Explore Healdsburg Art Galleries

Few places have as many inviting galleries per capita as the Sonoma Wine Country town of Healdsburg, California. At last count, around two dozen galleries thrive here, offering an array of international and local art, photography, jewelry, and crafts to peruse. 

Once named one of America’s Most Beautiful Town Squares by Travel + Leisure magazine, discover the walkable downtown of Healdsburg, where you can stroll to wine tasting rooms and these inspiring art spaces.

Paul Mahder Gallery

Visit the inspiring Paul Mahder Gallery, housed in a 1940s-era Quonset hut. With more than 8,500 square feet of gallery space and 30-foot high ceilings, this impressive space presents national and international artists in a museum-like setting. Taste wines from GrapeSeed while you peruse the gallery.

Paul Mahder Gallery 222 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, California

Erickson Fine Art Gallery

Erickson Fine Art Gallery showcases contemporary paintings, sculpture, and mixed media in three stories of light-filled rooms. There’s a sculpture garden, kinetic works displayed throughout the gallery, and mobiles hang from the two-story ceilings.

Erickson Fine Art Gallery 324 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, California

The Harris Gallery

The Harris Gallery highlights work by a father and son team. The father’s neo-cubist inventions and richly colored modernist landscapes are widely collected, while the classically trained son is known for his impressionist landscapes, cloud formations, and elegant figure works.

Harris Gallery 320 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg, California

Lori Austin Gallery

Step up to the stone columns of this inviting storefront to see soul-stirring works. The Lori Austin Gallery displays contemporary fine art by regional, national, and international artists throughout this light, open gallery. A premier collection of contemporary Shona sculptures from Zimbabwe is also showcased.

Lori Austin Gallery 105 Plaza St., Healdsburg, California

J. Howell Fine Art

Located in the center of Healdsburg’s town Plaza, J. Howell Fine Art is situated in the old Bank of Italy building (circa 1910). Eleven-foot-tall plate glass windows create a bright, modern space. Exhibits feature original works by contemporary California artists and include vibrant abstracts, realism, landscapes, and many more.

J. Howell Fine Art 105 C. Plaza St., Healdsburg, California

Bradford Brenner

Come to Bradford Brenner’s open art studio to see him work and view paintings that can be found in collections worldwide. Fans are drawn to the freedom and looseness in the unique style of these multi-layered works. Why just look at art when you can meet the artist who created it?

Bradford Brenner Studio 101 A Plaza St., Healdsburg, California

Aerena Gallery Healdsburg

The ever-popular Aerena Gallery Healdsburg in the Healdsburg Plaza has additional locations in Yountville and St. Helena, where enthusiasts, collectors, and visitors have come for years for the unique and contemporary collection of art, sculpture, and furnishings. The gallery is inviting in 3,700 square feet of open, light space.

Aerena Gallery Healdsburg 115 Plaza St., Healdsburg, California

Stafford Gallery

Stafford Gallery is located in downtown Healdsburg’s historic Bank of Italy Building. The gallery displays works from nationally and internationally established artists. Thoughtful displays feature bronze and wood burl sculptures, acrylic and oil, limited edition large-format photography, fine art glass, and handmade jewelry.

Stafford Gallery 119 Plaza St., Healdsburg, California

Healdsburg Center for the Arts

Healdsburg Center for the Arts is a community nonprofit presenting about eight shows a year, including an annual members show and a show for Young Artists. This beloved family-friendly center is dedicated to promoting and inspiring art through education, events, and creative exhibitions.

Healdsburg Center for the Arts 334 Center St., Healdsburg, California

Bob Johnson Art Gallery

In the 1885 Gobbi building, this is a fun space to tour, consisting of an upstairs suite with galleries, a design studio, and a private art library. In furnished and decorated rooms, Johnson presents representational art as well as a variety of illustration work, from wine cartoons to fine art renderings.

Bob Johnson Art Gallery 314 Center St., Healdsburg, California

Upstairs Art Gallery

Here you can browse diverse art like original paintings, collages, photography, prints, jewelry, fused glass, raku pottery, turned-wood vessels, bird carvings, and textiles created by Sonoma County artisans. Local artists are usually on hand at this gallery located in the mezzanine inside the Levin & Company bookstore.

Upstairs Art Gallery 306 Center St., Healdsburg, California

Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society

Housed in a one-time Carnegie Library, the Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society, built 1910-1911, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The creative exhibits attract visitors and enthusiasts with an inspiring array of Americana history and art.

Healdsburg Museum & Historical Society 221 Matheson St., Healdsburg, California

Hammerfriar Gallery

A few blocks south of the plaza, the Hammerfriar Gallery, an important part of Sonoma County’s visual arts community, displays contemporary, conceptual art by fresh voices in the Bay Area. Discover thoughtfully composed exhibitions and a beautiful atrium showcasing some of the works.

Hammerfriar Gallery 132 Mill St., Suite 101, Healdsburg, California

BOURNE Photo Studio + Gallery

Bourne Photo Studio + Gallery, located several blocks south of the plaza, features landscape photography and abstract paintings by artist and photographer Barbara Bourne. Professionally printed works created on artisan paper, ready-to-hang metal, and gallery-wrapped canvases bring scenic beauty into homes and businesses.

Bourne Photo Studio + Gallery 14 Healdsburg Ave. Suite D, Healdsburg, California

More Art Venues to Visit in Healdsburg

• Barndiva Gallery + Bar offers fine art, photography, sculpture, textiles, and more in a cool bar setting.
• Dovetail Collection features fine wood furniture and handcrafts from West Coast artisans.
• Gallery Lulo features rotating jewelry, art, and design in a modern space. 
• Hand Fan Museum is the only museum in the United States devoted to the beauty and history of hand fans.
• Hawley Winery Tasting Room and Gallery features bold landscapes by Dana Hawley as well as beautiful wine-stave furniture and chandeliers by Austin Hawley. The gallery is a captivating place to taste Hawley wines.

Healdsburg Restaurant Tips

Strolling the myriad art in Healdsburg will spark an appetite, and fortunately, this creative town has plenty of tasty choices.

• Stop in at the celebrated Barndiva restaurant for modern farm-to-table dishes.
• Sample small (beautiful!) plates at Bravas Bar de Tapas.
• Get coffee and a picture-perfect pastry at the Downtown Bakery & Creamery.

Find more good eating with this complete listing of Sonoma County restaurants.

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Written by Sonoma Insider Patricia Lynn Henley