Yountville Arts ‘Photo Finale’ to open Jan. 22 at the Steve Rogers Gallery
Yountville Arts will kick off Napa Valley Mustard Season with the opening of the 2026 “Photo Finale,” a photography exhibition honoring the beauty, color and creative spirit of this colorful season.
A show opening on Thursday Jan. 22, at 5:30 p.m. in the Steve Rogers Gallery at the Yountville Community Center will feature photographic works from 34 regional photographers who have captured the landscapes and radiant yellow blooms in fresh and imaginative ways.
There is no charge to attend the opening. Photographs are available for purchase throughout the show.
This event, created in 2023 by professional photographer MJ Schaer, brings together the community and strengthens artistic relationships.
“Through the lens of talented photographers, ‘Photo Finale’ captures the beauty and spirit of Napa Valley’s iconic mustard season and celebrates creativity, connection and the art of photography,” Schaer said.
As locals, we have all witnessed each year the valley’s transformation as fields of mustard blanket the dormant vineyards and quiet hillsides in vibrant yellow blooms. “Photo Finale” brings that seasonal magic indoors, offering visitors a curated selection of images that explore everything from sweeping vistas to delicate close-ups.
The 2026 exhibition encompasses three categories: landscape, innovative and animal/pet. At the Jan. 22 opening, awards will be announced, selected by jurors Shiva Pakdel, executive director of the Sausalito Center for the Arts, former Yountville town manager and photography collector Steve Rogers and Phil Venable, president of the Napa Valley Photographic Society.
A People’s Choice Award will be announced at the closing celebration of the three-month show on March 26. Visitors are encouraged to vote throughout the exhibition.
“This show celebrates not only the beauty of photography, but the shared experience of art in our community,” said Ronda Schaer, chair of the Yountville Arts Commission. “’Photo Finale’ reflects Yountville’s belief that the arts thrive when they are accessible, participatory and deeply connected to place.”
This year, “Photo Finale”will be paired with the Yountville Chamber of Commerce’s Art and Mustard Celebration in the Gallery’s adjoining Heritage Room.
To attend the Chamber Art and Mustard Celebration, there is a $25 online admission charge, $30 at the door, if available. Tickets are expected to sell out.
For more information about the show and exhibition or upcoming Yountville Arts programs, visit www.yountvillearts.com or the Photo Finale website www.photo-finale.com or email Katelyn Huss at [email protected].
