Trozzo is a Napa Valley artist and designer. His work is influenced by the natural world and the nature of consciousness. As a symbologist, he paints with the idea that the impossible is possible, according to a news release. He calls it “imaginary realism.” Using oils and acrylics, he also paints natural forms and people. His portraits let the observer contemplate the individuality of each subject. His goal is to create art that inspires each viewer to appreciate the beauty of life.

For more information, visit napalibrary.org.

ACNV offering grants to local creatives

Arts Council Napa Valley (ACNV) is accepting applications for its Community Fund Grant.

Napa County artists, performers, makers, cultural practitioners, writers, groups, small arts and culture nonprofits, and creatives to submit their ideas for amazing community projects and programs are encouraged to apply, according to a news release.

“We support all kinds of endeavors, such as research and development of projects you want to bring to the local community, workshop facilitation, public performances and exhibitions, cultural festivals, and many other kinds of events, projects, and programs,” according to a statement on behalf of the organization.

The Community Fund grant application starts with a passion pitch. Pitches are due by 5 p.m. on Nov. 10. Finalists will be announced in December.

For more details, visit artscouncilnapavalley.org, email [email protected] or call 707- 257-2117.

Letters dance in ‘Wordscapes’

Painter Will Ashford’s latest works are on display at Sofie Contemporary Arts in Calistoga.

The show “Wordscapes” will be on exhibition through Jan. 21, 2024.

“The paintings are pristine black and white canvases created using various fonts (pre-existing, revised or novel) that are meticulously composed and then painted to create intricate, often interlocking patterns that have messages embedded in them, sometimes about art and sometimes about life in general,” according to a news release. “They range from boldly formal works that practically march to seize the canvas, to other more eccentric imagery scattered over the white ground, connecting here and there, and forming a design that can look almost like a new alphabet.

“The fonts in some compositions seem to tumble over or merge with one another, while others are carefully controlled, but all are painted with precision and a fastidious attention to craftsmanship, one of Ashford’s important priorities.”

The “Wordscapes” series was significantly inspired by a topic not usually associated with art making: dyslexia. This learning disorder causes difficulty reading due to problems with the process of decoding, or identifying speech sounds and how they relate to letters and words. Ashford’s fascination with text stems to a large degree from his own dyslexia, that he only realized affected him when he was an adult, according to the news release.

“It was a revelation; I was thrilled to know that I wasn’t crazy or lacking intelligence; I just saw differently!” Ashford said in the release.

The artist also understood that someone without dyslexia cannot truly experience it, and his “Wordscapes” exhibition is a way of visually portraying what it feels like. “I like the idea of making fonts look as if they’re dancing and not just standing around pretending to be words,” he said.

Sofie Contemporary Arts is located at 1407 Lincoln Ave. in Calistoga. For more information, visit gallery.sofiegallery.com.

Rail Arts District to host Holiday Market

The Rail Arts District Napa hosts its inaugural Holiday Market Dec. 2 and Dec. 3 from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Handmade pottery, textiles, jewelry, and other objects created by artists from Napa and Sonoma counties will be on sale in a pop-up store hosted by The Culinary Institute of America (CIA) at Copia in downtown Napa.

“Our first-ever holiday sale celebrates local artists and will raise awareness and funds for the Rail Arts District,” said Shelly Willis, RAD executive director, in a news release. “We’ll highlight a diverse range of artists and a wide variety of mediums, so there will be a beautiful selection of gift ideas, large and small, for all holiday shoppers.”

The work of more than 20 local artists will be showcased in the sale, including ceramics by Jeff Nebeker and Marc Lancet. Nebeker, who is an accomplished pastry chef and cake decorator, creates small ceramic sculptures of baked goods using wet clay squeezed from traditional pastry tools. Co-author of one of the most important books on Japanese wood-fired ceramics, Lancet has been making and teaching ceramics for 40 years and is recognized for his Japanese tea bowls, wood-fired ceramic paintings, and sculptures which have been featured in exhibitions internationally.

The Holiday Market will also include jewelry from Michelle Hoting, who makes jewelry inspired by nature. Tana Soderman will offer cards and photographs of the farm animals she rescues during her day job as the founder and director of Sonoma Chicks.

Textiles Merle Axelrod and Abby Bard will also be featured in the sale. Merle Axelrod’s silk scarves are made with images of landscapes that she stitches together with found fabric. Handwoven blankets, scarves and hats by Abby Bard highlight her use of a backstop loom, a technique she learned in Panajachel, Guatemala from Lucia DeLeon Queche, a Guatemalan woman of Mayan descent.

By providing a space for local artists to showcase their works, the Holiday Market extends RAD’s vision of sparking dialogue and engaging the community in the arts, according to the release. For holiday shoppers, it’s an opportunity to find gifts that are not only completely unique but also support local artisans and small business owners, said Willis.

To learn more, visit radnapa.org.

‘Nutcracker’ tickets on sale now

Festival Napa Valley and Napa Regional Dance Company will team up to present the 22nd annual performance of The Nutcracker this December.

Four performances are scheduled at the Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center: Friday, Dec. 15 at 6 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 16 at 12:30 and 6 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 17 at 2 p.m.

Tickets are $65-75 and available at festivalnapavalley.org/calendar.