Call for artists! Worn exhibit at the Pence
2025-10-01 - 2025-12-01 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Call for artists! Worn exhibit at the Pence
The Pence Gallery invites artists to submit artwork that captures the connection between clothing and one’s personal identity and/or culture. Artists can explore this open-ended theme through various media and subject matter. Selected work will become part of a new onsite group exhibit, titled Worn, in the Learning Center Gallery at the Pence Gallery from January 9 – February 8, 2026. There is no fee to apply, and submissions are due by 5 PM on December 1, 2025.
Artwork can be 2D or 3D and should be limited to 30” maximum in any direction when framed and weigh no more than 25 pounds. This call is limited to California artists ages 18 and up. Artists must submit digital images of up to 4 artworks and a short artist statement at bit.ly/penceartistcall.
December 1: Submissions are due online by 5 PM at bit.ly/penceartistcall
December 8: Notification to exhibiting artists of acceptance
January 3-5: Deadline for dropping off all work in person (no shipping),
11:30 AM – 4:30 PM
January 9 – February 8: Exhibit dates, 11:30 AM – 5 PM (closed Mondays)
January 9: Opening reception, 6-9 PM
Questions? Email Katharine Schultz at pencegallery@gmail.com.

Inner Worlds and Outer Lands: Paintings by Christine Olmsted
2025-10-03 - 2025-10-27 | The Artery, 207 G Street, Davis, CA
October 3–27, 2025
Reception: October 10, 2025
The Artery is proud to present Inner Worlds and Outer Lands, a solo exhibition of paintings by Christine Olmsted. With over 35 years of artistic practice, Olmsted creates vibrant, abstract works that serve as meditations of her inner dialogue, daily life, and the mysteries of the world around us.
Currently an elementary teacher, Olmsted draws inspiration from her students and in exchange strives to cultivate their belief in a hopeful future.
The Artery is open 7 days a week. Monday through Saturday:10-6, Sunday: 11-5. The Artery will be open from 6 to 9 pm on Friday, October 10, for the reception of Inner Worlds and Outer Lands which is also part of the Davis Second Friday ArtAbout.

Healing Arts 6-Session Workshop
2025-10-03 10:00 - 11:45, 2025-10-10 10:00 - 11:45, 2025-10-17 10:00 - 11:45, 2025-10-24 10:00 - 11:45 (America/Los_Angeles) | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Healing Arts 6-Session Workshop
Fridays, 10-11:45 AM | Sep. 19, 26 & Oct. 3, 10, 17, 24
$25 Members, $35 Non-Members (all materials included)

The Pence’s 6-session Healing Arts workshop uses art as a healing language for those experiencing grief from the loss of a loved one. Through the process of art making, participants will have opportunities for discussion, education, and connecting with peers in a safe and supportive space in the Pence Learning Center under the guidance of facilitators Amy Vidra and Lyndsey Rocca.

Registration is required in advance through our website, and space is limited to the first 8 participants who register. Participants must be 18 or older, and no art experience is necessary. This program is generously sponsored by Bob & Joanne Andresen.

Register (REQUIRED): https://pencegallery.org/education/programs/workshops-and-classes/

[Please note that when registering for this program, you are signing up for all 6 sessions. If you are unable to attend one or more of the sessions, please let us know in advance.]

Any questions? Email pencegallery@gmail.com.

Beauty, Seen and Felt: Paintings by Raquel Cox
2025-10-03 11:30 - 2025-11-30 17:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Beauty, Seen and Felt: Paintings by Raquel Cox
Exhibit: October 3 – November 30, 2025
Reception: Friday, October 10, 6-9 PM

Raquel Cox is an oil painter whose recent work celebrates the beauty of nature and the way it lifts the human spirit. Painting mainly from life, Raquel portrays a wide variety of subjects but is particularly fascinated with observing the structure, delicacy, vibrancy, and impermanence of flowers. She views her work as a delicate balance between portraying nature truthfully and trying to capture the beauty and poetry that she finds in each subject.

This exhibit is sponsored by Jim & Sue Smith and Tereza Joy Kramer.

Image: Raquel Cox, “Hydrangeas and Rose”

Painting Animals Workshop with David Lobenberg: Flamingos & Panda Mamas
2025-10-04 10:00 - 2025-10-05 14:30 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Painting Animals Workshop with David Lobenberg: Flamingos & Panda Mamas
Saturday & Sunday, October 4-5 | 10 AM – 2:30 PM
$225 Members | $250 Non-Members (Materials not included)

Learn the art of painting animals in watercolor with David Lobenberg! You will be supplied with two nature habitat photos of flamingos and panda bears, along with their associated outline drawings for tracing purposes. Follow David step-by-step to create luscious, eye-engaging watercolor creations of these mama and baby scenes. Visit our website to view the materials list and pre-workshop instructions.

Register here: https://pencegallery.org/education/programs/workshops-and-classes/

Questions? Email pencegallery@gmail.com.

A New Spin on Vinyl
2025-10-07 11:30 - 2025-11-05 17:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
A New Spin on Vinyl
Exhibit: October 7 – November 5, 2025
Reception: Friday, October 10, 6-9 PM (free)
A New Spin on Vinyl showcases the artistry of regional artists who alter and incorporate vinyl records as a creative material into their artwork. The annual exhibit, which began in 2018, was first dedicated to Russ Solomon, the founder of the world-renowned Tower Records. The Pence exhibit includes many returning artists, a selection of award-winning community college students, and several new artists, who bring inventive adaptations of vinyl, paint, and interactive elements into their two-dimensional and three-dimensional work.
This exhibit is curated by Dwight Head, Barbetta Lockart, and Cynthia Lou.
Image: Dwight Head, “Picasso, Head of a Woman”

Figure Drawing at the Pence
2025-10-08 18:30 - 21:00, 2025-10-22 18:30 - 21:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Figure Drawing Session
2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month, 6:30—9 PM
$15 Members, $22 Non-Members | Limited to 10 participants
Registration & payment is required in advance through the Pence’s website.

We hold self-guided figure drawing sessions with a nude model every 2nd & 4th Wednesday of the month, from 6:30—9 PM. This group is for both experienced artists and amateurs to have an opportunity to draw from the nude model. If you have never drawn from a live model before and would like to join us, you are very welcome! People of all skill levels, ages 18 and up, are welcome and encouraged to join.

This is not a class, and no instruction is provided. The atmosphere is relaxed and non-competitive. Bring your own art materials, and we’ll provide a comfortable place to sketch or paint live models in our upstairs classroom space. Participants will work independently through a warm up with shorter poses and longer, twenty-minute poses. A staff member will be on-site to facilitate the group and to answer questions.

Register here: https://pencegallery.org/education/programs/figure-drawing/

Join the Meetup group: https://www.meetup.com/davisfigure/

Image: drawing by Deziree Seidner

2nd Friday ArtAbout
2025-10-10 17:00 - 21:00 | Downtown Davis Various Locations
Spice up the night with art! Join us on October 10 for the 2nd Friday ArtAbout artwalk and check out art receptions, pop-ups, open studios, live music, and more in Downtown Davis & beyond. This is a great free event to enjoy with friends and family each month. Participating venues:
Arboretum Art Works, 17 Arboretum Dr, Suites G & H | 5:30-7:30 PM
Get your portrait done by Daniela + music by Melodic Hijinks
The Artery, 207 G St | 6-9 PM
Inner Worlds and Outer Lands by Christine Olmsted
Davis Community Church, 412 C St | 12-1 PM
LIVE@DCC: Second Friday Free Noon Concert by The Sierra Ensemble
Davis Craft & Vintage Fair, E St Plaza | 5-9 PM
Pop-up arts, crafts, and vintage sellers + live music (weather permitting)
Delta of Venus, 122 B St | 6-9 PM
Entries, Exits, Escapes by Katerina Hanks
Logos Books, 513 2nd St | 6-8 PM
While Supplies Last by Mark Tomassetti
The Paint Chip, 217 F St | 6-8:30 PM
Plein Air Adventures group show
Pence Gallery, 212 D St | 6-9 PM
Robert Ortbal: Encounters
A New Spin on Vinyl
Raquel Cox: Beauty, Seen and Felt
Marlene Lee: Surrounding Landscapes
Third Space Art Collective, 17 Arboretum Dr, Unit C | 6-9 PM
Forming, Here, Again: DART x Third Space Art Collective with Luka Vergoz
Thriving Pink, 501 2nd St | 5-8:30 PM
Photography Reception in Recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month with Lisa Adda
[OFF MAP EVENTS]
Davis Arts Center, 1919 F St | 5-7 PM
Family Open Studio
Pamela Trokanski Dance Workshop, 2720 Del Rio Place | 5:30-7:30 PM
2nd Friday ArtAbout and Open House
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The ArtAbout is coordinated by the Pence Gallery and sponsored by Signature Sponsor Willowgrove and the Davis Downtown Business Association. To support this free community offering as a sponsor, please visit https://pencegallery.org/events/artabout/.
Images:
Luka Vergoz, Untitled (Third Space)
Katerina Hanks, “Sunset” (Delta of Venus)
Lisa Adda, “Sunflowers” (Thriving Pink)
Cathie James-Robinson, “Green Heron” (Arboretum Art Works)

Reception for Inner Worlds and Outer Lands: Paintings by Christine Olmsted
2025-10-10 18:00 - 21:00 | The Artery, 207 G Street, Davis, CA

2nd Friday ArtAbout at the Pence Gallery
2025-10-10 18:00 - 21:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Join us at the Pence Gallery for our 2nd Friday ArtAbout reception on October 10, 6 – 9 PM. Enjoy browsing all of our new art exhibits, complimentary wine, and an art-themed scavenger hunt. Free admission!
Robert Ortbal: Encounters | Oct. 10 – Nov. 30
Robert Ortbal combines a vast array of both common and odd materials, applying them in endless variations to create small-scale, uniquely masked figures, traveling-case environments that house them, and wearable sculptures that are, at times, worn outside the gallery environment in performative public works.
A New Spin on Vinyl | Oct. 7 – Nov. 5
View the artistry of regional artists who alter and incorporate vinyl records as a creative material into their artwork. The annual exhibit, which began in 2018, was first dedicated to Russ Solomon, the founder of the world-renowned Tower Records. The Pence exhibit includes many returning and new artists, who bring inventive adaptations of vinyl, paint, and interactive elements into their 2D and 3D work.
Raquel Cox: Beauty, Seen and Felt | Oct. 3 – Nov. 30
Raquel Cox is an oil painter whose recent work celebrates the beauty of nature and the way it lifts the human spirit. Painting mainly from life, Raquel portrays a wide variety of subjects but is particularly fascinated with observing the structure, delicacy, vibrancy, and impermanence of flowers.
Marlene Lee: Surrounding Landscapes | Oct. 3 – Nov. 16
View a series of oil paintings by plein air painter Marlene Lee along the stairway. The artist portrays the farms and ranches she visited while participating in Yolo Arts’ Art & Ag Project. In her work, she captures the different shades of greens or reds of the landscapes, as well as small details that reveal signs of human habitation.
Scavenger Hunt: Join us for a fun, art-themed scavenger hunt at the Pence during the 2nd Friday ArtAbout. Complete all of the clues by exploring our exhibits for the chance to win a special prize.
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Visit the Pence and other venues in Downtown Davis for the 2nd Friday ArtAbout artwalk. We will have printed ArtAbout guides available that week. Follow the ArtAbout’s Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/davisartabout.
Images:
Robert Ortbal, “Hello Kitty”
Terry Peterson, “Earful” (detail)
Raquel Cox, “Bolero Rose”
Marlene Lee, “Bridge at the Arboretum”

Artist Talk with Robert Ortbal
2025-10-18 15:00 - 16:30 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Artist Talk with Robert Ortbal
Saturday, October 18, 3-4:30 PM
(Members & students free, Non-Members $10)
Join us for an Artist Talk with Robert Ortbal in conjunction with his current solo exhibition, Encounters. He will lead a dialogue about the work on display, sharing images and videos highlighting the evolution and development of his previous work.
Robert Ortbal combines a vast array of both common and odd materials, applying them in endless variations to create small-scale, uniquely masked figures, traveling-case environments that house them, and wearable sculptures that are, at times, worn outside the gallery environment in performative public works. For Encounters, a 20-foot towering sculpture made from electrical conduit soars up into the clerestory and snakes along the gallery floor, displaying an assortment of his wearable works. The exhibit is complemented by the publication of an illustrated catalog of his recent work.
Encounters is on display at the Pence Gallery from October 10 – November 30, 2025.
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Catalog Sponsor: Nancy Roe
Exhibit Sponsors: Kimberly Ohlson & Allen Barnes
Installation Sponsors: MAK Design + Build

Watercolor Painting with Misuk Goltz (3-sessions)
2025-10-21 10:00 - 12:00, 2025-10-28 10:00 - 12:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Watercolor Painting with Misuk Goltz
Tuesdays, 10 AM – 12 PM | Oct. 21, 28 & Nov. 4
$98 Members | $108 Non-Members (Materials not included)
In this 3-week workshop, artist Misuk Goltz will focus on the importance of value studies. Through value studies, students will learn how to simplify complex subjects, organize a composition, establish strong lighting, and create a solid foundation for a full-color painting. Participants will paint a new subject each week, along with a corresponding value study. For this workshop, participants should be familiar with the basics of drawing and watercolor painting.
Register at https://pencegallery.org/education/programs/workshops-and-classes/.
Any questions? Email pencegallery@gmail.com.

Art in Action: Playful Pumpkin Bowls
2025-10-26 13:00 - 15:00 | Pence Gallery, 212 D Street, Davis, CA, 95616, United States
Art in Action: Playful Pumpkin Bowls
Sunday, October 26, 1–3 PM
$5 Members, $10 Non-Members (all materials included)
Celebrate spooky season with the perfect pumpkin art project! Start with mixing your own pumpkin spice salt dough. Then sculpt and decorate a pumpkin bowl using clay tools, textured surfaces, and more.
How it works:
Art in Action engages kids in art projects that are fun, creative, and collaborative with their family members. This is a drop-in program, for ages 5-12, with no registration required. When you arrive, pay with cash or card at the front desk. A parent or adult caregiver is required to stay, but only has to pay for the project for themselves if they are also doing art. Stay as long or as short as you like over the two hour period. Space and supplies are limited to the first 25 participants and are available on a first come, first served basis.
Our Art in Action family workshops are back every month! Learn more at https://pencegallery.org/art-in-action/.
This unique monthly program is generously sponsored and made possible by Mary Stephens DeWall and Les DeWall.

Chaos
2025-10-31 - 2025-11-24 | The Artery, 207 G Street, Davis, CA
The Artery is pleased to present Chaos, an exhibition featuring the luminous glass, paintings and jewelry of Linnea Wong, Adriel Wong and Lori Wynn.
Artist Reception on November 14, 6-9pm.
