Napa art center protects 162 acres from development in $1.85 million deal

A major conservation agreement in California’s Napa Valley is set to permanently protect much of the sprawling landscape surrounding the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art, while potentially providing the institution with up to $1.85 million to support its cultural operations. Announced August 25 by the Land Trust of Napa County, the deal brings together the di Rosa Center and the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District in an effort to preserve both the land and the arts center’s long-standing connection to it. The agreement covers 162 acres of di Rosa’s 217-acre property in the Carneros region, placing roughly three-quarters of the estate beyond future private development. The protected area includes Milliken Peak, a 732-foot summit with sweeping views across Carneros, as well as watershed areas, wildlife habitat, and the hillsides surrounding the center’s cultural campus. The move is particularly significant for di Rosa, whose identity has always been rooted in the relationship between art and nature. The center describes its property as a 217-acre destination featuring galleries, a lake, walking trails and outdoor sculptures. Under the new arrangement, the surrounding landscape will be preserved as public open space, reinforcing the very setting that has helped define di Rosa for decades. What happens to the remaining land The deal does not mean di Rosa is giving up its entire Napa operation. The center will retain ownership and programming on roughly 53.5 acres that make up its principal cultural campus. That area includes the galleries and other facilities that support its exhibitions and public programs. The Land Trust of Napa County will hold the permanent conservation easement over the 162 acres, while the Napa County Regional Park and Open Space District is expected to own and operate the future public parkland. The financial arrangement is also designed to help di Rosa remain viable. An initial $500,000 allocation is secured for the arts center, while another $1.35 million would be available if voters approve Measure B in November. Together, that could bring the support connected to the deal to $1.85 million. A future trail to Milliken Peak One of the most intriguing parts of the plan is what could eventually happen on the protected hillsides. Plans envision a roughly two-mile trail leading to the summit of Milliken Peak. If completed, it would create a new public hiking destination while opening up views that are currently inaccessible to most visitors. The landscape would also remain closely tied to the art center’s identity. di Rosa has historically incorporated large-scale sculptures into its grounds, including works in its Sculpture Meadow leading toward Milliken Peak. Its existing programming includes guided hikes that combine the property’s art and natural surroundings. The future trail could take that concept further, with plans to place additional large sculptures from the di Rosa collection along the route. For now, however, the ridge remains temporarily closed while planning for the future park continues. di Rosa is expected to continue offering its regular hiking programs in the meantime. Preserving more than a view The significance of the agreement extends beyond keeping an attractive Napa ridgeline undeveloped. The Land Trust describes the property as part of an ecological corridor, with the conservation easement helping protect habitat and local watersheds. The arrangement also fits into a much longer history of conservation around di Rosa: the center says its property has been protected through Napa County land-trust conservation measures while continuing to function as an art destination. For Napa, the result could be an unusual combination: land that becomes increasingly accessible to the public without losing the artistic character that made the property distinctive in the first place. If Measure B receives voter approval in November, the proposed funding would also give di Rosa additional resources to maintain its cultural mission while the surrounding hillsides move toward their future as public open space. In a region where land, development, conservation and culture frequently compete for space, the di Rosa agreement attempts to make all four coexist on the same 217 acres.