Community Corner

Napa Riverfront Art Event Set for Wednesday


"The Art of the Local," a collaboration between the Grand Hand Gallery and The Napa River Inn, will be celebrated on Wednesday, May 22, from 4-5 p.m. at Riverwalk Performance Plaza, behind the Napa River Inn, 500 Main St., Napa.

Refreshments will be served and live music with be performed by another local favorite, Johnny Smith.

The event is to celebrate a show by four local painters: Gail Toland, Karen Lynn Ingalls, Emily Freiman and Beverly Wilson. 

The work was delivered in August with more in February to finish the project and is now hanging in the newly redecorated suites at the hotel.

"When Napa’s downtown historic Napa River Inn decided to renovate their luxury suites, they made an important investment: they purchased art from local artists," said Kristina Young, general manager of Grand Hand Gallery.

"Knowing they wanted to brighten the rooms with colorful imagery, General Manager Sara Brooks called their new downtown neighbor, The Grand Hand Gallery," she said.

“It was important to us that we use local artists, because we want our guests to have an authentic Napa Valley experience," Brooks said. "People come to us not only because of our location but also because of our expertise in local community activities. 

"We employ the most locals on our sales and management staff out of any other hotel in downtown Napa," Brooks added. "We also want to support our creative community. But we needed help coordinating the artists and managing the project.”

Brooks and Young, formerly of Arts Council Napa Valley, have worked together on creative projects throughout downtown Napa, including the Art on First program, now in its third year of bringing art to vacant storefronts along Napa’s First Street.

 “Napa Valley artists are so often asked to donate art for fundraisers, or simply hang work as decoration for various locations," said local artist Beverly Wilson. "Having a quality local business such as the Napa River Inn purchase local art is the most important kind of support an artist can receive.

"I am truly honored to have my Napa Valley paintings be a part of the Napa River Inn collection!”

Gail Toland, another artist, agrees.
“I am excited to be showing in one of Napa's finest boutique hotels," Toland said.

The Grand Hand Gallery is also currently exhibiting artists’ work in several neighboring Main Street businesses, including Wine Country Real Estate Group and Pizza Azzurro.

“It is a pleasure to be able to work with our neighbors by bringing fine art and craft to their businesses,” says Young. “We’d love to be able to do more of this work in the valley while supporting working artists.”




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