Napa Valley Museum Yountville Announces New Exhibition SOPHIE ALSTROM MITCHELL: WILDFLOWERS OF THE NAPA VALLEY

The Napa Valley Museum Yountville (NVMY) has announced its new Main Gallery exhibition: “Sophie Alstrom Mitchell: Wildflowers of the Napa Valley” showcasing the exquisite botanical watercolor paintings of this 19th century Napa Valley artist.

The exhibition will feature 64 of her works from the Museum's permanent collection, all created between 1882 and 1888, many of which will be exhibited together for the first time, plus additional material from the archives. They pay tribute to the talent and meticulous attention to detail of a sweet, quiet and humble minister's wife who raised two sons, helped run the family prune and walnut orchard, taught Sunday school and brought flowers to the Church each Sunday, while artfully preserving for all time the wild beauty and diversity of the region's native uncultivated flowers.

The NVMY will celebrate the launch with a series of Valentine's Day weekend events:

• Opening Celebration, Saturday February 15 from 5 to 8 pm:
  To celebrate the new exhibition, the Museum presents a lively evening of art, music, dancing, wine, and more. Visitors are invited to listen and dance to the jazzy music of the Paper Moon trio, sample great Napa Valley wines and light bites, enjoy the outdoor patio (weather permitting), or simply stroll among the lush botanical flowers blooming on the NVMY Main Gallery walls. 

• Museum Member Free Exhibition Preview, Friday February 14 from 1 to 4 pm

• The exhibition opens to the public on Saturday, February 15 at 10 am

“This is going to be a joyful start to a new era at the Yountville museum,” says Napa Valley Museum Executive Director Laura Rafaty. “We are so proud to be kicking it off by showcasing an artist from the 1800s who lived and worked in St Helena, and who was married to the founder of the St Helena First Presbyterian Church. Her life is the history of St Helena and Napa Valley, and her work captures over 150 species of native wildflowers as no photographer could at the time: in glorious color. To celebrate, we've scheduled a free preview for Museum Members on Valentine's Day from 1 to 4 pm, and then we're throwing one heck of a party Saturday night with a live band and dancing and great wines and conversation. We've reconfigured the gallery to allow for future screenings, music, dance and performances, along with our festivals, speakers and private events. The museum team is excited for everyone to see it!”

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