State Sen. Mark Leno honored Petaluma’s Pelican Art Gallery as one of Senate District 3’s Small Business of the Year in a surprise ceremony with gallery co-owners Linda Postenrieder and Donna Hinshaw on Wednesday at a 5:30 p.m. reception.

“The Pelican Art Gallery helps bring art into people’s lives and gives so much to Petaluma through its support of community and public school art programs,” said Leno, D-San Francisco.

“Artists and co-owners Linda Postenrieder and Donna Hinshaw have mixed their strong creative passion with a generous civic spirit to the benefit of the entire Petaluma community.”

Postenrieder and Hinshaw’s gallery and custom framing studio features regular fine art exhibits and classes in both art and framing. The co-owners support art programs in the community and in public schools and often donate their space for community and non-profit events.

Petaluma residents voted Pelican Art as the city’s best art gallery in 2008 and 2009 in the Petaluma People’s Choice Awards, sponsored by Petaluma Magazine and Petaluma360.com.