First, a few words about William Wiley
Before we plow into the weekend's (and next week's) great art events, I would like to take a moment to remember first-generation UC Davis art faculty William Wiley. Some of my most fun and interesting days at the UC Davis campus were spent with Wiley. He came back to the university in 2014 to present his iconic "Gong" sculpture to campus. I wrote about that event here. Today, the San Francisco Chronicle published his which does a great job telling his life story from his days before UC Davis, at UC Davis, and after UC Davis. He was 83, passing away this week after battling Parkinson's disease. There will be more on Wiley later.
I leave you readers with a photo of Wiley's characteristic grin, taken when his Gong was being installed, at that time, in front of the Mondavi Center for Performing Arts. It was later placed outside the newly built Jan Shrem and Maria Manetti Shrem Museum of Art in 2016.
And, a few words from Wiley's poem, etched on the base that holds the Gong. It applies anytime.
One side for peace
One side for war
One side, what for?—William T. Wiley
And, if you are on or near campus anytime soon, go bang the Gong in his memory. He would really enjoy that.
Karen Nikos-Rose, Arts Blog editor
Shinkoskey presents ‘Telegraph Quartet’ Thursday
Thursday, April 29, 12:05 p.m. to 1 p.m., free, via . These concerts are brought to you by the UC Davis Department of Music and the Ann E. Pitzer Center, UC Davis.
Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violins
Pei-Ling Lin, Viola | Jeremiah Shaw, Cello
Johannes Brahms: String Quartet No. 2 in A Minor, op. 51
Eleanor Alberga: String Quartet No. 2 (1994)
Each of the composers featured on this program had to make their way out of the shadows of overbearing circumstances that could have eclipsed them. Eleanor Alberga, a Jamaican composer working in England, has made a vital career composing vibrant and colorful works, breaking into the classical scene largely dominated by white European composers of the past. And Brahms, himself one of those European composers of the past, had to overcome his own anxieties created by the legacy of his idol, Beethoven, in order to write this second of three string quartets published in his lifetime. All three composers managed to find a way to allow their voices to be heard clearly despite the pressure bearing down on their personal and professional lives. Each of these works is a poignant testament to the fruits of that struggle, whether the struggle was personal or societal in nature.
Learn more about this program .
Preview of next week’s concert, Stephanie Lamprea, solo soprano, and works by graduate students
Thursday, May 6, 12:05 p.m. to 1 p.m., free, via .
, solo soprano (artist-in-residence)
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- Emily Joy Sullivan: Stream of Unconsciousness​
- Orkun Akyol: can you hear me?
- Joseph Vasinda: Hope Left…
- Addie Camsuzou: Love’s Witness
- Josiah Tayag Catalan: Sages’ Gardens
Read more about this program on the .
Alumni work appears in an exhibition at the Verge Center for the Arts
The Verge Center for the Arts as reopened and presenting its first exhibition in a year on-site. showcases the work of the 2020 Ali Youssefi Project (AYP) artists in residence, including alum (MFA 2019), (MFA 2017), and (MFA 2017). The show runs through May 9.
The title is a nod to the unique challenges the artists faced pursuing their residencies during quarantine and largely in isolation. The works produced reveal the deep personal explorations that come not just through the luxury of time and space that a residency provides, but also through the additional focus that solitude allows.
Find more information .
Lunchtime Art Chat with
Friday, April 30, 12 p.m., free, via Zoom.