Willits Center for the Arts

06/14/2026

The Great Wave off Kanagawa (c. 1831) by Katsushika Hokusai is the most famous image in Japanese art and one of the world's best-known woodblock prints. Created as part of his series Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji, the print depicts enormous waves towering over small fishing boats, while the snow-capped peak of Mount Fuji appears in the distance. The dramatic composition, powerful movement, and striking use of blue pigment made the work highly influential on European artists and helped shape modern art. Scholars estimate that several thousand impressions were originally printed, and approximately 100–150 copies survive today in museums and private collections around the world.

06/13/2026

The Arnolfini Portrait (1434) by Jan van Eyck is one of the most celebrated paintings of the Northern Renaissance. The work depicts the wealthy merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife standing in their home, surrounded by objects rich in symbolic meaning. The small dog represents fidelity, the single lit candle suggests the presence of God, and the convex mirror in the background reflects additional figures, including the artist himself. Van Eyck's extraordinary attention to detail, mastery of oil painting, and realistic rendering of textures make this painting a landmark in Western art and a remarkable record of 15th-century life and culture.

06/12/2026

In 1947, Thomas Hart Benton was commissioned by Hollywood producer David O. Selznick to create an original painting based on a scene in the film version of Tennessee Williams’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play, A Streetcar Named Desire. The work was a gift for Selznick’s first wife, Irene, a theatrical producer responsible for bringing the play to Broadway in the same year. Poker Night captures the sexual tension and violent undertones in the relationships between Blanche DuBois, a down-and-out Southern belle (holding up a mirror), her sister, Stella (leaning over the armchair), and Stella’s husband, the hot-tempered, childlike Stanley Kowalski (wearing a white undershirt). It documents one of the play’s most dramatic and memorable moments, when Blanche taunts a drunk and angry Stanley with her petty provocations and refined airs.

06/11/2026

Sunlight on Brownstones (1956) by Edward Hopper is a quiet and contemplative painting that captures two figures bathed in warm afternoon sunlight on the steps of a brownstone building. Hopper contrasts the bright, golden light on the architecture and figures with the deep shadows and dark greenery in the background, creating a sense of stillness and introspection. As in many of his works, the people appear physically close yet emotionally distant, reflecting themes of solitude and modern urban life. The painting demonstrates Hopper's mastery of light and atmosphere, transforming an ordinary moment into a scene of profound psychological depth.

06/10/2026

Fall Plowing (1931) by Grant Wood is a celebration of the American Midwest and its agricultural traditions. The painting presents a sweeping view of rolling Iowa farmland, with carefully plowed fields, neatly arranged haystacks, and clusters of trees rendered in Wood's distinctive stylized manner. Created during the Great Depression, the work emphasizes order, productivity, and the enduring connection between people and the land. Its smooth forms, rhythmic patterns, and bright colors transform an ordinary rural landscape into an idealized vision of American farming life, reflecting the values of Regionalism and a deep pride in the nation's heartland.

06/09/2026

Summer is here and Willits Center for the Arts will help area kids have a chance to make art! WCA will present 3 week-long FREE classes for ages 7-11. June 15-18, Cierra Bakewell will teach The World of Puppetry, June 22 -25 Laura Wiecek will teach Create A Book, and July 6-9, Pearl Marill will offer a variety of Creative Crafts. Assisting will be juried High School youth mentors, bringing their budding leadership and artistic skills tothese fun classes. Space is VERY limited, with one weekly class available per child, so register now at www.willitscenterforthearts.org, or in person at the WCA gallery desk, Friday thru Sunday from 11am – 5pm. Thank you to the Community Foundation of Mendocino County for supporting this amazing opportunity.

06/09/2026

06/09/2026

Nighthawks (1942) by Edward Hopper is one of the most iconic images in American art. The painting depicts three customers and a waiter in a brightly lit downtown diner late at night, surrounded by dark, empty city streets. Hopper's careful use of light, geometry, and space creates a mood of quiet isolation and contemplation. Painted during World War II, Nighthawks captures the loneliness and anonymity often associated with modern urban life, while inviting viewers to imagine the stories and relationships of the figures gathered in the diner. Today, it remains a powerful symbol of twentieth-century American realism.

06/08/2026

Hollywood (1937) by Thomas Hart Benton is a dynamic mural that captures the bustling world of the American film industry during Hollywood's Golden Age. Benton combines scenes of movie production, glamorous actors, camera crews, and industrial activity into a single energetic composition. The painting reveals both the glamour and the hard labor behind filmmaking, showing Hollywood as a complex blend of entertainment, technology, and commerce. Through his characteristic rhythmic forms and vivid storytelling, Benton presents a uniquely American vision of modern life and popular culture during the 1930s.