Opening Night: Crafting Curiosity, Advancing a Legacy of Agriculture and Making at the Eames Ranch
Free Reception Thursday, January 22, 2026, 5:30-7:30 PM
Join us for a celebratory reception presenting the work of the inaugural spring and fall sessions of the Ranch Studios Artist Residency program. Beer, wine and light refreshments will be served.
Thanks to a generous donation from Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator of the Eames Institute, admission during the entire show will be free!
A multidisciplinary group of artists were invited to generate new ideas in a creative ecosystem committed to cultivating curiosity. Opening during San Francisco Art Week, Crafting Curiosity celebrates not only what was made, but also how it was made: through individual exploration, shared learning, and a belief in the generative possibilities that arise when we work together.
Crafting Curiosity features work from the inaugural Ranch Studios Artist Residency, created at the Eames Ranch in Petaluma, CA. Over two three-month sessions, a small group of artists transformed the Ranch’s barn and farmstead buildings into studios for experimentation, discovery, and play.
(SEE BELOW FOR RELATED EVENTS)
Drawing inspiration from the Eames Archives and supported by research resources from William Stout Architectural Books, each artist responded to the questions that guide their practice. The resulting work reflects the philosophy of Ray and Charles Eames, whose legacy demonstrates that inquiry, problem-solving, and play are powerful tools for learning, creating, and positively shaping the world around us.
The residency carries forward a long tradition of agriculture and making at the Eames Ranch, shaped by Lucia Eames and her daughter Llisa Demetrios, both artists whose daily lives on the property integrated creative practice, stewardship, and experimentation.
Crafting Curiosity is an exhibition partnership between the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity and the Petaluma Arts Center (PAC). The exhibition is curated by Llisa Demetrios, Chief Curator, of the Eames Institute, with Jay Dion, Studio Manager for the Ranch Studios program at the Eames Ranch.
Please note that photography and video recording may take place during this event. By participating, you grant the Eames Institute permission to use your image for storytelling, marketing, and/or documentation purposes. By registering for this event, you also agree to receive occasional email communications from the Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity. You may unsubscribe at any time. Please reach out to events@eamesinstitute.org with any questions.
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The Eames Institute of Infinite Curiosity is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity dedicated to advancing the legacy of 20th-century designers Ray and Charles Eames. Over the course of their decades-long partnership, the husband and wife duo approached design as a tool for problem-solving and discovery—driven by curiosity, refined through iteration, and always guided by purpose. Their work was wide-ranging, spanning furniture, architecture, film, exhibition design and more, with every project grounded in rigor, joy, and a meticulous commitment to make things better.
THIS EXHIBITION WILL RUN FROM JANUARY 22 - FEBRUARY 21, 2026