Internship at the Sacramento State Department of Special Collections and University Archives

With guidance from Sheila O’Neil, Head of the CSU Sacramento Department of Special Collections and University Archives, I undertook a Summer/Fall internship in the aforementioned department centering on the completion of a survey of the University Library’s art collection. The objective of this internship, which began on July 24, 2014, was to act as an introduction to the duties of library record keeping and art collection management.

The Playwright

by Esteban Villa

1990

acrylic on canvas

Esteban Villa Collection at SCUA

A painting of former Sac State Theatre 

Professor Manuel Pickett.

El Diablo Colorado

by Esteban Villa

1990

acrylic on canvas

Esteban Villa Collection at SCUA

Painted for Dia de Los Muertos.

Using the Cataloging Information Sheets and Condition Report Sheets constructed by former intern Nancy Wylie, I began keeping records on various artworks held in the department. Beginning with a collection of eight acrylic paintings by artist and founding member of the Royal Chicano Air Force Esteban Villa, I began learning the proper procedures taken when handling and examining artworks. Such procedures include always wearing clean gloves to avoid smudges, carefully unwrapping and rewrapping the temporary protective covering, and never leaving the artwork exposed to light for long periods of time.

untitled

by Francisco Dominguez

1997

black and white photograph

Francisco Dominguez Collection at SCUA

Artist, Sac State Professor, and founding member of the RCAF, Jose Montoya (1932-2013).

untitled

by Dugan Aguilar

1995

black and white photograph

Dugan Aguilar Collection at SCUA

A portrait of Andrea Hernandez, a female 

Maidu dancer and friend of Aguilar.

While making sure to follow all these procedures, I recorded information like the object classification, title, date created, medium specifics, and a short description on the content of the piece. With the technical information recorded, I proceeded to take a closer examination of each artwork as I checked off any visible physical damage and provided an overall general condition rating of Excellent, Good, Fair, or Poor. I found physical damage as dependent on both the type of artwork and year. A photograph from the 1980’s, for example, holds up much better than say a drawing or watercolor painting. I finished each collection by taking digital snapshots each piece for the Department’s records.

Eddy

by Irving Marcus

2004, 2005, or 2006

oil pastel

Irving Marcus Collection at SCUA

The tree shadows in the lake are beautifully executed.

Following the Villa collection, I moved on to some fairly larger collections by Chicano photographer Francisco Dominguez and Native American photographer Dugan Aguilar. Each new collection brought with it the different perspectives and cultural backgrounds of the artists as displayed in their work. While the Dominguez collection possesses a strong political message, the Aguilar collection simply captures the culture and people close to the artist.

untitled

by Darrell Forney

1961

Lithograph

Darrell Forney Collection in SCUA

Seems to be an illustration for a poem by Edna St. Vincent Millay.

Veduta del Ponte Fabrizio

by Giovanni Battista Piranesi

1750

etching

Once used for teaching purposes on campus, this print is easily one 

of the oldest objects I have ever held in my hands.

With several collections now reported on, I began the meticulous process of transferring my data onto the SCUA Art Collection Archive in the form of an excel spreadsheet also designed by Wylie. This spreadsheet encompasses the entirety of my work during this internship, including information I recorded on the Condition Report Sheets, as well as information on the Provenance, artist bio, and any additional notes I thought of as important when analyzing the art.

The Border Wall Divides All Life

by Art Hazelwood

2011

screenprint

New World Border Collection at SCUA

The artist of the New World Border exhibition tackled 

the issue of immigration in unique ways.

Toxic Waste

by Emory Douglas

2011

digital print

New World Border Collection at SCUA

A clear message about Arizona's SB1070 act by one of 

America's most well-known artists/social activists.

I proceed to work on several more collections by single artists German Painter Fritz Busse and Sac State Emeritus Professor Irving Marcus, as well as collective works like the New World Border exhibit and the La Raza Galeria Posada group. Along the way, I also looked at single artworks by Fritz Scholder, Leo Politi, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. One of the highlights of my internship was getting to look at the large range of mediums across many years. I doubt I will ever forget holding the Piranesi print dating back to the 1700’s.   

One Day in the Rose Garden

by Nicholas Naughton

2011

screenprint

New World Border Collection in SCUA

The White House looms in the background as 

undocumented farm workers plow the fields.

By the end of the internship, the SCUA Art Collection Archive grew to incorporate 741 separate artworks by roughly 140 different artists (a majority of these coming from the La Raza Galeria Posada collection). As someone interested in a career in art history, this experience taught me the everyday duties of art collection archivists. Specifically, this internship taught me the proper methods of getting as up-close to artwork as possible. With a need for delicate precision, the art archivist works in a controlled, quiet environment where they can inspect an art piece for their records. These records ultimately aid individuals wanting to study the art in the future, and provide an organization with a thorough account of the items in their possession. Though my current goal remains teaching art history, this experience showed me a different career option I may consider that compliments the type of person I am and the type of environment I would be comfortable working in.

Time Square

by Fritz Busse

ca. 1950's

ink & watercolor

Fritz Busse Collection in SCUA

Busse's paintings reveal that despite how much New York 

has changed, some things remain the same.

The artists and works that I have surveyed include:

8 Acrylic paintings by Esteban Villa ranging from 1987 to 1990

34 Photographs and 14 Posters (48 Total) by Francisco Dominguez ranging from 1989 to 2013

30 Photographs by Dugan Aguilar ranging from 1993 to 1999.

15 Graphite and/or Oil Pastel Drawings by Irving Marcus ranging from 1979 to 2006

1 Lithograph print by Fritz Scholder from 1998.

1 Ink and Water Color drawing by Leo Politi from 1985.

1 Etching by Giovanni Battista Piranesi from ca. 1750.

5 Lithograph prints by Darrell Forney ranging from 1960 to 1961.

1 Block print included with the Forney prints by an unknown artist; date unknown.

1 Oil painting by Zhong Guo Guang from 1986.

14 Digital prints, 10 Screen prints, 4 Linocuts, and 1 Silkscreen (30 Total) from the New World Border Exhibit featuring Scott Anderson, AD Avila, Christopher Beer, Khalil Bendib, Francisco Dominguez, Emory Douglas, Flor de Autodeterminacion, Juan Fuentes, Ronnie Goodman, Art Hazelwood, Nancy Hom, Frances Jetter, Frank LaPena, John Leschak, Fernando Marti, Doug Minkler, Claude Moller, Malaquias Montoya, Nicholas Naughton, Mokhtar Paki, Patrick Piazza, Manuel Fernando Rios, Manuel Fernando Rios, Calixto Robles, Favianna Rodriguez, Roots Factory, Jos Sances, Leon Sun, David Tomb & Luis M. Contreras, Mark Vallen, Imin Yeh. Artworks ranging from 2010 to 2011.

502 Screen prints from the La Raza Galeria Posada Collection ranging from 1970 to 2005.

98 Ink and/or Watercolor Drawings/Paintings by Fritz Busse from ca. 1950’s.

Totals: 741 Separate Artworks; Roughly 140 Artists; Dates ranging from ca. 1750 to 2013.

Learn It, Make It, Show It: Review of "The Possible" at the BAM/PFA

If a person desired to step away from their normal routine in life, what would be the end result? If that person decided to venture into something unknown to them with the hopes of attaining something new in life, what would that thing be? It isn't so much about asking what is possible, but asking is it possible. Can we bring ourselves to try new things and risk disrupting the comfort of our known lives? That is the very thing being explored through art in the new exhibition at the Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAM/PFA). Last week, I got to witness some of the creative discoveries being made from January 29 to May 25 at the BAM/PFA in "The Possible".

A look at the BAM/PFA as "The Possible" 

attracts a great number of participants.

Thanks to a generous donation by former professor and Abstract Expressionist painter Hans Hofmann, UC Berkeley founded the BAM/PFA museum in 1963. The current building located on the south side of the university campus was designed by San Francisco architect Mario Ciampi with Richard L. Jorasch and Ronald E. Wagner, and opened on November 7, 1970. The modern building's floor plan utilizes a noteworthy design for guiding the viewer through the museum. Exhibitions are sectioned off on a multi-level floor plan that escalates and circulates around a large lower area where most of the workshops for The Possible are held. As visitors make their way from one section to the next, they receive a view of whole building, as well as the exhibits up ahead. Overall the layout is a good fit for individuals wanting to avoid a maze-like museum going experience.

Shot of participants splitting into groups 

for the Ceramic and Dye Lab Workshops.

It is an exciting time for the BAM/PFA, as they host an experimental exhibition two years in the making titled "The Possible". Unlike other exhibits where visitors simply come to look at the art, "The Possible" requires its visitors to make the art. Curated by David Wilson, it is set up with different workshops for visitors and invited artists to partake in the creation of art that is slowly filling up the display area of the exhibit, effectively turning the museum into a classroom and showcase. In this way, "The Possible" engages individuals to be more than just visitors: they become the artists that cultivate the exhibit. 

Domestic Integrities Part A06

by Caroline Walters, Francesca Ferreira-Caruana, Valentina Castro, 

Rumi Koshino, Natalie Palms, Natalie So, and others.

crochet rug

Visitors gather around the rug that serves as the 

symbol and centerpiece of the exhibit.

Though I did not join in on the workshops myself, I did get the opportunity to witness a group of individuals as they prepared to cement themselves as featured artists in the exhibit. The group started off by gathering around the piece titled Domestic Integrities Part A06, a massive rug that is itself growing along with the exhibition through the addition of donated clothes and textiles. After introducing the exhibitions main goals, the people leading the group invited the participants to partake in the many workshops for a day of artistic exploration. The lower level of the museum was just buzzing with activity, as people joined in on the activities that included a Ceramic Studio, Dye Lab, and Print Shop. Aside from the visual arts, the day also featured a Library workshop for exploring literature. And thought it seemed to be closed that day, "The Possible" also has its own Recording Studio for experimenting with sound and video creations. All this of course was happening indoors on a single day. According to the schedule on the BAM/PFA website, the nearly four month exhibit has or will featuring workshops in dance, music, kite making, and many others until its final day, when the exhibition will be overflowing with art of all types.

Some of the larger textile works hanging over the workshops.

Recording Studio

presented by Jamie Dutcher The Zoo Labs

Bringing new media art practice to the public. 

Library

Furniture design by Anzfer Farms (Joseph Ferriso and Jonathan Anzalone)

A nice inclusion of literature with the visual arts; contained 

many interested books and documents by artists like Fluxus musician Joe Jones.

If the current display is any indication of what is to come, the final day will be an amazing sight to behold. Located on one of the upper levels, the display is packed with an auspicious collections of works by the BAM/PFA's visitors. Everything from drawings, posters, ceramic jugs, quilts, masks, letter art, scale models, dolls, wooden sculptures, prints, and other things can be viewed here. Knowing that everything shown was created right there in the museum workshops makes this display even more special. It is like a record of all the people who have participated in the workshops and left their individual signatures in the form of an artwork.

Display

Structure design/facilitation by Alexander Kori Girard

Structure fabrication by the BAM/PFA Prep Crew

mixed media

The end result of "The Possible".

Visiting artists and participants leave their work here to 

commemorate their experience at "The Possible".

"The Possible" is best defined as the answer to anyone who ever wondered if they could one day be as great as Picasso, Matisse, or any other household name. Rather than showing its visitors the end result of art, the BAM/PFA is doing something innovative and more productive by showing them the process instead. Like the old proverb about teaching a man to fish, "The Possible" instructs its visitors in creating their own art and then takes it a step further by placing them on display. The ultimate lesson here is that it is possible to create amazing things, and it is possible to one day have others appreciate those things. It all comes down to getting oneself involved in the arts and making it all happen. With only a month left to go, I highly recommend visiting Berkeley and attending a workshop in "The Possible" for anyone yearning to learn something new, make something that is truly their own, and display that thing for all to see.

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive
2626 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA.
Now featuring "The Possible"
Jan. 29 to May 25, 2014.
Wednesday through Sunday 11 AM to 5 PM (open selected Fridays until 9 PM).

Never too Young to Feel the Pain of Talent: Review of The High School Self-Portrait Show at the Crocker

The concept of the tortured artist is a common theme throughout the history of art. Van Gogh, Pollock, Wojnarowicz, and Kelley were all fantastically gifted people whose artworks are forever cast under the shadows of their personal demons. The idea that one must be motivated by the struggles of life to create a masterpiece is not a very pleasant theory to believe in. But in the end, no one is 100% happy; everyone suffers a little in the journey of life, so the fact that some people can be brave enough to put their suffering on display for the world to see is really quite admirable. I found this to be especially true when on April 17th, I visited the Crocker Art Museum for a look at some up-and-coming adolescent artists in the museum's High School Self-Portrait Show Reception.

With a photo booth, snacks and refreshments, and even a school marching band performance, the night was completely geared toward the students, who I was delighted to see were quite interested in looking at the various art works the Crocker had on display. The show featured over 50 artworks by students from High Schools all over the Sacramento area. As part of the Crocker's Teen Takeover: Spring Break Edition, the show placed emphasis on the use of diverse media by the students as they presented their own self-portraits. As stated on the events online announcement, "Self-expression and technical skill align to present a snapshot of self-discovery."

Now to be perfectly honest, I walked into the show thinking I would see some talented portraits by young artists, which I did. But for whatever reason, I was taken aback by the amount of emotion that the portraits evoked from the viewer. Having just completed (or should I say escaped) my adolescent years, I know perfectly well the amount of angst and pressure that one is bombarded with during this transition between childhood and adulthood. The pressures that one feels are incredible, and this show seemed to encompass all of them at once.

One of the more recurring themes resonating from the art was the fear of the future. The distant gaze toward the right that indicates a look towards what's to come was very common in works by students like Samuel Swanson and Alexis Andrews. With most of the artists being seniors and juniors, they are all preparing to leave the stability of High School and their families, and venture out into a world they know really little about. Do they plan to go to college? Find a job and move out? Do they have endless possibilities, or a few limited options? These questions haunt the mind as one approaches 18, but they certainly make for great subject matters.

The Artist Looking Forward (2014)

by Samuel Swanson

photography

Despite being young, he already identifies 

himself as an artist, showing a clear direction to follow.

Free Flight (2014)

by Alexis Andrews, Folsom High School

copic markers, water color, and ink

The artist is less sure about her future than Swanson, but 

maintains a spirited character as represented by the parrot.

One thing I'm still learning right now, is that before you can make the jump to adulthood, you have to have a strong grasp on identity first. Self-portraits are easily the best method of exploring one's identity. Medium played a huge role in these works. Those who chose photography did so to capture their present reality as seen by all. While those who went with traditional mediums like pastels and paint had more freedom to distort their self-perceptions. Those who chose digital art had even greater power to manipulate their image still. Teenagers carry the burden of believing that their present will imitate their future, so they rush to find their identities and ultimately lose sight of the future altogether. An artist can search all of his or her life without ever truly knowing themselves, so one shouldn't worry so much about doing it at such a young age.

Blau (2014)

by Josiah Davis, Jesuit High School

pastel

He rejects changing his image with the pastel, 

choosing instead to physically distort it with his hands.

Hidden Secrets (2014)

by Courtney Stevens, El Camino Fundamental High School

inkjet colorprint

She feels she that keeps a protective barrier around her, 

so she peels it away to reveal her true self.

The more one struggles with identity, the more damaging it becomes on one's health. Teenagers will constantly deal with making consequential mistakes in order to fit in with their peers. This creates a pain that they keep hidden from the world. The thing about self-portraits is that to show the world your face is to show that hidden pain as well. Some of these portraits, like Eat by Claire Conter, dare to express something that one would normally suppress. In this way, the self-portrait is a healthy practice, as it allows the artist to tell the world that their pain is real, but they are not afraid to look in the face.

Eat (2014)

by Bianca Quiroz, St. Francis High School

photography

The artist's insecurities once forced her to be silent; 

now she leaves that part of her life behind her.

Self Portrait (2014)

by Claire Conter, Folsom High School

colored pencil and acrylic paint

Inspired by the line "the sun is gone, but I have a light" 

in "Dumb" by Nirvana; a song about being different.

It is not an easy thing to reflect on yourself. Looking at these portraits made me remember my own adolescent angst that still lingers from only a few years ago. That these students were brave enough to put themselves out there is very commendable. And as it did with me, the show reminds the viewer that we all struggle with our existence when we're young and that the teenage experience ultimately prepared us to better handle the challenges of adulthood. These young adults are still in the process of that struggle, as I might be as well. But there is no denying the productiveness that comes with releasing one's angst in the form artistic achievement.

High School Self-Portrait Show Reception
Crocker Art Museum at 216 O. St., Sacramento, CA.
Apr. 17, 2014. 5-9 PM.

Cross-Cultural Connections (or How I Learned Why I Love Art History): Review of the Sac State Art History Symposium

The Festival of the Arts is a week-long conjunction of events celebrating art at Sac State. It is easily the best time of the year to be an art lover at Sac State because the week is jam-packed with art exhibits, museum events, and guest speakers dealing with art from different styles and across the globe. Quite fittingly, this year marked the 10th Annual Festival of the Arts Art History Symposium, in which five art historians were invited to discuss the topic: "Cross-Cultural Connections in Printmaking". Each speaker brought a different story to tell from the long history of printmaking, and what I thought was going to be just another interesting art discussion, turned out to be the event that finally put my place in the art world into perspective for me.

Keynote Address:
Kathan Brown
"Crown Point Press: An Insider's Perspective"

The symposium started with a look at the Bay Area's Crown Point Press studio through the eyes of its founder, Kathan Brown. Since the 1960's, Crown Point Press's mission has been to teach artists the process of printmaking as a tool to enhance their art. Kathan has had the opportunity of working with some of the biggest names in modern and contemporary art, including Wayne Thiebaud, John Cage, Chuck Close, Laura Owens, and Julie Mehretu. She modestly claims that it is the artists who direct the art, and that the printmakers are just there to aid and follow their commands. What I enjoyed most about her lecture was the video clips she brought of the artists going through their unique processes of experimentation with their prints. Rarely does one get to see the thoughts and expressions that the artist makes while creating. Despite new advancements in technology, Kathan remains hopeful that Crown Point Press will continue to produce prints and tell amazing stories of the artists who worked there.

Unclosed (2007)

by Julie Mehretu

color hard ground etching with spit bite aquatint and drypoint

Mehretu focuses on line; the longer you 

look at it, the more colors become visible.

John Byck
"The Ship Engravings of Master W with the Key as Cultural Crossroads"

The lectures now moved from well-known artists in the modern Bay Area, to an anonymous figure in 15th century Europe. Ph.D. candidate John Byck examined the ship engravings attributed to Master W, an artist likely serving in the court of Charles the Bold of Burgundy. Master W's ornamental prints were pre-cursors to the ship portrait genre made popular in the Dutch Republic, thus making him an influential figure in the history of printmaking. It is very interesting to think that all we know about the artist is the monogram he used to identify his work, and yet we still consider him an influential figure in European art, much like we do with prehistoric cave painting and statuettes. Master W's story really makes me think about all the untold and undiscovered artists who could have made an impact if given the chance.

Ship with Sails Furled and Arrow Pointing to the Right (1475-1485)

by Master W

engraving on paper

It remains uncertain whether his prints 

influenced contemporary Italian works or vice versa.

Pamela Ivinski
"The Unexpected Created of Arabesques: Mary Cassatt's 1890-91 Color Prints and the Decorative Devices of Japanese and Islamic Art"

The most cross-cultural lecture given that day went to Pamela Ivinski, as she argued for the influence of both Japanese prints and Arabesque designs in the work of famed female artist Mary Cassatt. Specifically looking at her set of ten prints from 1890-1891, Pamela noted Cassatt's overseas travels (a common sign of international inspiration in art) to produce prints alongside the European Impressionists. As Cassatt developed the feminist undertones that brought her much attention and criticism, a clear connection with Kitagawa Utamaro's prints (which were very influential to the Impressionists) was evident. Less obvious, Pamela pointed out, was the influence of patterns in Arabesque art seen in the fabrics and backgrounds of Cassatt's female figures. The presence of the patterns prevents the female figures from being lost in their backgrounds, as women were in society. Cassatt's rejection of the association of women with eroticism made her, like her female figures, a true standout.

Mother's Kiss (1891)

by Mary Cassatt

drypoint and aquatint on laid paper

Cassatt's technique and subject matter is shared with 

Japanese prints, while her designs match those of Arabesque art.

Mother Nursing a Child Before Mirror (1753-1806)

by Kitagawa Utamaro

woodcut print

Arabesque Designs from the Red Fort in Agra, India (1565)

inlays on red sandstone

Louise Siddons
"At Once Strong and Delicate: Uncovering the Contradictions of Cross-Cultural Modernity in a Painted Photograph by Bertha Lum"

Next to speak was Louise Siddons, who looked at the troubled life of American printmaker Bertha Lum. Lum is best known for her ability to transfer photography to woodblock, a process that mirrored her abandonment of Western culture for that traditional Asia. After marrying her husband, the couple traveled to Japan and China at the turn of the twentieth century, where Lum developed a love for the art printmaking. Unfortunately, this love came at a time when the land was being invaded by the West and plunged into world conflict. Lum blamed the West for the modernity that was sweeping over China's beautiful traditions. She was a misplaced soul who had finally found her true home, only to have it ripped away by demons she had tried to leave behind. Nevertheless, her art succeeded in bringing Western attention to the beauty of Asian prints.

O Yuki The Frost Fairy (1916)

by Bertha Lum

woodblock print

Her art displays the talent of someone 

born too late in the wrong place.

Mary Goodwin
"Printmaking in Los Angeles and the Role of Maria Sodi de Ramos Martinez"

Much like John Byck's speech on Master W, the final lecture dealt with an unknown artist who unknowingly set the stage for future artists to follow in her footsteps. Mary Goodwin's interest in Depression era Los Angeles stemmed from her childhood curiosity of a painting by Mexican artist Alfredo Ramos Martinez hanging in her home. What she believed to be an original turned out to be one of the 12,000 print copies made by Martinez's wife, Maria Sodi. Following Alfredo's death, Maria Sodi set out to keep his memory alive by learning silkscreen from Guy Maccoy in LA and reproducing Alfredo's paintings in massive amounts. While making these prints, Martinez would reteach the process to the much more well-known artist Sister Corita Kent, who in turn, retaught the process to other Chicano artists, and so on throughout the twentieth century. Despite her lack of recognition in the art world, Martinez's efforts to make her husband's art available to the masses, as well as passing down the technique to other artists, make her a key figure in the transition of Latin American Arte Culto ("fine art") to Arte Popular ("Art of the People").

La India de los Floripondios (c. 1932)

by Alfredo Ramos Martinez

silkscreen reproduction by Maria Sodi de Ramos Martinez

One has to admire the devotion Maria had to her 

husband to have made 12,000 prints of his works.

Is there more to these stories than the retelling of the lives of key printmakers? Of course. This symposium ultimately showed the role that printmaking played throughout history as a link between multiple cultures and worlds. Whether these artists were looking for recognition (like Cassatt or Lum) or doing it for someone else (Crown Point Press, Master W, or Martinez), they all managed to build connections between distant lands, from the past to the future, and from one artist to another.

Still, I have now come to the realization that the things that draw me to the subject of Art History are the stories behind each art work and artist. Something happened in these people's lives that influenced their decisions to create their art, and I absolutely love hearing about them. Even if we know little about someone like Master W, we can speculate that his decision to create art was more than arbitrary. These fascinating stories ultimately form the master narratives of art like the one here about cross-cultural connections. I now wish to make hearing and interpreting these stories an integral part of my life.

The 10th Annual Festival of the Arts Art History Symposium 
"Cross Cultural Connections in Printmaking"
CSU Sacramento Mariposa Hall 1000
Saturday April 12, 2014. 1-5 pm.

The Art of Interest: U-Nite at the Crocker

"Go and make interesting mistakes, make amazing mistakes, make glorious and fantastic mistakes. Break rules. Leave the world more interesting for your being here." -Neil Gaiman.

This...is art. Society draws the lines of what is correct and acceptable, and art dares to cross those lines and do the opposite. We make mistakes because we know that is the only way to create something society has not seen before. Deep down we all possess a yearning to witness amazing things outside of the norm. This yearning is evident in Gaiman's words, which is why this was the perfect quote for the organizers of the third annual U-Nite at the Crocker Art Museum to welcome their guests into the vast collection of amazing things and people who had gathered that night.

U-Nite is an event showcasing the works and talent of the faculty and students of Sacramento State's College of Arts and Letters. After kicking off the event with a live rock performance by the Rogue Scholars, U-Nite founder Elaine Gale took to the stage in Friedman Court and thanked everyone who made the event possible, as well as the people who showed up to support the artists and a united love for art itself. Looking at the schedule, I felt a little overwhelmed (in a good way) of all the performance and exhibits available to see. Despite only being to stay for a few hours, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that my inner yearning for art left satisfied with what I saw.

The Rogue Scholars performing various songs; 

the audience definitely enjoyed this opening.

Opening remarks by U-Nite coordinators.

Poetry on the Spot

by CSUS Students

At the main entrance, these students read poetry all through the event.

The Crocker Auditorium presented its first of many shows for the night with a dance performance by Joseph Parente and I CAN DO THAT! This performance featured students with disabilities as they presented the audience with a history of hip-hop as it emerged from the Bronx in New York. The students covered the essential elements of hip-hop culture, including DJing, MCing, graffiti, and breakdancing, and did it all while having fun along the way. As someone with a family member who is mentally challenged and also involved in a similar learning group, I cannot stress enough how much respect I have for the people who brought art into these students' lives. On top of that, I rediscovered my love for old school hip-hop as well.

I CAN DO THAT!

organized by Joseph Parente

performance

The students showed off some awesome breakdancing skills.

Between events, I took the time to look at the art on regular display. They boast a very culturally diverse collection from across the globe. Tribal art from Africa and Oceania, paintings capturing the American 1800's, stoneware and porcelain from Jingdezhen and other famed Asian ceramic cities, and of course the local Californian artists. It just goes to show the significant connections that Sacramento has to cultures from around the world, and how much effort the Crocker has put in over the years to present it all for the public. Finally, I walked around the Sam Francis exhibit that is wrapping up this month. A member of the abstract expressionists, Francis displayed an energetic and colorful style that he developed here in his native California. The Abstract Expressionists were a group who definitely had no fear of making mistakes in their creations.

Five Decades of Abstract Expressionism

works by Sam Francis

acrylic on canvas

Paying homage to one of California's own great artists.

Back in the Auditorium, Mario Estioko gave a live reading of his comic book, PECK: The Man Without Neck. This was a real treat for me, as Mario had been my first graphic design professor at Sac State. Back in 2011, as the semester was coming to a close, Mario shared with my class his love for comic drawing by showing some preliminary drawing of a deformed character he called The Peck. Little did I know that I would one day be hearing Mario perform the first installment of his comedic character's heroic adventures live in person. The Peck is the alter ego of a one-armed waste management engineer named Dent, who's superpower allows him to transform from a nonthreatening nerd, into a muscular and athletic superhero who patrols the streets the fictional Sactown. I absolutely loved hearing Mario perform the different voices of his characters, adding sound effects whenever possible, to bring the story to life. Much like Dent, Mario showed me a side of him I had not seen (the funny, comic loving side), which goes to show the surprises art can bring about. (The comic can be read atwww.themanwithoutneck.com).

Mario at the end of his read.

PECK: The Man Without Neck Cover Art

by Mario Estioko

A very fun read with must-see figure drawings.

What hip-hop, rock, abstract art, poetry, dance, and comics all have in common is that at what point, they were all viewed as mistakes in their respective times. The innovators of these arts chose not to conform to societal limits, and now we celebrate them for being different and giving us a plethora of styles to explore and enjoy. U-Nite at the Crocker brought all these art forms together in a one of the most fun events I have ever experienced. I look forward to the interesting experiences that the Crocker and Sac State can provide me at next year’s event.

U-Nite
Crocker Art Museum at 216 O St. Sacramento, CA
April 10, 2014. 5-9:00 pm.