Meet Art and his girlfriend Fiesta!

Of course, we couldn’t have done it without the dedication and commitment of all the participating artists, first and foremost.  Our Art Fiesta Committee, headed by Gayle Womack and her cohort Linda Patrick, couldn’t have been more talented, willing to work, fun-loving, and level-headed.  Our Avenue 9 Gallery interns, Karen Rosenbusch (CSUC senior) and Alyssa Rustin (PV High freshman) and Reta Rickmers’ PV High art students (including Dra who really stepped up when we needed him) staffed the information booth and helped build the ChiVAA Chico Palio horse and helped Aubrie Koenig at the children’s activities table.  Speaking of which, Aubrie had some fabulous and expert help: none other than Daniel Vera (Artist and Butte College Instructor) and Kim Kurnizki (Artist and President of Arts for All) and Darice McGuire (Artist and Art-e-Studio Instructor).  Are we blessed or what!?

The food and drinks vendors were deliciously talented and efficient and kept everybody energized and satisfied.

The non-profit groups offering all manner of educational possibility to  passers-by helped fulfill our mission to showcase all that the visual arts in Chico have to offer at all ages and levels.  And the entertainers were just fabulous!

None of this, of course, could have happened without support from the City of Chico; with the free parking in not one but two lots generously provided by our great Chico vecino neighbors at the Chico Nut Company.   And then of course, there’s the less obvious–for the second year this year, we thank Cal-Flor for the sponsored room which this year went to Sea Monster (sometimes known by her real name, Christine Fulton).  Tolar AVL donated the sound system for the whole week-end (makes me wanna cry with joy!), Recology donated the magic blue containers that kept the grounds pristine, the news media (E-R, Synthesis, CN&R, Upgraded Living, The Digger, KHSL, KCHO, and KZFR) went all out to share the news, and Lorraine Dechter from KCHO/KFPR worked with me to record Matador stories.

A huge thank you for Lawrence and Irene, managers of the Matador Motel, and their staff who yearly turn themselves into pretzels to accommodate our crew–taking beds out of rooms and grooming the grounds just so–and the Matador’s owner who lets us use the space.  We also thank artists Pat Collentine and partner Susan Larsen whose idea it was to “occupy” the Matador as a perfect location for a visual arts exposition in Chico.

Finally, we want to thank Merelen Glumac Volpato, one of the three daughters of the Glumac family who built the motel way back when for telling us her story–we how have it on file!  What an amazing adventure that immigrant family lived that resulted in this gorgeous jewel of local architecture that we now enjoy!  It was a pleasure to meet them when they came by this week-end.  And here they are to prove it: Maria, Merelen, and Nira.

Look for some You Tube videos and slide shows soon!  And please go to our Art Fiesta at the Matador and Chico Visual Arts Facebook page and like us.  We like you!

Maria, writing for all of us on the Art Fiesta crew!

It’s Free!  And with free parking at the Chico Nut Company lots at 10th Ave & the Esplanade and 9th Ave & Oleander!

There’s so much good stuff in this program, it’s hard to describe–there are 12 rooms, including one sponsored room courtesy of Cal-Flor (Todd Hall & Molly Stokes) (and it’s Sea Monster who will be occupying it!), and many tent booths all around the property.  The art is varied and plentiful–a veritable visual feast that will serve really as an art exposition!  This is more than a sale, more than a fair, more than an art exhibit.  This is a full-on happening, full of color and song and excitement and all with a Latin flavor.

In addition to all this, there is Mexican food from the Taco truck and all kinds of beverages, including hand-shaken margaritas in the genuine cantina!

Below I’m giving you 1) dates and times; 2) the music program; 3) the artists!

1) Dates & Times:

Friday May 11, 5-9 pm, Art Opening!

Saturday May 12, 11 am-7 pm, Art, Dance & Music Fest (fun for friends, families, couples, lovers)

Sunday May 13, 11 am-3 pm, Take Your Mother to the Fiesta!

2) The Artists.

GITTA BREWSTER, ERIN WELLS, MARLOWE BOYD, JUDITH CARTER, JIM LAWRENCE, SUSAN LARSEN & PAT COLLENTINE, MIKE & SUSI GILLUM, DON BRAVO, JEFF & CLAUDIA HOWELL, JANA & DAVE LAWTON, DOLORES MITCHELL, EVA FARLEY, MARGIE ALLEN, DAPHYNE ALTMAN, CLAUDIA SCHWARTZ & DAVID SHIMAMOTO, BARBARA MORRIS, MARILYNN JENNINGS, MELINDA VASQUEZ, THERESA MARKWOOD, EVE WERNER, SHERYL CUMMINGS, CHRIS YATES, LORI STEVENS, ANN LOCKETT, LINDA SMITH, KIM FINLAN, ANNA TALBOTT, KRISTY MCCURRY, DAVE DRAGOMAN, MIKE SHAW, PATTI LLOYD, RACHELLE STANGELAND, ANGELINA RASMUSSEN, GLEN COWAN, CYNTHIA SEXTON, SHARON FETTERMAN, NATY OSA, CURTIS AULD, LEA WAGNER, SEAMONSTER, MICHELE MILLER AND THE SHUTTERBUGGERY PHOTOGRAPHERS (ELIZABETH SHEPHERD, DON MCGEE, MARIANNE WERNER, BENJAMIN HILLS, MICHELLE CARON, JON SEID, AND CHRIS COLSON), AND THE GUATEMALAN BROTHERS JOSE AND HENRY MENDEZ, SPONSORED BY CHICO’S NGO DOROTEIA PATHWAYS FOUNDATION.

3) The music program:

Friday – May 11 ART Opening

5 – 6 p.m. Tobin Roye
classical guitar

7:30 – 8:30 p.m.  Sabor de la Tierra (with the incomparable Jo Chavez)
acoustic music and song from the passionate cultures of Mexico and Spain

Saturday – May 12 ART, DANCE, AND MUSIC FEST

12 – 12:30 p.m.  Ballet Folklórico de Chico and Juan José Cela
traditional dances with musica ranchera

1:30 – 2 p.m.  Ballet Folklórico de Chico and Juan José Cela
traditional dances with musica ranchera

4 –  4:30 p.m. The Wildflowers
students from the Wildflower School sing songs of the season

4:30 – 5 p.m. Gloria Hylton and Luke Scherba
salsa dance lessons

6 – 7 p.m. Salsa Bella
salsa music and dancing

Sunday – May 13 Take Your Mother to the Fiesta

12 – 1 p.m. Flamenco Andaluz
Flamenco dance and guitar featuring Richard Parker and Mónica Taboada

2 – 3 p.m. Carlos and Alejandro Mariachis
music and vocals from the ranchera, boleros, and nortena traditions

Dear ChiVAA members and friends,

Lots of good news and excitement in the Chico Visual Arts Alliance world, folks!  Our ARTabouts are thriving; our Art Fiesta details are getting finalized and about to go live with publicity; and our art map is in the mapping out stages so we can get our info to the designer, wonderful Christian Burke from Tri Counties Bank, once again donating his services to the community of art that he loves so well.

For those of you who have not yet renewed your memberships, get to it quick!  Others of you have managed to avoid sending in your images–well, send them in.  If you need help with anything, email or call us (518-4536 will get you started).  Your board is here to serve!

We are more than ever engaged and effectively advocating for art and artists in the community and we want to have you in it!

Check out our Art Fiesta page, our ARTabout page, make sure your gallery is up and running and that you’re all good to go for the art map–it’s going to its 3rd edition!

Yours,

Maria writing for all of us at ChiVAA

P.S. There’s still a limited number of booths available for the Matador Art Fiesta, so contact us if you’d like to join us!

So exciting to be writing a new post on this new version of the website that we’ve been working on.  It’s almost ready to go, we’re almost there.  We have a tab for each of you, and there is a way now under the tab that says “membership” to renew right on line!

We’ve got great plans for next year, the Art Fiesta plans are moving right along, we’ve got one good new board member, Anne Gottlieb, and are about to have another.  The Chico ARTabouts are getting better and better every month, and the whole art scene in Chico is gaining vibrancy as we speak.

The holiday season is approaching and we’re excited that the new year will be bringing us many new and wonderful art-making, exhibiting, and marketing opportunities.

-Maria

That's me at the last (well, the first!) Art Fiesta!