Arts Devo

Art, tattoos, photographs and poems

“Swimming Upstream #1,” by Bonnie Smith

“Swimming Upstream #1,” by Bonnie Smith

Discover more art Arts DEVO is a little late to the party on this intriguing-looking art show, but thankfully not too late. The Discovery Series is an annual curated show hosted by Chico Art Center that features artists with whom Chicoans likely aren’t familiar, and it is up for two more days (through Feb. 24). This year’s selection features works by three artists doing very distinct work: Redding’s Sandra Relyea has put together inventive installations featuring life-size “shadows” depicting marginalized people—elderly, homeless—fashioned from screen mesh; Chico photographer Jamie Blankship has colorful light installations and photographs; and San Jose’s Bonnie Smith has hung incredible quilts featuring giant images of people in swimming pools. Get to the gallery before the art is gone!

Ink Masters Dang, Feather Falls Casino! A tattoo expo? Where did this come from? For two days this weekend (Feb. 25-26), the casino’s Mooretown Gymnasium will host tattoo artists from all over the West for the Feather Falls Casino Tattoo Expo. In addition to appearances by both local and visiting tattoo artists—including Oliver Peck (Saturday only) of the Spike TV reality show Ink Master—there will be contests, live music, food, tattoo art and a beer garden. Entry to the expo is free!

Picture this In what is the most logical of progressions of an already good idea, the 1day Club is about to accept a new member. The online, prompt-powered arts-making project that already features three avenues for spontaneous creation—1day Song Club, 1day Poem Club, 1day Art Club—will now also welcome pictures in the new 1day Photo Club. As with the other clubs, every other week (on Tuesdays for photos), a prompt will be given and photographers will have 24 hours to take a photo on the theme. Prompt No. 1 was Feb. 21. Visit www.1dayclub.com to see how it was interpreted … and to sign up to get prompts for your own art!

Flow

Tattoo expo at Feather Falls.

The words pour down and rise over banks and take down the oak

and we pick out the best from the piles of debris in the middle of the road

And we poke at them when they clog until they come to us

flushing downspout to hide among bulbs deep in mud

waiting to spring

Just a little timely wordplay from Arts DEVO to get the Poetry 99 waters flowing. (In fact, while you’re writing your 1day, or 2day or 67.5day poems, why not submit them to the Chico News & Review’s annual poetry contest, too?) Your pieces just have to be 99 words or fewer, not one word over! Check out the rules on page 32.