California Nature Art Museum showcases Yosemite through the lens of William Neill

An upcoming art exhibition in downtown Solvang celebrates one California-based photographer’s singular views captured in Yosemite National Park.

The new solo show—titled Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone, Photographs by William Neill—will open at Solvang’s California Nature Art Museum (Cal-NAM) on Saturday, March 8, with an artist meet-and-greet reception featuring Neill, from 3 to 5 p.m. A private reception for members of Cal-NAM will be held on the following day.

Sanctuary in Stone showcases a variety of scenic photos Neill’s taken over the past four decades and is slated to remain open through early September. 

“The thrill of discovering those magical moments in Yosemite hasn’t diminished for me over the decades since arriving in the park,” Neill stated. “In this new exhibit, there are 45 recently printed images that include intimate moments, abstractions, and seasonal changes. … I delight in finding purpose to my life in this ‘sanctuary in stone.’”

A nearby resident of Yosemite since 1977, Neill and his work have been the subjects of published pieces in various books and magazines over the years. His fine art prints have been featured in collections, museums, and galleries across the country. In 1995, Neill received the Sierra Club’s Ansel Adams Award for conservation photography.

“His work embodies the spirit of Ansel Adams, the iconic landscape photographer who has influenced generations of photographers over the years,” Cal-NAM Executive Director Stacey Otte-Demangate said in press materials. “Mr. Neill creates his distinctive Yosemite landscapes and places it into a color realm that Ansel Adams could have only imagined.”

Guests of the Cal-NAM exhibit’s March 8 reception will have the opportunity to purchase signed copies of Neill’s companion coffee-table book, Yosemite: Sanctuary in Stone. Starting that day, the publication will also be available regularly for sale at the museum’s store.

The book emphasizes “the importance of preserving such natural wonders … [as] the park’s iconic rock formations, waterfalls, and forests,” and invites readers “to experience Yosemite’s timeless beauty” through evocative imagery, according to press materials.

For more info on Neill’s work, visit portfolios.williamneill.com. Cal-NAM is located at 1511-B Mission Drive, Solvang, and is open during the week (except Tuesday and Wednesday), from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekends, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Call (805) 688-1082 or visit calnatureartmuseum.org for details. 

This article appears in Mar 6-16, 2025.