Art Gallery
NEW EXHIBIT OPENING MARCH 2026!
Bartholomew Estate Winery Announces a New Exhibit Featuring Photographer Jason Tinacci and Painter Porter Brooks
THE BARTHOLOMEW FOUNDATION AND BARTHOLOMEW ESTATE WINERY
Bartholomew Estate Winery is proud to announce its newest Art Exhibit, opening with a Meet the Artists reception on March 15, 2026, 4-6 pm, featuring the compelling works of two celebrated artists, Jason Tinacci, acclaimed fine arts and wine industry photographer, and Porter Brooks, contemporary painter known for his bold, textural works.
Bartholomew Estate Winery is located within the exquisite natural landscape of Bartholomew Park, and is surrounded by picturesque vineyards. This exhibit invites visitors to experience wine country through two striking artistic perspectives. Tinacci’s photography captures the soul and rhythm of Sonoma Valley and beyond, while Brooks’ work reimagines the region’s natural beauty through vibrant color and expressive movement.
“The intersection of art, land, Sonoma Valley history and wine lies at the heart of the estate”, said Anna Pope, Co-Trustee of the Bartholomew Foundation, which owns both Bartholomew Park and Bartholomew Estate Winery. The 375 acre site is the heart of the estate from which Count Haraszthy launched the California wine industry. It was purchased by Frank and Antonia Bartholomew in 1943 and as part of their estate plan, in 1990 it was transferred to the Bartholomew Foundation, to be operated as a private park, with hiking trails and picnic areas open to the public. The Foundation also operates Bartholomew Estate Winery, and all profits of the winery are dedicated to supporting the Foundation’s mission to protect the flora, fauna and cultural history of the site.
“The Bartholomews cared deeply for the community of Sonoma Valley and this magical site, and wanted to ensure that it remained accessible for future generations to enjoy. I believe this exhibit would have delighted them, since through its beauty and the generosity of the artists, a portion of sales of the art will help support the Foundation’s mission to protect and preserve our beloved Bartholomew Park.”
Jason Tinacci Photography
Jason Tinacci is a commercial and fine art photographer based in Sonoma, California. Over the past 25+ years he has built a career creating compelling imagery for brands and businesses in many industries in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. Most notably is his work in the wine industry where he’s earned a reputation as a source for creating evocative brand campaigns through beautiful still photography.
Originally from Brooklyn, NY, he earned a BFA in Photography from St. John’s University and the International Center of Photography. After a short stint as a starving artist, Jason fell into a life and career in technology during the dotcom boom for eight or so years. When that tech bubble burst, he made his first visit out west and quickly fell in love with Sonoma. He moved there six months later to restart cultivating his creative roots.
Alongside his commercial work, Jason produces a distinct body of fine art photography rooted in atmosphere and sense of place. Working with both modern and historic cameras, Jason’s fine art pieces explore the world around us through a timeless storytelling lens. His work is available for purchase online at art.tinacciphoto.com and at his gallery in downtown Sonoma.
Jason lives in Sonoma with his wife, 4-year-old twins and little dog.
125 Years in the Making at Bartholomew Estate Winery – Exhibition Description
In this special exhibition at Bartholomew Estate Winery, photographer Jason Tinacci presents a series of black-and-white panoramic film photographs capturing Northern California’s landscapes and natural forms. Each image is created using a rare 125-year-old Panoram-Kodak swing lens camera — an antique instrument that produces just four exposures per roll of film. The process demands patience, intention, and acceptance of technical limitations. The resulting photographs honor both the natural beauty of the region and the craft of early photography, where every frame is deliberate and every imperfection becomes part of the story.
Artist Statement (For the Panoram-Kodak Collection)
This collection of photographs was created using a 125-year-old Panoram-Kodak camera — a swing-lens film camera originally introduced at the turn of the 20th century. Working with this historic instrument requires patience, precision, and an acceptance of imperfection. Each exposure is deliberate. Each frame is earned.
By choosing black and white film, I remove the distraction of color and invite viewers to experience form, light, texture, and mood in their purest state. The sweeping panoramic format mirrors the expansiveness of the Sonoma landscape while subtly echoing photography’s early days — when capturing an image felt like both science and ritual.
There is something poetic about using a century-old camera to document landscapes that themselves carry deep history. These photographs are not just images of place; they are conversations between past and present. The slow, mechanical process becomes part of the story — a reminder that in a digital age, there is still power in craft, patience, and permanence.
PORTER BROOKS
Brooks’ work now showcased in the Gallery at Bartholomew is part of a collection titled “California Color,” which was previewed in 2025 and is now in full bloom for the 2026 season. It showcases genres including Northern California vivid seascapes, harvest vineyard landscapes, and large-format abstracts.
The Artist’s Journey: From Kitchen to Canvas
Brooks’s journey has always been one of adventure and aesthetic pursuit. Celebrating 20 years on air with a career in both episodic and live television that began at NBC Television San Francisco before taking him to 112 US markets, Brooks has reached millions of households in 32 countries and multiple languages with his “how-to” culinary performances.
Collector to Creator
This evolution was born from a period of profound personal transition. Following a cancer battle, and now widowed after 28 years, Brooks began the journey that eventually led him to discover the easel. As avid collectors, he recalls a running household joke: “The ‘must-have’ piece would eventually be moved from over the fireplace, to the guest room, then the garage, and finally be given away to make room for the next one.” Brooks goes on to say that our favorite phrase was, “One day, we’re going to have one hell of a garage sale.” Brooks adds, “I woke up one day and realized I was out of both wall space and money to buy more art, so I realized I had to start learning how to paint myself.”
The Work: Style & Technique
Brooks’s work is a visceral celebration of movement and light, defined as high-energy primitive impressionism and contemporary abstract. Working in oil paint, he has most recently discovered cold wax medium—echoing a technique used by the Masters and ancient civilizations who employed beeswax in their work nearly 2,000 years ago. Traditionally working on stretched canvas, Brooks is now venturing into new surfaces, including birch boards and stainless steel panels.
The Process: Raw Energy and Primitive Strokes
As a self-taught artist, his process is driven by raw energy and emotion rather than rigid structure, which might be found with a formally trained artist. Brooks often goes months without touching a brush, only to return to the easel for a prolific burst of creativity defined by his own bold, primitive strokes. He states that his aesthetic is informed by the light of the South of France favored by Camille Pissarro and the influence of the American artist Ed Gilliam.
The Bare Minimum: A Limited Primary Palette
Working with what is known as a Limited Primary Palette—as opposed to something like the four-color Zorn Palette—Brooks uses only the three primary colors (Red, Yellow, and Blue) and white. This choice is rooted in how Brooks personally perceives the world; he often sees blacks as blues and violets, greens as blacks, yellows as oranges, and reds as violets. These translations naturally align as complementary colors on the color wheel, creating a sophisticated harmony where orange skies, red rocks, and violet tree trunks all seem to work together—even when those specific hues are rarely found in nature.