Peju Province Winery Showcases Local Artists In Rutherford Tasting Room

PRLog (Press Release) – Jul 17, 2008 – Rutherford, Calif. – Peju Province Winery welcomes three local artists to be featured in the Peju Art Exhibit beginning Saturday, July 26, 2008. The show will continue throughout the harvest season with fine artists Molly Francisco, Kay Carlson and Tracy Erin Eastman displaying their artwork in the Peju tasting room tower for viewing and purchasing through Wednesday, October 29, 2008.
   
In July, 2007, Peju began to showcase top artists from the Bay Area and beyond on a three-month rotating basis. Past artists have showcased a vast range of artistic expressions such as sculptures, paintings, photography, illustrations, charcoal drawings and contemporary doll art.  

Each currently featured artist will appear at Peju on a designated day to share personal accounts about their art collection. Francisco will be available at Peju to meet with the public on Sunday, August 17, Carlson on Sunday, September 14 and Eastman on Saturday, October 4.

When Tony and Herta Peju founded Peju more than 25 years ago, the couple incorporated their passion for wine, art, architecture and horticulture into the structure, style and hospitality at Peju’s Rutherford Estate. The family has committed to surrounding guests with an inventive and artistic experience from the wine glass, to the tasting room, to the gardens.  

“We’re extremely pleased to host these talented artists and share their fascinating minds and beautiful portrayals of people and places with our visitors,” Tony Peju said about the ongoing art exhibit. “There is art in everything, including the wines, sculptures and gardens of Peju.”

Guests are invited to explore the Peju Art Exhibit during the tasting room hours of 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. The notable paintings, sculptures and photographs are all available for purchase.

Editor’s Note:  For full artist bios or images of their artwork, please contact Katie Lewis at klewis@peju.com or 707-302-1162.

About Peju Province Winery:
Established in 1982, Peju Province Winery is a family-owned boutique winery located in the Rutherford Appellation, one mile north of Robert Mondavi Winery. Peju’s organically farmed Rutherford Estate Vineyard is home to 30 acres planted to Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc and is ideally situated between Highway 29 and the west bank of the Napa River. Peju also produces wines from its sustainably farmed Persephone Vineyard (Pope Valley) and planting is underway at the Wappo Vineyard (Dutch Henry Canyon). Visitors are welcomed into a magnificent 50-foot tasting room tower to sample Peju’s award-winning wines, including its flagship H.B. Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Syrah, Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Provence, a proprietary blend of red and white varietals. Peju visitors can also enjoy pristine gardens, art exhibits, an extensive gift shop, three wine clubs and a full-working kitchen that hosts a variety of events and classes. Peju’s tasting room is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is located at 8466 St. Helena Hwy, Rutherford, Napa Valley. For more information, visit www.peju.com or call 800-446-7358.

About the Artists:

Molly Francisco – Fine Artist
Molly Francisco derives much inspiration for her paintings from the experiences of living in both France and California. Her direct yet elusive style of painting allows the viewer to reflect on a world that is fresh and innocent. The brightness of her palette continues to invite the viewer into a world of rapture and color by revealing the natural light in every scene. Having lived in the Napa and Sonoma Valleys for 30 years, Francisco has studied the richness of the area’s natural beauty. She studied art at Franciscan University in Ohio. Today, she continues to take art classes in Napa and Sonoma and has shown her collection throughout California.

Kay Carlson – Fine Artist
Kay Carlson’s works are “plein air," meaning painted outdoors in the open air, and are impressionist in style, with broad brushstrokes and brilliant, jewel-like colors. Carlson paints on location near her longtime studio in Sausalito. Though she also works in Tuscany, most often you will find her easel set up between Northern California’s vines where her paintings record the vibrant light and earth patterns of California wine country. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin in English Literature, she completed post-graduate study in painting at the San Francisco Art Institute. Carlson then founded Marin Open Studios as well as teaching for the past 11 years. She was awarded the American Impressionist Society Second Merit Award in 2000. Her work is included in many private, corporate, and university collections.  

Tracy Erin Eastman – Fine Artist
Tracy Erin Eastman was born and raised in San Anselmo, Calif., where at a very young age she developed an interest in the world of art.  She studied both the visual and the performing arts at the College of Marin (COM). Eastman focused her art career on the fine arts after discovering a talent in creating renderings of the human face.  She assisted a number of teachers at COM both in Art and Art History courses and was also awarded scholarships at COM for her involvement with the creation of the national American Soldier painting project, To Never Forget: Faces of the Fallen. Eastman now shares her knowledge and love for art as an active artist and as a teacher. She has also been part of the Italian Street Painting Festival in San Rafael for the past five years.