Dorothea Lange’s California, Revisited — SVMA’s Linda Keaton on art, migration & a world-premiere inside the museum

This week, Tim sits down with Linda Keaton, Executive Director of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art (SVMA), to preview Last West: Dorothea Lange’s California, Revisited. The exhibition pairs Lange’s iconic documentation of Dust Bowl migration with contemporary artists exploring today’s migrant labor, agriculture, climate, and community—revealing what has (and hasn’t) changed.

Linda also shares how SVMA is transforming a third of the museum into a theater to present the world premiere of a stage work adapted from poet Tess Taylor’s letters to Lange—plus a slate of talks and roundtables featuring photojournalists, scholars, and farming leaders. It’s a packed season that shows how a small, scrappy museum can convene big conversations.

Along the way: Sonoma Art Walk nights, how exhibitions are chosen, why memberships (and NARM reciprocity) are such a great deal, and a few beloved local bites for a quick lunch between art stops.

Highlights

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  Dorothea Lange’s legacy & why it resonates now

  
  


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  Contemporary artists in conversation with Lange’s work

  
  


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  Programs: immigrant workers, sociology, and sustainability in farming

  
  


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  Building a theater inside the museum; student performances

  
  


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  How SVMA curates, collaborates, and “punches above its weight”

  
  


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  Visitor basics: hours, free Wednesdays, tickets, memberships & NARM

  
  

Links

• Sonoma Valley Museum of Art – SVMA.org

• Exhibit: Last West: Dorothea Lange’s California, Revisited (opening after short changeover)

• Oct 18 conversation (Eric Castro, Kin Ly/Light, Dr. Daniel Malpica) – tickets at SVMA.org

• Sustainability in Farming roundtable – tickets at SVMA.org

• Theater adaptation by Tess Taylor – performances Nov–Dec (including 2 free student shows)

• Plan your trip: SonomaValley.com

Visit SVMA

Open Wed–Sun, 11am–5pm • Free on Wednesdays • General admission ~$10 • Members free (with NARM reciprocity to thousands of museums)

Guest

Linda Keaton — Executive Director, Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Former curator, art consultant, and adjunct professor of art history.

Host

Tim Zahner • Sonoma Valley Visitors Bureau – SonomaValley.com

Credits

Recorded in Sonoma Valley. Theme music by Bobbo Deablo.

If this episode moved you, share it, become an SVMA member, and bring a friend to Last West. Art + community = Sonoma.