Sonoma County has been a retreat and home for contemporary creatives for decades.
From Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s boundary-breaking “Running Fence” and Ned Khan’s mesmerizing elemental installation sculptures, to the bittersweet, contemplative comics of Charles Shultz and the darkly poetic music of Tom Waits, Sonoma County is an inspiration—maybe even a North Star—for artists creating meaning with their work.
Honoring and supporting this integral work, the Sebastopol Center for the Arts presents the Second Annual North Star Gala, the center’s annual fundraising event celebrating art and artists, on Saturday, Sept. 14, from 5-9 pm. This year, the aptly-named gala will host an evening extravaganza honoring art and artists, while raising funds to support the center’s many programs and sharing the myriad talents of the area’s creatives with patrons.
During the event, guests will enjoy a locally-sourced dinner created by chefs Daniel Kedan and Marianna Gardenhire of the award-winning, Michelin-recognized Backyard Restaurant, while sultry Parisian musical vibes permeate the evening, courtesy of Le Duo, featuring Mimi and Gabe Pirarda.
“Last year was magical,” says Serafina Palandech, executive director of the Sebastopol Center for the Arts. “The event sold out, with 160 art lovers joining us to celebrate the arts and raise money for SebArts.”
Patrons will be able to meet and chat with the artists during the event and will have the opportunity to participate in an assortment of multi-sensory art experiences throughout the evening, encompassing music, visual art, film, poetry and more. But the night’s centerpiece will be a live auction with Ellen Toscano, the Singing Auctioneer.
Six desirable items will be featured at the live auction. They include a trip to Mexico, a dinner for 12 from a renowned local chef and artwork from internationally esteemed artists Ned Kahn, Maria de los Angeles, Gregory Rick and Monica Rosa.
“The works in the live auction are world-class pieces from incredibly talented and famous artists,” Palandech says. Proxy bidding will be allowed, so those who can’t attend can contact SebArts beforehand to bid on the live auction.
North Star Gala is an easy way to get involved. Even easier is the online auction, where art appreciators can start bidding right now from the comfort of their homes to support both SebArts and local artists, who will receive 40% of the proceeds. It’s a win-win-win.
“The artwork will be displayed at the gala, so I hope you will come to the event to see an incredible art exhibit of work from local, national and international artists. Seeing artwork in person is very different than viewing it online—the resonance, the emotion, the colors—all can be very impactful when seen in person,” Palandech explains. “However, if you cannot join us at the gala, all of the work is available online for bidding. This is a rare opportunity to buy original artwork.”
For those looking to support or benefit from the arts, SebArts is one-stop shopping. They offer nine programs that serve thousands of artists and art lovers around Sonoma County, including a Literary Arts program, two Open Studios programs—Art Trails and Art at the Source, an Artist Incubator Program where artists learn business skills, a film program, a choir, youth programs and summer camps, a ceramics studio, and education and performance departments.
“This year, we have partnered with several other non-profit organizations, including hosting Queer Family Picnic, Chinese New Year’s celebration, the Apple Blossom Fair and Peacetown. We average about 100+ hours of volunteer time per week,” says Palandech.
Formerly the director of AIDS Walks nationwide, fundraising and organizing for 15 years, Palandech is also an art lover, artist, mother and business owner. She was drawn to the position at SebArts—which had been suffering from Covid closures—in the spring of 2023 with a vision of building a thriving community space.
“I love the community, and I have a grand vision for SebArts,” she says, “one in which all disciplines can meet, where artists can converse with the public, that can support emerging scenes and introduce and provoke debate, where we make art and view art.”
Her grand vision for SebArts programming has manifested quickly, to the benefit of the entire county. In 2024, SebArts Gallery presented 10 exhibitions, including Reverberations, a curated show that paired works from private collections with poetry from 56 poets.
They also featured an innovative Light Show with multi-mediums, a Teen Art Show, Pulp: Book Arts and a Members’ Art Show, among others. The gallery store offers a variety of goods created by local artists and hosts two annual Art and Craft Fairs to highlight and support local artists and makers.
It’s an understatement to say that Palandech and SebArts know how to gather the community. The Literary Arts program alone featured writing salons, poetry readings, the nomination and inauguration of the Sonoma County poet laureate and a Lit Crawl with 122 authors reading at nine venues around Sebastopol.
Over 300 artists from around Sonoma County participated in Art Trails and Art at the Source, generating over $1 million in art sales revenue for the artists, with over 50,000 attendees. Meanwhile, back at the brick-and-mortar, their award-winning ceramics studio has over 50 classes annually with over 150 students, along with over 70 courses in drawing, painting, weaving, enameling and other visual arts annually.
“The gala is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” says Palandech. “Our goal is to raise $125K to support our programs and services. We are entirely privately funded by the community and do not receive public city or county grants. We need our community’s support to continue to provide this programming.”
Three artists will be honored this year at the gala—Kathryn Davy for her contributions to the Visual Arts team, Jean McGlothlin for her work with the Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival and Linda Loveland Reid for her dedication to the Literary Arts program. Each of them exemplifies the spirit of community service, dedicating countless volunteer hours to SebArts and helping create something bigger than themselves.
While community art organizations across the country are closing or cutting back, SebArts has expanded its offerings. This year, SebArts aims to grow arts education for children throughout West County and seeks community support to make it happen.
“Art and artists are essential, and the community thrives because of them,” Palandech affirms. “Art making can provide an end to loneliness, bring joyful playfulness and give a sense of purpose to folks.”
Sebastopol Center for the Arts’ North Star Gala is from 5 to 9pm Saturday, Sept. 14, at
282 S. High St., Sebastopol. Tickets start at $250. For more information, call 707.829.4797 or visit sebarts.org.
