Chalk Hill Artist Residency

Chalk Hill Artist Residency Providing Space and Time for Visionary and Contemporary Artists. Each agency has an art group whose members have attended the Studio Program since 2010.

Chalk Hill Artist Residency is a place that encourages high-quality, creative output in all media for abled and disabled artists alike. Using a wondrous natural setting in Northern California as the catalyst for exchange and interaction between artists and the cultural community, Chalk Hill creates synergies that expand artistic horizons and opportunities. Artists from local nonprofits are invited

to spend a day at Chalk Hill making art and developing a reciprocal relationship with our current artist-in-residence. The Studio Program has a proven track record of working with local agencies and has been enthusiastically received by these artists. Together we schedule logistics for the day, then we are witness to the magic that happens when the participants arrive, meet the artist in residence and begin their art practice. We partner with the following agencies and their client artists: Becoming Independent Artworks, NAMI Sonoma County, Sonoma County Department of Health Services, and the Wellness and Advocacy Center. Following a format of “sharing” rather than teaching, the Studio Program creates an atmosphere of peer-to-peer exchange that leads to impromptu collaborations and new work. We offer creative time and space to artists that are underserved—there is an unmet need for artists with disabilities to access professional art spaces and contemporary artists. Artists with developmental disabilities and mental health challenges have long been a marginalized population. Far from being limited, these artists are incredibly talented, unbound by formal rules and current art markets. They create from their heart with emotional authenticity as their muse. Giving the space and time to develop their talents is key to the mission of the Studio Program. Here, they are respected as fellow professional artists and their individual gifts are recognized for their inherent artistic value. The Studio Program has had important outcomes for participating artists; it has allowed them to be introduced to Sonoma County museums, San Francisco galleries, and other professional Bay Area venues. The Studio Program offers unique access into the greater arts community for artists with disabilities. The natural setting of the ranch inspires them in ways not found in institutional settings and encourages independent living skills. Simply being involved in a professional art program as artists, rather than individuals with disabilities, is a meaningful step to help combat the stigma surrounding and affecting people who have a different experience of reality. Our Studio Program also leads to exhibition opportunities and performances during residency Open Studios. A recent example of this was a performance of the Artisticatz (of Becoming Independent) with resident sound artist Rinus Van Alebeek. Rinus conducted an Open House with a live radio cast on the global/Berlin-based channel: Radio On. This kind of collaboration and international exposure for the Artisticatz was wonderfully unprecedented and big time fun! Chalk Hill Studio Program’s goal is to become a nationally recognized program for artists living with disabilities, and to facilitate interaction between nonprofits that support those artists.

Welcome Holly Beals to Chalk Hill Artist Residency! Based in California’s Central Coast, Holly is a talented visual art...
01/31/2025

Welcome Holly Beals to Chalk Hill Artist Residency! Based in California’s Central Coast, Holly is a talented visual artist known for her vibrant mixed media works that combine acrylic paint and collage. Her art reflects a deep appreciation for the natural beauty of people and places, drawing inspiration from her global travels and life as a mother.

Holly worked as a graphic designer for six years. But new adventures were calling and she was given the chance to teach conversational English to college students in Tibet. “What a wild and beautiful ride that was, full of ups and downs.”

One afternoon in Tibet, Holly grabbed some scrap paper, acrylic paint and magazine clippings, and went to work. It was the perfect soul therapy in the midst of a challenging time.

To this day, Holly works primarily with a combination of acrylic paints and paper collage on wood panel. Some things she will never stop believing: life has meaning, each person is significant, and the One who made all things is beautiful beyond comprehension.

Holly has exhibited her work in venues such as the Superfine Art Fair in San Francisco, the Santa Paula Art Museum’s California Scene exhibition, and multiple Open Studios Art Tours. Her achievements include a second-place award at the prestigious California Scene show and the 92nd Annual Landscape Show, as well as a feature on the cover of the Open Studios Art Tour catalog in 2023. We can’t wait to see how her time here unfolds!

Wishing you all a creative and fun 2025. We are full of gratitude to our donors who are setting us up to be supportive h...
01/09/2025

Wishing you all a creative and fun 2025. We are full of gratitude to our donors who are setting us up to be supportive hosts for our upcoming artists. We’re now entering our 15th year as a residency!

We’re looking forward to seeing you all at the open studios, and seeing the great work artists will make this year.

Peace and Love!

We were very impressed with the works Andrew Catanese created during his residency. The last few weeks, he made lots of...
01/08/2025

We were very impressed with the works Andrew Catanese created during his residency.

The last few weeks, he made lots of watercolor studies, took tons of photographs to continue making work from, and even finished a self portrait and a couple oil paintings!

Andrew will use his watercolor studies from his residency to create larger oil paintings.

We’re looking forward to seeing his gallery exhibit at FOG Design+Art Show in San Francisco from January 23-26.

His work can be viewed at Johansson Projects in Oakland, CA.

Welcome Linda Pouliot Her art embraces daily life, celebrating what is special in every day moments. She emphasizes sim...
01/07/2025

Welcome Linda Pouliot Her art embraces daily life, celebrating what is special in every day moments. She emphasizes simplicity, focusing on color, shape and form.

Linda lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her paintings have been exhibited nationally in New York, Michigan and California and are featured in numerous private collections. Linda has a BFA cm laude from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

She finds inspiration in the scenes of her daily life, whether it's the intimacy of her kitchen sink, the serenity of her studio space, or the picturesque hillsides nearby. In this day and age of constantly being bombarded with flickering images, what a joy it is to spend time slowly observing an arrangement.

She is particularly drawn to employing fresh, vibrant color palettes, using repetition and pattern, and simplifying compositions to reveal the inherent beauty in the ordinary and commonplace, inviting viewers to delve deeper into their significance.

Her early exposure to the art world through her great uncle, the esteemed art collector Joseph Hirshhorn, who left an indelible mark on her artistic journey. At a young age she encountered the works of Henry Moore and Larry Rivers, and developed a profound appreciation for the transformative power of art. This upbringing instilled within her a deep-seated desire to contribute meaningfully to the art world and to carve out a unique space of creative expression for herself.

She has recently been working on a body of work of painted cardboard shapes that can be rearranged and composed multiple ways. She likes to think of these as magnetic cardboard colorforms.

We look forward to seeing her work inspired by the ranch.

Palettes for holding, laying out and mixing colors pigments, watercolor cakes, pastel sticks, blots, glazes, splats of p...
12/27/2024

Palettes for holding, laying out and mixing colors pigments, watercolor cakes, pastel sticks, blots, glazes, splats of pigment.

A palette is more than just a surface.
It’s a gateway to an artist’s creative universe.

The palette bridges the tangible world with the realm of ideas. They serve as a dynamic canvas where drawings, collages, and artistic explorations overlap and interact.

Join us in filling our artists palettes this coming year.

Donations allow us to run the residency program, host Open Studios for the artists to show and sell their work, and maintain the studio and residency house.

We appreciate all contributions and community support in running this inspirational program in Healdsburg for fifteen years.

Please consider making a tax-deductible donation today. We can assure you that every contribution - $5 to $500 to $1000 – will be warmly received and put to prompt & effective use.

With our sincere thanks,
Margo Warnecke Merck and Martine Matejczyk

Help us fill out our artists’ pallets next year.An artist’s palette offers a gateway to their creative universe.For fift...
12/16/2024

Help us fill out our artists’ pallets next year.

An artist’s palette offers a gateway to their creative universe.

For fifteen years we have been taking photos of artists palettes at Chalk Hill.

Across a palette, various artistic moments converge, where old solutions make way for new possibilities.

Donations allow us to run the residency program, host Open Studios for the artists to show and sell their work, and maintain the studio and residency house.

We appreciate all contributions and community support in running this inspirational program in Healdsburg for fifteen years.

For fifteen years we have been taking photos of artists palettes at Chalk Hill.A palette can be both an object and an id...
12/10/2024

For fifteen years we have been taking photos of artists palettes at Chalk Hill.
A palette can be both an object and an idea, both tactile and conceptual, physical as well as spiritual. These palettes capture time and stories at the residency.

We appreciate your partnership in supporting the creative spirit of the artists.

The power of color reaches the soul.
Thank you for an amazing year.

Your donation (through our link in bio) allow us to run the residency program, host Open Studios for the artists to show and sell their work, and care for the studio and residency house. We appreciate all contributions and community support in running this inspirational program in Healdsburg.

We are preparing to welcome and sponsor many new artists on the ranch again this coming year.

We’re excited to welcome Graham Barnhart to Chalk Hill Artist Residency! Graham is a poet and veteran whose work reflect...
12/04/2024

We’re excited to welcome Graham Barnhart to Chalk Hill Artist Residency! Graham is a poet and veteran whose work reflects his unique journey through service and storytelling. A recipient of the prestigious Wallace Stegner Fellowship from Stanford University, he has also earned honors such as a Pushcart Prize, The Blackwell Prize, and The Jeff Sharlet Memorial Award for Veterans. He spent six years on active duty as a Special Forces medic, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Currently, he is working on a new collection of poetic erasures that delve into themes of medicine and trauma, offering an experimental approach to narrative and healing. Graham's time at Stanford and his ongoing Ph.D. in Creative Writing at the University of North Texas have deepened his exploration of language, resilience, and the transformative power of poetry.

His acclaimed debut collection, The War Makes Everyone Lonely (2019), explores the complexities of modern warfare and its impact on the human experience.

Welcome, Graham! We look forward to seeing the inspiring work you create here.

Graham will be doing a poetry reading at our Open Studio this Saturday (1-4pm at the Warnecke Ranch)

We're excited for an amazing upcoming show on December 7th from 1-4 at the Warnecke Ranch. Rain or shine, we look forwar...
11/26/2024

We're excited for an amazing upcoming show on December 7th from 1-4 at the Warnecke Ranch. Rain or shine, we look forward to seeing you.

Featuring a music video by Wanderland Music and lots of amazing art for the holidays.

Feel free to bring friends and family.

Instagram handles for artists:







Congratulations to Next Year’s Chalk Hill Artists!They are joining the ranks of some spectacular creative artists who ha...
11/19/2024

Congratulations to Next Year’s Chalk Hill Artists!

They are joining the ranks of some spectacular creative artists who have been inspired by the river and vineyards of Warnecke Ranch.

Welcome to these talented artists, we are looking forward to an exciting and artful 2025.

You can learn more about the artists on our website.




dickenson
shoals

evans.artist


Welcome to our Artist in Residence, Rima Makaryan Rima Makaryan was born in Armenia and has lived in Santa Rosa for 13 ...
11/19/2024

Welcome to our Artist in Residence, Rima Makaryan Rima Makaryan was born in Armenia and has lived in Santa Rosa for 13 years. She remains deeply connected to her home country and is constantly inspired by its tradition of craft and connection with land. She is a senior studying Architectural Design focused on sustainable building practices and vernacular architecture. Before attending Stanford, she founded The Monarch Project, which is a public art organization specializing in murals as a vessel for social change and telling deeply human stories. She's currently growing her photography practice and always looking for new ways to capture human experiences.

Save the date for our next Open Studio!
10/01/2024

Save the date for our next Open Studio!

Welcome Christina Kent While here, Christina will be meditating and walking on the ranch and painting plein air landsc...
09/06/2024

Welcome Christina Kent While here, Christina will be meditating and walking on the ranch and painting plein air landscapes that capture her connection to nature.

Her project, “Common Home,” will focus on recovering our shared home in nature through careful study of the landscape. The paintings will capture how the light and landscape interact throughout the day.

Her work captures resonant moments of light in the landscape, moving past what we expect of traditional landscape painting and towards the edge of abstraction to create images reminiscent of faded memories. Some landscapes are intimate, reflecting close views of foliage and light, while others present expansive views of the distant mountains and valleys, evoking a feeling of vastness.

Her works here will reflect both her visual experience and the emotional resonance of the smells, sounds, and feelings of painting in nature. Instead of snapshots of one moment in time, they will be impressions over an extended period, layered to create a composite image. These layers will give the paintings a sense of time and the softness of memory, in contrast to the sharpness of a photograph.

We are feeling lot of gratitude for everyone who participated and supported us, our fundraising ensures that we can cont...
08/30/2024

We are feeling lot of gratitude for everyone who participated and supported us, our fundraising ensures that we can continue to give back to artists.

We saw beautiful works at our open studio, ate yummy ice cream, swapped books, listened to Steve Pile's music, enjoyed delicious food, won a raffle of Carl I Warnecke Print, and took home incredible art pieces.

Since 2010, Chalk Hill Artist Residency has provided artists of all backgrounds, abilities, and mediums, with time and space to create new artwork at Warnecke Ranch & Vineyards.

Over 250 artists and multiple partner organizations enthusiastically recognize our program as integral to their creative development. The artists who have attended are at all stages of their career and eager to create.

Don't forget to get your application in through our website by Saturday. We've gotten amazing applications so far, we're...
08/29/2024

Don't forget to get your application in through our website by Saturday.

We've gotten amazing applications so far, we're looking forward to reviewing them all in depth and hosting wonderful artists in 2025.

It was great having Brett Walker here while he worked on his photo series based on the novel "Autobiography of Red."Bret...
08/28/2024

It was great having Brett Walker here while he worked on his photo series based on the novel "Autobiography of Red."

Brett put together scenes and dioramas that are inspired by the book.

We're looking forward to seeing his project finally completed at our Dec 12 Open Studio.

Today is our Open Studio is combined with an Ice Cream Social, art book swap, and more. Bring a fun art book to swap out...
08/17/2024

Today is our Open Studio is combined with an Ice Cream Social, art book swap, and more. Bring a fun art book to swap out!

Featuring work by our very own and

The online auction is now live, and tickets are available through our link in bio (or at the door). We'll see you this sunny Saturday for many fun activities.

live music by Ice cream by

Location: Warnecke Ranch and Vineyards

Which flavor of are you picking out tomorrow? We're looking forward to seeing you (kids are free)!
08/16/2024

Which flavor of are you picking out tomorrow?

We're looking forward to seeing you (kids are free)!

Address

13427 Chalk Hill Rd
Healdsburg, CA
95448

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