High quality handcrafted items. If you have friends or family who are artists themselves, who have…read morea discerning eye, this is the place to shop for a gift. And get something for yourself too! I did. The owner is friendly and helpful (not obtrusive) and knows a lot about the craftspeople whose items are sold here if you want to hear the backstory.

Located in the heart of downtown Petaluma, Usher Gallery is a true gem! Not just a unique gallery…read morefeaturing art exhibits and special events where you can meet and visit with their featured artists, Usher is a gift shop full of handmade and locally crafted treasures! Look no further next time you need a gift for someone special (including yourself). Follow their social media page on Instagram for information on their outdoor FREE LIVE MUSIC evenings!

We bought tx to hear a favorite rock n roll band but they don't have a bar! So the SEVENTEEN, yes…read more17, will leave a go two doors down and back after. Feel sorry for the band when so many leave at once.

I discovered the Petaluma Arts Center two years ago, and have enjoyed every exhibition I've seen…read morethere. The exhibit spaces are large enough to show a sizable collection of work, and the people they've picked to curate and design the shows have done a terrific job. Both the "Black Artists on Art: The Legacy Exhibit," and "Journeys Through Light & Dark: DOLLS as Tellers of Stories" exhibitions blew my mind! I left inspired and stunned, wanting to know more about some of the artists. It's not a pretentious or stuffy place to look at visual art--rather, it's a warm, welcoming spot where you can pop in every month or two, see something amazing, and leave feeling inspired. The work on exhibition has always been strong: beautiful, powerful, spirited, and surprising. I've yet to be disappointed, and all the friends I've brought along or have seen a show I told them about have also had a great time. If you're visiting Petaluma for the day, it's well-worth crossing the river and dropping in.

This is an interesting immersive art exhibition and event venue which appears to be in a soft…read moreopening. I was able to check out the different displays this past weekend while attending a special event. The artworks were both quirky and confusing at times. I was certainly intrigued by the possibilities behind the door of the enchanting tree stump. The particular event I attended seemed to be lacking a bit in the quality of the sound and light equipment. But I actually enjoyed the music played by the DJ's on site. And I loved that we were able to hang out on giant bean bag loungers in the large open space of the main room. Merchandise was available for purchase, including beautiful handbags and accessories. Snacks and beverages for sale too, like famous amos cookies, cheez-its, sparkling water and juice boxes. We got a berry lemonade yerba mate and a mango orange spindrift. Nothing too fancy, but it was better than no offerings at all. And staff was friendly at the front counter. WonderStump is a lovely space for events. I'm sure that when the interactive aspect of the exhibits is more organized and functional, this place will offer a much greater experience for guests. But we still found the creative works and setup to be amusing during our recent visit. They have a dedicated parking lot next to the building, though street parking was plentiful less than a block away on a Saturday evening.

Calabi Gallery is one in a million. In a sea of mediocre and soulless art pimps, this guy is an…read moreangel and a true patron. He has the most eclectic and ahead-of-the-times artists represented- the kind of thing you buy for a song now and others pay top dollar for in another few years when they catch up. This is more than a gallery. It's obvious when you walk in that this is a man who loves the work and just wants his clients to love it too. He's a conservator by trade and knows so much more about the work than any curator or dealer. Bottom line: this place and it's people have soul!

This is a very cool place for anyone interested in crafts and arts. The woodworking equipment is…read moreexceptional and state of the art. There are a variety of other art stations to meet the variety of arts and crafts interests. The staff folk are friendly and helpful. It is definitely worth checking out.

A Maker's Dream // Stellar Non-Profit Superb Community //…read moreClasses Galore Imagine making all of DIY projects that you saved on Pinterest. Or repurposing some old materials into something new. Maybe you have other purchases in mind rather than photoshop suite, a space to shoot objects, a table saw, a compressor, drills, or a welding rod. Creative tools can be expensive... why not share instead of investing in something you will use only a few times? Well, you can thank your lucky stars you stumbled across this place, and thank the Mother/Son team who built the organization along with other contributors and volunteers. Lots of love has poured into Chimera. A dream come true for anyone who wants to take on new project or learn a new skill. Walking around I couldn't help but notice creativity fills every inch of the space, a 100 year old Truck converted to battery powered by solar, a fun frisbee game welded out of bicycle tires, chains and a stand... a two seater recumbent bike (maybe a burning man creation?) awesome sculptures hanging inside. I feel fortunate to have come here with friends to work on another friend's project. We spent the day in the space working quietly and met a handful of people. Including an inventor who was volunteering at the front desk, and a web designer who helps fellow makers create an online presence and market their work. Helpful, cheerful, and excited about what this space is for the community each and every person lit up with a smile when they talked about how great Chimera is. With entry level memberships at around $10 per visit, it's affordable for even a dabbler or someone from out of town who wants to rent an airbnb and have a long weekend of tinkering. Conveniently located near downtown, the community market (also a NPO, run by VERY nice volunteers) is across the street offering locally made food, and an organic food bar. There is a CVS several doors down, and downtown has a variety of restaurants and a whole foods market too. If you're still reading, you're clearly curious... Come learn how to 3D Print, or use a laser cutting machine, weld, sew, make jewlery, and then photograph your Etsy worthy pieces and have a great time! Need photoshop or video editing? They have computer stations you can use too. Such a great spot! Come on by and say hello. I promise they're friendly. The Scene: Artsy Fun, Creatives, Inventors, Co-Working Destination Rating: 9 Date Rating: 10 Hob Nob Potential:9 Strong Suggestion: Even if you do not live close by it would be worth the drive. GREAT space, lovely town. *** Note: If you have any tools that you would like to donate, I believe they can provide a tax deduction and the community would be grateful.

We had a very unique framing request, we wanted to display a small piece of art, but needed a…read morebigger frame for the wall we wanted to put it on. I'm glad we went to Baxter. We needed a shadow box look that allowed us to remove a small framed piece of art from the new frame. The piece was from 1928. On the back was a handwritten note from my wife's grandmother to her grandfather. My wife wanted to be able to remove the piece from the frame, and view the written note. The value isn't necessarily in the piece of art, but the family historic value. We did not want to damage the original piece. Baxter put together a great frame, allowing us to remove the piece from the "display frame", then return it to the frame. It turned out great, exactly how we envisioned it. Baxter was delightful, easy to work with, very precise, listened to what we wanted and delivered an amazingly beautiful frame.

Beautifully framed multiple pieces with very good insight and recommendations. Worth every penny!read more

Wow this space is awesome! Kickwheel has a huge ceramics studio with classes and workshops. Roots &…read moreBlooms has floral arrangements and self care products, there are fine art painters and sculptors, North Bay Creations does wood working and has cute home decor, Harmony Farm & Gardens has a huuuge outdoor area with plants (indoor and outdoor) and gardening/farm supplies, FEED Sonoma hosts a weekly CSA bin pick up and Retrograde Coffee Roasters does all their coffee roasting here. There are three different areas you can peruse and plenty of parking. Events are held on site periodically with live music and food too. A great gem in this area! Be sure to stop by.

I had an opportunity to visit my friend Roy Falk's amazing art studio today. Roy has created an…read moreenvironment where his art can flourish. He has been a student and creator of art his whole life, and his love for what he is doing shows up in his work. His paintings are contemporary, modern, and colorful. My favorite painting was called Scared Heart. You can see his paintings at www.royfalk.com.