'From Russian Hill to Russian River, and Beyond' with Jeff Gunderson

Join Us for a talk by Jeff Gunderson about the historic releationship between SFAI and Sonoma county at the Museum of Sonoma County! This event is part of the programming for UNRULY: North Bay Artists from the San Francisco Art Institute.

🗓 Date: Saturday, April 19, 2025
⏰ Time: 5:00 PM
🌍 Location: Museum of Sonoma County, Santa Rosa, CA

Join us for a talk with Jeff Gunderson, archivist of the San Francisco Art Institute Legacy Foundation & Archive, as he explores the deep artistic connections between the San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) and Sonoma County.

From Virgil Williams’ 19th-century landscapes to the bohemian outposts of Bolinas, Inverness, and beyond, this talk delves into the rich artistic history of Northern California. Discover how SFAI artists and faculty—including Richard Diebenkorn, William T. Wiley, Ruth-Marion Baruch, and Bernice Bing—found sanctuary, inspiration, and community across the region’s rugged coastlines and rolling hills.

Gunderson will also discuss Christo’s Running Fence, the “Sonoma Four” plein air painters, and the enduring creative ties stretching from Russian Hill to the Russian River.

🎟 Reserve your spot today! Admission for SFAI alumni is free.

Cover image: Virgil Williams, View South from the Sonoma Hills, 1864, oil on canvas, 30 x 46 in, In the collection of Peter B. Bedford, Lafayette California.

Portrait by Lucien Liu

Host or Publisher SF Artists Alumni