Petaluma Gallery Artists Subject of New Documentary

Local artists who showcase their work at Petaluma art gallery Art Without Labels will be the subject of a new documentary.

Gene Hamm, who lived in Petaluma for 25 years before retiring to Rancho Cordova, is turning the camera on his students, developmentally disabled artists who paint, draw and sculpt through a Sonoma County program called Alchemia.

Many of the paintings are shown at on Kentucky Street, an outlet of creativity filled with bright canvasses and sculptures. 

Hamm, who teaches animation at Alchemia, says his students are some of the most optimistic and courageous people he has ever met.

"They are inspiring individuals who can show us all about what it means to live a passionate, purposeful life,” he says.

Now Hamm, who has a long list of credits of animation work on such projects as Lord of the Rings, Smurfs and Gumpy, is making his students his subjects and giving them a chance to tell their own stories through both words and images.

This film is narrated by Julie Newmar of Catwoman fame whose son has Downs’ Syndrome.

Check out Hamm’s IndieGoGo video for more information about the project and to make a donation.

To read more about Art Without Labels, check out