SSU filmmaker Tal Skloot films Oliver Ranch from the sky

July 13, 2021
Tal Skloot

Communication and Media Studies faculty member Tal Skloot had the opportunity to shoot drone footage of Oliver Ranch and interview founder Steve Oliver. 

“I mean what do you do with such a place? There’s really only one thing to do – you give it to the community.”
– Steve Oliver

Located in the heart of Sonoma County, 70 miles north of San Francisco, and known internationally for its wineries and scenic pleasures, the Oliver Ranch is home to 18 remarkable site-specific installations; the most recent of which is Ann Hamilton’s The tower where commissioned dance, poetry, theatre, and music performances take place. The picturesque 100-acre property was originally bought by Steve and Nancy Oliver in 1981 to graze a few extra sheep from, as Steve says, “My daughter’s 4-H project gone bad.” The ranch’s evolution from exiled sheep quarters to world-renowned sculpture ranch was gradual and organic, a natural convergence of the Olivers’ longstanding passion for art and deep connection to the land.