Santa Rosa Urban Arts Partnership

We are raising money to support a diverse group of Sonoma County artists in creating an eye-catching, whimsical outdoor mural that expresses the energy and creativity of Santa Rosa’s SOFA Arts District neighborhood.

The mural will be painted on a 108-foot wall bordering Art Alley, a public pedestrian and vehicle thoroughfare in the neighborhood. The design concept is that of an outdoor art gallery featuring painted people and colorful sofas reminiscent of SOFA’s beloved Winterblast Parade.

The organizers of the project have applied for and received a grant from the City of Santa Rosa as

well as matching funds from a variety of sources. However, additional funds exceeding $5,000 are

still needed. Donations to this GoFundMe campaign will go toward paint, art supplies, permitting

expenses, and signage. The organizers plan to install the mural in late August and host an on-site

public celebration in early September 2024.

This project has partnered with Santa Rosa Urban Arts Partnership (SRUAP), who are creating

vibrant and transformative experiences through community engagement in the arts. The goal is to

turn our city inside out, putting people on the streets, in the parks, and to encourage all of us to be

active participants in our community. Each year SRUAP organizes Winterblast, the SOFA

neighborhood’s signature holiday arts festival.

About SOFA:

You’ll find the SOFA District wedged between US-101 and CA-12, just south of Julliard Park. In

addition to over 25 artist studios, you’ll find galleries, cafes, a theater, and unique retail shops.

This year was off to a challenging start having lost our primary funding source due to budget cuts. Nevertheless, the amazing SofA community has joined forces with the Santa Rosa Urban Art Partnership to once again present the community with a free family-friendly celebration to gather, share artistic visions, enjoy food and music and of course to take part in the only SOFA parade for miles around.

What makes this event so special is the community that has come together to produce it. Not only is this event important to help our local businesses and artists, WINTERBLAST provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity to share our unique district with Santa Rosa and hopefully inspire creativity and cultural vibrancy to all that attend.

Luckily, this year’s festival is in motion due to the coordination support from enthusiastic volunteers and some small grants organized by the SRUAP. However, we are still in great need of additional sponsorship to make this year’s event a success.

Whether you are a friend of SofA, fun loving art supporter, or just want to help, we would appreciate any donation you can provide at this time. If you have an idea on a way you’d like to support or be involved that is not financial, we would also love to hear from you.

Please know, your sponsorship is very important and will be acknowledged in our promotional social media posts and event pages on Facebook and Instagram. Donations can be made with cash or check to SRUAP and are tax-deductible (SRUAP tax id# 82-1676349). You can send by mail or it can be picked up (just call or email to arrange).

Thank you so much for considering supporting WINTERBLAST 2022! Hope to see you there.

This summer, in the courtyard at The Astro Motel in Santa Rosa, we're planning an exciting, large-scale installation of the work of Sonoma Mountain sculptor Mary Fuller McChesney who passed away in May at the age of 99.

Mary was a brilliant artist, a formal innovator, a free thinker, prolific writer and fervent feminist. Like so many of the women who were 20th Century modernist masters in American art, her work is underknown, so we're ecstatic at the opportunity to bring it to a new audience in an urban setting welcoming to visitors who might never encounter it otherwise. Curated by Spring Maxfield, who first conceived of this exhibition months prior to her passing, and in partnership with the artist's estate and The Calabi Gallery, the installation will showcase about a dozen totems and goddesses as well as a handful of bronze sculptures.

But we need your help! Getting Mary's work down the mountain safely is cumbersome and labor intensive, and we need to raise $5000 to pay for the U-Haul, equipment and art handlers. Any contribution of any size will help! And with any donations of $50 or more, you will receive an invitation to our spirited opening, planned for Thursday, September 8.

All donations are tax deductible.