About the Gallery

The Duo Behind
b. sakata garo

Barry Sakata

Raised in the quiet farming community of Clarksburg, Barry Sakata spent his early years helping his father tend tomatoes bound for Heinz. While he earned degrees in education and taught in Los Angeles, it was during his college years—wandering galleries and museums—that a lifelong appreciation for contemporary art took root.

In 1998, after leaving farming behind, Barry transformed a modest Midtown Sacramento brick building into b. sakata garo, a clean, well-lighted gallery space grounded in purpose, precision, and passion. With its worn brick walls, curated lighting, and subtle architectural details, the gallery feels more Manhattan than midtown—intimate, thoughtful, and quietly ambitious.

Barry opened the gallery with the goal of bringing world-class work to Sacramento. From early shows featuring the likes of Robert Brady and Jack Ogden to bold invitations sent to artists like William T. Wiley and Roy DeForest, his curatorial vision has never shied from challenge. Every detail—from postcard announcements crafted by hand to the precise placement of art on the walls—reflects his commitment to showing work that matters, not just to him, but to the community.

Though Second Saturday openings draw crowds, Barry believes the true experience of art happens quietly, midweek, in moments of reflection. His gallery is a space designed for exactly that: close looking, unhurried time, and sincere connection between artist and viewer. The gallery has exhibited the work of more than 279 artists to date

Still connected to his farming roots and deeply involved in the day-to-day of the gallery, Barry continues to run b. sakata garo with the same care and humility that once guided his hands in the fields. “If you put good art in front of people,” he says, “they’ll come. You just have to believe in it.”

Barbara Ruona

While the gallery lights shine on the art, much of b. sakata garo’s steady rhythm and resilience comes from behind the scenes—where Barbara Ruona quietly ensures that everything runs with clarity and care.

A licensed CPA with a strong background in business management, Barbara has successfully led and supported several ventures over the years. Her practical expertise, financial insight, and organizational skill make her an essential force behind the gallery’s long-standing stability and growth.

From Street Sweepers to Contemporary Art

The Building, 923-20th Street

Long before b. sakata garo opened its doors in 1998, 923 20th Street was a site of steady transformation. In the early 1900s, this corner of Midtown Sacramento was home to working-class families living in modest Victorian houses. By 1926, the last known residents—German immigrants Henry and Lena Zacharias (a street sweeper)—moved on as their home was replaced by a new mixed-use building reflecting the city’s expanding ambitions.

Over the decades, the building housed an evolving mix of tenants: a short-lived dry cleaner, a motorcycle dealership, and eventually the Easterday Supply Company, which provided janitorial goods from 1939 to 1966. Later, the space transitioned into a hub for architecture and design, home to Graber Rasmussen Architects, Pelham Schlueter Engineers, and Judi Keen’s tapestry studio.

Then, in 1998, Barry Sakata stepped in with a quiet vision. A former teacher and farmer, he transformed the building into b. sakata garo, a contemporary art gallery devoted to showing exceptional work from Sacramento, the Bay Area, and beyond. From its clean design to its thoughtful curation, the gallery quickly earned a reputation as one of Sacramento’s most respected visual art spaces.

Now 30 years later, b. sakata garo continues the building’s long tradition of reinvention—with art at its heart.

Research provided by James C. Scott

The Turtle

I was named after a famous artist, and I like to think I’ve inherited a little of that creative spirit.

If you’re lucky, you might spot me lounging by the pond in my garden behind b. sakata garo. It’s my favorite spot to soak up the sun and eavesdrop on all the artsy conversations.

I’m a big fan of our local talent — painters like Jack Ogden and sculptors like Bob Brady always get me talking (when I’m not busy sunbathing, of course).

Second Saturdays are my favorite. The gallery comes alive with people, art, and conversation — just how I like it.

So, swing by, say hi, and let’s talk art… or just enjoy the sunshine together. And while I’m a Red-eared slider, native to Mississippi, I totally have the California vibe.

Until then — catch you pondside!