Photos taken by Jude Mooney from Artists & Farmers at Cornerstone Sonoma in 2010.

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It’s the little things. The details. The finer points that make Petaluma what it is.  And sometimes words just won’t do to tell that story.  Snapshot is a show-don’t-tell project designed to illuminate the many intricacies (and eccentricities) of the people that bring life to Petaluma.

We are asking you to stop talking and start clicking.  Pick up that old Polaroid, that pocket sized point-and-shoot, fancy SLR, or neat little new camera app on your phone – and start taking snapshots of the details surrounding your life.  Anything and everything that represents your life that fits in one snapshot.

Have fun.  Be creative.  Be real.  A public display will then be created to give us all a snapshot of life in Petaluma from your lens.  Bring your final pictures or email them HERE by Jan. 1st.  Then join us and all the people that call PETALUMA home at AQUS Café for a glimpse into all the pieces that make Petaluma.

Stop talking.  Start clicking.

SEE THE FINAL ENTRIES HERE

Somewhere between your home and your community there’s a door.
Project HERE is about opening it.

And so, as part of our door-2-door campaign, we invite you to submit a portrait of your front door,
with the people who pass through it everyday. from these photos we will create a tapestry,
a modern day quilt if you will, that represents the welcoming spirit and rich cultural tapestry
of your community

We are pleased to announce the 2nd Annual
Artists & Farmers event will be held at
Cornerstone Sonoma this year.

We look forward to continuing the tell the stories of the people that are the cornerstone
of Sonoma life, the Artists & Farmers.

Please join us on October 3rd

Please visit the projects site for find more information:

SonomaProject.com

How do you understand a place?
You start by understanding the people that live here.

Our goal at project Here is to capture the stories of the people of Petaluma and discover why they choose to call this corner of the world home. These people are the heart of our city. They make it authentic and give it a soul. Their stories shape our culture, our vibe, our history and our present. All in an effort to discover what connects us, what separates us, what will bring us together.This event will continue to be an ongoing photo documentery designed and photographed by the people that live HERE for the people that live HERE.

“&”

It’s been almost 4 years since my husband, son and I moved to Petaluma, trading in our city life for a place with breathing room. This town captivated us, though at the time, it was hard to pinpoint the exact source of its appeal. Without knowing its formal history we could instantly sense its uniqueness from all others spread along the 101.

Each time we explored a new pocket or corner, we found ourselves admiring the organic mix of styles, tastes and influences. Small town charm peacefully coexists with modern-day conveniences. Scenic hillsides are peppered with the sweat of industry, alongside suburban enclaves. Agricultural roots serve as the context for an unexpectedly current livelihood of arts and music.

Perhaps most evident is the architectural diversity we witnessed in our search of a house to call home. We were taken by the tapestry of English cottages blending with their Spanish-style neighbors nestled beside renewed Craftsmans, mid-century ranch, modern steel-siding, and of course, elegant heritage Victorians. It was as if we had stumbled upon a place immune to the chronology of time, embracing with open arms every era with equal love. If Petaluma were an art project, it would certainly be deemed mixed media.

It was obvious that this town serves as an intersection, a meeting place if you will, where assorted personalities and perspectives come together and somehow swirl into a mix that is at once idiosyncratic and attractive.

No longer outsiders looking into this unique community, we are now enthusiastic participants falling deeper into its embrace. Over time, I’ve heard a lot of attempts to sum up this magic quality that is Petaluma. Most recently it’s been called eccentric and eclectic, both ideas that speak to the diversity and mix-ology that drew us here.

For me there might be an even simpler summation. It lies in a word so commonplace that it’s often overlooked, yet its role and meaning is so powerful when you stop to think about it. The word is AND, or better still, the symbol of “&”. The ultimate connector, “&” joins contrasting, even opposing ideas and offers them a home…together. “&” unites the unlike-minded, enjoys their differences and suspends judgment. “&” promotes dimension rather than singularity, vibrancy over monotony. Most importantly, “&” encourages harmony built on mutual respect.

At it’s essence “&” represents the core of what community should be – people from varying backgrounds and experiences, from diverse ethnicities and a spectrum of socio-economic classes coming together in conviviality. Isn’t that what true community is all about? Acknowledging, sharing, even celebrating our differences so that we may learn and grow from them?

It makes me proud to think that I live in a town that embodies “&” at its core, that connectedness that is community. If we can embrace this nature that is inherent to Petaluma, I believe that we can step forward into the future stronger, richer and a model for other communities to follow.

WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T TAKE OUR COMMUNITY’S UNIQUE AND ENRICHING SPIRIT AND BOTTLE IT?

That’s the idea behind PROJECT HERE – a grassroots movement connecting the citizens of Pataluma to the personalities fueling our culture and commerce. To showcase all the ingredients that go into our vibrant local community, PROJECT HERE has asked locals to fill a jar with something, anything, that represented their contribution to our town’s rich cultural tapestry. All in an effort to raise awareness of community-based commerce.

So join us and view all the people that call HERE home and find out what Petaluma is truly made of.

As we see it, if you want the community to gather, you’ll need to supply a community gathering pad.

Show up, pick some fruits and veggies and break out the dinner plates and beverages.
Then sit back a meet all the fantastic people that make up our community.

And watch for the turf to show up at other local events in need of a little community gathering.

We’ll see you HERE.

What does the typography of a town
say about it’s culture, it’s people,
it’s past?

We’re photographing the typographic landscape of Petaluma to see what develops. Are we preserving our agricultural past or are we pushing it aside for a newer, more modern facade?

This selection will grow over time and then you can be the judge.