Arts DEVOté

Squirrels With Lasers?!?
Arts DEVOté has no idea what is going to go down at the Crux Artist Collective. But with the Squirrels With Lasers group art show’s opening (Thurs., June 14, 9 p.m.-midnight) including a performance titled “Chain Gang Reinstated!” ("true tales from the thugs themselves … “), it’ll probably be akin to giving a bunch of lasers to some squirrels … or something. Oh yeah, there’ll be a performance by synth-math noodlers Team Shark Week at 10 p.m.

Chainsaw Darwin
There’s only one thing A.D. likes more than art he digs made by a person he digs, and that is when the art and the artist get outside of Chico and make art for the rest of the world to dig. One of A.D.'s favoritest Chicoans (via Oroville, don’t forget) is former Oubliette Perish front man and Peet’s barista Curtis “Chainsaw Darwin” Zinn. Curtis is in the East Bay now (with equally rad wife Vanessa) tearing it up at Ex’pression College for Digital Arts, and he and buddy Justin Justice have just completed a short film called Follow Me Around about a young woman and her clothes. It’s a collage of film, music and animation—it’s sweet, and dark, and playful all at once. Al Gore’s Current TV has just bought the rights! Check it at http://studentsites.expression.edu/~rad/, or search for it at the www.current.tv site.

Ancient Art
A full-scale model of Moses’ sanctuary is coming to Butte County … yes, you read that correctly. For the past week, the Messiah’s Mansion, a traveling full-scale model of the sanctuary God built for Moses in the wilderness, has been erected within the confines of a curtained-off compound south of Oroville (Highway 70 and Cox Lane). The exhibit will be open June 16-23, with free 75-minute tours every 15 minutes from 1-7 p.m. See the symbols of the gospel, the altar of incense, the Ten Commandments and the Ark of the Covenant (pictured). But remember your lessons from Indiana Jones: Don’t look directly at the open ark or you will turn to wax and your eyes will melt from your skull. Safety first. Info: (530) 538-8180.

Weekly Devotions

• Bloomsday: It’s the Celtic Knights of the Sea’s 12th annual Bloomsday Festival, celebrating Leopold Bloom’s epic day in James Joyce’s novel Ulysses with music, interpretive readings and Guinness. Sat., June 16, 7:30 p.m. at the Blue Room Theatre. Tickets: $10.

• Artist Lecture Series: The Chico Art Center is curating a new series of lectures by area artists. Speakers include painter/teacher Sal Casa, illustrator Steve Ferchaud, painter/art-therapist Cynthia Schildhauer and more. Lectures take place on the last Saturday of the month, 7:30-9 p.m., starting with Sacramento Bee editorial cartoonist Rex Babin on June 30. Visit www.chicoartcenter.com for more info.

• Sushi School: Give the art of food a try next week at the Rawbar’s Sushi 101 class, Sun., June 24. Learn the history of the craft, and get some hands-on Maki-Zushi rolling experience. Cost is $65, lunch included! Call (530) 897-0626 for reservations.

•Undercurrents: 1078 Gallery has an amazing trio of artists for its new Undercurrents show—Chico State MFA grad Blake Britton, Oakland archaeologist and sculptor James Mangold and S.F. writer/artist Ramekon O’Arwisters. Shows June 14-30, with opening receptions/artist talks today (June 14), 5:30-8:30 p.m. (Britton and O’Arwisters talk, 6 p.m.), and Fri., June 15, 5:30 p.m. (O’Arwisters reading, 6:30 p.m.).