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Davisite Banner. Left side the bicycle obelisk at 3rd and University. Right side the trellis at the entrance to the Arboretum.

Category: Art

  • Yolo SPCA now has kids face masks as well as new fabric designs in adult sizes for fundraiser

    Spring kids and adult mask sizes

    Children’s and Adult’s Mask Patterns: (Note: only children’s masks have adjustable elastic)
    Small child’s masks (3-4 year old or small 5-year old) (top row) #17 Rainbow hearts and paws; #20 – Happy kitties; #23 – Happy dogs
    Medium child’s masks (5-12 year olds) (center row) #18 – Rainbow hearts and paws; #21 – Happy kitties; #24 – Happy dogs
    Adult masks (bottom row) #19 – hearts and paws; #22 – Happy kitties; #25 – Happy dogs

    Yolo County SPCA now has masks for the entire family in our “Spring-has-Sprung” fundraiser for the Community Cat Kindness Fund. There are also some new fabric patterns! The children’s sizes come in 3 fabric designs have adjustable elastic (via beads) and come in a small size for a 3-4 year old (or a small 5 year old), or a medium child’s size for 5-12 year olds. We also have the matching adults’ sizes in these 3 newest fabrics (see photos). These masks make wonderful gifts as well, particularly if you need to mail a gift since they are so easy and inexpensive to mail.

    #19 Rainbow hearts and paws adult mask

    #19 – Rainbow hearts and paws – adult (close-up)

    We encourage ordering early for the best selection and since some of the original fabric designs are in limited supply. To cover its costs, we ask for a minimum donation of $15 per mask. These masks make great gifts and are easily mailed to gift recipients inexpensively. All of the masks have bendable nose bands and are made of quality materials, including the Cali Fabrics elastic and made with 100% cotton fabrics, including a very soft tea-dyed muslin for the inner fabric.

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  • Connections increase impact of Davis arts sector

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    Supporter Bill Roe, left, artist Susan Shelton, Shelton’s husband John Mott-Smith and supporter Nancy Roe surround the Davis Centennial Seal as it neared completion on March 25 at the Frostad Atelier foundry in Sacramento. Rachel Hartsough/Courtesy photo

    By Wendy Weitzel

    Local artists continue connecting and sharing their craft, knowing their voice is amplified when they work together. That was the message April 8 at a virtual meeting of Arts Alliance Davis.

    The 18 attendees heard first about the newly formed Sacramento Alliance for Regional Arts. The nonprofit promotes and advocates for arts, art education and cultural equity in the greater Sacramento region. Bill Blake of AMS Planning and Research, a Sacramento consulting firm specializing in the arts, said SARA “came about because of COVID and all of the things that have happened,” in the arts community.

    While there are state and national arts organizations, artists and related groups needed a regional voice with organized, sustained advocacy. If a concert hall closes in Folsom, he said, the impact is felt far beyond that city’s borders. Musicians or employees may live in Davis or Roseville, for example.

    “You don’t need to follow the jurisdictional boundaries for it to have an impact in the area,” Blake said, calling it “a cultural ecosystem.” By creating a regional coalition, “if something’s happening in Placer County, those elected leaders are hearing from other surrounding counties that it impacts. … Elected officials can easily dismiss the arts if we don’t speak with one voice.”

    He urged Alliance attendees to become involved in SARA as it’s being built. “We need more representation from your community,” he said, referring to Yolo County. Visit https://www.artsforsac.org/.

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  • Area arts organizations confront racism

    By Wendy Weitzel

    Members of the local arts community met virtually on Oct. 7 to support each other and share how they are reimagining their work in the time of COVID-19.

    Arts Alliance Davis was formed a few years ago as a grassroots effort to give artists and their supporters the opportunity to gather, collaborate and create meaningful impact. Meetings, typically every other month, are open to anyone. The October meeting, via videoconference, included 17 artists or representatives or arts organizations.

    Much of the discussion focused on anti-racism. Davis resident NJ Mvondo, a self-described Black artist and community organizer, recently launched the interactive Healing Art Project to provide a positive platform for dialogue about systemic racism. Mvondo runs Multiculturalism Rocks!, an organization celebrating cultural diversity in the arts. The Healing Art Project is a treasure hunt for two-dimensional art – displayed in merchant windows in downtown Davis and beyond – encouraging patronage to local businesses.

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  • Honu and Moa: Hawaiian Storytime in the Park with Edna Cabcabin Moran

    An invitation from Multiculturalism Rocks! and Sol Summer Camp Davis

    Image0(From press release)

    Date: Friday, July 31, 2020
    Time: from 10 am – 1 pm
    Location: Central Park, Davis, CA (We will be at the carousel and picnic tables).
    Please wear a mask, bring a hand sanitizer (extra will be provided). The 6-feet rule will be enforced.

    Be treated this Friday to a Hawaiian Storytelling & Hula Dancing Lesson by author/educator Edna Cabcabin Moran! Edna (https://kidlitedna.com/) is an author, illustrator, educator and climate change activist based in the Bay Area. This Friday she will:

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  • Arts organizations work together to create good

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    Artist Danielle Fodor created stencils to print in “places we can’t gather.” This one, talking about the importance of hand washing, uses mud as paint. (Danielle Fodor/Courtesy photo)

    By Wendy Weitzel

    The arts community is one of the hardest hit by the pandemic. With shows, concerts, galleries and all public work halted, local artists are looking for other ways to connect with the community. That was the focus at the May 21 Arts Alliance Davis meeting, where artists from all mediums gathered virtually to collaborate and brainstorm.

    Arts Alliance Davis typically meets every other month. This one was via Zoom. The group unites artists, civic and arts organizations, businesses, patrons and other community arts supporters. Meetings are open to anyone.

    Many artists and organizations rely on grants as an income source. Rachel Hartsough, the city’s arts and culture manager, said the city of Davis will be extending the terms of its Community Arts grants, and allowing flexibility for artists to postpone or reinvent their projects.

    But budget-wise, Davis – like most government bodies – is eyeing cuts. “It’s looking really tough.” She said to expect a substantial reduction in the arts budget.

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  • Davis Cherry Blossom Festival postponed

    (From press release) The Davis Cherry Blossom Festival, originally scheduled for April 4-5, has been postponed, likely till October.

    The annual free, all-ages weekend includes music, food, art, culture and beer, presented by the nonprofit Davis Cherry Blossom Festival, Bakuhatsu Taiko Dan, and Sudwerk Brewing Co. Like many events in Yolo County, it draws a substantial crowd. The Yolo County Health Department is asking organizers to hold off on gatherings of 150 people or more, to increase “social distancing” and thwart community spread of the coronavirus.

    The Japanese hanami tradition celebrates spring’s flower blooms, especially the cherry (sakura) trees. By moving it to October, the festival will celebrate another Japanese observance, tsukimi: viewing and honoring of the autumn moon.

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  • Artists share ideas on ‘artivism,’ tips on AB5

    And upcoming art events

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    Autumn Labbé-Renault, chair of Arts Alliance Davis, speaks at the Jan. 16 meeting at the Davis Arts Center. Photo credit: Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo

    By Wendy Weitzel

    Since 2015, Arts Alliance Davis has united area artists and arts lovers, offering a forum for collaboration and sharing. That networking has evolved into a vibrant support community, clearly on display at its Jan. 16 meeting.

    This gathering of nearly 30 joined forces at Davis Arts Center. Arts Alliance Davis meets every other month, at rotating venues. It unites artists, civic and arts organizations, businesses, patrons and other community arts supporters. The meetings are open to anyone.

    This time, the group discussed two main issues: using art for activism, and a new state law’s impact on artists as independent contractors.

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  • Imagine A More Beautiful World

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    Jessica Perlstein Art, https://jessicaperlstein.com/

    Davis residents are invited to help imagine "A More Beautiful World" at an art happening on Saturday, January 11 between 1 and 3:30 pm at the Dos Pinos Community Room, 2550 Sycamore Lane. Through music, art, and conversation, attendees will play together to develop the vision for a community-driven Local Green New Deal.

    The event will hosted by artist Danielle Fodor and David Abramson for Yolo County Supervisor.

    Organizers ask, "Imagine that we are in the year 2040. We have achieved a vision of climate-positive and equitable society in Yolo County. What will we see? What will we hear? What will we smell, taste, and feel as we walk around our neighborhoods and as we visit other parts of Yolo County?"

    Help envision a county transformed, as artists turn words into drawings, a visual representation of a vision for a More Beautiful World.

    For more information, please contact Danielle Fodor at daniellefodor@gmail.com.

  • Artists share news on holiday events, art venues

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    Dylan Wright of Third Space waves his hand in reaction to a student’s artwork based on a prompt to 3- to 5-year-olds: “What does your world look like?” Wright was among the Arts Alliance Davis participants who toured Peregrine School on Nov. 21. (Wendy Weitzel/Courtesy photo)

    By Wendy Weitzel

    Davis artists and arts allies met Nov. 21 to collaborate about their holiday events and programs, and learn about an unlikely arts event space in town.

    Arts Alliance Davis meets every other month, at rotating venues. It unites artists, civic and arts organizations, businesses, patrons and other community arts supporters. The meetings are open to anyone.

    This gathering of nearly 30 members of the local creative community was at Peregrine School, 2650 Lillard Drive. School Director Lorie Hammond led a tour, offering information about its potential as a performance and meeting space. The 1-acre campus near Cowell Drive in South Davis has an outdoor stage, garden and grassy area.

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  • 30 years of beer: Sudwerk celebrates community on Oct. 26

    EventPoster(From press release) One of California's pioneering breweries will celebrate a major milestone on Oct. 26. Sudwerk Brewing Co. marks 30 years in business, with a free community celebration that includes live music and art, and supports two local charities.

    The celebration is from noon to 9:30 p.m. at Sudwerk, 2001 Second St. The event supports the Davis Live Music Collective and Davis Schools Foundation, and includes a live mural competition, community mural wall, food by Tommy J’s Grill & Catering, face painting, new beer releases, a sour beer garden and more.

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