By Tiva Lassiter

In line with the theme of our summer gallery exhibit, the Davis Art Center will be busy as a beehive in the coming weeks as we plan for the ending celebration of “Cross Pollination: Sharing Art. Sharing Ideas” and the fourth annual Junk2Genius team art competition — both taking place Friday, Sept. 14, starting at 5 p.m.

“Cross Pollination,” our inaugural Discovery Art exhibit, has been progressing over time as the public contributes ideas, collections and insights. Our Off The Grid installation is almost complete, and the mystery image is becoming unveiled, so be sure to check out this amazing collaborative art piece before the exhibit ends.

You could also be lucky enough to catch mural artist Tony Berger putting the finishing touches on the Mural Relay, another component of the exhibit. If you haven’t explored the exhibit yet, it is spectacular and not to be missed!

In conjunction with the exhibit, we are pleased to host Bay Area artist and biologist Ane Carla Rovetta for two free events on Sept. 8 and 9. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 8, at the Davis Art Center, Rovetta will present a free drop-in story hour with a nature theme. Kids of all ages are encouraged to wear their pajamas, bring their pillows and unwind as they let their imaginations soar. Parents should plan to stay with their kids.

On Sunday Sept. 9, at the UC Davis Arboretum Gazebo, Rovetta will present a free workshop titled “Oak Ink and Beetle Juice: Painting with Mother Nature” in which participants will learn how to use natural materials to make paint and ink. There will be two sessions, and a limited number of free tickets are available for each on a first-come, first-served basis until all slots are full.

Select the best time for you and your family, either from 10 a.m. to noon or 1 to 3 p.m., and sign up at the Davis Art Center, 1919 F St. You can reserve tickets by calling (530) 756-4100 or emailing us at [email protected], but you still will need to pick up your tickets at the Art Center.

On Friday Sept. 14, from 5 to 7 p.m., the public is invited to a special closing celebration for the Discovery Art exhibit featuring students from Peregrine School presenting activities that include creating sound through natural objects and arranging natural objects into art, in the style of artist and environmentalist Andy Goldsworthy.

To double the evening’s fun, the fourth annual Junk2Genius sculpture competition and fundraiser will be held outside on our newly renovated deck while the exhibit-related events are going on inside the Art Center. This year’s J2G sponsors include BTV Development, Comstock Mortgage, Davis Downtown, Davis Food Co-op, Davis Healthcare Center, Davis Waste Removal, Edward Jones (West Sac), Suzanne Kimmel, Law Office of Roberta Savage, Morse Remodeling and Pacific McGeorge.

Sponsored teams will compete for prizes by racing each other to transform piles of junk into artful sculptures. Junk2Genius co-partner reCREATE of Roseville supplies all recycled materials for the event, and the judges, who will award the Trophy du Trash to the winning team, include Davis Mayor Pro Tem Dan Wolk, sculptor Michelle Burr and Davis Art Center Executive Director Erie Vitiello.

Spectators can contribute to the fundraiser by purchasing votes for $1 each to determine the winning team for the People’s Choice Award. You can also get a great deal by purchasing a Davis Art Center membership on the evening of Junk2Genius — you will receive all the normal member benefits, support the Davis Art Center and receive a bonus of equal votes for every membership dollar spent, which means you can receive anywhere from 20 to 1,000 votes, depending on the membership level you choose!

So come out on Sept. 14 to help us celebrate our gallery exhibit and then cheer on your favorite Junk2Genius team, all while enjoying music from the KDVS Mobile DJ Unit, as well food and drink for purchase from local vendors including Guadalajara, Jamba Juice, Sudwerk Brewery, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company and Francis Ford Coppola Winery. It’s going to be a great evening for the whole family, and we hope you will join us.

One last note: if you are interesting in sponsoring your own Junk2Genius team, we still may have space available, so please inquire with our publicity intern at (530) 756-4100 or [email protected].

— Tiva Lasiter is the publicity and program intern for the Davis Art Center. Her column is published monthly.

PoundingFlowersW

Art and nature meet in the Davis Art Center’s summerlong Discovery Art Workshops. Here the Hsu family pounds flowers to create impressions. Courtesy photo

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