma Arts Center honors Youth Art Month with our annual Art CONNECTS Us exhibition.

Souvenirs: A Reflection of Memory
Jan 18
Souvenirs: A Reflection of Memory

The Voice in the Hand: Book Arts and Prntmking

Members’ Exhibition and Silent Auction
Nov 16
Members’ Exhibition and Silent Auction

Members Show 2023

The Voice In The Hand: Book Arts and Printmaking
Sep 28
The Voice In The Hand: Book Arts and Printmaking

Members Show 2023

Laws of Nature: Sculpture
Jul 20
Laws of Nature: Sculpture

There are fundamental truths called natural laws through which everyone and everything is governed.

Towards a Movement of Peace
Jul 20
Towards a Movement of Peace

Honoring the Legacy of Sami Sunchild (1924-2013)

Auto-mobility: Cars and Culture in Sonoma County
May 18
Auto-mobility: Cars and Culture in Sonoma County

The Petaluma Arts Center (PAC) will be exhibiting work from local artists expressing their creative response to (and love of) the automobile, centered on the themes of community and cultural identity.

Petaluma Collects
Jan 19
Petaluma Collects

Every collection tells a story. Petaluma Collects is an exhibition about what members of our community collect.

Multiplicities: Works of Kris Ekstrand and Marilyn Dizikes
Jan 19
Multiplicities: Works of Kris Ekstrand and Marilyn Dizikes

This exhibit, featuring works by two PAC Artist Members, explores the assemblage and multiplicity of objects and textures in nature and in everyday life.

Live Figure Drawing

Every Monday from 6:00pm-9:00pm. This is an uninstructed drop-in session with different models rotating through, usually in the nude (although sometimes with costumes and props). Poses typically range from 2 minutes to 20 minutes, increasing in length.

Please bring your own supplies. Tables and chairs will be provided. A limited number of tables, easels, and drawing horses are available on a first-come/first-serve basis. Feel free to bring your own easel or small table if you would like to as well.

Admission at the door is $20. $15 for PAC members & SRJC students.