Engage with some of Northern California’s most prominent contemporary artists when you check out the galleries and educational events held at this art center.
Di Rosa is a landmark institution for Northern Californian art. Discover the contemporary art center’s extensive holdings as you stroll around the galleries and grounds. Gallery experiences are enriched by exciting docent-led tours, which cover the di Rosa residence and the surrounding hillsides. Learn about the history of the collection, the estate and the institution as you explore di Rosa’s sprawling domain.
Begin your visit with a stroll around the di Rosa Collection, which was established by the late Rene and Veronica di Rosa. The avid collectors purchased and displayed artwork in their home for over 40 years and their patronage supported site-specific conceptual developments in the 1960s and ’70s. The couple’s wide-ranging collection contains a vast holding of contemporary Bay Area art and covers a range of periods and movements, including abstract expressionism and conceptualism. Explore the Main Gallery and the Historic Residence Gallery to see significant works by Northern Californian names. You’ll see pieces by Mark di Suvero, Enrique Chagoya, Bruce Nauman, Deborah Butterfield and Paul Kos.
Make your way to the Gatehouse Gallery to see di Rosa’s temporary exhibition rooms. This is where a changing program of exhibitions showcases artworks from the collection, as well as touring displays by Northern Californian artists.
Book your place on a guided tour and follow your guide outside into the Sculpture Meadow. Admire the rich variety of outdoor pieces on display in the estate’s grounds and check out the pretty lake. You can also join a guided nature hike, which begins in the Sculpture Garden and continues to the top of Milliken Peak. From here, you’ll be rewarded with expansive views of the Napa Valley. Private and Spanish-language tours are also available at di Rosa.
Di Rosa is less than a 15-minute drive southwest from the city of Napa. The Gatehouse Gallery is open to drop-in visitors for a small fee. To access the rest of the galleries, including the collection and the outdoor exhibitions, you must join a guided tour. Tours run for 90 minutes and discounts are available for seniors and students. Di Rosa is open Wednesday through Sunday.