Napa Valley Arts in April™

NAPA VALLEY, Calif., March 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- The Napa Valley, known for its premium wines, Michelin-star dining, healing hot-spring waters, relaxing spas, and unparalleled natural beauty is also the home of an extraordinary collection – an impressive trove of world-class art for visitors and residents to enjoy any time of the year. With public and private art exhibits and museums, winery art installations, art walks, galleries, open studios, and several notable live performance venues, scores of options exist in the combined "Napa Valley Collection™." To satisfy the deepest craving for cultural exploration, a new event named "Napa Valley Arts in April™" offers a month-long celebration of the collection and the elemental connection between wine and the arts.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110308/FL61709 )

From American Canyon through the Carneros region to vibrant Downtown Napa, to Yountville, Oakville, Rutherford, St. Helena and Calistoga, wineries, galleries, studios, and other businesses will serve up special arts-related offers and host art-and-wine events. And to cap off each day of art and wine, the Valley's performance venues will pull out all the stops to bring exciting cultural entertainment to the evening hours.

Access to the full collection of themed events and special offers is available with the purchase of a Legendary Napa Valley Arts in April™ Founders Pass for a donation of $20 per person at www.legendarynapavalley.com, or at participating host venues. (Tickets to live performance venues are not included in the Napa Valley Arts in April™ Founders Pass, but many offer discounts or special wine receptions throughout the month).

Opportunities include:

Wednesdays in April at The Hess Collection

Every Wednesday in April, at 10:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m., enjoy a complimentary Exhibition Tour and Tasting at the Hess Collection, a Napa Valley premium winery housing one of the world's most impressive and extensive art collections. Explore two passions under one roof with a private docent-led tour of the Hess Collection Art Museum followed by a tasting in the historic stone winery atop Mount Veeder. Offered throughout April, without charge on Wednesdays at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., for Napa Valley Arts in April Founders Pass holders. Limited availability, advance reservations required by calling (707) 255-1144 or by email to [email protected].

St. Helena Art Week, April 18 - 22

Enjoy the vibrant art and wine scene in the beautiful town of St. Helena in the heart of the Napa Valley. From April 18 to 22, St. Helena showcases its bounty of art & wine in a series of special events available to Napa Valley Arts in April attendees. Included in the week-long festivities are a centennial birthday party & wine tasting at the Grandview Mansion, a special reception and wine tasting featuring SFMOMA Curator Henry Urbach at the historic Cameo Cinema, the "Stroll n' Sip" on beautiful Fulton Lane in St. Helena, featuring the wineries of Fulton Lane followed by a poetry reading at the St. Helena Library by Napa Valley's own Poet Laureate, and "Which Came First? A play on art, wine, and the EGG!" hosted by Nimbus Arts and Martin Design Showrooms, featuring Orin Swift Wines and Olabasi Wines, and more.

ART ON F1RST

Art on First brings art into the City of Napa's downtown community and infuses First Street with a fun, artsy vibe. Art on First features 20 Bay Area artists who have created a one-of-a-kind installation of contemporary artwork that will be on display along Downtown Napa's up-and-coming First Street. Longtime residents and visitors alike are invited to admire the art in the windows and are encouraged to a cast a vote for their favorite piece. On Friday, April 1st, Art on First will feature the inaugural "First Friday," where a unique piece of art created by a local artist will be hidden and guests will utilize social media tools to collect and decipher clues for an art scavenger hunt to find the piece. After the hunt, a casual reception with the artist will be held with wine and light appetizers for all participants. For more information, please visit http://www.napaartonfirst.com.

In addition to these opportunities, visitors can also view the impressive art holdings at several of the Valley's finest wineries, experience daily exhibitions and special events at the Napa Valley Museum, attend art & wine receptions at tasting rooms including Mason Cellars, Monticello Vineyards, and the Silverado Trail Wine Studio, enjoy Napa Valley's Earth Day Celebration complete with musical entertainment on April 23rd, and more.

And when the sun goes down, the fun and art experiences continue with special performances and offers at the Lincoln Theater, the Uptown Theater and Napa Valley Opera House, featuring a diverse lineup including Arlo Guthrie, Randy Newman, George Thorogood & The Destroyers, the Napa Valley Symphony, Leo Kottke, Philip Glass, and comedians Will Durst and Lisa Lampanelli, among many others.

The complete Napa Valley Arts in April™ lineup is available at www.legendarynapavalley.com. More events, offers and activities are being added daily, so check back often.  And special packages offered by the Napa Valley's gracious lodging establishments and spas will entice guests to stay longer and experience the boundless activities available to lovers of all things related to the arts, complemented by the Valley's other charms – the best in wine, food and wellness attractions. 

Napa Valley Arts in April™ is presented in partnership by the Arts Council Napa Valley, Napa Valley Destination Council (NVDC), Napa Valley Opera House, and the Napa PBID Marketing Committee, with funding support from Napa County and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.

About Legendary Napa Valley

The Napa Valley is home to the founders of America's fine wine industry - legendary entrepreneurs who showed the world that the art of winemaking had crossed continents - and is prized for its natural beauty, phenomenal culinary scene, world-class hotel accommodations, robust arts community, and one-of-a-kind wellness experiences including the region's famed spas, mud baths and healing geo-thermal springs. The area was voted the World's #1 Food & Wine Destination in the recent 2010 TripAdvisor® Travelers' Choice® Awards, and is internationally recognized as one of only nine "Great Wine Capitals." Visit www.LegendaryNapaValley.com for more information or to download the new Visit Napa Valley Mobile App, and join "The Napa Valley" community on Facebook and follow us on Twitter at @LegendaryNapa.

SOURCE The Napa Valley