Molloy: Your weekly dose of Napa’s good things

We want to know about the sunny side of life in Napa County.

Has something big or small brought a smile to your face? Someone win an award? Celebrate a notable anniversary? A new shop opening?

Press Democrat intern Emma Molloy wants to hear from you. Email her your suggestions at [email protected].

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify that Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley was sharing the story of a sexual assault survivor and is not one herself.

There are a lot of things to be thankful for in the Napa Valley community.

Elected officials who are devoted to supporting vital nonprofits and the local art community thrive due to dedicated volunteers.

Here is your weekly dose of good things going on around us.

On Aug. 19, Napa City Council member Liz Alessio hosted her third annual Harvest Hoedown to benefit the Monarch Justice Center. Over $115,000 was raised for the nonprofit at D’Ambrosio Vineyards.

The Monarch Justice Center advocates for crime victims by providing protection and access to resources. It strives to ease the burden that systems and lack of resources place on survivors.

As part of its efforts, services are offered for survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking, elder abuse and sexual assault.

Having the 2023 Harvest Hoedown benefit the Monarch Justice Center was “an easy decision for several reasons,” Alessio said.

“As a daughter of a former Napa police officer, I went on many ride-alongs, and my heart always went out to the victims of crimes, especially crimes of violence,” she said.

Alessio selected an organization she believes deserves recognition within the community — a nonprofit that provides critical services, but that isn’t able to raise funds for itself because its workers “are too busy caring for those who need them.”

During the auction, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley shared the story of a violent crime survivor.

Haley talked about that person being sexually assault and revictimized by a justice system that wasn’t designed to meet survivors’ needs.

She described the system, at that time, as a cruel scavenger hunt in which the person had to find each agency and person, then relive and retell vivid details of their trauma again and again.

Haley’s speech was a strong call to action. It prompted a number of attendees to raise their paddles during the four live-auction lots and a Fund-a-Need for $116,000.

“We went from being shocked, to heartbroken, resolved to action, to tremendous joy with what we were able to raise for Monarch within an hour,” Alessio said.

The organization does not duplicate services provided by other organizations but rather coordinates and organizes them so those in need have better access to resources.

Individuals concerned about their immigration status or members of the LGBTQ+ community may not feel safe at their regular care providers, Haley said. Monarch, however, provides a safe and inclusive space.

“It’s really designed to be inclusive; to treat people with the dignity they deserve.”

As many as 150 attendees attended the fundraising event, including Rep. Mike Thompson and state Sen. Bill Dodd.

“It was a very emotional and highly rewarding event,” said Edward Matovcik, a Monarch board member and vice president of public affairs at Constellation Brands.

“Allison Haley gave a powerful and gut-wrenching example of a victim in need of these services before Monarch was available,” he said.

The 2024 Harvest Hoedown will be held Aug. 17 and will benefit another local nonprofit to raise needed funds.

The Art Association Napa Valley celebrated its 75th anniversary this year by opening a Clay and Glass Center. The studio is the only glassmaking space in the county.

AANV is a nonprofit that supports arts and culture countywide by providing funding, advocacy, marketing and exhibition opportunities for artists.

The studio space, at 2201 Jefferson St., offers glass and ceramic classes, summer camps and studio time for children and adults.

Janis Adams, the association president, is a passionate volunteer dedicated to improving the arts.

Adams, like many of the association’s workers, is not paid for her efforts. She said she is driven by the artistic community’s need for support.

“It’s 100% volunteer; in 75 years they’ve never had a paid position,” Adams said. “So this is all labor of love for a lot of us. I spend about four to eight hours a day on art association business.”

The studio doesn’t teach glass blowing; instead, it teaches glass fusing. It also has eight ceramic wheels and a room with five kilns used to bake various materials.

Members reuse scraps for projects by putting them in a vitrigraph kiln. Pieces heat up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and melt into strings of glass.

“We don’t waste. Our glass costs so much,” Adams said. “And it can be fired nine times before it starts to disintegrate, so you can recycle.”

On Aug. 24, Adams hosted a “Ladies’ Night” freeze and fuse glass class where locals Connie Finigan, Mary Ann Bennett and Olivia Pippert attended.

The art community was in need of a glassmaking space; before the center opened, artists had to leave the county to learn the craft.

Opening a pottery studio has been a long-term goal for Adams and her husband, Tom Collins.

“In Sonoma they have a little place called the pottery at the center, the Sonoma Community Center. I started that in 1995,” Collins said.

“Then my wife got a job in Napa, so we moved here. We’ve been trying to start this for the last 20 years.”

As the space became available, the couple’s vision came to life.

“This is our little, newest pride and joy,” Adams said.

They opened in April and plan to stay for a while before finding a larger space, Collins said.

Nonprofit organizations thrive due to devoted volunteer members such as this husband and wife; those who are “retired and dedicated,” Adams laughed.

Along with the Clay and Glass Center, the association runs an art center in downtown Napa that contains studio space, and offers classes and opportunities for artist collaboration.

“The story is, the second president bought the property in 1953 for $575. It used to be the fire department’s horse barn,” Adams said. “It took two years of volunteer labor and donations to build the cinder block building that’s about 1,000 square feet.”

Another AANV property is the Art Gallery Napa Valley, which features work from over 50 of its 200 members.

The organization hosts self-guided tours through creative spaces in the valley. The 2023 open studios will take place 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 16-17 and Sept. 23-24.

You can reach Intern Emma Molloy at [email protected].

We want to know about the sunny side of life in Napa County.

Has something big or small brought a smile to your face? Someone win an award? Celebrate a notable anniversary? A new shop opening?

Press Democrat intern Emma Molloy wants to hear from you. Email her your suggestions at [email protected].