Santa Rosa's burgeoning arts district rolled out the welcome mat this weekend in a two-day event intended for more people to discover the quirky neighborhood centered around South A Street.
Artwalk, which featured 24 artists in a warren of studios, is now in its third year in the SOFA (South of A Street) neighborhood, as it's known. It's almost like having a touch of Montmartre, or Soho, in Santa Rosa.
"What we're trying to do is draw attention to the SOFA neighborhood. A lot of people don't know it's here," said Barbara Harris, a gallery manager and artist. "It's an amazing neighborhood."
She said the former "used to be scary" part of town has been transformed with a theater, two "marvelous" restaurants, coffee shop, dog groomer and three hair salons.
"It's not just the arts. It's arts and culture. It makes for a vibrant community," she said.
She noted that it wasn't always so, with a lot of homeless and drug activity in and around adjacent Juilliard Park.
But on Sunday, the curious and the inspired roamed the neighborhood and there was even a celebrity sighting.
In the well-reviewed Spinster Sisters restaurant, "Toy Story" creator John Lasseter was lunching with his family.
"I get inspired coming down here. It stretches our imaginations," said Betsy Waters of Santa Rosa, a retired registered nurse. "And you get to meet very interesting people."
She said the artists' enclave is unique and "makes you feel like you're getting away."
"It gets us out of our everyday routines — what I call the chop wood and carry water, that we have to do," she said.
"It reminds me of Santa Fe (New Mexico) and walking the streets off the downtown," said her husband, architect Gary Waters.
Teresa Kabba, the attendant in the Gallery of Sea and Heaven, said there were easily 10 times as many people as usual drawn to the neighborhood because of Artwalk.
"A lot haven't been to the area," she said of the visitors. "There's a wonderful renaissance going on."
From performance art to painting, sculpture and encaustic, or wax designs, she said, "There's a lot happening here."
And it's not too pricey — yet. She said there is one part of her gallery where it's easy to find things for under $20.
At Tibidabo Photography, Annie Roberts was encouraging people to try on her unique hats, tiaras and crowns, some accented with grape-vine tendrils.
"My stuff is fun to play with. Ladies hats don't like sitting around," she said as she coached one woman on how to wear a black hat.
"You need to tilt that, get a little more attitude," she said. "Pretend you're dressing for your terribly rich, recently deceased husband's funeral."
"I'm still alive," protested the woman's husband, Dale Berman, to laughter from those within earshot. "And I'm not rich."
Both lighthearted banter and earnest discussions about artistic technique were in the air Sunday.
"I meet a lot of interesting people and I sell some paintings," said painter Jack Jones, who described his work as narrative art.
He said the mix of people who hang out in the studios are "artists, poets and philosophers. Right here in this place, this is where the action is."
Besides special events throughout the year, and a "SOFA Stroll" every third Thursday of the month, the eateries and Imaginists Theater have helped boost traffic to the area and brought the artists more exposure.
"Having those places brings more volume to all," said Claudia Sanchez, an artist who specializes in vibrantly colorful abstracts of cats.
"Every little business adds a little something to the area. It's really up and coming, although it's taken awhile," she said.
You can reach Staff Writer Clark Mason at 521-5214 or clark.mason@pressdemocrat.com
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