Arts DEVOté

WALK TALK For 13 years the Sacramento News & Review has been sponsoring the Second Saturday Art Walk in Sacramento, an immensely popular monthly event that attracts thousands of art fans (and art buyers) to the area’s galleries. Now it’s Chico’s turn. Much as it did with the CAMMIES last spring, the CN&R is borrowing the successful SN&R blueprint. Beginning Sat., Dec. 2, more than 30 area galleries will take part in the first of many Arts First Saturday monthly art walks. Each month, remember to check the CN&R the Thursday prior for a pull-out map to all the galleries, and after picking up your fresh basil and basket of blackberries at the Farmers Market, follow your map and find a nice still-life treasure for the dining room.

WALK THE WALK Of course, galleries are open more than just one day a month, and on one day last week (Nov. 9), A.D. chanced upon some cool art, purely by accident. On the Chico State campus, the Arts Department had all the doors open for the once-a-semester BFA Open Studios event, with student paintings, sculptures, ceramics and glassworks on display in studios in both Ayres and Taylor halls.

The most impressive discovery on this trip to the campus, though, was the trippy work (see photo) of Elissa Batchley, who has works on display in the BFA Gallery on the first floor of Ayres Hall, and in a two-person exhibit (with Rodolfo Salgado Jr.) in the Third Floor Gallery in the BMU.

Metal cages filled with glass have been heated, causing the metal to sag and glass to drip through, creating truly unique, physics-defying sculptures. Super rad.

WALKING IS HARD If moving your legs requires too much effort, skip walking altogether and follow the digital bread crumbs to the online homes of some local artists. Two of my faves of late have been the tile-centric home of Robin Indar (www.robinindar.com) and the blog of Dylan Tellesen (http://dtellesen.blogspot.com). New discoveries include nice guy Jeremy Golden’s paintings, drawings, photos and prints (www.jeremygolden.com), and the blog of local Cruxter and man-of-a-thousand-faces Dave “Dragonboy” Sutherland (www.davescyberdojo.com).

Send in links to your favorite local artist sites and A.D. will share them.

CONDUCTOR PICKETT A.D. is sadly lacking in classical music cred. But the Photoshopping of North State Symphony conductor Kyle Wiley Pickett into an image of an old-fashioned choo choo is one really good way to pique this simple columnist’s interest. Sat., Nov. 18, in Laxson Auditorium, Pickett and company will be presenting An American Journey—Planes, Trains and Cowboys , featuring tantalizing pieces like Aaron Copland’s “Billy the Kid” and Arthur Honegger’s steam-train homage, “Pacific 231.”

WEEKLY devoTIONS: Put the tape on erase. Rearrange a face. We always liked Picasso anyway—from Devo’s “We’re Through Being Cool”

• Blue Room Theatre’s 13th annual Fall Ball fundraiser, Sat., Nov. 18, 6:30 p.m. at the Park Tower Pavilion. This year the gourmet feast is Mexican cuisine, and the party follows the theme with salsa dancing all night long. Tickets are $50, and they will sell out: 895-3749 and www.blueroomtheatre.com.

• Director’s Cut, the Chico Art Center’s annual board member group exhibition, is showing through Nov. 26. Info: 895-0791 and www.chicoartcenter.com.

• The Sound of Music at the Chico Theater Company, opening Fri., Nov. 17. You have plenty of chances to bring the Trapp Family Singers your your holiday season, with three to four showings a week through Dec. 16. Info: 894-3CTC and www.chicotheatercompany.com.

“So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night!”

Jason Cassidy is a former CN&R arts editor and current calendar editor, and is on the board of the 1078 Gallery.