The Napa Valley Museum newest show “Northern Views: California Painting in the Plein Air Tradition,” opens with a reception Friday, 6-8 p.m.

Jean Stern, executive director of  the Irvine Museum, presents a lecture on the exhibit Saturday, 3-4:30 p.m.

A companion exhibition will be on view at the I. Wolk Gallery in St. Helena from Friday through July 17. The I. Wolk Gallery will host an opening reception on Saturday, 5-7 p.m. at the 1354 Main St. gallery.

“Northern Views” is the Napa Valley Museum’s third plein air exhibition, a juried show of artworks interpreting California’s landscape and environment by contemporary artists from throughout California. The museum received nearly 250 submissions. Kenn Backhaus and Kevin McPherson, past presidents of the Plein Air Painters of America, and Jean Stern selected the 72 paintings. 

Many of the top plein air painters in California are represented, working in a variety of media. Artists include Brian Blood, Randall C. Sexton, Kim Lordier, Steven Markhoff, Camille Przewodek and Robin Purcell. 

The term plein air refers to paintings that are completed on-site outdoors. The governing sense, however, is the effect and style that the painting creates. Therefore, entries to the exhibition were either done completely outdoors or they may have been started in the outdoors and finished in the studio.  Info, 944-1500.

 A reception takes place Sunday, 3-5 p.m. for Fred Morse’s show at the Arrangement in Napa. This is Morse’s sixth solo show in the last 11 months. “The Ecclectic Art of Fred Morse” will be on view through May 30 at the Arrangement, 821 Coombs St.

ºhold an open studio and spring “pre-Mother’s Day” sale Saturday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m., and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Napa Valley College Community Education Center, 1360 Menlo Ave., between Memorial Stadium and the school district bus yard.

The sale features a variety of ceramic and mosaic art, including sculptures, table tops, bowls, dinner ware, vessels and vases.

During the sale, artists will be working on projects and demonstrating techniques.

Napa Community Potters is a collaborative of more than 30 local artists. The sale helps group projects, including the purchase of new equipment.

Instructor Michael Maday notes that adults of all ages are welcome to enroll in the classes offered in ceramics and mosaics. The classes are free, and registration is in class. A $25 materials fee can be used as a voucher.

The next session of classes is June 4 through July 25. Clay construction classes are  offered  Tuesday and Thursday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.,  and Monday and Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 5:30-9:30 p.m. Mosaics class takes place Thursday, 5-9 p.m. Info, contact Maday at 258-8822.

Jessel Gallery is the place to drop by to view the stunning artwork up for bid in Cirque de la Symphonie, the Napa Valley Symphony League’s auction in support of the symphony now celebrating its 75th year.

Artist Jessel Miller pulled together the show, calling on valley artists for works that express light, movement and music.

The result is a diverse “symphony” of art works like Dave Huddleson’s fantastic, fanciful “The Improbable Processional,” in which a parade of creatures makes its way to “the enchanting city of Calendrim.” and Edmund Grant’s lively and bizarre “Cirque de Chanson Gastronomique.”

One of the works garnering much attention, Miller said, is glass artist Michele Mitcavish’s “Ocean Symphony,” a neon sculpture in wood and glass. Christina Williamson’s 3D mosaic violin “Stumento di Luce” (”Instrument of Light”) is a glittering creation of glass mosaic and Swaroski crystal.

All of the works, are on view at Jessel Gallery through Saturday. Miller, who also contributed a work, “Music and Movement,” has invited the participating artists to display other works of art along with the auction piece. After Saturday the show comes down but Miller will be storing the art, and if someone is interested in seeing a piece, she will make it available.

Meanwhile the bidding continues on line at www.napavalleysymphony.cmarket.com. Images of the works, as well as background information on the artists is posted there. The auction culminates in the Symphony’s “Cirque de la Symphonie” gala June 23.

Jessel Gallery is at 1019 Atlas Peak Road.