With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, Friday’s 2nd Friday HeArtAbout will be a day of romantically-themed art viewings and artists’ receptions in participating businesses around Davis. The public is invited to participate in Davis downtown’s monthly celebration of the arts through free art installations and live music events.
In a phone interview with Katrina Wong, Davis downtown’s ArtAbout Coordinator, she discussed ArtAbout’s purpose.
“We do it to promote art in our local environment. It showcases new and local artists in venues where you might not necessarily expect to experience art,” Wong said.
Friday’s HeArtAbout event includes receptions in over 25 different venues. Front desk clerk at Armadillo Music and second-year political science major Lauren James described the reception to happen at Armadillo.
“The indie-folk band The Young Vintage Band is going to perform from 6:30 to 7:30, and the event is being catered by Sugar Daddies, serving free sweet treats for Valentine’s Day,” James said. “Much like our other in-store shows, it’s free, people can come in and bring in their own drinks and get to talk to the band after the show.”
The Pence Gallery will have the reception and award ceremony for competing artists featured in the exhibition By Hand: Extraordinary Fine Craft in California from 6 to 9 p.m. Stacy Hilton, marketing and program assistant at the Pence Gallery, discussed the type of work to be featured at the event in an interview.
“The exhibit features fine handcraft made by artists residing in California. Some of the media used include ceramics, wood, acrylic, metal, textiles and mixed media,” Hilton said. “On Friday, we will be having the juried competition, and the three winners will be announced.”
Hilton also discussed the Valentine’s Day-themed group exhibit, Love Lingers: Valentine’s Day Exhibit, which will also have a reception for the ArtAbout.
“We have lots of pieces made with different media, like paper-cuts, watercolor, jewelry, textiles and a steam-punk style piece made of found machine parts,” Hilton said.
The Best Western Plus: Palm Court will be featuring abstract paintings by local painter and muralist Kerry Roland-Avrech, photography by Michelle Goodenough, live music and complimentary refreshments. Lenor Nuñez, sales and marketing manager of the Best Western Plus: Palm Court Hotel, described the details of their event in a phone interview.
“Roland-Avrech’s paintings are abstract representations of fire, and the photographs are of the front of businesses in winter,” Nuñez said. “From 7 to 9:30 the musicians Diana Craig and Sergei Shkurkin will be there. They will be playing easy listening, romantic jazz music, and we will be serving wine, hors d’oeuvres and chocolate, all for free.”
With over 25 different businesses in and around downtown participating in the event, the public is invited to indulge in a plethora of art receptions and Valentine’s Day treats all day long.
For maps and detailed descriptions of the events, visit davisdowntown.com.
CRISTINA FRIES can be reached at arts@theaggie.org.
