On Nov. 8, Davis Downtown will be hosting its monthly 2nd Friday ArtAbout. Live music, performances and a mix of local, regional and international art will be featured in 31 venues.
The 2nd Friday ArtAbout, which was originally established by The Artery and overseen in part by the Davis Downtown Business Association, is a self-guided art-walk where downtown businesses exhibit new art each month.
“Over the years, ArtAbout has become a larger event with more venues hosting art and more viewers and participants from Davis and surrounding areas,” said Sandy Thai of the Davis Downtown Business Association in an email interview.
Among some of the highlights of this upcoming ArtAbout, the UC Davis Department of Theatre and Dance will have stilt walkers, a small performance and a raffle to win tickets to their upcoming production of “Spring Awakening” at the E Street Plaza from 6 to 8 p.m.
At their booth, attendees can learn about upcoming productions, such as ones by internationally renowned Granada Artists-in-Residence, three student showcases, the Shakespeare-On-a-Shoestring (SOS) class production as well as unticketed Institute for Theatre, Dance and Performance (ITDP) programs.
At the Pence Gallery, there will be a dedication ceremony for its first mural, created by Anthony Padilla, from 7 to 8 p.m.
The piece is titled “Solar Compass” and it is 22 by 22 feet, making it the tallest public mural in Davis. Using vibrant spray paint, Padilla addresses the plight of honeybees and the need for alternative sources of energy.
The Pence Gallery will also be having its annual Holiday Market, where various crafts and artworks can be bought for the holiday season. There will also be live music by the band Big Sticky Mess.
First Street Real Estate will be exhibiting a series of photographic prints that they purchased from Berlin-based photographer Erik Johansson.
“My images communicate stories, like dreams,” Johansson said in an email interview. “It’s up to every person to make up their own story around each piece, I just give them an image and a title to start with.”
Johansson, who has appeared on TED talks, combines different realistic elements together to create photo-surrealistic photographs.
At Studio 21, artists Lauren Brandy and Thelma Weatherford will be exhibiting some of their paintings. The show is titled “Small & Sweet” to account for the small paintings and the sweet desserts that will be available.
Weatherword’s pieces are abstract, while Brandy’s works feature impressionistic Central Valley landscapes that play with atmospherics.
“I try to connect through my art,” Brandy said. “I think people who are also in love with the landscape in the Central Valley can find a connection to what I see as well. Not just visually, but also emotionally.”
At The Artery, the show “Street Play” features photographer Anne Miller, who responds to urban landscapes by moving in close with her camera to capture details that are otherwise overlooked by passers-by. Feature photographs will include images from San Francisco, San Luis Obispo and Davis, among other places.
Art-is-Davis will be serving refreshments to go along with their exhibit of four artists, under which include works in acrylic, watercolor, oil, mixed media and printmaking. The artists will be Marieke de Waard, Seana Burke, Jan Walker and Joanne Andresen.
Other venues include, among others, Armadillo Music, the Davis Odd Fellows Lodge, the International House, the John Natsoulas Gallery, Nestware, Paulina’s Boutique and Studio 26.
For more information and for an ArtAbout guide and map, visit davisdowntown.com.
