Located in the heart of Napa Valley, Yountville is home to many of wine country’s premiere attractions: fine wine, haute cuisine, and luxe accommodations. It also boasts a vibrant arts community that complements its renowned culinary reputation, earning recognition as one of the region’s prominent “arts scenes” to enjoy art within Napa Valley.
The small town embodies an abundance of opportunities to experience ‘Passeggiata’- The Art of the Stroll—where one may discover some of the best things in life – food, wine, and art—within its 1.5 square miles.
Yountville boasts several of the area’s prominent art institutions, such as The Napa Valley Museum Yountville. This museum hosts major exhibitions alongside local showcases, catering to diverse interests. Its programs invite one to immerse themselves in major exhibitions featuring renowned national and international artists alongside compelling local showcases. Their varied programming includes lectures, artist talks, and family-friendly activities.
The Steve Rogers Gallery at the Community Center, located in the Community Center on Washington Street, hosts curated exhibitions (six per year) that showcase talent and diverse mediums from Napa Valley, the Bay Area, and beyond. Each gallery show offers QR code-prompted audio tours where visitors can use their phones for an intimate session listening to the artist discuss their work in a thought-provoking manner.
In addition to its brick-and-mortar institutions, Yountville hosts art displays, events, and initiatives that allow one to immerse oneself in many art forms. For example, take a sculptural journey on The Yountville Art Walk and Audio Tour. This self-guided tour showcases an ever-changing collection of over 35 sculptures by local and international artists, ranging from abstract pieces to realistic figures, accompanied by a QR-prompted audio commentary. All pieces are available for purchase.
Yountville Arts’ annual spring ART, SIP & STROLL event, hosted on May 18, 2024, combines the fine art of over 50 juried artists with Napa’s renowned wines, attracting art and wine enthusiasts. Mingle with local artists, discover unique artwork, and savor Napa’s finest wines, creating an unforgettable experience spread through the center of town.
Yountville also participates in Napa’s annual Napa Valley Mustard Celebration (Jan- March) with unique seasonal events to celebrate the Mustard Season. This year’s featured events were the Art of Friendship Gallery Show and Find Your Heart in Yountville, an interactive weekend event during the month of February where local artist Patti Wessman individually created, signed, and numbered 300 small glass hearts playfully ‘hidden-in-plain-sight’ by the Yountville Arts Commissioners along the length of the Yountville Art Walk. The lucky discoverers of each of the glass hearts were theirs to keep.
artist Chris Cammarata booth //Photo by PBmedia
WINE & ART
Many of Yountville’s wineries and tasting rooms are integrated with art, showcasing art alongside their wines, creating a multi-sensory experience. For example, Jessup Cellars and Gallery at the north end of Yountville provides a unique ‘viewing’ experience that welcomes visitors to blend their passions for ‘Wine + Art.’ Their Gallery encompasses a diversity of styles from established local and regional artists who desire to stimulate, inspire, and arouse the senses during a visit to wine country. In tandem with the Yountville Arts Commission, Jessup Cellar’s ‘Art of the Blend’ was a highly attended and successful Steve Rogers Gallery show.
Beyond the structured programs, the local Yountville community is also art-friendly. Many businesses, from hotels to restaurants, incorporate art into their design and atmosphere. Many galleries and shops throughout Yountville display and sell artworks where one may support a local artist by purchasing a piece to bring a touch of Yountville’s art scene home.
In addition to visual arts, Yountville also embraces literary and performance arts with readings, talks, and workshops with featured events such as Yountville Out Loud, Improvisation Sessions, Handwritten Out Loud, Summer Concerts in the Park, and Legacy Roundtable, to name a few. It is also home to the Yountville International Short Film Festival, which is hosted in March and is now in its seventh year. The Film Festival is a four-day offering of world-class short films merged with the hospitality of Yountville’s myriad of wine and culinary delights.
Behind much of Yountville’s art scene is the Yountville Arts Commission. This seven-member committee, appointed by the Yountville Town Council, seeks to provide vision, leadership, inspiration, and support for artists and their art in Yountville. Today, the Commission comprises seven volunteers and several subcommittees whose creative passion for the arts and personal and professional relationships with the artists will have commandeered eight new Art Walk installations, six gallery shows, and 14 arts events over the past year.
So, whether strolling along the Yountville Art Walk, tasting, dining, visiting galleries, watching an international short film, or enjoying ART, SIP & STROLL, one will soon discover the heart of wine country is the art in Yountville.
