Scrap-metal sheep dotting the hillside hint that something unusual is afoot on 217 acres of Carneros countryside at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art (dirosaart.org; adult/child $25/5). This groundbreaking collection was the personal passion of free-spirited reporter-turned-grape-farmer Rene di Rosa, who hung hyperrealist Robert Bechtle paintings on the ceiling and installed spooky Tony Oursler videos in his cellar. Today the gatehouse gallery showcases Viola Frey's monumental 1970s ceramic sculpture, David Best's art cars, and visiting California artists, while inspiration overflows into the Sculpture Meadow.
Rene di Rosa was working as a reporter for the San Francisco Chronicle, yet somehow by 1960 he'd managed to save enough to buy paintings by Bay Area artists and a ruined winery in the windswept corner of Carneros, both of which seemed like crazy purchases at the time. Rene and his wife Veronica sold off valuable vineyards to fund the conversion of their entire estate to an arts nonprofit and nature preserve. They kept adding works to their art collection until they passed away, leaving the entire estate to their beloved nonprofit trust.
But after decades of public access to the billion-dollar-plus art collection, disaster struck. The 2017 and 2019 wildfires swept through Carneros, causing smoke-damage to the di Rosa residence that caused its closure. Several artworks in the Sculpture Meadow were singed by 2017 wildfires and a few were blown over by the force of the fire, including Ray Beldner’s poignant truism spelled out in rusted-metal letters across the valley: Nature Remains. Scorched works had to be brought indoors for restoration, which inspired a new art installation: Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times, where sculptures were arranged to look like protestors gathered for a demonstration. Today key works from the residence are on display in the galleries, and the sculpture is re-installed in the meadows, restoring delightful elements of surprise and reflection to the Carneros landscape.
