The Weekender, a new feature of the UC Davis Arts Blog, offers information about entertainment opportunities in and around Davis through the weekend. This collection starts Thursday (and why not?). Readers will see that they don’t have to go far to get entertainment from around the world—from Grammy-award winning music at the Mondavi to Greek music at the Pitzer. It’s all within footsteps. The attractions are listed in date order. More arts are listed here and on the UC Davis Arts Calendar.
Curator speaks Thursday at Manetti Shrem
Devon Bella, director of KADIST in San Francisco, a center for exhibitions, events, residencies and educational initiatives, will speak Thursday, May 10, at 4:30 p.m. at the Manetti Shrem Museum Community Education Room. A curator and cultural producer, she holds a master of arts in exhibition and museum studies from the San Francisco Art Institute.
Students on Screen in Film Fest in Davis
The annual student Film Fest @ UC Davis screens May 2 and 3 at the Varsity Theatre, Davis. On Thursday, the second night, awards are awarded by the faculty. Awards from previous years include best documentary, best animation, and best screenplay.
There is also an Audience Choice Award and a Crew Choice Award, also known as the Golden Aggie.
There will be raffles at the festival, open to all participants and viewers. Tickets are $9 for one night of the festival.
A tribute concert to Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis Friday at Pitzer
A tribute concert to the great Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis with the Orestis Koletsos Greek Ensemble, will be held Friday at the UC Davis Ann E. Pitzer Center, 7 to 9 p.m. The event is free, and no tickets are required.
Before the concert begins, there will be a projection of a short film A Revolution Begins (offered by Fondas Ladis).
Rebetiko, the urban musical tradition of Greece, has recently been recognized by Unesco as an “Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.” This is a significant moment for the music culture of Greece.
Orestis Koletsos Greek Ensemble
Orestis Koletsos, bouzouki, vocals, and arrangements
Giannis Karalis, guitar, vocals
Panagiotis Papageorgiou, piano, vocals, and arrangements
Jaime Smith, violin
Presented by the Sacramento State Hellenic Studies Program and the Department of Music, UC Davis.
Ann E. Pitzer Center, Davis
See a review in the Sacramento News and Review.
Friday and Saturday at Mondavi: Two concerts
The pairing of Grammy winners Sasha Cooke and Jason Vieaux casts extraordinary magic out of mere voice and guitar. Each artist has built a distinct career: Vieaux boasts a wide-ranging discography and his own school of classical guitar; Cooke has thrived with her acclaimed interpretations of Mahler as well as an ongoing commitment to new music. A Mondavi Center return for both performers (but a first appearance as a duo), this evening builds on their debut at Music@Menlo in a program that veers toward intimacy, with a distinctly Spanish flair.
Friday, May 4, 8 p.m., Mondavi Center for the Performing Arts. More information and tickets
Sasha Cooke
UC Davis Symphony Orchestra performs Saturday at 7 p.m.
Coming from a deep background in the classical repertoire, Miranda Cuckson, artist in residence, violinist, has in recent years become one of the most active performers of contemporary music. She is passionate about the role of the performer / interpreter in the creative process and in communicating the music. Downbeat Magazine recently said “violinist Miranda Cuckson reaffirms her standing as one of the most sensitive and electric interpreters of new music.”
Sibelius: Valse triste
Ligeti: Violin Concerto, Miranda Cuckson, violin (artist-in-residence)
Sibelius: Symphony No. 6
More information and tickets: UC Davis Department of Music
Dean of California College of Fine Arts to speak at di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art Sunday
Allison Smith, dean, and Jessica Ingram, professor, both of the California College of Fine Arts in San Francisco, will be in conversation about social practice, reenactment culture, and materiality in Smith’s work at di Rose Center for Contemporary Art.
The talk will highlight the evolution of Smith’s new sculptural installation for Be Not Still: Living in Uncertain Times, including how a visit to Charlottesville, Virginia, inspired the project. Smith's installation investigates the rise of white nationalism and how patriotism might be viewed, from various perspectives, in a different light. The project takes current debates on the removal of confederate monuments as a point of departure for discussions on the potent materiality of sculpture.
The talk is 3-5 p.m. Sunday. The center is at 5200 Sonoma Highway, Napa.
General admission is $10, and members get in for $5. Get Tickets