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Weekender: Picnic Day Brings the Art to Davis

Studio Lectures, Former Soviet Union and Cuban Fusion Music Too

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This Picnic Day, spark your creativity and wonder with a stop at the Manetti Shrem Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. by making art with friends, family, and other Davis residents (courtesy).
This Picnic Day, spark your creativity and wonder with a stop at the Manetti Shrem Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. by making art with friends, family, and other Davis residents (Hung Q. Pham/ photography).

The California Studio Lecture series presents Marie Lorenz, who works on water

Thursday, April 10, 4:30-6 p.m. at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art, doors open at 4 p.m.

Marie Lorenz鈥檚 work is rooted in the exploration and narrative of New York City鈥檚 waterfronts. (She collaborated with 嘿嘿视频 Music鈥檚 Kurt Rohde in an opera on polluted water in 鈥 in 2023). Combining psycho-geographic exploration with highly crafted, material forms, Lorenz uses boats to create an uncertain space and bring about a heightened awareness of place. In 2005, she started her Tide and Current Taxi project, taking people around the New York Harbor in a boat built from salvaged materials, using the tide to guide her navigation.

Lorenz is the spring quarter visiting professor in The California Studio: Manetti Shrem Artist Residencies. During spring quarter 2025, Lorenz will teach the undergraduate course 鈥淎RT129鈥 and the graduate seminar 鈥淎RT 227鈥.

Organized by The California Studio: Manetti Shrem Artist Residences in the Maria Manetti Shrem Art Studio Program. Co-sponsored by the Manetti Shrem Museum.

The Tide and Current Taxi is a rowboat taxi in the New York Harbor, operated by the artist Lorenz. Each trip is planned to coincide with strong tidal currents. (Marie Lorenz/courtesy)
The Tide and Current Taxi is a rowboat taxi in the New York Harbor, operated by the artist Lorenz. Each trip is planned to coincide with strong tidal currents. (Marie Lorenz/courtesy)

Shinkoskey Noon Concert brings forth music from the former Soviet Union

Thursday, April 10, 12:05 p.m., Recital Hall, Ann E. Pitzer Center

Igor Veligan and Roger Xia, violins
Joseph Donald Peterson, viola
Susan Lamb Cook, cello
Natsuki Fukasawa, piano

Program

Arvo P盲rt: Spiegel im Spiegel

Arno Babadjanian: Selections from Trio in F-sharp Minor

Dimitri Shostakovich: Piano Quintet in G Minor

Above art, Coyote dancer with flute #III, 1983, Acrylic wash/paper. (Courtesy/Gorman Museum of Native American Art).

Ongoing Exhibitions in Davis

Read about ongoing art and design exhibitions in this Arts Blog story.

Above art, Coyote dancer with flute #III, 1983, Acrylic wash/paper. (Courtesy/Gorman Museum of Native American Art).

Eva Silot gives talk on Cuban fusion and the Transnational Cuban alternative music scene

Thursday, April 10, 4:10-6 p.m., Room 266 in Everson Hall

Eva Silot (courtesy)
Eva Silot (courtesy)

An educator with 14 years of experience, Afro-Cuban female author Eva Silot Bravo is an interdisciplinary and independent scholar, former diplomat and international negotiator in the United Nations, representing Cuba and developing countries. The focus of her presentation is her recently published non-fiction academic book: , on Cuban music and transnationalism.

Surveying the impact of Cuba鈥檚 economic crisis after the demise of the Eastern socialist bloc, Silot Bravo鈥檚 book documents a relatively unexplored transnational network of collaborations among Cuban musicians who migrated to many different countries from the 1990s forward. The book鈥檚 main argument is that in light of the 1990s crisis in Cuba, new transnational and alternative narratives emerged, resulting in creative 鈥渋n-between鈥 spaces that reflect a post-socialist aesthetic condition. The manuscript also documents important developments in the Cuban jazz and fusion scenes outside the island in the last 20 plus years.

Terrence Blanchard presents FLOW 20th Anniversary Tour

Friday, April 11, 7:30 p.m., Jackson Hall at the Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts

Terrence Blanchard presents FLOW 20th Anniversary Tour (courtesy)
Terrence Blanchard presents FLOW 20th Anniversary Tour (courtesy)

Seven-time GRAMMY winner, two-time Oscar nominee and newly appointed executive artistic Ddirector of SFJAZZ Terence Blanchard returns to the Mondavi Center stage with The E-Collective for an unforgettable night celebrating the 20th anniversary of his seminal album, FLOW.

A record inspired by Miles Davis鈥 landmark groups of the late 1960s and early 1970s, FLOW 鈥渢reated jazz like a smorgasbord鈥 (PopMatters) in its use of electric instruments, deep funk grooves and a collage of global influences. The album, produced by Herbie Hancock, was a landmark for Blanchard, one that pointed towards his continually fascinating evolution as an artist and composer.

Get tickets here:

111th Picnic Day, 嘿嘿视频

Get plenty of art at Picnic Day, beginning Friday with Egghead pop-up shop 

Reserve your space at the egghead art station

Friday, April 11, 4-6 p.m. and Saturday, April 12, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Silo Courtyard

The Robert Arneson Egghead Collection Pop-up Shop will make its last two appearances at the Silo Courtyard (between the Gunrock and Craft Center) 鈥 first on Friday, April 11, 4 鈥 6 p.m. and then on Saturday, April 12, 8:30 a.m. 鈥 2:30 p.m. They鈥檙e dropping prices and offering bundle discounts galore. Plus, all Egghead pop-up shop purchases of $30 or more will receive a free Egghead gift while supplies last. 

But wait, there鈥檚 more! On Friday only, in partnership with the Craft Center, there is a pre-Picnic Day 鈥淓gg Decoration Station.鈥 The Craft Center will provide wooden eggs and other art supplies so you can color, customize and take home your very own mini Egghead (or really any egg-shaped design).

HOWEVER, space at the Egg Decoration Station is limited to 11 people at a time. We set up Eventbrite page so you can reserve a 30-minute slot (4 to 4:30, 4:30 to 5, 5 to 5:30 or 5:30 to 6 p.m.) Claim your seat today by clicking the time you want. Then click the big orange 鈥淩eserve a spot鈥 button. And then start visualizing your oval masterpiece.

Read more about celebrating the year of the Eggheads here.


 

Agust铆n Arteaga Full Portrait (Nick Glover/ photography)
Agust铆n Arteaga (Nick Glover/ photography)

The Crocker Museum in Sacramento announces Agust铆n Arteaga as the Museum's new Mort and Marcy Friedman Director & CEO.

Arteaga is an internationally recognized leader and visionary with proven success in building local and global partnerships, improving financial sustainability, leading capital campaigns, and expanding collections, with a particular emphasis on inclusive curatorial practices that increase the representation of diverse cultural narratives. Arteaga will assume his role on July 1, 2025. His leadership is expected to build upon the Museum's longstanding mission of enriching the cultural fabric of the Sacramento region and beyond.


Embrace art this Picnic Day at the Manetti Shrem Museum

Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art

Picnic Day at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art (courtesy)
Picnic Day at the Manetti Shrem Museum of Art (courtesy)

At Picnic Day 鈥 the university's open house 鈥 spark your creativity and wonder with a stop at the Manetti Shrem Museum. Cool off in air-conditioned galleries and experience works from an international collection of 30 fiercely original women artists, large-scale ceramic sculpture, and an exhibition curated and designed by 嘿嘿视频 students.

Make art with friends, family, and Davis residents, and play with DIY stamps to make repeating patterns on the plaza, or get silly with irregular reflective surfaces and draw stretchy, squiggly self-portraits. From 1-4 p.m., recharge your energy with DJ Lady Char鈥檚 infectious beats! Catch her set on the plaza for a musical journey across genres.

Show off your inner fashionista with this year鈥檚 Picnic Day Fashion Show

Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Cruess Hall Courtyard

Picnic Day Fashion Show 2024 (Catherine Volta/ photography)
Picnic Day Fashion Show 2024 (Catherine Volta/ photography)

The 2025 嘿嘿视频 Fashion and Design Society Picnic Day Fashion Show will spotlight fashion created and executed by Department of Design undergraduate students in the "Signature Collections" course.

This year's Picnic Day theme is "," a nod to the whimsical world of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Beyond the runway, the fashion show will also be an outdoor exhibition, where you'll wander through a curated collection of physical projects designed by talented students.

鈥淧repare to be enchanted as we blur the line between fantasy and reality on the runway," said Sara Lindstrom, president and executive director of the Fashion and Design Society at 嘿嘿视频. "'Through the Looking Glass' invites you to step into a world of whimsical creativity."

The event will be presented live and outdoors on the Cruess Hall Courtyard. There will be two viewings of the show from 11 a.m. to noon, and from noon to 1 p.m. or find free standing room only behind seated guests.

Show off your crafty side this Picnic Day with Thank Goodness for Staff Crafts

Running until April 25 at the 嘿嘿视频 Craft Center, 12:30-6 p.m.

Go see the what creations 嘿嘿视频 staff have created! (Karen Nikos-Rose/ photography)
Go see the what arts and crafts 嘿嘿视频 staff have created! (Karen Nikos-Rose/ photography)


The Thank Goodness for Staff Crafts Exhibition is running at the from March 31 to April 25, and what a better time to visit than Picnic Day, when the Craft Center will be having an open house. Celebrating 嘿嘿视频 staff members鈥 creative sparks, selected art pieces will be on display from 12:30-6 p.m. daily showing a range of art pieces like paintings, crochet, origami, carved wood, photography, quilting and more.

Bringing kids to Picnic Day? Library, College of Letters and Science and School of Education have you covered

Saturday, April 12, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., various locations

to learn about the science of speech. Try out examples from real experiments and play with data. The presents fun hands-on activities designed to help you learn more about kids' brains 鈥  and cool off in the spring heat. Find out what they study at the Memory and Development Lab and learn how to get involved. These family friendly activities will be on the Hoagland Hall lawn.

Learn about measuring brain activity and find demonstrations of human brain wave (EEG) recordings from 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Also on the lawn outside Young Hall, from 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., excavate like an archaeologist (in a sandbox), or explore printmaking like humans of the past and present.is all about the study of us humans.

At the School of Education building from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Dr. Lee Martin will lead the BETA Lab where participants can learn to make paper circuits and see the mobile maker lab. In addition, Dr. Darnel Degand will run a booth where participants can create a comic strip 鈥 design their own or use the provided coloring pages.

Or drop into Shields Library from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. for a variety of WONDER-ful activities

Arboretum Exhibit Case (courtesy)
Exhibit case on the 嘿嘿视频 Arboretum (courtesy)

鈼     See Exhibits about the Arboretum and historical postcards of Davis

鈼     Browse cookbooks from the collections, including Aggie favorites from the CoHo and Davis Farmers Market, and take home a new recipe!

鈼     Chalk it up with sidewalk chalk and coloring sheets

鈼     Participate in children鈥檚 storytime with Professor Fran Dolan (11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.)

鈼     Play tea party in the library鈥檚 shady courtyard

鈼     Jump in to DataLab Augmented Reality (AR) Sandbox

鈼     See DataLab Virtual Reality (VR) software (ages 13+) (11 a.m.-2 p.m.)

Experience student musical performances during Picnic Day

Saturday, April 12, 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., Recital Hall, Ann E. Pitzer Center

The Samba School. (Brian Rice/ photography)
The Samba School (Brian Rice/ photography)

Program Includes

J.S. Bach: Prelude and Fugue No. 13
Frederic Chopin: Nocturne, op. 9, no. 3

Sergei Rachmaninoff: Selection from Sonata in G Minor for Cello and Piano
Bach: Prelude to Sonata No. 2 in D Minor for Solo Cello

Ludwig van Beethoven: Selection from Sonata No. 21 in C Major (鈥淲aldstein鈥)
Robi Castaneda: Pavane

Ricky Skaggs / Tony Rice: Bury Me Beneath the Weeping Willow
Lizzy McAlpine: Emma

Want a complete list of all of the Picnic Day festivities happening on campus?

Check out ASUCD鈥檚 website with more information And to find our where all of the art around Davis is located, check out the NEW .

Media Resources

Arts Blog Editor: Karen Nikos-Rose, kmnikos@ucdavis.edu

Subscribe to the Arts Blog newsletter by emailing Karen. The Arts Blog publishes every Thursday in the "weekender" and selected features throughout the week. 

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