Arts DEVO

Can you handle what spring brings? Chico, I don’t care how gassed you are after last weekend’s marathon of community events (Endangered Species Faire, Pioneer Day Parade, artisan faire, International Fest, Seersucker Ride, Dia de Los Niños carnival at Children’s Playground, the first Friday Night Concert, and the Thursday and Saturday markets!). Every single one of you should make your way down The Esplanade on Friday or Saturday (May 9, 4-9 p.m. or May 10, 2-9 p.m.) to one of Arts DEVO’s favorite local events of the year, Art at the Matador (formerly the Art Fiesta). Hosted by the Chico Visual Arts Alliance (ChiVAA) at the Matador Hotel, the celebration will feature more than 75 local artists showing and selling their works, and many of them will have their own personal galleries set up in the funky rooms of the iconic Mission-style motel. There are also more artisans and artists outside, plus food trucks and margaritas!

Exploring the varied rooms has been my favorite part of the two-day event, but this year many of the activities outside on the grounds promise to be just as funky and fun. First, there will be live jazz all Friday evening. Then, on Saturday come the art cars of the Mutant Vehicle Rally (2 p.m.), an extreme quick-draw contest (4 p.m.), and then the Burning Man dance party (6-9 p.m.) with David “Dragonboy” Sutherland leading a crew of electronic DJs and the Luminijas fire tribe putting on a fire-dance display to close out the festivities. Find “Art at the Matador” on Facebook or call 487-4533 for more info.

Way to go … us! The results were just announced for the California Newspaper Publishers Association’s 2013 Better Newspaper Contest, and we are stoked to report that the Chico News & Review kicked some ass.

In the division of weekly papers with circulations of 25,001 or more, we received first place for Page Layout & Design; and second place for Special Section (the Beer Issue, Aug. 8) and Coverage of Education (“A Perfect Storm,” by Mark Lore, March 28). Plus, we received honorable mentions (third or fourth place) for General Excellence; Best Front Page for both our Farm to Table and Keep Chico Weird covers (Sept. 26 and Oct. 31); Best Arts & Entertainment Coverage (Toot! Toot!); and Best Editorial Comment (“Independent Review Needed,” by Melissa Daugherty, Oct. 17).

Underground economy of crud Just got word from our badass Art Director Tina Flynn (you saw that first place award up there, for her and designer Sandy Peters’ work in layout and design, right?) that her husband, local walnut grower Tom Bush, is going to be on the next episode of the National Geographic Channel’s Filthy Riches! The show follows around various specialists who deal in the “diverse, exotic and, even occasionally, cringe-worthy underground economy of crud” as they hunt for their specific filthy niche products—namely eels, mushrooms, ginseng, bloodworms and burls. For the episode, the burl hunters visit Bush’s Casa Nut Orchard in west Chico, buy one of his old trees and yank it out of the ground. Tune in for all the root-pulling drama this Sunday, May 11, at 10 p.m.