Sarah Dowling

Napa

Features Editor at Napa Valley Register

Current features editor @NapaRegister. Former editor @woodlandnews. Sometimes librarian @sonomalibrary. @SSU_1961 alum. @SJSU alum.

Articles

Art Abound: In a Napa exhibition, a mission to be ‘Rooted in Wonder’

1 month ago | modbee.com | Sarah Dowling

Sarah Dowling headshotSarah DowlingCARNEROS - It is not often that I have attended an exhibition focusing on a single artist, I realized during a recent visit to di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art. Titled "Rooted in Wonder," the latest exhibition in Gallery 1 showcases the work of Frances McCormack, whose career spans 40 years.
Art Abound: In a Napa exhibition, a mission to be ‘Rooted in Wonder’

1 month ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

CARNEROS — It is not often that I have attended an exhibition focusing on a single artist, I realized during a recent visit to di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art. Titled “Rooted in Wonder,” the latest exhibition in Gallery 1 showcases the work of Frances McCormack, whose career spans 40 years. Many of her paintings and collages will be on display through June 29 at the center, located at 5200 Carneros Highway (Highway 12/121) in the Carneros area southwest of Napa.
Napa Valley prepares to ‘Geek Out’ at library comic convention

1 month ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

Napa County residents do not have to wait until Halloween to dress up in their favorite costumes. Geek Out Napa Valley Comic-Con returns on Saturday, May 17, for its third year. The event, hosted by the Napa County Library, is “a celebration of creativity, imagination, and local talent,” Anthony Halstead, the county director of library services, said in a statement. “From award-winning artists and authors to live music and cosplay, there’s something for everyone to ‘geek out’ on.
Culinary legends Thomas Keller, Alice Waters and Jamie Oliver talk ‘Chef’s Table’ in Napa

1 month ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

Anyone can cook. For Disney and Pixar fans, these three words are the motto repeated throughout the 2007 animated classic “Ratatouille,” a film that follows a rat named Remy as he navigates cooking in a fine-dining restaurant in Paris. For David Gelb, director and executive producer of the long-running Netflix series “Chef’s Table,” this film has been an inspiration. But after 10 years of working on the acclaimed documentary, he had some wisdom of his own.
Napa Regional Dance Company prepares for spring showcase

1 month ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

Frances Allen, like many of her Napa Regional Dance Company classmates, has been working on her ballet skills since she was 6 years old. Now, the 18-year-old New Technology High School student is preparing for her senior sendoff — a solo performance to cap off the company’s “Velocity” dance showcase later this month. Allen has mixed feelings about graduating, she explained during a recent interview at the Polk Street studio.
Napa’s Oxbow Lightscapes Project rethinks the traditional gallery space

2 months ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

Welcoming over a million visitors annually, Napa’s Oxbow Public Market has an energetic hum that is difficult to find elsewhere in the city. But the 40,000-square-foot marketplace on First Street can also feel calm as merchants set up in the early morning hours, preparing for an influx of locals and tourists alike. Napa artist Arleene Correa Valencia has witnessed both extremes, taking in the hustle and bustle that is the Oxbow.
Art Abound: Theater near and far

2 months ago | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

“Hadestown” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” could not be more different. The former is a jazzy musical that made its Broadway debut in 2019 and features a large ensemble cast. The latter, written by Oscar Wilde, premiered in 1895 and is a comedy featuring a small cast. Both center on themes of love but with wildly — pun intended — different approaches to the concept. And both were great fun to watch last month.
To the world below and back again: ‘Hadestown’ opens at American Canyon High School on Friday

Mar 26, 2025 | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

AMERICAN CANYON — Summer Heartt, like all theater arts teachers, has a long list of productions she would like to see performed by her students at American Canyon High School — “Hadestown” being at the top.
Art comes downtown: di Rosa Center opens satellite gallery in heart of Napa

Mar 12, 2025 | sanluisobispo.com | Sarah Dowling

di Rosa First St. 1A visitor looks at the art on display at the di Rosa satellite gallery in the First Street Napa shopping complex on Feb. 28. Passersby on a recent Friday night in downtown Napa were met with the hum of synthesizers on First Street - the sounds activating colorful images on old-style CRT television screens positioned throughout the corridor.
Art comes downtown: di Rosa Center opens satellite gallery in heart of Napa

Mar 12, 2025 | napavalleyregister.com | Sarah Dowling

Passersby on a recent Friday night in downtown Napa were met with the hum of synthesizers on First Street — the sounds activating colorful images on old-style CRT television screens positioned throughout the corridor. Artist Sean Hallowell called the rhythmic tune “Song 1,” prompting laughter from dozens of people leaning against the walls along an area known as Artist Alley, which on that Friday lived up to its name.