“California’s Changing Landscape: The Way of Water” on view hrough July 8, 2024
SOLVANG — The California Nature Art Museum is pleased to announce California’s Changing Landscape: The Way of Water, an upcoming solo exhibition by renowned photographer George Rose on view through July 8, 2024 at The Wildling Museum, 1511-B Mission Drive in Solvang. Featuring more than 20 large-format documentary inkjet photographs of the Golden State, this timely exhibition showcases Rose’s recent expansive documentation of California’s dramatic water story.
George began this project during the Covid-19 pandemic, just as the effects of drought were becoming increasingly visible. His images capture those dramatic scenes. But then suddenly in early 2023 California was hit with record-setting rain and snowstorms, which effectively filled reservoirs and – at least temporarily – ended the drought. It was a fortuitous happenstance, as George was able to capture California’s landscapes as both dry and thirsty, and as lush and full, creating a true yin and yang effect on his photography.
“We are so excited to be partnering with George Rose for another show,” said Stacey Otte-Demangate, Executive Director. “We are fortunate to be hosting such a timely exhibition and forthcoming book which document the state of water in California both during the recent extreme drought and then again following sudden major rain and snow melts that rejuvenated most, if not all, of our reservoirs. George’s eye for compelling landscapes and the stories they can tell istruly amazing.”
“I have always been curious about how we acquire our drinking water,” said author and photographer George Rose. “I made the decision to educate myself about California’s convoluted water systems, and set out to photograph as many of the important and not- so-important state water reservoirs as possible. As I look back, I realized I was witnessing a changing climate and landscape which was evolving before my eyes.”
His vast exploration of the state and its fraught relationship with water will culminate with the release of his forthcoming book California’s Changing Landscape: The Way of Water which is due for release in Spring, 2024.
The Wildling Museum offers a unique opportunity for visitors to experience the beauty of our natural world through the stunning exhibits on view. However, The Wildling is not merely pretty works of art hanging on a sterile wall. It is an immersive, multi-dimensional vision combining professionally curated exhibitions with both an educational component about our dwindling resources along with hands-on opportunities designed to inspire activism and passion for conserving the natural wilderness spaces all around us for future generations.
The Wildling Museum is open Weekdays 11am-4pm (except Tuesday and Wednesday) and Weekends 10am-5pm and is supported by the generosity of its sponsors and members.
For more information about The Wildling Museum please visit https://wildlingmuseum.org. To schedule interviews with Executive Director, Stacey Otte-Demangate and Author/Photographer, George Rose, or request broadcast-quality B-roll and high-res images, please contact Joni Kelly, Communications Specialist at 805-886-1869 or jonikellycomm@gmail.com. Working members of the media are welcome to attend the special Artist Reception on Sunday, December 10th by advance arrangement.
About the Wildling Museum — The Wildling Museum of Art and Nature, where art and nature meet, offers visitors a unique perspective on the importance of preserving our natural heritage. Through the eyes of artists, and education and field experiences, guests can renew their relationship with the wilderness and understand its fragile nature – hopefully leaving more committed toward ensuring those spaces remain for future generations. Current visiting hours are weekdays 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. and weekends 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. For more information, and to volunteer or join as a member to support this important local arts and nature institution, please visit www.wildlingmuseum.org
About George Rose — Over 45 years ago, George Rose began his long career as a photographer. He has traveled a long and winding road through the elite worlds of popular music, film, news, politics, and sports, eventually leading him to California’s Wine Country.
In the 1970s and 80s, Rose served six years as a staff photographer for the Los Angeles Times. His independent assignments, focused primarily on the entertainment industry, have been published in USA Today, Time, Newsweek and Rolling Stone. In 1987, Rose won a World Press Photo Award for news, and was named California “Newspaper Photographer of the Year” in 1976 by the University of Missouri, School of Journalism. The Los Angeles Times twice nominated him (1979 and 1980) for a Pulitzer Prize.
From 1982 to 1996, Rose prowled the sidelines of the San Francisco 49ers and Oakland/Los Angeles Raiders games as a photographer for the National Football League (NFL). Rose co-owned and co-published the Mendocino Grapevine, an award-winning Northern California weekly newspaper based in Ukiah. It was during this period that he became friendly with the Fetzer family (owners of Fetzer Vineyards), planting the seeds of a future career in wine.
For the past 25 years, Rose worked as a wine industry executive communications director at four successful wine companies. During this time, he continued to pursue his passion of photography. His vineyard photos have been used in numerous publications and calendars throughout the world of wine, and in 2007, Chronicle Books published a collection of those images in a book entitled The Art of Terroir. In 2014, the Wine Institute (California Wines) published his book, Down To Earth: A Seasonal Tour of Wine Sustainability in California, with author Janet Fletcher. VINEYARD Sonoma County, his first large format, coffee table-style book, was released in 2017, followed by WINE COUNTRY Santa Barbara County, released in 2019. His forthcoming book, California’s Changing Landscape: The Way of Water will be released in 2024.
Rose, a contributing photographer with Getty Images, lives in Santa Barbara County’s Santa Ynez Valley. Much of his time is devoted to documenting the natural environment as well as top vineyard estates up and down the coast of California.