Wine Country Times

Spray It Like You Mean It: Contemporary Murals of Sonoma County is being presented through the end of February by the University Art Gallery at Sonoma State University.

The exhibition can be viewed online at the art gallery's website.

Spring Maxfield, the guest curator of the exhibit, created the collection of public artworks in photos “to highlight the flourishing of the medium in the county,” according to the accompanying exhibition description.

The large collection of murals could never fit inside the actual gallery, and is well-suited to a virtual exhibition, he said in the description.

Whether the murals are by graffiti artists or those who specialize in providing the illusion of three-dimensional space with two-dimensional art, such public art can have a significant societal impact, Maxfield said.

“These very public artworks can provide a vehicle for change in how communities see themselves,” Maxfield said in the description. “Murals can draw attention to often overlooked neighborhoods and celebrate a vibrancy that exists in liminal public spaces, bringing pride of place and a sense of collective ownership to residents.”