The Russian River and Monte Rio Chambers of Commerce are working in partnership with world renowned artist Jim Isermann to design and recreate one of a kind artwork across multiple businesses throughout the Russian River community. 

The Creative Sonoma and National Endowment for the Arts funded “Creative Reopening Project” serves to improve awareness of social distancing and best practices during Covid and it will also be an opportunity to create an incredible thematic art piece that can visually unite the Russian River corridor of Sonoma County.

For more information, visit the website here:  https://russianriver.com/artwork.

The lead creative designer is Bob Pullum, owner of the Guerneville Bank Club (www.bobpullum.com). Bob is an art director and graphic designer who has worked at many top agencies in the United States.  The main artist, Jim Isermann, is an accomplished artist who resides in both Guerneville and Palm Springs.  His works are recognized globally and have been featured at Art Basel Miami, in ARTFORUM and at the Palm Springs Museum of Art.

The Installation spans over 5 miles and is installed and scaled across empty and active storefronts, signs, sidewalks, billboard and A-frames. The original design will unify, educate and enliven the area. Jim’s artwork design is inherent to the natural patterns native to the Russian River and the Redwoods. The artwork will be manifested on vinyl banners, sandwich boards, window clings and even a specially designed mask created by a San Francisco company called Open Editions who works with artists on limited edition masks.

According to designer Jim Isermann: “One strength running through my forty-year practice is a belief in math, structural logic and geometric algorithms. The asymmetric only occurs as the result of a set of rules. What keeps me on this road is the unpredictable, the serendipitous moments that make the work imperfect, breathe and come alive. I have had a summer cabin in Guerneville since 2010. Although the patterns I create are often representative to me, this project was a rare opportunity to design two patterns that represent the Russian River to all our neighbors and visitors. I spend half the year in the desert and when I return to Guerneville each year I view the landscape with fresh eyes. The river and the redwoods were obvious choices. I solved the challenge by emphasizing the contrast between the curvilinear aspect of the river and the rectilinear design of redwood bark. I look forward to seeing the paired patterns on monumental vinyl banners, vinyl window wraps and custom facemasks!”