Former rocker Grace Slick’s pot-themed art on display in Santa Rosa

“The 420 Collection,” an exhibit of paintings with a marijuana theme created by vocalist-turned-artist Grace Slick, will be shown April 20-May 30 at the Area Arts Gallery in Santa Rosa. Slick is the former lead singer with Jefferson Airplane and Jefferson Starship.

“Grace Slick has been a vocal and visual advocate for medical/recreational cannabis for the last six years,” said gallery owner Scott Hahn. “Over that time she has created a series of paintings dealing with the subject. Although Grace is completely sober these days and has never been a cannabis user, she still makes a stand for choice.

“Putting art and artwork at the center of the debate is exactly where it should be,” he said.

Slick, 73, now lives in Southern California but for the past several years has been a regular exhibitor at, and occasional visitor to, Hahn’s gallery.

The exhibit title, of course, refers to “420,” once a code name for marijuana that is now openly used in cannabis culture. Naturally, the exhibit opens on April 20, or 4/20.

The gallery is at 105 Fourth St. Information: 541-6521, areaarts.com.

You can reach staff writer Dan Taylor at 521-5243 or dan.taylor@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @danarts.