What is a community but a mosaic of people? In an effort that literalizes and brings the metaphor to life, Nimbus Arts, a community-owned 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with the mission of giving the Napa Valley community access to art, invites the community at large to contribute to a mosaic project.
Nimbus’ mosaic is one of the many activities comprising the organization’s free Community Art Day and Pop-Up Market in the Napa County town of Angwin, located in the northern part of the county about 10 miles northeast of St. Helena. Helping bring the event to life are Angwin’s resident artist couple, Nikki Ballere Callnan and Will Callnan, whose full-time ceramics business, NBC Pottery, boasts a client roster that reads like the who’s who in Napa fine dining. They are also instructors at Nimbus Arts.
The couple’s studio is now located in what used to be Angwin’s old town center, an apt location for two people committed to bringing the arts to the surrounding community. Sharing their creative energy, artistry and know-how is, in many ways, part of a community-focused therapeutic endeavor following the various wildfires, the pandemic and other hardships that have left many locals reeling.
Art Heals
“I think even more than ever, after the fires and power outages, we’ve kind of been conditioned to live in this kind of weird mindset of evacuations and whatnot. Everybody in Angwin kind of felt that crunch,” observes Ballere Callnan. “I think with the space that we have, it’s an opportunity to bring in art and artists from all over the board—from art therapy to makers—to do demonstrations and be a conduit for that.”
Her husband, Callnan, concurs. “We need to encourage people to step out of their box and realize that art is accessible to everyone,” he says. To that end, the event’s price point—free—will hopefully allay any apprehensions about checking it out. The event is part of the art organization’s Hundreds of Hands community art programs, designed to engage community members and highlight the health and wellness benefits of art-making.
Nimbus Arts’ mobile art-making unit, the whimsically titled “Nim+BUS,” delivers art programs to public schools, parks and community events.
“It’s like this portable studio, so it’s got everything they need and allows for anybody, of any age, to do a project,” says Callnan, who recommends taking a hike up in Angwin. And then, “You can come up here and make a mosaic piece that will be permanently installed down in Napa. And when you come back, you’ll be able to see it.”
Also on hand will be working artists of every stripe, as well as a variety of food vendors.
“We’ve often heard people say, ‘It’s so great to be able to walk here and have stuff to do here in Angwin.’ The events are super well-attended, and people are like, ‘Wow, I wish this happened more often.’ And so we’re really trying to make that happen,” says Callnan.
Nimbus Arts’ free Community Art Day and Pop-Up Market featuring the Nim+BUS Mosaic Workshop at NBC Pottery’s gallery and studio, 410 Circle Dr., Angwin, goes from 10am to 2pm, Sunday, June 9. For more information, visit nimbusarts.org or nbcpottery.com, or call 707.965.4NBC.
