Page 70 - Sonoma County Gazette 3-19

My Friend Sam
By Vesta Copestakes
My friend Sam has touched and inspired me in ways no other friend has in all my years on this earth. She’s just a little old lady who happens to be an amazingly creative person. She embodies the word artist. Her life is making art - for decade after decade. In two and three dimensions. She lives and breathes imagination. An artist HAS to make art - that’s Sam.
net, info@gratongallery.net
thru - Mar 22 ~ “Place” ~ Artists are sculptor Luann Udell and painter Timothy David Dixon. Free, 7:30 - 9:30p, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Blvd, Cloverdale, 707-894- 4410, cloverdaleartsalliance.org
thru Mar 23 ~ The National Parks Plein Air Project by Mary Fassbinder - Exhibition 60 paintings US Nat’l Parks by Mary Fassbinder. Davis Perkins features paintings around the world. Free, 5:30p - 7:30p, Petaluma Arts Center, 230 Lakeville Street, Petaluma, 707-762-5600, petalumaartscenter.org
thru - Mar 24 ~ Dream Vessels and Murder of Crows ~ Marsha Connell presents works; from collage to the Murder of Crows oil series. Free, Upstairs Art Gallery, 306 Center St, Healdsburg, 707-431-4214, Beverly Bird, upstairsartgallery.net, bvdrio@sonic. net
J.J. Hewes @ SebArts
thru - Mar 30 ~ Jeweler Michelle Hoting Ancient Mixed-Metal Exhibition ~ Jewelry that uses the ancient makume gane technique. Free, 11a-6p, Sebastopol Gallery, 150 North Main St, Sebastopol, 707-829-7200, sebastopol-gallery.com
thru - Mar 31 ~ NOT JUST Landscapes ~ From cityscapes to nature views & more personal & imaginary visions. Free, Tue - Fri 10a-4p, Sat - Sun 1-4p, Sebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High St, Sebastopol, 707-829-4797, sebarts.org
thru - Apr 1 ~ Member’s Exhibit ~ Arts Guild of Sonoma, 140 E Napa St, Sonoma, 707-996-3115, artsguildofsonoma.org
~ Mixed Media Nature Tapestries by Faith Rumm ~ Free, m-f 9a-5p, Laguna Environmental Center, 900 Sanford Rd, Santa Rosa, 707-527-9277, Moira Hill, lagunafoundation.org, moira@ lagunafoundation.org
Mar 1 - Mar 30 ~ Petaluma Arts Association Annual Spring Show ~ Free, open library hours, Petaluma Regional Library, 100 Fairgrounds Dr, Petaluma
Mar 2 - Apr 14 ~ Animalia Exhibition ~ How animals inspire Artists thru art. Free, Healdsburg Center for the Arts, 130 Plaza St, Healdsburg, 707-953-2380, healdsburgcenterforthearts.org
It’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.
When I first met Sam, she had come to join the artists at Russian River Art Gallery in Guerneville. What I saw in her paintings was another world totally apart from the one in which we live. Full of color, life and joy in surreal beauty.
~ Juried fiber arts exhibition at Sebastopol Library. The Legacy, 789 Gravenstein Hwy S, Sebastopol, sebastopolseniorcenter.org
Critters all have vibrant personalities. People all smile. Beauty is in every object. I
am drawn into the world Sam creates on canvas.
thru - Apr 1 ~ Senior Art Show ~ Age 60 plus, at Finley Community Center, Santa Rosa, 707-565-5900, apps.schsd. org/SAS/, seniorartshow@schsd.org
thru - Apr 12 ~ Call to Artists: Soco Art Fest ~ Deadline April 12. Montgomery Village, 911 Village Court, Santa Rosa
thru Apr 3 ~ Favorite Things - The artwork needs to show your favorite “thing” ... persimmons? Oak trees? $10, $5 under 21, 7:00pSebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High Street, Sebastopol, 707-829-4797, sebarts.org/visual- arts/general-information-for-artists/
thru May 20 ~ Black & White and a hint of color - The artwork needs to show your favorite “thing” ... persimmons? Oak trees? Members $20 per entry, $25 for non-members, 7:00pSebastopol Center for the Arts, 282 S. High Street, Sebastopol, 707- 829-4797, sebarts.org/visual-arts/ general-information-for-artists/
Call to Artists
thru - Sep 20 ~ Call for Fiber Artists
Naturally, I wanted to know who created this world that made me feel happy and at home! This little old lady smiling sweetly. I fell in love.
Sam Sirdofsky is riding home joined by her friends.
coloring cards for people to enjoy. We created a whole line of coloring cards, sheets, then prints and cards of her paintings for people to buy at the gallery.
I wanted to spread the joy, and also help her finance her life. She’s a senior citizen living on Social Security. Sam also paints rocks - incredible paintings on rocks. They are affordable art people can own to enjoy. Her Pysanki rocks are amazing! There is Sam Sirdofsky art all over Bay Area. Even a huge ceramic mosiac wall at the Marin Humane Society. I wish I had known her earlier so I could own more of her art!
We are displaying an eclectic mix of art from various times and places, in many media. Free, Tue - Sat: 11a-5p, Calabi Gallery, 456 Tenth Street, Santa Rosa, 707-781-7070
I love dragons! Sam said - take it home with you. It’s just a doodle.
I saw flowers in there and asked her to do more so we could make them into
Sam has become my friend and inspiration. What I didn’t know at the time was the history of this remarkable woman. I introduced her to artist representative Kathleen McCallum who was putting
on her annual art show at Montgomery Village. She called me one day and said, “Do you know who Sam Sirdofsky IS!? You need to go online and Google her name!”
Teaching Artist Residencies for Schools-
I did - OH - look at what she has done in her life! It all started back when she was young, an illustrator creating posters for concerts and more. Reproductions of these early posters are on the walls of
the gallery for sale. One of her admireres decided people needed to own these!
K-12 public and charter schools., Debbie Yarrow, creativesonoma. org/arts-education/atr/, Debbie. Yarrow@sonoma-county.org.
One day I was looking through art Sam was showing me and I looked up to see a line drawing on the wall - a dragon!
Continuing Shows
thru Mar 3 ~ Riverfront Art Gallery Winter Show- Arial photographer Brian Cluer; photographer Alexis Greenberg; Michele Rosett’s fine art acrylics. Free, Riverfront Art Gallery, 132 Petaluma Blvd North, Petaluma, 707-775-4278, riverfrontartgallery.com
Sam recently learned that she has cancer and is not long for this planet. So
she paints...using her time left to do what she loves most. The last of her rocks, 2nd Floor, Windsor, 707-525-6200,
cards, and prints are at the gallery. Her daughters have the last of her originals.
We are celebrating Sam Sirdofskly’s life and creativity at the
info@lacrema.com
Russian River Gallery on April 5th starting at 4pm.
thru Mar 17 ~ “Partners & Friends” - Art from partners & friends & works from guest artists Kelly Burke, Ceylan Crow & Sky Richardson. Free, Tues- Sat 10:30a-5p, Sun 10:30a to 4p, Graton Gallery, 9048 Graton Rd, Graton, 707- 829-8912, Graton Gallery, gratongallery.
When you love and admire someone, the best thing you can do is celebrate that you have shared this planet with a truly wonderful and talented person. If we’re lucky, Sam will join us. We’ll find out. See you then!
Russian River Art Gallery, 16357 Main St. Guerneville 707-869-9099
70 - www.sonomacountygazette.com - 3/19
VISUAL ARTS cont’d on page 71
thru Mar 9 ~ A World of Art - Exhibition-
thru Mar 9 ~ Sebastopol Library Exhibit- Bertha Jean Schmidt photos of native Cabo Verde; Sebastopol Library Forum Room. Free, Sebastopol Library Forum Room, Bodega Avenue, Sebastopol
thru - May 15 ~ The La Crema Show ~ 21 Oil Paintings by Jill Keller Peters’. Free, Daily 10a-5p, La Crema Estate at Saralee’s Vineyard, 3575 Slusser Road,
thru - Apr 29 ~ “California’s Wild Gold”