SOFA Santa Rosa Arts District

07/22/2024

07/22/2024

There are 10 days left to submit an application to join our Art Alley Mural team! We'll be selecting 5 more artists, maybe more. You'll paint and create, mostly in your own studio! Message us with any questions. Mural experience isn't required. Go to http://bit.ly/4bJTMgo

05/25/2024

The First Annual Santa Rosa Open Studios are here! Sept 14-15 and 21-22. Application link in comments. Deadline June 30.

05/23/2024

Big News! A new community mural is in the works for SOFA's Art Alley! The artists at 312 South A have teamed up with Spring Maxfield and the Santa Rosa Urban Arts Partnership to produce and install it. The title is the SOFA Art Alley Outdoor Gallery. Read on to learn how YOU can be part of it:

First is all about money $$. We were awarded a grant from the city and we're working on a second grant. We still need your help! We've started a GoFundMe page. Please contribute what you can. No amount is too small! https://gofund.me/dfde14ec

2nd: There will be a Call for Artists on June 1st! It will be posted on this page. We plan on about 15 local artist participants. Our concept is part Winterblast sofa parade and part outdoor art gallery. If you want to be sure you receive the call for artists, send us a message and include your email.

The final design will be a community effort but the drawing here, from our own Dan Scannell, will give you the idea!

We are raising money to support a diverse group of Sonoma County artists in creating an ey… Spring Maxfield needs your support for SOFA Artists' Mural Project

05/19/2024

I will be at the show again today from 11 to 4.
Today is also the Matsuri Festival in SOFA. There will be art food and performance -- a celebration of Japanese culture.
Shown here is the great Emma Thompson in Love Actually.
It's a film we talked a bit about yesterday. Joni Mitchell's 2000 version of Both Sides Now is playing during this scene, which is where the title of the show comes from. Will post a link below.

My favorite thing about yesterday’s talk was sharing the language of film with a group of people. Above all, film is a communal art form. The stories in the films tie us together in come loose fashion. Thank you to everyone who came, especially those who did a synopsis of a film.

A really lovely day.

Show is coming down a week from today. If you can't make the weekend times (11 to 4 on Saturday and Sunday) let me know. I'm happy to give private tours.

05/17/2024

Had a wonderful time on Midday Music with Doug Jayne on KRCB FM.
I talked about “Love’s Illusions” my painting homage to love in the movies.

We played some tracks related to films in the show.
Joni Mitchell, Both Sides Now (from Love Actually)
The Sparks, Angst in My Pants (from Valley Girl, 1983)
The Beach Boys, God Only Knows (from Love Actually)
Modern English, I Melt with You (Valley Girl, 1983)
The Walker Brothers, The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore (from Truly Madly Deeply)
Joni Mitchell, A Case of You (from Truly Madly Deeply)

Complete list of the 30 paintings in the show and the movies they are from, as well as songs from those movies are attached here as images.

I’m giving a talk at the Backstreet Gallery, Saturday, May 18 at 1 pm. Map with directions is also attached.

Show is open on weekends from 11 to 4 during the month of May, or by appointment. You can contact me through the form on my website: kristenthroop.com.

05/12/2024

“Love’s Illusions” is open Sunday from 11 to 4.

Who recognizes this fabulous film?

05/04/2024

Thank you to everyone who came to the opening of the show last night. It was lovely to chat about painting and movies with so many of you.
The question I was most asked last night was — what is my favorite film?
I have two, and they both contain the word “red” in their titles.
It's a lovely rainy day in Northern California. The show will be open from 11 to 4, and I expect it will be a quiet day.
It’s also a great day to watch a movie. The public library was the source for most of the films that I watched for this series. On disk they have treasures like Carlos Saura’s flamenco “El Amor Brujo”, via streaming on Kanopy you can watch Joanna Hogg”s “The Souvenir” parts one and two.

05/02/2024

Getting ready for the show to open tomorrow and am heavily into the design portion of the process.
The painting process is very non-verbal, for me. Then at some point I have to turn around and put words to it all. It's a completely separate part of my brain.
Attached here are the sandwich board signs, the main card for the show, handouts that list all the films and also, all the music that will be playing at the opening (Corrine Haverinen).

05/02/2024

Love’s Illusions
A New Series by Kristen Throop

Love’s Illusions opens Friday, May 3, 2024 from 5 to 8 pm at the Backstreet Studio and Gallery in Santa Rosa

The show will be open Saturdays and Sundays throughout May from 11 am to 4 pm, with the exception of May 5, when the show will be closed.

***

Love in Film

This new series, Love’s Illusions, focuses on love in the movies.

The oil paintings are intimate in scale, measuring 7 x 5". The 30 paintings that make up the series are for sale for $500 each.

Two separate artist talks

 Saturday, May 11 @ 1 pm
Saturday, May 18 @ 1 pm

These will be two different talks discussing the choice of these particular films, what they mean combined together, and also sharing stories from these movies that I love.

The talks will be outside at the Backstreet Studios. Please bring a folding chair.

Special events during May

In addition to the talks, there are other special events happening in the SOFA arts neighborhood while this show is up.

Friday, May 3 — First Friday
The opening on Friday, May 3 from 5 to 8 pm takes place during First Friday. There will be live music and dancing at Cafe Frida, just around the corner. Many artists will have their studios open for this event.

Sunday, May 19 — Matsuri
Matsuri, the spring festival that celebrates Japanese culture will be taking place in Juilliard Park on Sunday, May 19. This is a wonderful event with food, music, demonstrations and much more.

If you're looking for something to do on Mother's Day or Memorial Day weekend, come on by.

Hope to see you there!

04/30/2024

There is a new show opening at the Backstreet Gallery in the SOFA Santa Rosa Arts District this Friday, May 3 from 5 to 8 pm.
“Love’s Illusions” is a series of 30 paintings by Kristen Throop that show romance as seen in the movies.
Come to the opening this Friday. There will be two artist talks at 1 pm on Saturday May 11 and 18. The show will also be open from 11 to 4 on weekends in May (except Sunday May 5).
Hope to see you.

04/18/2024

Another painting from "Love’s Illusions” the series of paintings that opens May 3 at the Backstreet Gallery in SOFA.

Who knows the actors and film?

Title: "So now you know.”

03/20/2024

Does diving into abstract landscape painting sing to your heart? You might want to take a look at Backstreet artist Karen Lynn Ingalls's class on it (beginning this Saturday!), where you can explore a whole variety of approaches to painting abstract landscapes! There's a link below to find out more.... (P.S. It's live, on Zoom, so you don't have to commute!)

I've been preparing for my next Abstract Landscape Painting class — coming up on the 23rd! It's a great way to loosen up your painting and explore new approaches to abstracting the landscape.
•
•
•
•
•

03/16/2024

Here’s a Great opportunity for Sonoma County artists! Thank you Sandra O'Brien Van Blair for bringing it to our attention!

We Want Your Input!
Join the City of Santa Rosa, California in choosing a public art display for Fire Station 5. Take the Community Input Survey from before March 15, 2024.
https://www.srcity.org/3904/Fire-Station-5-Public-Art-Project

03/15/2024

Last chance to see the the Newcomer Invite is THIS WEEKEND, March 16 + 17, 11-4PM, Backstreet Gallery on Art Alley, in the Santa Rosa SOFA district.

7 Newcomers, 1 Featured Artist, All New Work.

Come see the show that was featured in , , and .9

FEATURED ARTIST:

NEWCOMERS INCLUDE:
Annabelle Anderson
Charlie Bird
Jaclyn Finkle
Amelia Ketzer-Dean
Katie Marin
Keviette Minor .by.design
Alina Nuebel

03/09/2024

NEWS FLASH: The artists are extending the show for one more weekend! So, if you haven't seen it yet, you can visit from 11 AM to 4 PM on March 16 & 17 — at Backstreet, on Art Alley, off of Santa Rosa's South A Street.

It's your last chance to welcome these young local emerging artists in the community! (And they'll be there to greet you, too.) Open from 11 AM to 4 PM at Backstreet Gallery & Studios, on Art Alley, off of South A Street in Santa Rosa, March 9 & 10.

03/01/2024

There's a great article about this month's Newcomer Artists' Exhibit show at Backstreet — on Art Alley — that you can read in this week's Bohemian. 🙂❤ You can see the show on First Friday from 5 to 8 PM, and on the next three weekends from 11 AM to 4 PM. I'll post the link to the article below.

Read the latest at Bohemian.com!

02/29/2024

This Friday, March 1 5-8PM
Newcomer Invite will be openi g. Come check out 7 new artiats at Backstreet Gallery! Fresh work, fun times!

02/24/2024

Here's part of the First Friday festivities coming up in March! See you on First Friday? It's 5 to 8 PM — and there's lots more happening throughout the whole neighborhood, too, creatively speaking!
•
•
•
•
•

First Friday in the SOFA Arts District is only one week away! I'll be in my studio at Backstreet, welcoming visitors, as will my studio colleagues. But the main show will be SOFA's Newcomer Invite, introducing wonderful new artists to the neighborhood. Mary Vaughan and Nick Mancillas have done a great job organizing this — and they were both interviewed about it on KSRO! I'll post the interview link in a comment below, if you'd like to have a listen. 🙂
•
•
•
•
•

02/16/2024

are we planning this year's WinterBlast already?!! Yes we are! Want to be involved?
Build a sofa, volunteer, or be a vendor? Let us know soon, so we can make it all happen.

02/14/2024

Thanks for being my FB friends!