Sebastopol's New Arts Space The Laguna Lab Holds Grand Opening

The Laguna Lab, an arts and event space in Sebastopol, held its long-planned official opening last month despite a funding gap.

Mar. 10, 2026 at 7:54pm

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The Laguna Lab, a new arts and event space in Sebastopol, California, held its grand opening event called 'Make. Believe.' last month despite facing a funding shortfall of $25,000 to keep the space open. The event featured a lineup of music, art, and community activities. The space is run by principals Jonas Goldstein and Timo Ryan, who have backgrounds in art, media, and regenerative farming. They are currently seeking grants, angel investors, and community volunteers to help sustain the new venue.

Why it matters

The opening of The Laguna Lab comes at a time when the local arts and event scene in Sebastopol has faced some challenges, with the sudden closure of another venue called The Soft Medicine Sanctuary. The Laguna Lab aims to fill that void by providing a new community-focused space for art, music, and cultural events, while also exploring themes of nature, technology, and interdisciplinary collaboration.

The details

The Laguna Lab's grand opening event 'Make. Believe.' featured a lineup including Deep House Yoga, communal black light painting, live music acts, DJs, oracle and tarot readings, and more. The 5,000-square-foot space is located at the 'bleeding edge' of the Laguna de Santa Rosa, across the street from The Barlow complex. Principals Jonas Goldstein and Timo Ryan have backgrounds in art, media, and regenerative farming, and they are aiming to create a venue that blends different creative disciplines and community interests.

  • The Laguna Lab held its official grand opening event on February 27, 2026.
  • The Soft Medicine Sanctuary, another Sebastopol venue, announced its sudden permanent closure the day before The Laguna Lab's opening.

The players

The Laguna Lab

A new arts and event space in Sebastopol, California that held its grand opening in February 2026.

Jonas Goldstein

One of the two team principals of The Laguna Lab, with a background in art direction, marketing, video art, sculpture, and digital art spaces.

Timo Ryan

The other team principal of The Laguna Lab, with talents including DJing, local radio, hospitality, and regenerative farming.

Dan Davis

The Laguna Lab's angel landlord who provided them the runway to launch the new space.

The Soft Medicine Sanctuary

Another arts and event venue in Sebastopol that announced its sudden permanent closure the day before The Laguna Lab's grand opening.

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What they’re saying

“Big ideas, no money”

— Timo Ryan, Team Principal, The Laguna Lab

“who gave us the runway to launch”

— Jonas Goldstein, Team Principal, The Laguna Lab

What’s next

The Laguna Lab is currently seeking grants, angel investors, and community volunteers to help sustain the new arts and event space. Their next scheduled event is a funk music session on March 14.

The takeaway

The opening of The Laguna Lab represents an opportunity for the Sebastopol community to come together and support a new interdisciplinary arts and culture venue, at a time when the local scene has faced some challenges. The space's focus on blending different creative disciplines and community interests could make it an important hub for the area's artistic and regenerative communities.