Richard McDaniel Opens Water Exhibition in Santa Rosa
The Majesty of Water series features four decades of landscape art at the Pepperwood Preserve.
Updated on Oct. 31, 2026 in Fine Art
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Artist Richard McDaniel has launched a four-part exhibition titled The Majesty of Water at the Dwight Center Gallery in Santa Rosa. The collection displays paintings and drawings documenting river landscapes created by the artist over the past 40 years.
Why it matters
The exhibition serves to highlight the changing nature of river environments over time. By incorporating works spanning several decades, McDaniel provides a visual historical record of water systems, including those impacted by significant ecological events like the 1991 Sacramento River chemical spill.
The exhibition features works produced over a 40-year period, with the gallery rotating half of the displayed paintings every two months. Public access begins in January 2027, with regular hours set for Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The players
Richard McDaniel
An artist who served as an artist in residence at Pepperwood Preserve in 2023.
Pepperwood Preserve
An environmental organization and site hosting the Dwight Center Gallery exhibition.
The details
The exhibition is hosted at the Dwight Center Gallery, where McDaniel plans to introduce new pieces for upcoming segments. The artist maintains collaboration with local entities to identify specific river locations for his ongoing work.
Timeline
1988: Creation of the Hurley Flats painting.
1990: Creation of the Niagara Falls painting.
1991: Occurrence of the Sacramento River toxic chemical spill.
1992: Creation of the New York Harbor pencil drawing.
December 3, 2026: Scheduled date for a public showcase event.
Industry Dynamics
This exhibition marks a continuation of the creative output fostered by the Pepperwood Preserve artist-in-residence program. It reflects a broader trend of integrating environmental observation into fine art exhibitions to engage the public with regional landscape changes.
The public can visit the exhibition at the Dwight Center Gallery beginning in January 2027 during operating hours on Thursdays. Guests should plan for a rotating display, as half of the artwork will be updated every two months through the end of the show.
The takeaway
Visitors to The Majesty of Water can observe how the artist documents ecological shifts over four decades. Residents interested in landscape history may find the rotating schedule a useful way to see a broader range of the artist's historical and contemporary techniques.
What happens next
The gallery has scheduled public showcase events on December 3, 2026, February 11, 2027, and April 15, 2027, with the full exhibition concluding in July 2027.
Further reading
Learn more about local cultural developments at the Fine Art section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Santa Rosa Press Democrat.
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