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Indian Summer by Ray Strong (1940), perhaps Strong’s most iconic painting.
Ray Strong as photographed by Ansel Adams, circa 1950.
Now on View
earth portraiture:
ray Strong’s norhtern california landscaptes
September 6, 1924 through
January 19, 2025
Oregon-born painter Ray Stanford Strong (1905-2006) captured the essence of the Western landscape in a long career dedicated to what he termed “Earth portraiture.” He was also known for his innovative dioramas, social activism, land conservation, and leadership in art education. For a time, Strong lived in Marin County and spent time in Mendocino County. Drawn from private and public collections, this exhibition focuses primarily on landscapes Strong made of areas in or around San Francisco and the East Bay, Marin and Mendocino Counties, and the Sierra and Cascade Ranges. It also includes subjects depicting places in Oregon, Arizona, Utah, New York, and Italy. A small exhibit of Grace Hudson landscapes complements the show.
November Writers Read has been Cancelled
the november writers Read, scheduled for this Thursday has been cancelled due to inclement weather
The current atmospheric river over Northern California is forecast to linger through Friday, meaning non-stop rain.
Writers Read has been happening in Ukiah since 1999, and occurs on the last Thursday of almost every month. The program focuses on poetry, spoken word, short stories, song, and expository prose. The evening typically begins with a featured reader at 7:00 and then is followed by an hour of open mic starting around 8:00. The next Writers Read will be the first of 2025 and will occur on Thursday, January 30.
order your holiday wreathes & swag
Once again the Museum will be selling hand-crafted wreathes and swag made by our good friends at McFadden Farms. The variety of items will certainly help make anyone’s home festive and fragrant all the way through the New Year.
To pre-order, click on the image to your left or the button below to download or printout this year’s form. Wreathes will be available for pick-up at the Museum on Saturday, December 6 from 5:00 to 8:00 PM — our holiday First Friday — or on Saturday, December 7 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. A limited number of items will be available for sale at the Museum on both days. Don’t miss out. The best way to guarantee availability is to pre-order!
Image by Natalie Alyse Photography
a Holiday first friday at the museum
Friday, December 6
5:00 to 8:00 PM
Our final First Friday of 2024 will have a holiday theme. The wonderful group Cecelia will be caroling throughout the evening, we’ll be doing interactive craft activities for kids and families, and Santa Claus will be stopping by to visit with children of all ages. Beautiful wreaths and swag hand-crafted by our friends at McFadden Farms will also be available for pick-up for those who pre-ordered. We’ll have a limited number for sale if you didn’t get a chance to order ahead of time. We highly recommend you pre-order, though — see the link for ordering just above.
Visitors will also have an opportunity to take in our current special exhibition, Earth Portraiture: Ray Strong’s Northern California Landscapes, featuring 49 paintings by Oregon-born artist Ray Strong (1905-2006). One can also view our core galleries dedicated to the artwork of Grace Hudson, exquisite Pomo basketry, and Carpenter-Hudson family history. Light holiday-themed refreshments will also be available.
On First Fridays, the Museum is free for everyone, all day and evening!
johnny belinda:
Film screening
Saturday, January 11
2:00 to 4:00 PM
The Mendocino Coast stands in for a remote Nova Scotia island in this fascinating 1948 drama starring Jane Wyman, who won a Best Actress Oscar for her performance. Ray Strong’s watercolor of the film’s farmhouse is featured in the exhibition.
Included with Museum admission.
deep roots,
spreading branches
virtual programs
We are delighted now to have the video recording of The Song and Dance: Krenov’s American Dreams on our website and available for viewing. In this program, Krenov biographer Brendan Gaffney discusses the inspiration and circumstances that led James Krenov to Mendocino County over 40 years ago, and to the establishment of a fine woodworking program in Fort Bragg. To view it, find the link in the Video Archives section of our website under the Learn tab of our menu at the top of our home page.
In the very near future, we’ll be posting video recordings the other two virtual programs tied to our Deep Roots, Spreading Branches exhibition, one featuring a panel of former and current Krenov School instructors, and the other a panel of four students who went through the Krenov School program at different periods of time.
Greenfield Ranch, Easter 1977
Promise of Paradise
Back to the Land Oral Histories of Mendocino County, on KZYX website
The Grace Hudson Museum is a proud supporter of this important oral history project. The weekly broadcasts have concluded, but you can still listen to all the episodes by clicking here for the Promise of Paradise archive on KZYX.
And to learn more about how it all got started click here to check out Jerry Karp’s November 2018 article in the Anderson Valley Advertiser.
Grace Hudson in the Sun House, 1912.
We are proud that Grace Hudson is featured in the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s recent blog about
ten women who have given significantly to the world of art. All are affiliated with a historic artist's home in the
Historic Artists Homes and Studios program, of which the Grace Hudson Museum & Sun House is a founding member. Check it out!
https://savingplaces.org/stories/10-women-who-influenced-historic-artists-homes#.WqqHvsPwa70
Rufous Hummingbird and Scarlett Fritillary
Photograph by Rob Badger and Nita Winter
And in June, the National Trust for Historic Preservation website featured the Museum in an article
on our spring exhibition, Beauty and the Beast: California Wildflowers and Climate Change,
which ran from February 10 to June 17th. Read the article HERE!
Click on images or text for more information.
The galleries
Short-term exhibits in The Main Gallery highlight contemporary art, Native American cultures, Western American history, historic California art and local natural history. Permanent collections showcase Grace Hudson’s art; her family’s history; and Pomo culture and basketry.
the wild gardens
An outdoor Art and Education center is under development on the museum grounds. Located in a parklike setting, The Wild Gardens features native plant gardens with exhibits and art that teaches about our local environment and how Pomo Indian people managed this landscape.
the sun house
The Hudson’s charming 1911 redwood Craftsman bungalow home, the Sun House sits adjacent to the Museum and is available for docent-led tours. More than a century old, The Sun House allows visitors a glimpse into the Hudsons’ Bohemian lifestyle.
The Grace Hudson Museum highlights regional art, culture and natural history in the tradition of an extraordinary family – that of Ukiah native and nationally admired artist Grace Carpenter Hudson (1865-1937), her ethnologist husband, Dr. John W. Hudson (1857-1936) and her pioneering forebears. We provide opportunities for cultural engagement, art appreciation, historical reflection and hands-on learning.
