Mendocino Art Center

The Medocino Art Center is special in its location and mission. The building overlooks the ocean from atop the headlands and their mission is " to be a vital cultural resource, providing a broad range of the highest quality educational and exhibition opportunities in the arts to all people." The center opened in 1959 and has provided artists of all levels an opportunity to grown and learn. Today's center serves as a retreat from the busy world below and allows artists to escape, create, breath, and grow new relationships based in art. The center is a creation space as well as a place where art is exhibited. The center is located 150 miles north of San Francisco in the village of Medocino, welcoming students, teachers, novice artists, and professionals. Facilities include studios and classrooms suitable for painting, ceramics, jewelry, drawing, and fiber arts creations. There are a dozen onsite apartments, allowing artists to completely immerse themselves in their art. The center is surrounded by landscaped gardens featuring native plants and sculptures in the tiled courtyard amidst the studios. The center was originally the Preston mansion, a building that was featured in the James Dean movie East of Eden. In addition to offering an artist's retreat, the center provides facilities for rental for weddings, community, social, and educational events, business functions.