Roberto Santo (Photo by Christopher Chung, Press Democrat.)

Last year, when I profiled sculptor and painter Robert Santo, I noted that he’s on a short list of artists eligible for commissions for the Vatican, has a home and studio on Sonoma Mountain and warehouses some of his sculptures near downtown Santa Rosa.

“But local art lovers rarely get a chance to see his work,” that story continued.

That is no longer the case. Santo now has eight abstract paintings from his “Springload Series” on public display at Wells Fargo Center for the Arts in Santa Rosa, two of them specifically created for the site. Next time you attend an event there, take a look.

Until now, you would have had to drive to the Winfield Gallery in Carmel to see his work.

Santo has sold sculptures ranging in price from $30,000 to $175,000 to corporate clients and private collectors all over the world, including Italy, Spain, Holland, China and Japan, as well as North America. His commissioned work includes a large sculpture and piazza at Toys-R-Us headquarters in New Jersey.