As February continues, so does the festivities of Black History Month in Sonoma County. Folks in Petaluma have been accustomed to celebrating the annual month long observance by interacting and participating in elaborate exhibits and events all over town. But, in the midst of a pandemic causing the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum to still be closed, Petaluma Blacks for Community Development, the organization putting on these events has been forced to think outside the box. The outcome of this has turned a square mile part of Petaluma Downtown into a part time gallery of art and appreciation.

Various posters describing the value and importance of family are currently hung up on windows of certain local businesses across downtown and will remain until Mar. 15 The event is dubbed “Celebrating Family,” which gets its name from asking over 70 Petaluma families, what the word family means to them. The artist behind the project, Paige Green created the poster by taking a monochromatic photo of the entire family, then inserting a quote of what they said family means to them under the photo. The project really focuses on the diversity and special connection each family has with each other as well as emphasizing the fact that families come in all shapes, sizes and colors. The excitement of the event can be felt all over the county. SSU Senior Sam Housner explains that the art gallery is “Something I would definitely check out, I’m interested in seeing all the different photos and quotes.”

The event is a testament to the tight knit community of Petaluma as it took a collaborative effort of many people including various local organizations, business owners and the backbone support of the city of Petaluma and the Petaluma Art Center to establish this event. The posters bring a sense of joy and togetherness to downtown that look to honor and celebrate BHM. With many hurdles to jump through, the community persevered through and put on a unique and powerful experience for locals to enjoy. For SSU Senior Tony Baldini seeing this type of comradery, “Brings joy to me. Seeing local volunteers and groups team up to put on an awesome experience for BHM is amazing.”

Throughout the entire project, a common thread can be seen with a majority of families. The words “love,” “belonging” and “comfort” are just some of the expressions that can be seen on many posters. Local Petaluma business owner Cristian Bermudez states  that “My family means the world to me. They are the brightest light of joy in my day. I would do anything for them. The love for them is unconditional.”

To add on to the “Celebrating Family” event Petaluma Blacks for Community Development (PBCD) is also having a virtual event to honor and celebrate Black History Month. It will be held via zoom on Feb. 27 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. This year’s event will focus on perspectives for exploring the black family in past and present America. The electronic experience will contain plenty of music, art, stories and of course dancing to talk about.

To help navigate and enhance the experience, maps of the exhibit will be available to the public at Copperfield’s Books and the visitor center located near the Sonoma Marin Area Rail Transit station (SMART) and Petaluma Art Center.

For any more questions on this celebration of family and more Black History Month related events, please visit the Petaluma Historical Library and Museum website and click the events tab for more information regarding the topic and other events happening during Black History Month.