Erica Norelius: Natural Places & Urban Spaces
March 1 – April 28, 2024

Erica Norelius’ work offers an in-depth dive into the natural spaces stretching from the coastal cities and desert areas, and captivating cityscapes, which capture the busy highways and urban street life of Oakland and San Francisco. In all paintings, the force of time permeates the landscape and cityscape, instilling a sense of change, destruction, and regrowth, whether in this lifetime or across the millennium.

Davis Art Studio Tour Preview
March 8 – April3, 2024

This exhibit showcased new artwork by the 40 local artists participating in the annual Davis Art Studio Tour, include photography, painting, sculpture, and more.

Gina Werfel & Hearne Pardee: Fragments
February 9 – April 2, 2024

Fragments highlights recent paintings, collages, and drawings of Gina Werfel and Hearne Pardee. Despite the differences between their respective work, they each approach their practice with the intent of layering or fragmenting multiple points of view or perspectives.

Christina Kent: Day to Night
January 9 – February 29, 2024

As a resident of San Francisco, Christina Kent expands upon her observations of everyday life in the city by going beyond celebrating well-known locations and views, to capture intimate scenes of daily life. She builds these compositions with an eye to the subtle nuances of light and shadow, using gestural brushwork to reveal the changes in the landscape from morning until night.

Misuk Goltz: The World We Live In
January 5 – February 25, 2024

The watercolor paintings of Misuk Goltz convey a world seen through both her travels and daily life that is full of emotional resonance. The World We Live In largely centers on her vignettes from these travels, alongside rural scenes from our region. In her detailed naturalism, she reveals the shared humanity of her subjects she’s sketched.

Joseph Bellacera: The Matter of Light
December 8, 2023 – February 2, 2024

Grounded in the concept that everything in the universe is a manifestation of energy which we interpret through our senses and technology, Joseph Bellacera’s work reflects his interest in changing light into matter, and matter into light. In large-scale mixed media works and digital prints, the artist turns his observations of the natural world into intriguing configurations of color, pattern, and texture.

Adrienne Van Summern: Quiet Moments
December 8 – December 30, 2023

Adrienne Van Summern is an artist well-versed in the techniques of traditional fine arts, which is showcased in her new series of portraits and still-life oil paintings. Inspired by historical realist painters such as Titian and Rembrandt, she captures portraits and figurative subjects with equal adeptness.

Holiday Market
November 10 – December 24, 2023

Over 60 artists have contributed to this year’s Holiday Market! Our gallery is overflowing with fun soaps and lotions, candles, scarves, hats, and original works of art, all handmade especially for you by local artists.

Twilight
October 10 – December 1, 2023

For artists Belinda Hanson, Chris Clother, Cathy Valentine, and Carol Jenkins, “twilight” means more than a time of day, it function as an in—between space, opening up boundaries between formerly distinct objects or ideas. Through installations, mixed media, paintings, and assemblage, they address their relationship with nature, light, and the vagaries of life as we know it.

Michael Mikolon: Garments
October 6 – November 26, 2023

Created using pastel and charcoal on Canson paper, Michael Mikolon delves into the intricate relationship between clothing and identity. A simple cap or dress can evoke powerful personal memories, showing how garments can play a transformative role in our lives.

Andres Alvarez
October 3 – November 2, 2023

Andres Alvarez is a peripatetic photographer who largely focuses his lens on the streets of Sacramento, documenting the cultural celebrations, practices, and daily life of the diverse people who live in the region. He captures the conflict and economic disparity present in our own backyard.

Art Auction 2023
September 8 – 23, 2023

Art Auction offers the best in contemporary art, all on display at the Gallery, and online for silent auction bidding. Preview and bid on some fantastic sculptures, paintings, photography, textiles, and jewelry, by more than 130 regional artists.

Sayako Dairiki: Mended Memories
June 23 – August 20, 2023

Sashiko is a traditional Japanese mending technique in which repeated stitching in geometric shapes or lines was done to strengthen fabrics and to ward off costly repairs. Sayako Dairiki began to echo these stitching patterns on canvas.  In the process, she began to see connections to different generations of her family, and how ‘mending’ was a metaphor for healing and reconnecting with others. 

Slice: A Juried Exhibit of Regional Artists
July 11 – August 20, 2023

Back for its 11th year, Slice was juried by Kelly Lindner, Curator for the University Galleries at California State University, Sacramento, who chose a fascinating snapshot into what contemporary issues and approaches artists are addressing through their work.

Exhibit It! A Community Art Exhibit
July 5 – August 18, 2023

Exhibit It! is a non-juried “open theme” exhibit which shines a spotlight on fifty local artists who submitted their choice of artwork in any medium for this summer display. 

Wandering Thoughts: Paintings by Dawn Star Wood
May 5 – June 25, 2023

Wood’s exhibit portrays the dreamy interior world of women lost in thought or asleep, and captures reflection, rust, and age in vintage cars and motorcycles. These images create a world that is at once magic and real, spurring us as viewers to delve further into its beauty and mystery as seamlessly articulated by the artist. 

Garden Tour: Plein Air Paintings
May 25 – June 25, 2023

As an essential part of our Garden Tour event, seven artists participated in creating distinct views of the selected gardens. Working in different media, from oil and acrylic paint to watercolors, from close-up views of a few plants to paintings that capture a wider panorama, each artist created a unique vision of the homeowner’s garden.

Moments in Time & Space:
Ceramics by Claudia Tarantino, Daniel Alejandro Trejo, and Bill Heiderich
April 14 – June 12, 2023

Ceramic artists Claudia Tarantino, Daniel Alejandro Trejo, and Bill Heiderich share an interest in capturing the changing quality of time. This exhibit offers a varied look at how these three artists depict change within the boundaries of form and time. 

Home: Mixed Media Paintings by Susan W. Brady
May 12 – June 11, 2023

Susan W. Brady’s landscapes are a hybrid of painting, collage, and photography. Originating with a digital image, her work builds upon the photograph by collaging layers of handmade papers, dye, and oil paint.

Maxine Solomon: Somewhere Beyond Time
April 11 – May 7, 2023

Maxine Solomon’s oil paintings are about exploration, spontaneity, and energy, which are often reminiscent of the natural phenomenon she experienced while living abroad, as well as in Northern California.

Art by Cathi Newlin & Toni Rizzo
March 3 – April 30, 2023

This exhibit united the fantastic work of sculptor Cathi Newlin and painter Toni Rizzo. Both artists have a light-hearted, playful take on artmaking, that leads them to explore imagery full of fantasy, surrealism, or comedic exaggeration.

Figurative Exposé
February 10 – April 2, 2023

This year, the Pence displayed the California Art Club’s juried exhibit of figurative drawings, paintings, and sculpture by select CAC artists, as juried by master painter Dan Schultz.

The Tiny Show
January 6 – February 26, 2023

The Tiny Show in years past has been a community favorite with Pence staff, members, and visitors. This show features fantastic 5×7″ works by local & regional artists.

The Elusive Muse: New Work by Kelley Mogilka
January 7 – February 3, 2023

This exhibit celebrates the figurative drawings and paintings by Kelley Mogilka, the recipient of the Pence Gallery Emerging Artist Award in 2022.

Myrtle Press Prints: Portfolio x 2
December 9, 2022 – January 29, 2023

Portfolio x 2 brings together two collections of prints of various processes by respected printmakers from Myrtle Press. These portfolios are inspired by concepts of ‘origin’ and the ‘unseen’.

Flights of Fancy: Sculpture by Steven McGovney
December 2 – 24, 2022

Steven McGovney uses clay, steel wire, acrylic and oil paint to bring his animal and figurative work to life. McGovney’s art merges a surreal side of nature with his love of movement.

Holiday Market
November 11 – December 24, 2022

The Pence’s annual Holiday Market displays over 30 local & regional artists’ work, including ceramics, paintings, jewelry, and more. This is the perfect event to shop for one-of-a-kind gifts.

Don’t Fence Me In: Paintings by Jan Walker
November 4 – 27, 2022

Jan Walker’s paintings celebrate the beauty and freedom of the wild horses who roam the Western states. A portion of the sales from her paintings will be donated to organizations that promote the humane treatment of wild horses.

Interwoven
October 11 – November 27, 2022

Interwoven presents work by a cadre of working artists united by the issues of creating art in our time. Their concerns are reflected through their unique pathways to artistic expression, playing out in art forms such as paintings, collage, photography, and sculpture.

Worthy Mysteries: New Work by Steve Briscoe
October 5 – November 5, 2022

This show includes a stunning selection of found object sculpture, paintings, and installations. Briscoe’s work embraces the simplicity of the everyday object, but recontextualizes it to allow for a new understanding of our world as we experience it.

Fiberscapes: Quilted Landscapes by Marjan Kluepfel
October 7 – 30, 2022

Marjan Kluepfel’s quilted landscapes are inspired by the beautiful and varied landscapes that can be found in northern California. They display energetic colors and movement, constructed out of hand-dyed fabrics and with a sewing machine.

Art Auction
September 3 – 24, 2022

Art Auction offers the best in contemporary art, all on display at the Gallery, and online for silent auction bidding. Preview and bid on some fantastic sculptures, paintings, photography, textiles, and jewelry, by more than 130 regional artists.

Exhibit It!
July 8 – August 14, 2022

Celebrating its 30th year, Exhibit It! is a non-juried display of 50 works of art in all media, open to local artists. 

Slice: A Juried Exhibit of regional Art
June 21 – August 14, 2022

Back for its 10th year, Slice is juried by Chris Daubert, curator and artist, who chose pieces from California artists that are conceptually thoughtful, technically skilled, and representative of contemporary trends in art.

Found
June 10 – August 17, 2022

Sponsored by Ms. HF Richardson, this exhibit includes artists from the Sacramento region to the Bay Area who have been drawn to the practice of creating sculpture from found or recycled objects since the 1950s.

Frank Bettendorf: The Last Road Show
June 3 – 26, 2022

The Last Road Show is Frank Bettendorf’s watercolor paintings of a selection of abandoned buildings, railroad cars and trucks, and roadside attractions. Inspired by memories from previous explorations of the West, his landscapes create a specific sense of place and unique character.

Seasonal Change: Paintings by Gayle Mieko BonDurant
May 1 – 29, 2022

The evocative feel of seasonal change is the catalyst behind Gayle BonDurant’s drawings and paintings. She works in several media, from cold wax and oil paint to graphite and watercolor.

Marsha Schinder: Life Whispers, Listen Carefully
March 14 – May 15, 2022

Marsha Schindler’s work explores the connectivity between worlds – natural and human. Her interest centers on the influence these two realms impose on one another, and the development of possible communication between them.

On the Edge: CCA Clay
March 16 – May 15, 2022

Artist Viola Frey (1933-2004) played a huge role in the Bay Area’s historic ceramic revolution. This exhibition pays tribute to the innovation and experimentation she fostered as head of California College of the Arts’ ceramic studio, and that has thrived at CCA.

Tinderbox: Water in the West: Sculpture by Jeff Downing
March 4 – April 24, 2022

This exhibit includes a series of ceramic diptychs by Bay Area sculptor Jeff Downing that address the critical water shortage affecting the natural habitats of the Western United States.

2020: An Exhibit Reflecting Back
January 14 – March 1, 2022

Faced with nearly a year of sheltering in place, regional artists used their art making to process and expand upon critical events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, widespread fires throughout the West Coast, the Presidential election, and the Black Lives Matter movement.

Bling Bling
February 4 – 27, 2022

As a tribute to Valentine’s Day, the Pence invited a wide variety of artists to create a one-of-a-kind artistic piece of jewelry.

Sean Free Alcala: Under the Surface
January 7 – February 25, 2022

This exhibit celebrates the exquisite glass sculpture of Sean Alcala, the winner of the Pence Gallery Emerging Artist Award of 2021.

Lover’s Eye
January 7 – 30, 2022

Lover’s eyes, or eye miniatures, were popular in Great Britain from the late 1700s through the Victorian era. The local and regional artists in this exhibit, in various ways, have uniquely explored the lover’s eye theme.

A Whitman’s Sampler: Quilts & Ceramics by Daphne Gillen
December 3 – 26, 2021

Daphne Gillen’s quilts and ceramics feature frisky animals that are reminiscent of folk art, with their lively expressions and playful actions.

First Impressions: Early Prints by Roy de Forest
November 12, 2021 – January 7, 2022

Offering a remarkable look at Roy De Forest’s early foray into printmaking, First Impressions highlights his explorations with Abstract Expressionism, which began with his studies at the California School of Fine Arts.

Holiday Market
November 12 – December 24, 2021

The Pence’s annual fine art & craft sale is full of jewelry, scarves, ceramics, and holiday items, all created by artists working in our region.

Quintessential California:
Landscape Paintings by Karen Fess-Uecker & Teresa Steinbach-Garcia
November 5 – 28, 2021

Karen Fess-Uecker and Teresa Steinbach-Garcia draw upon vibrant and dynamic elements of the California landscape, and in turn, transfer the magic of nature to viewers through their art.

The Soul of Nature
October 1 – November 5, 2021

Peter London’s and P. Gregory Guss’s exploration of the inner soul of nature itself originates in the idea that external appearances do not match or determine internal ones.

Fever/Work by Justin Marsh
October 2 – November 5, 2021

Justin Marsh expands upon his ongoing thematic interest in the nature of human failure and collapse, creating a powerful sense of unease.

Passion for Pastels
October 1 – 24, 2021

This exhibit represents a variety of subjects created by the best in the region, and includes several award-winning pastel artists.

Art Auction
September 1 – 25, 2021

Art Auction offers the best in contemporary art, all on display at the Gallery, and online for silent auction bidding. Preview and bid on some fantastic sculptures, paintings, photography, textiles, and jewelry, by more than 130 regional artists.

Exhibit It!
July 6 – August 19, 2021

Exhibit It!, now in its 29th year, is a non-juried display of 50 works of art in all media, open to local artists. 

Slice: A Juried Exhibit of Regional Art
July 6 – August 19, 2021

Back for its 9th year, Slice is juried by Faith McKinnie, independent curator, art consultant, and founding director of the Black Artists Fund, who chose pieces from California artists that are conceptually thoughtful, technically skilled, and representative of contemporary trends in art.

Yolo Visions 2
July 1 – August 19, 2021

Across a variety of media, local & regional artists express their shared interest in amplifying the natural beauty of the county, whether it is rural, suburban, urban, or somewhere in between.

Monochromatic Visions: Photography by David Nasater
April 2 – 25, 2021

David Nasater’s approach to photography takes the medium to a deeper, thought-provoking level. As a landscape photographer, he is more interested in smaller, more personal scenes and creating an engaging experience between the subject and the viewer.

Judith Foosaner: Decameron
March 2 – April 18, 2021

While in quarantine, Judith Foosaner began to paint large sheets of cardboard on the ground with painterly calligraphic marks. Foosaner will bring both this installation and her mixed media collages to the Pence for a closer look.

Susan Tonkin Riegel: Marking Time
March 2 – April 18, 2021

In Susan Tonkin Riegel’s dynamic new series of abstract mixed media work, her compositions vibrate with gestural lines, both drawn and stitched, and saturated areas of color on paper and other surfaces.

Beyond Pets: Ceramics by Sandy Fong Whetstone
March 5 – 28, 2021

Sandy Fong Whetstone’s work explores and questions the relationship between humans and animals – how we assign human attributes to animals, or vice versa, and the significance of animals to their human companions.