Adhanet Ghebray says her favorite part of the campus's annual open house is art — such as the works created by students at the MU Art Gallery (background). Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo
In this Spotlight
- Spotlight home
- It's a whole day of Earth-friendly consciousness
- Tom pipes up for the good, the bad and the out of tune — and Twinkies
- Erin gives a family-centered guide to the parade, free stuff and dogs
- Anna dishes out the goods on UC Davis' fashion and tie-dyeing scenes
- Adhanet offers a tour of art galleries — with a big plus: student work
Adhanet gives a tour of our art galleries — with a big plus: student work
I want to go there...have to stop by that...deep fried whaat? Where to start? Sound familiar? I bet it does — it's what I like to call the "Picnic Day Buzz." Yeah, I know, I know, with all the things going on, locating events during Picnic Day can feel like a never ending game of "Where's Waldo?"
Well, you're in luck, because I'm here to solve that problem. Join me as I guide you through my favorite part of the day — an Underground Picnic Day Tour of the Arts.
First stop: the Memorial Union Art Gallery
It's 10:30 a.m. and none of the major events will begin for another half hour, so, instead of standing idly shifting your feet, follow me! Don't worry, I'm only taking you a few steps away from the Quad's excitement and into the Memorial Union from the south Coffee House entrance.
Go all the way down the hall toward the north entrance and turn right, taking the stairs or elevator, to the second floor. The Memorial Union Art Gallery will be to the right of the staircase.
Maria Toupadakis's painting, Asteri, is exhibited at the MU Gallery.
The exhibit is showcasing the Juried Student Art Show, a selection of works by students of UC Davis. A call for entries, open to all students, was announced in early February, and students were asked to submit artwork in the medium of their choice that followed this year's theme of "transformation."
The exhibited works were selected by a panel of local artists, including past participants of the show. The artist who is named "Best of Show" will walk away with $250, and the piece will likely be added to the UC Davis' permanent collection.
As a former employee of the gallery, I must say you're in for a real treat because, fortunately, this year, the gallery's most popular show falls on Picnic Day. For more information visit the MU Gallery Web site and enjoy!
Next up: the Design Museum
Now that it's 1:30 p.m., do you need a break from all the mayhem on the Quad? If so, I invite you take a slightly longer walk with me, to burn off all the calories from that deep-fried food you just had for lunch. The next destination of our tour will lead us into the fascinating realm of the Design Museum, located in Walker Hall.
Walker Hall is kitty-corner from the West Quad on Peter J. Shields Avenue, directly across from Hart Hall. When you arrive at Walker Hall, enter the double doors and head toward the passage found on the left; the Design Museum will be to the right.
Once again, you have an opportunity to appreciate more works by students. The current exhibit is the annual Design by Design: A Juried Student Exhibition, described as "a lively survey of student talent and creativity that reflects the multi-disciplinary breadth of the Design Program's course work."
Entries fitting one of five specified categories were collected, beginning in late February through early March. However; only design and pre-design students were allowed to participate. Similar to the Memorial Union Art Gallery, the works were selected by a panel and the first place recipient will walk away with $100 award. For more information visit the museum's Web site and have fun!
This 19th century poster is one of the spiritual images from the collection of Ricky Jay displayed at the Nelson Art Gallery.
For the finale: the Nelson
It's 5 p.m. already. Oh, how time flies when you're having such a great time! I know you're wrapping up to head home, but I have one more worthwhile detour for you to make. (You probably didn't know UC Davis had so many art venues.) Luckily, you parked in lot 10 near A Street, so the Nelson Art Gallery is on your way; it is in 124 Art Building, adjacent to the east side of Shields Library.
The gallery is showcasing three minishows: Ten Tapestries from Magnolia Editions, 'Twixt Two Worlds and Selections from the Collection: Alumni of Renown. Ten Tapestries from Magnolia Editions includes a collection of "images by painters and photographers digitally recreated by proprietary software developed at the workshop of Magnolia Editions in Oakland and then manufactured as tapestries in Belgium."
The second collection, 'Twixt Two Worlds, takes us back to the late 19th century with a collection of "photographs from that period which document the public fascination with spirits and s'eances, which the famous magician Houdini dedicated himself to proving were hoaxes."
Lastly, Selections from the Collection: Alumni Renown is a compilation of the work of nine UC Davis Master of Fine Arts graduates who have succeeded as artists and administrators.
From the look on your face, I can tell that the exhibit was absolutely captivating! Unfortunately, this marks the end of our tour. It was an absolute pleasure guiding you through the hidden arts of UC Davis. For more information visit the Nelson's Web site.