Yountville Arts Presents Photo Finale at the Steve Rogers Gallery

Yountville Arts Presents Photo Finale at the Steve Rogers Gallery

A Vibrant Celebration of Napa Valley’s Mustard Season

Yountville Arts is proud to announce the opening of the 2026 Photo Finale, a photography exhibition that explores Napa Valley’s mustard season through images capturing its color, landscape, and creative expression. The show opens Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in the Steve Rogers Gallery, 6516 Washington St., Yountville. The exhibition features striking works from 34 regional photographers who capture the landscape’s radiant yellow blooms in fresh and imaginative ways.

Each year, the valley transforms as fields of mustard blanket dormant vineyards and quiet hillsides in vibrant yellow. Photo Finale brings this seasonal magic indoors, offering visitors a curated selection of images that range from sweeping vistas to delicate close-ups.

Created in 2023 by professional photographer MJ Schaer, the exhibition brings together photographers from Napa Valley and surrounding regions to strengthen community and artistic connections. “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.

This year’s exhibition includes three distinct categories: Landscape, Innovative, and Animal/Pet. Awards will be presented at the Jan. 22 opening and selected by jurors Shiva Pakdel, executive director of the Sausalito Center for the Arts; former Town Manager and photography collector Steve Rogers; and Phil Venable, president of the Napa Valley Photographic Society.

An additional People’s Choice Award will be announced at the closing celebration of the three-month exhibition on March 26. Visitors are encouraged to vote throughout the show.

Photo Finale underscores Yountville’s ongoing commitment to the arts, bringing together photographers, residents, and visitors in the welcoming setting of the Steve Rogers Gallery. The exhibition invites the community to slow down, look closely, and engage, whether through thoughtful viewing, conversation, or casting a ballot for the People’s Choice Award.

“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, held in the gallery’s adjoining Heritage Room.

Exhibition:
Photo Finale

Description:
Photographs will be available for purchase throughout the exhibition.

Location:
Steve Rogers Gallery
6516 Washington St.
Yountville, CA 94558

Important Dates:

Thursday, Jan. 22: Exhibition opens
Thursday, March 26: Closing celebration and People’s Choice Award announcement

Admission:
There is no charge to attend the Photo Finale opening.

Admission to both the Chamber Art and Mustard Celebration and Photo Finale is $25 online or $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, please visit www.yountvillearts.com or Photo-Finale www.photo-finale.com or email Katelyn Huss at khuss@yville.com.

An example of each category is shown below.

Rows of vineyard vines surrounded by blooming yellow mustard flowers under soft daylight.